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hey i just PICKED up an old cpu at an auction today and have been trying to get it to run. sticker on the machine says it has windows 95 but i cannot get it to start. after i start up the boot disk it STAYS verifying DMI pool data... then says Starting Windows 95... then it goes to A:/

ive tryed entering sys c: and format c: but it isnt making any progress..

if i should be doing something else please tell me Have you looked on the net for dos commands, and have you got the latest dos version?no clue on much about this computer as i just got it...all i know is it is fairly old around 1997 and was sold obviously because it cannot load windows...got information from this website to make a boot disk on a floppy and use it to reinstall windows and get it working. when i reset it at A:/ it doesnt change anything

edit: if i start up computer without boot disk inside at verifying DMI pool data it just goes to a screen saying "Press a KEY to reboot" at the top left hand cornerWhat OS do you want on this machine ? If Win98 do you have a Win98 CD to do a clean install ? ?

Any machine i pick up second hand or at a garage sale etc. i don't EXPECT to run...period.
That's why they are at auction or garage sales.

Post back with more details on what you want to do with the machine and we'll go from there.yea i'd like to put windows 98 on it and i found a couple of legit windows 98 CDsIf it is Win98SE that CD should be BOOTABLE...
If not travel to Bootdisk and grab a Win98 bootdisk...you want the one that includes CDRom support.
Extract the file to a clean floppy and boot up with it.
You should then be able to run setup from the CD drive.

OK so i have an old computer that boots up but after about 5 minutes the screen goes blank and it completely restarts. it does this pretty conistant everytime. The graphics card was always really hot so i thought that might be the problem.it is a 3dfx banshee i think.... I put a spare processor fan on it and now it stays cooler and just runs warm. the processor doesn't seam to be overheating. i not sure what temp it is running at. please help i am stumped.....


350mhz intel pentiumII MMX cpu
128mb ram
fujisu hhd like 7 gb
unknown motherboard
unknown psucheck all of the cards and plugs in the motherboard. make sure the memory is seated correctly and everything else. maybe try unplugging everything and plugging them back in.
if you have a spare hard drive and/or power supply, try swapping them.
If you don't have a spare hard drive, download a linux live cd from www.kubuntu.com and just let it run for a while. If it runs fine, then it's probably the hard drive that is causing problems. If not, it may be the power supply.k i got a spar hhd i try that quick... i think this was a drive that was giving me problems in another COMP now that i think of it.. only 1 way to find out
ok so now i having problems even getting windows xp through install... on a hhd that i know works...so it's not my hhd.i can try power supply but i don't think it's the problem.
more info.... ok so i swiched back to FIRST hhd i was using. I turned it on to see if it boot up windows it did. i let it sit, and of course it restarted. but after about 5 TIMES it did something different.

The blanked out came back but was just multi colored and moving all over went black for a second came back doing the same thing then it restarted loaded windows now it sitting there using only 4 BIT colors and 640 by 480 resolotion. Please help me I will get a video of it if i can or some pictures....
128MG of RAM is the bottom of the BARREL for XP. Consider adding some more.I tryed a different power supply and it did same thing. i have no clue it boots up to windows it just sitting there then screen goes blank and start up like cold boot....? help me Please. i'll try any advice.




ps-typed this on 56 mb ram with windows xp56 megabyte RAM for Windows XP?

My laptop is Windows XP and the least I can get it to is 116MB RAM out of 380MB....Quote from: Carbon Dudeoxide on August 17, 2007, 09:47:16 PM

56 megabyte RAM for Windows XP?

My laptop is Windows XP and the least I can get it to is 116MB RAM out of 380MB....

128MG of RAM is the bottom of the barrel for XP. Consider adding some more.

Hey folks
I have a gatway laptop that the cd rom just decided it couldn't read anymore. I put in a cd, I can hear the eye moving, trying to read but I was sure before I could hear the motor running when the cd was spinning. Is there a way to check it out?Try using VARIOUS CDs (originals, copies, ETC.) to see if it's not just that one.It seems to be the same no matter what cd I use. I've used music cd and software install cd's. It doesn't seem to matter. Even when I go to my computer, it doesn't register that there is any cd in the drive.Your CD drive is probably bad, you may need to replace it...Completely remove the drive from the laptop.
Use a flashlight to inspect inside the drive bay for obstructions.
To clean it out use a can of compressed air. DO NOT stick any metal objects in there.
Also inspect the business end of the drive.
Remount it. Some need to be pushed in fairly firmly but don't force it.
Re- boot and see if there is any change...thank you! at least that is a definite way that I will know that it's bad or good and also LEARN something in the process. AS long as you learn something in the day, it's not been a total loss.Hi, I don't think I can help you. However, after downloading SP2, I have many problems, including my CD/DVD. I can listen to CDs and I had a picture and no sound on the DVDs. I was told to reinstall the originial driver. My picture slowed up and distorted and went blank with a "stop error" message. I followed the stop error instuctions, but all that happened was no picture at all. Sony also told me to go into BOIS and change back to default values. I did. Still not successful. Now I'm told to download any updates from the Sony website, which is numerous. Thus, I still do not have use of my DVD player. You MIGHT try cleaning it. I'm sure if you go the GATEWAY Website, you might find some useful help. If you added any hardware, there may be a conflict. Have you tried a system restore. I better do that as well. Sorry I couldn't be any more helpful, but I'm hoping that someone else will come along and give you some advise which may also help me.
Good Luck.

I was working on my computer and a severe thunder storm was going on and gave me a power outage.In about 10 seconds my power came back on but my computer was mysteriously still off.I checked my surge protector and it was off.The wierd thing is that the Surge Protector was switched on, so I decided to switch it off and wait till the morn.Next day, I switched my Surge Protector back on and it was working fine like nothing happened. Then I try to turn on my hard drive and it didnt turn on! What happened? Quote from: IGNITE on August 17, 2007, 05:23:31 PM

I was working on my computer and a severe thunder storm was going on and gave me a power outage.In about 10 seconds my power came back on but my computer was mysteriously still off.I checked my surge protector and it was off.The wierd thing is that the Surge Protector was switched on, so I decided to switch it off and wait till the morn.Next day, I switched my Surge Protector back on and it was working fine like nothing happened. Then I try to turn on my hard drive and it didnt turn on! What happened?

Yes I do but what do I do with it? I'm trying to turn on my computer not my modem...

I have this program on my computer that I can't get rid of. It's called Web Nexus Network. The uninstall site for it is no longer there. If someone can give me some advice on how to get rid of it that would be great.By the way, I have tried Add/Remove Programs and it doesn't work. It just SENDS me to the uninstall site that isn't there any more.Web Nexus Network is a spyware/adware program

Try an online scanner, such as http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
You may also try a resident scanner, like http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
If you manage to download adware, you might as well get Windows defender. After you do, MAKE sure the definitions are updated, and do a full SCAN.

Have you tried removing it in safemode ? ?I have tried removing it on safe mode and it doesn't work. All it does is open internet EXPLORER and takes me to the uninstall page (which isn't there). I've ran virus searches and what not and nothing PICKS it up.Take a look here:

http://www.download.com/Software-Removal/3150-2096_4-0.html

Anyone have a cure for this Windows annoyance?
My taskbar is set to Always on Top and Autohide, but many programs fail to recognize it, or it fails to work properly. I like to stretch the taskbar to 2-high to have more room for displaying icons. However, when I do this, many programs (including IE and Office) fail to resize and/or the taskbar fails to hide properly. So I lose the status bar for the applications, as well as any side scroll bars. Try editing an Excel file when you can't scroll sideways past the first window!

I realize that if I drop the Autohide, and leave Always on top on, it causes the app windows to resize properly. It is aggravating that this has been a problem since Windows 95, but they keep adding bells and whistles instead of fixing things like this.

Notice that the taskbar does not go away like it should when the cursor is not hovering over it. Also, the bottom of the IE window is HIDDEN.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1379/1149967650_88e208cbc6_o.jpgI don't know about the propriety of answering my own question, but here is some new information I found in the Microsoft Knowledgebase.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/179363/en-us

This article was previously published under Q179363
SUMMARY
A taskbar automatically hides itself if a program sizes itself to cover the entire screen.

There is no programmatic way to change the Auto-Hide option (that is left up to the user by design), but if a program takes over the entire screen then it will automatically cover the taskbar.
MORE INFORMATION
To cover the taskbar, you must set the SIZE of the full-screen window explicitly. You cannot just maximize the window. A maximized window takes up the workspace area, which doesn't include the taskbar. -----------------------------------------------------------------
I tried this and it worked. I had to drop the task bar down to the grey line, then resize my IE window to take up the whole screen. When I resized my task bar, it worked properly. On top of that it also worked for other apps without me having to resize their windows, so maybe the taskbar just needed a kickstart to get back to working properly.

A similar article MAY explain why this happens under XP. NT code did not allow apps to take control of the whole window, so the taskbar autohide did not kick in.
--------------------------------------

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/133226/en-us

This article was previously published under Q133226
SYMPTOMS
When you run a SLIDE show from PowerPoint for Windows 95, version 7.0, under Windows NT version 3.51, the Office shortcut bar is visible.

Furthermore, if you are running Windows NT using the Windows 95 shell, the Windows taskbar is also visible during a slide show.

If you choose to autohide the Windows taskbar and/or the Office shortcut bar, they still appear as thin gray lines along the edge of your screen.

CAUSE
When you run a PowerPoint slide show, PowerPoint tries to take control of the entire screen. Windows 95 allows PowerPoint to do so, so the Windows taskbar and Office shortcut bars are hidden during slide shows running on Windows 95. Windows NT, however, does not allow any APPLICATION to take total control of the entire screen, so the Windows taskbar and Office shortcut bar remain visible.

Ok guys, I searched the old forum for an answer to this problem, found a thread but it degenerated into some sort of bickering and there was no resolution of the problem. So here's the question again.

Somehow I managed to get three copies of Windows XP installed on the same PC. The third I understand how, the second I'm not to sure about.

Here's what happens: when the computer is booted up I'm prompted to choose which version of windows I wish to run. It gives me a list of three seemingly identical Windows XP's. I choose the middle one because it is the one with all my information and programs on it. I can however choose any of the other two I wish, but they are fresh windows with nothing in them so I don't use them.

I'd like to know how to delete these other versions of windows from my computer but I'm extremely nervous about doing damage to it, especially losing my information as I have a lot of stuff that is important to me like my writing, homework, and gigs of music. Yes I realize I can make a backup, but the whole idea still makes me gittery.

So I'm wondering if any of you can help me with this problem, or perhaps explain what effects having multiple versions of windows can have. Is it really having any effect other than the annoyance when booting?Now tell us if the three versions of XP are on different physical hard drives, on different partitions on the same hard drive, on one partition on the only hard drive.

How do I find that out...sorry probably a dumb question. They're DEFIANTLY all on the same hard drive and I can even access them through my C Drive documents and settings. Not sure which that makes it.Okay Sean, your knowledge of your pc appears to be on the lean side so we'll take this slowly.

To find out how many hard drives/partitions you have click on Start>My Computer and just count the number of devices LISTED under "Hard Disk Drives".

(1) Before going any further we need to know as much as possible about your pc, what brand it is (HP, Dell etc), which model, what hardware is installed (do you have a floppy drive, cdrom?).

(2) Do you have any kind of software toolkit for backup/error recovery such as Erunt, NTFS4Dos or any other recovery tools?

(3) Do you know how to edit text files using a text editor?

(4) Can you copy/paste.

(5) Do you have a full version original cd of Windows XP?

Having more than one version of Windows installed will probably give no problems whatsoever apart from taking up lots of VALUABLE space on your hard drive and the inconvenience of having to select which OS to boot every time although we can probably get around the latter by simply editing a file.

Your backup should be as up-to-date as you want it to be at all times, your hard drive(s) can fail catastrophically at any time, they are just electro-mechanical devices. As a precaution you will definitely need to backup your valuable files before commencing to delete the two versions of Windows which you want to be rid of.

Post back with your responses please.


Believe it or not I'm probably more savy than your average person but in no way up to your speed obviously, I tend to know about things I use on a regular basis, or things I've had to fix in the past.

It was a custom made done through a Canadian company named Compu-smart, they go through a company called "Mind".

It's a AMD Athalon 3400+, 2.4 GHz, 1 Gig of RAM, I have a floppy drive, as well as a DVD drive and DVD Burner. I ALSO use virtual drives for mounting, I'm not sure if that is important. There's only one hard drive, it's 143 Gigs.

I do have a backup program through my Norton 360. I must admit I've been kinda dumb about it because I realize how important it is to back-up, but it gave me some trouble the first time I tried and I never really got around to going at it again.

I'm not sure what you mean by edit text files, if you just mean opening documents and changing text and numbers then yes.

People that can't copy and paste probably wouldn't know how to find this site. :p

Yes I do have a full version of Windows XP, I believe this is what got me into this problem, or at least the third instance of windows xp. It was after a major issue on my computer, I tried to uninstall windows and re-install it, but apparently I did it incorrectly because the old one was never un-installed.

I figured it wasn't a big deal but I'm trying to keep my computer at peak performance, and keep things clean so it was worrying me.

Thanks for what ever help you can give me.

Hi sean , i think you just need to change system startup time on the your computer.you have click on start-->settings-->control panel-->system-->advanced-->settings-->.......choose the middle one and reset both display list and display recovery for 0 seconds.Hi again Sean. Apologies, I didn't mean to be at all critical of your knowledge level, mine isn't all that high and we may be into the BLIND leading the blind.

It is important that you ensure your backup is up-to-date.

Meantime please copy/paste your BOOT.INI file into a response and show what Windows folders are in your root, there probably are three of them, please post the folder names which should be something like Windows, Windows.000 and Windows.001.

As you will appreciate I'm just gathering info, what advice I come up with depends on what the info shows.

If anyone else would like to jump in with advice please do so.

Thanks

When I start Win 2003 I found this msg.

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt :
\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
Please re-install a COPY of the above file

Before this problem occur
I install 2 OS in my computer. First OS is XP and second is 2003 X64.
They work properly.
Yesterday I "Clean Install" XP and I edit boot.ini file in Win XP like this (via bootcfg command)

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)PARTITION(3)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="2" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="1" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

When I choose "2" to enter Win 2003 the above error occurs.

Please help me. I dont want to re-install Win2003.

Thank you.hi , you can USE either of two solution,

1, copy x:\windows\driver cache\i386\ntoskrnl.exe x:\windows\system32

2, copy x:\i386\expand sp3.cab -F:ntoskrnl.exe x:\windows\system32

done.

In your boot ini both ENTRIES 2 and 3 are pointing to partition #1.
Depending on how you set this up they both cannot be on one partition.
Adjust the boot ini accordingly...

Hi
Have just installed a new Mother board in my Computer the old board board was damaged due to a power supply failure.Ny problem is the original installation disc windows 2000 has been lost I am not sure of what version it was,in an attempt to FORMAT the HD IAM trying to boot from a windows 2000 pro version and just get the blue error message I have checked the bios and all is ok.
IS it because I am not using the original disc that I am having problems.

regards
JohnIs the 2000 pro CD an original or just a copy?No matter what OS was on your machine PRIOR to this an authentic Win2KPro CD should boot fine.
It doesn't matter even if the DRIVE is empty.
What blue error message ? ?
This means it's still trying to boot from the hard drive.

Enter setup and set the first boot device to CDROM...

HI.
I have no SOUND on on-line videoes.
I have found that there is a missing file msacm32.drv.
Could'nt find on win 98 disc,but managed to download to docs.
I need to know what program to use to open file when it asks,and how to locate C:\Windows\System 32 to install it.
Many Thanks
thebrumNone of several references I've seen on that file mention Win 98; they mention later VERSIONS of Windows. So, I have some doubt that it's even supposed to be used with Win 98.

Anyway, if you want to try installing it in C:\Windows\System32, just move it there. In other words, open Windows Explorer, browse to C:\Windows\System32, and move that file into that FOLDER. Then, restart your computer and see what happens.

Per http://www.file.net/process/msacm32.drv.html:
Important: Some malware CAMOUFLAGE themselves as msacm32.drv, particularly if they are located in c:\windows or c:\windows\system32 folder.msacm32.drv does not APPEAR on my W98 machine. Me thinks 'tis not a W98 file.
I think the file you need is msacm.drv (no 32).

edit: It will be located in c:\windows\system not in the windows\system32 folder.

I am attempting to set up a LAN between 2 computers. One of the running WIN2000, the other WIN98SE. Ihave an Ethernet card in each computer, and a connecting cable between them. When I go to the Command Prompt, I am able, from each computer, to PING the other, I've run "tracert" from each computer, and each recognizes the other.

The problem arises when I try to Map a Network Drive. When I try this from the computer running WIN98SE there is no problem. When I try it from the computer running WIN2000, I am given various error mesages (dependending from whence I attempted the mapping) the GIST of them being that WIN2000 does not recognize that the other computer exists. The "tracert" command tells me what the other computer's name is, but the Map Network Drive command using that name tells me the server can't be found.
Anyone have any ideas?
Tom
When you create a map drive, how are you typing the address?
You might find that older computers may require that you type \\networkname\computer\folder
Where, newer ones may only require \\computername\folder
(Like, I am on the network Uber the computer I want to access is M16 and the folder is Documents, it would be
\\M16\documents though the folder is not required.)Quote from: Zylstra on August 15, 2007, 07:11:52 PM

When you create a map drive, how are you typing the address?
You might find that older computers may require that you type \\networkname\computer\folder
Where, newer ones may only require \\computername\folder
(Like, I am on the network Uber the computer I want to access is M16 and the folder is Documents, it would be
\\M16\documents though the folder is not required.)

Once you are sure that all the network names are the same, then it should connect correctly.

How long have you waited for the systems to 'see' eachother? I've experienced where it takes a while for the the network to 'wake up' and see everything. M$ says at least :15 minutes.
Alan <><

So i guess we can say now that "Tom...you're a case sensitive guy".....

Hello to all this is my first post so I HOPE I can GET the help to fix this problem I'm having. Someone might be able to help if you stated your problem and gave some info about your OS and computer.Very astute point you made there, 2k_dummy.

Maybe he hasn't had the problem yet, and he's just reserving space AHEAD of time just in case? You KNOW what these pesky computers can be like.

I RECKON the problem is with his keyboard... It keeps cutting out..

Hi, i have an infection located at C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
is it safe to look in the FOLDER and simply delete it as its in a sensitive area or will this brake my PC even more? thnxWhy can't you use antivirus software to remove the virus? If you don't have any get AVG free here:
http://www.download.com/3000-2239_4-10703202.html
Scan for viruses in safe mode (keep pressing F8 while your computer is booting up, a menu will come up, choose "Safe Mode")
Could a mod please move this topic to the computer viruses and spyware board?i have AVG but it only finds it and never deletes it, so everytime i re-scan it finds the same problemthe hosts file is an essential windows file.
The good news is that it is probably not infected since it's just a text file. Virus or spyware MIGHT have modified the file though.
Could you please open the hosts file in notepad and post the content of it here.Quote from: ras90 on August 16, 2007, 02:55:59 PM

i have AVG but it only finds it and never deletes it, so everytime i re-scan it finds the same problem

i have good news and bad news.
Good news:do what deerpark said.
Bad news:your computer might lost os and boot with nothing.
My friends laptop does that now and he blames IE7, what a noob.

Not exactly guys, glow2:selling 500 bow strings 50k
any file in windows\* and windows its self are critical to the os so it maybe a error

glow2:selling 500 bow strings 50k

Bad news:your computer might lost os and boot with nothing.

Probably a dumb question but I was going through my program LIST while removing another program and noticed alot of MBS consumed by JAVA apps and wondered if I need all of them. Here's a list any HELP appreciated.
J2SE Runtime environment 5.0 update 11 (120MB)
J2SE Runtime environment 5.0 update 6 (119MB)
JAVA (TM) SE Runtime Environment 6 (88MB)
JAVA (TM) SE Runtime Environment 6 Update 1 ( 134MB)Yes you can uninstall all the older version of Java.
You should only need the current one.
Quote

JAVA (TM) SE Runtime Environment 6 Update 1

Yes you can uninstall all the older version of Java.
You should only need the current one.

Yes you can uninstall all the older version of Java.
You should only need the current one.
Quote

JAVA (TM) SE Runtime Environment 6 Update 1

Btw. there is actually a newer version out.

my computer started giving off a weird alarm sound recently. it comes and goes and sounds like ONE of those european police sirens, hi-low-hi-low,and will stop after a few MINUTES. to add to problems the system has begun to operatle slooooowly latley and when i TRY to shut down it restarts automaticly , also it is returning many error codes. is it time for professional help or does any one have any ideas so i can fix problem. windows xp -five years old. Start by replacing the CMOS battery...about the SIZE of a dime on your MBoard.

Part # CR 2032 available at any local shop and maybe WallyWorld.

As always when working inside the case remove all power SOURCES and take anti-static precautions...Is your computer laptop or desktop, also what brand or windows operating system?

Hi there. I have a PROBLEM with my computer. I recently reformatted my computer to Windows XP Pro SP2 and I'm getting a problem with typing. It seems that whenever I press backspace, it automatically shuts down my CPU. Also when I press it while typing, " } " appears each time I TRY to backspace. Does anyone have a solution to this? PLEASE and THANKS. Are you able to try another keyboard ?
And is this a desktop or a laptop ? ?

Inquiring minds want to KNOW...

When I double click on a SPREADSHEET excel opens but not the spreadsheet. I have to go to file, open, etc.
Any idea why this started to happen? Some setting must have gotten changed somewhere SOMEHOW. How can I fix it?Go to the folder containing the doc you want to open, RIGHT click and click open with, select open with another program. Select Microsoft Excell and select ALWAYS USE this program and click ok.

I have been given an old computer that has 3.1 installed on it. It will be good enough for the purpose if I could get it to load windows properly. When I try, it shows the 3.1 'logo screen' then I get the message 'out of range !'. I have set the monitor to minimum 800x600 resolution
Any ideas? If it's been sitting for a long time try re-seating all the add on cards and the RAM...double check all the CABLING and connections as well.
Do some housekeeping in there as well with a can of COMPRESSED air cleaning all heatsinks and fans.
As always when working inside the case remove all power sources and take anti-static precautions.While you are in DOS:
Navagate your WAY to your Windows FOLDER, and type:
setup.exe

Once that loads up (you may need your original disks) change your monitor settings. Just mess around with them until you get a combination of settings that works. (SVGA works well on my older computers, SuperVGA, and as for resolution, its Windows 3.1, should it really be 800X600? Try another one, and see if it improves. )

I started having trouble with my Norton antivirus, was told by their website to uninstall and reinstall. When i attempted to reinstall, repeatedly received error message,"Unable to delete output file." SEVERAL more attempts to reinstall 2007 Internet Security were attempted.

In the meantime, HP did an update. After that program restarted my computer, the black screen with the safe menu options appeared. No matter which option I choose, it always returns to the safe menu options again. It will quickly flash the WindowsXP page like it's going to reboot, then a quick flash of the Compaq page but then back to the menu page again.most of the members here like to try to get members with norton to switch to a less problematic and free alternative like AVg free.. look here to fully remove norton. give avg free a try. its less resource intensive and we find it has a better detection rate then norton. for your other problem have you tried last known good configuration? or if that doesn't work then try going into safe mode a doing a system restore to before when you could go into normal mode.i tried all the options on the page, which included:

Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt

Last Known Good Configuration

Start Windows Normally

It just won't do anything but RETURN to this same menu. Norton has never caused me any problems in the 8 years or so I've used them.ok do you have an xp cd?YES, i do. please tell me that i won't lose everything though.........we just had a baby in May and i'll if we lose those pics......no im going to have you do a repair install... but first lets SEE what tricks our other members have up their sleeves.. my computer does have a built in restore option but didn't want to even go there, wasn't sure what it was going to do and figured i'd better try other options first.don't do that yet. that will return your computer to back when it first came out of the box. everything you ave added since then will be gonei sent emails to both norton and hp tech support to see what they have to say.

i was able to get into the BIOS menu but nothing there helped either.if you have windows xp then try a repair install i don't have a cdQuote from: unlovedwarrior on August 06, 2007, 12:45:18 PM

ok do you have an xp cd?

yes, i do. please tell me that i won't lose everything though.........we just had a baby in May and i'll if we lose those pics......

if you have windows xp then try a repair install

I WANT to upgrade my pc to XP service Pack 3 but the ERROR MESSAGE is "Windows has DETECTED that one or more protected core system files (kernel) on your computer have been modified. The Service Pack contains UPDATED versions of those files, which work to provide a stable environment for your programs. Due to this modification, the Service Pack will not be installed". How to edit the kernel? what will I do to upgrade my OS?Uhh service pack 3? That doesn't exist yet... are you contacting us from the future?
IF you got SP2 installed just use windows update to get the latest hotfixes.

Hard Disk crushed beyond REPAIR. However I do have a back up of the registry from few months before( Registration files.reg). My question is: Can you install a WINDOWS on a new hard disk (same computer) and then RESTORE that backed up registry . Please help. Lost some very important information and LOT of PICTURES. None of your data or pictures exist in that copy of the Registry...think of it as a road map to where everything is but nothing is stored in there.

HI! I have a windows 97 laptop that I am trying to transfer files from to my new windows xp computer. I have a usb port on the laptop, but the memory stick is not recognized - it says it needs a driver??? Is there a way to connect the two computers so I can transfer the files (I don;t know if I can create a computer NETWORK either - I have a dial-up connection) Thanks for your help! I ASSUME you mean Windows 98. According to Google, Windows 97 was what 98 was going to be called but it ended up being released in 1998 so it's called Windows 98.

The reason your memory stick is not working is because you need a driver.
Please can you tell us what brand and model your memory stick is.OK - I have two memory sticks - one is called Gizmo!JR. by Crucial
and the other is USB2.0 DataTraveler by Kingston TechnologyOk. I'm to busy to do this now but on your 98, go to the Crucial and Kingston Technology websites and locate the exact model of your memory sticks and download the driver.

Someone else would have to assist you from there, SORRY. Very late here Thanks - I'll TRY that!! Another option would be to grab one of these :



This will allow you to remove the laptop drive and hook it up to an IDE CABLE in the desktop. You can then view copy or transfer over what you need.

2.5" HDD to IDE connector. Available at most computer stores for about 10 bucks...

OK, I THINK I have a completely unique problem, so I'm not sure if anyone can answer it.

My computer refused to boot, because of a display driver malfunction. So, I decided to reinstall Windows XP onto there, because the computer was fairly NEW, just a couple of MONTHS. However, the setup refused to setup the hard drive for another partition, so I decided to try setting it up on my old computer. I installed everything I replaced for my new computer onto there, and turned on the computer. It logged on blah, blah, blah, and then, it said it couldn't detect the CD drive. *censored*!!!!! So, I have no OS right now, and probably no way of installing Windows. Oh, and there is no desktop near me that I can use to reinstall Windows on the hard drive.

What a mess I'm in.

Can someone help me?Assuming that you are USING a genuine full version of the MS XP cd, can you not boot from the cd to install the OS? You may have to change the boot sequence in bios to boot from the cdrom first.

From your post I think you installed the OS on one hardware system then tried to boot it on another (?) - it just doesn't work that way.

A few details of your computer(s) would help us diagnose your problem, if there is one. Never mind, screw everything I said.

BIOS and everything else is fine, including the hardware, EXCEPT for the my NVIDIA GEFORCE 7600GT graphics DRIVER. Is there anyway to reset the graphics card to factory settings, in MS-DOS?No, You'll have to start up in safe mode.
There you can uninstall/reinstall the driver or whatever you need to do.What exactly are you trying to accomplish here ? ?
How about some specs on the machine in question...

any HELP please..Xp2 home edition RUNNING IE7, "common folder" appears at start up..had problem before lost the NONE techical instructions..help please.. Need...A LOT...more...info...gasp

Operating system / antivirus & antispyware protection / service packs installed / when did it start happening / did it ever work RIGHT / installed any new software?

Alan <>< Some people have resolved this by SIMPLY deleting the folder, after first making a backup copy of the folder and it's contents, if any.operating system XP version 2 service pack2. ungraded router to Voyager220V ADSL. Windows IE7. problem began after upgrading to new Voyager router..

pleeeze u guys tell me how to do this. i cannot edit my registry. it sayz "registry editing has been disabled by your adminstrator" but I am the administrator. can u guyz please
tell me how to solve this prob. it will be really helpfulWhat VERSION of windows are you using?
That registry editing has been disabled can be a sign of a virus infection. It might be a good idea to scan your computer with an up to date anti virus program.
You can also try an online AV scanner like Kaspersky.i use windows XP and i have kaspersky internet security 6.0 BT that doesnt do anyhinDownload Hijackthis and post a logfile.
That way a specialist like Chris (CBMatt) can take a look at it.

Jonas go to a command line and type

gpedit.msc

and hit enter

A window should open and look in the LIST for User Configuration and than below it look for Administrator Templates and than System.

Once that is open look on the list on the right side of the screen and find the line that says....

Prevent access to the registry editing tools double click it and than set it to disable. After CLOSE all the windows.

The registry editing should now work.
Note: Windows XP Home Edition does not have gpedit.mscFirst of all tell us why you need to edit the registry...
Second let us know what steps you took that failed.Yeah.........is this a computer at SCHOOL....or at work....or at a public place?

Wouldn't hurt to tell us what you pan to do......

I have windows XP installed on my PC. My problem is that there are 3 drives in my PC C:, D:, E:. Whenever i double click on these drives, there is a MESSAGE to "choose the program you want to use to open this file" and if i RIGHT click on these drives, a DIFFERENT language appears in the MENU list, then if i clik on the first option to open same above message appears.
What can i do? i am in a big problem.
Please reply me soon.
take careRight click on the drive (the icon in My Computer) and click 'Autorun'.
Then there will be a small window with a scrolling thing and then another box that will tell you what you want to do.
Choose 'Open to view folders' or something along the lines of that.there is no autorun
i have already mentioned that there is some different language in the menu appears when i right click on the drive icon. :-(Do you have a file titled autorun in the root directory of each drive?Your file associations have somehow gotten wonked...
First fix: Go to Start/Run and type in sfc /scannow and hit Enter...have your XP CD handy as it will ask you for it.

Let it run to completion...don't interrupt at all.

Second fix:
Travel Here

I have a Windows XP Desktop PC and it was working just fine earlier today. perfectly, actually. no pop-ups got through and nothing froze and everything was great. So i got off and powered down and when i tried to turn it back on it stopped and did that THING with the flashing underscore [i'm not very computer literate] and said something along the lines of "Reboot or get new boot media..?" i don't remember. anyways. i NEED my computer back for school.. so people should definitely help me out please! haha. i'll get what it told me word for word later but i can't get on the computer RIGHT now.
PLEASE HELP ME!Is there a floppy disk in your floppy drive? (if you have one)i don't have a floppy drive...
IM not sure if theres anything in my disc drive right now.. would that make a difference?
im on my mom's computer right now so sorry not everything is clear.. im doing this entire thing from memory...Only one thread per topic is necessary. Because your other one has more replies, I'm locking this one.

Hi,

I recently downloaded what I thought was a proxy program, but turned out to be a command line based program that deletes system32 in a very quick way... I tried to look at the code by changing it to .txt but it wasnt in a READABLE format. anyway now I cant log into my computer because it has an error message when I try to type in the admin password. I cant restore it either because thats windows based and probably got deleted.. all I WANT to know is there a way to reinstall all the system32 .dll files without having to reformat? I also have all my firefox history in the hdd and id rather not lose that. Ive tried safe mode but it doesnt work. the only thing ive come close to was booting windows xp disk and hit "r" to repair it and got to a command line with a bunch of stuff related to the systemroot and whatnot. so is there any way to recover without reformatting?

edit- oh and I have a dell xps gen 5 with xp home... I know dell SUCKS but I was ignorant at the timeIf program had deleted all files in system32 you wouldn't be able to get to the login screen. That being said though, if files have been deleted your best bet is probably to do a repair install of XP.

You should also scan you computer for virus in case it installed something nasty.
AVG is pretty good and free.I cant login or go into safe mode, my only choice is to do the repair install, which im trying to do. Im using method 2 to do the repair because method 1 requires being able to login... which I cant. So when I got to method 2 it asks me to either quick format w/ ntfs, regular format w/ ntfs, or leave the current file system (no changes). I assumed the latter but it says nothing about that on the microsoft website... it says press "R" to repair, which is the first step, not the 2nd... so im really confused.I don't understand what you mean. You shouldn't be getting a message about formatting your drive, that is part of the XP clean install. Please read the instructions on the website i linked to carefully.I did, and that is what I get.

this is the order I get. I have a dell, so I have to press F12 to boot the CD.

1 go to boot from cd-rom
2 press any key to boot cd
3 wait for windows to load
4 comes to screen with 3 options: enter for install, "R" for recovery, f3 for quit
5 press enter
6 press f8 to agree to license
7 comes to blue screen with harddrives listed
8 chose first partition
9 options are quick format, regular format, leave file system (no changes)

Thats what I get and I followed EVERY step

if I DONT press a key to boot from cd, it says "Load needed DLLs for kernel"

edit- even when I change the boot order from the bios screen it still comes up with the same thing.

I tried another option in the recovery console before this with the commands:

md tmp
copy C:\xxx C:\xxx

and everything to a temp file that I found on microsoft, then I did a chkdsk /r to see if I could repair some things, but nothing worked

if it helps, I could give you a link to the program that screwed the whole thing up, but dont open it for it will do the same thing to yours.From the Recovery Console try running fixboot and fixmbr...After step 6 the install should be detecting your current XP installation but it apparently isn't.
Try patio's suggestions and also the possible fix listed under warning #2 on the repair install guide.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm#warning2apparently dell computers have to have a cd to do a repair installIf you can borrow an XP CD that is the exact same version you could do it and still save your data...


Repair Install of XPI have my xp cd.

but as I said, dells require their own cd to do a repair install

anyway, it says when I try to start

"load needed DLLs for kernel"

is there anyway to fix this without a repair install? it obviously deleted all my important .dll files. is there anyway to reinstall just the dlls? like download them, and put them on a cd. then somebody could tell me the commands I have to write for them to be installed.. or something.Put in your XP CD...
Go to Start/Run and type in sfc /scannow and hit Enter...
LET it run til it finishes and re-boot.Ill say it again, I cant start or login to my computer. not safe mode, not regular mode, nothing. only thing I can do is run recovery console or reinstall xp. and reinstalling xp on a dell will force you to format one of the partitionsThen your best option would be to swap that drive into another machine jumpered as a slave. Copy and burn the data you need from it.
Then return it to the Dell and do a clean install...

p.s. I would run a virus scan on it in the other machine just to be safe.

my supervisor wants us to shut down and reboot our XP computers before leaving each day. I've been going to "shutdown" and choosing "restart" rather than actually shutting down and PUSHING the button to restart. Now I'm in trouble. I thought I was doing the same thing, just more efficiently. Is there really a difference?A restart only restart the OS.
A shutdown shuts everything off including HDD, RAM, Network card,...
I HOPE that was what you are looking for.

Jonas Yes, there is a difference. Most people, like yourself, don't know. During a working session various files loaded into memory "as needed". Windows will ARBITRARILY keep some of these loaded because it determines that they will be needed again and again. So rather than reload them over and over, windows simly doesn't unload them. When you choose restart, Windows restarts the OS but does not necessarily unload everything from memory. When you choose shutdown, everything is cleared from memory and only the OS and startup items are loaded on reboot.Plus over the course of the year that extra 38 seconds a day on the clock will really add up...At $15.00 an hour, that is $39.57 a year, assuming two weeks vacation and not on overtime.Quote from: 2k_dummy on August 13, 2007, 02:14:19 PM

Yes, there is a difference. Most people, like yourself, don't know. During a working session various files loaded into memory "as needed". Windows will arbitrarily keep some of these loaded because it determines that they will be needed again and again. So rather than reload them over and over, windows simly doesn't unload them. When you choose restart, Windows restarts the OS but does not necessarily unload everything from memory. When you choose shutdown, everything is cleared from memory and only the OS and startup items are loaded on reboot.

Hello,

Specs first:
Windows XP home, SP2, all updates &AMP; patches except internet explorer 7.
Computer: HP Pavilion 750n, Pentium 4 CPU; 1.6GHz, 1.5 GB ram.
AVG 7.5 Anti-virus/firewall V7.5.478, updated several times per day, run every other day.
Counterspy 2.5.10322 version 599, updated several times per day, run every other day.
Ad-Aware Personal, up dated & run 2-4 times per week
Spybot search & destroy freeware, updated & run 2-4 times per week.
Firefox 2.0.0.4
Thunderbird 2.0.0.4
VLC media player, windows media player turned off.

Problem:
Recently during a windows search for a file, I got a "windows is having a problem and has to shut down" message, a not unusual occurrence. However this time after the shutdown, when I left click a file folder, the search screen appears with the name of the file in the "look in" window. I can open the file by then hitting "search", OR by right clicking the folder & hitting "open". This is of course a bit of a hassle after so many years of left clicking to open a folder. Plus it means something is screwed up in Windows.

UPDATE 080307: I see folks are looking at this but no theories yet. To add interest, the left click problem does not happen with all folders. For instance I can still left click "mycomputer" OK but then have to right click & open "C" drive etc. Also, desktop short cuts as for AVG & such left click OK. The "windows has a problem and needs to shut down" has happend occasioinally since I've had the system, 5 years.

Any help greatly appreciated.Hello all, I got a resolution to the left click problem at annoyances.org. Thanks to all who looked at my problem and pondered for an answer. Windows is like a crazy house with shifting floors, smoke and mirrors. I do however enjoy browsing the FORUM just to see the problems and solutions posted here. In the spirit of sharing info here is the solution:
My reply to Rich:
Rich, regsvr32 /i shell32.dll did the trick. Thanks much for your help. I'll keep the fix handy. I looked over the knowledge base at Microsoft but could not ask the right question I guess.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rich's solution:
On Tuesday, August 14, 2007 at 5:47 pm, Rich Kurtz wrote:
>You need to restore the default open behavior, try the following:
>

Go to Start then Run, type regsvr32 /i shell32.dll and press Enter or click
>OK
>

See if that fixes the problem. If not do the following:
>

>
1. Start Registry Editor (Start then Run, type regedit and press Enter of
   >click OK)
   >
2. Locate and then click the Default value under the following keys in the registry
   >if this problem occurs with folders:
   >
   HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell
   >
   If this problem occurs with drives:
   >
   HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell
   >
3. Click Modify on the EDIT menu.
   >
4. Type none in the Value data box, and then click OK.
   >
5. Quit Registry Editor.
   >

Above taken from: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=321186

I have tried searching across various search engines, forums, and even Microsoft's DOCUMENTATION, but can't seem to FIND the ANSWER to my question: where are action maps saved for programs using DirectInput? If no one KNOWS, are there any programs to log write traffik on the hard DRIVE -- therefore, one could modify an existing program's action map to find the location it is being written to.

Well heres the problem. IO have my own computer which my brother uses on occasion for his iPod and such. Apparently he disabled Norton or something not sure how but he managed to DL one *CENSORED* of a virus. I tried pretty well everything I knew as far as FIXING it goes (I have some computer knowledge but not extensive to say the least) and started talking to one of my friends from Geek Sqaud.

Anyway what this virus did, was of course made the usual popups come non stop, and for some reason I was unable to run Norton to scan it in the least, so I uninstalled and reinstalled but the reinstallation kept failing, saying there was an error. So I decided that my best bet would be reformatting (I have all my stuff backed up on an external HD so reformattiong or losing info isn't a big deal to me), but as soon as it got to the actual installation part it errored so I shut down and fixed my BIOS and booted from disk (I have a "real" cd) I'm running windows XP Home, on a touch systems computer, I have about 1 gig of RAM. Anyway once I got through all the loading and such it says Setup is Starting Windows (where it would normally take me to repair console install windows etc...) and instead of the usual SCREEN I got a blue screen of death, saying the usual new hardware software blah blah blah, it said Session3_Initilization_Failed and ***Stop: 0x0000006f (0xc0000020, 0x00000000, 0x00000000).

After all that I was able to get back on and all control panel, accounts and such said I required admin access ( I have admin) so I went to safe mode and logged into the admin account and it still said I required admin access, so I figured I would just wipe my drive and start over from scratch, so i tried a program called killdisk. It seems to have worked but now of course I obviously cant log on, when I try to boot from HD it justs lets out a long continuous beep. and when I try to boot from disk I still get the same error message as I did earlier so essentialy, I was a retard and screwed my comp up bad. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.After you use Killdisk you must repartition and reformat your hard drive.

Have you did this yet ?I only really know how to Partition from this screen http://www.theeldergeek.com/images/Hard%20Drive/SP32-20031227-173215.gif or if I can actually get onto an account, so essentaily I have to remove my HD put it into my external HD case bring it up to this comp and parition it from here?Sounds like alot of work...why not just install it as an internal slave drive ? ?
Then partition and format it from Disk Management...What kind of condition is the cd in? Scratches can cause errors like that if it corrupts the right data. Also, you might try unplugging any non-essential hardware; the less Windows has to screw up with, the better. Maybe that'll let you reinstall sucessfully.

Also, keep in mind that since you backed up your data on an external drive, you might have backed up the malware as well.Quote from: Anodoin on August 15, 2007, 08:05:56 PM

What kind of condition is the cd in? Scratches can cause errors like that if it corrupts the right data.

Anyone know if there is a way to execute a PROCESS before shutdown or reboot, when just selecting shutdown or reboot in Windows?

I need to do the opposite of the STARTUP feature in which you can populate a tasks in the startup folder to run at start up. I need processes to run right before shutdown or reboot.

Thanks,

Dave A batch file comes to MIND. Have a READ here

I bought a laptop at a sale
brought it home TURNED it on
the screen came on with compac written across it
then a message came on
said there where new updates added
click on F1
I did
then another message came on said to
click on F10
I did and the cseen went blank what did I do?
and how do I correct this
to get my sceen back up?What OS do you have?
What come up when you BOOT now?

Jonas I do not know what you mean when you say OS, but when I boot up it is still a blank screen, but there are lights on top with the number 1 below one, the letter A under another and a DOWNWARD arrow with a LINE under it they all are lite up that is it please help me Hi! Look on the back of your laptop to see a manufacture date-if any..... OK unplug the laptop - stand back for a minute - start the laptop - see if the harddrive light flickers - if the screen comes on .... hold th "DEL" key... if the setup screen comes on proceed with instructions....If no screen.. your hard DRIVE may be bad.....

With the ADDITION of Windows XP SP2 MICROSOFT decided to limit the amount of TCP connections you can have. I am looking for a way to change this to a higher number do to an applicaiton made in house. I have found the utility EvID4226Patch and it works fine but I have to APPLY this to a large amount of PC's. Is there a way to script this or even alternative METHOD to accomplish this? Any and all help is great here. THANKS

hi guys,

need ur help pls.

I have two drives C: and D: . C is just 5 gbs and D: 35 Gbs. Windows Xp was insatlled in C:, but i wanted to reformat it and reinsatll windows.

by mistake i installed it in D:. Now there are two XP's in my system.

I have tried things like in Control Panel (cant c any XP setup) and

OSunistall.exe in Windows/system32. but didnt work.

I cant reformat D: as there is very important data stored in it.

Can anybody pls help me uninstall XP from D: only without affectin other files.


Thnks in advance.COULD you not transfer/ save your "important" data from D: on a flash drive or cd ?
then reformat that hard drive ?thanks for replying,

but im keepin that for my last resort. il have to get couple of CDs and DVD in that case then.

but isnt there any other method.There probably is some other more "in-depth" procedures to do it I'm sure, Wait a bit , another member will surely have some more advice .... I assume your startup sequence now gives you the option of which XP to boot to, otherwise known as dual booting. If this is so then the easiest way to resolve your problem, IMHO, is to edit boot.ini to remove reference to the copy on D: then delete the Windows folder on that drive.

Before trying any solution please ensure that the backup of valuable files is up-to-date. If it is currently not up-to-date then you are at risk of losing all files if your hard drive fails catastrophically.

Good luckBackup all the data you need from D: then format D:thnaks for replys frnds.

I also have a Lenovo laptop. can u guys pls tell me a way to connect it with my desktop so that i can backup beofre a format.


thnkasQuote from: Dusty on August 14, 2007, 04:23:46 PM

I assume your startup sequence now gives you the option of which XP to boot to, otherwise known as dual booting. If this is so then the easiest way to resolve your problem, IMHO, is to edit boot.ini to remove reference to the copy on D: then delete the Windows folder on that drive.

Before trying any solution please ensure that the backup of valuable files is up-to-date. If it is currently not up-to-date then you are at risk of losing all files if your hard drive fails catastrophically.

Good luck

Boot.ini probably comes into the category of "Protected Operating System File" as well as System and Hidden files. It's so long since I changed my Boot.ini file attributes that I can't remember.

By default your system is probably booting to XP on your D: drive as that was the last OS installed so if you just go ahead and delete the files you mention there might be a bit of a problem.

I recommend that you untick the "Hide Protected System Files" box in Folder Options>View then, if you can find Boot.ini, copy it to another folder on your hard drive for backup before editing it with a plain text editor so that it only points to the version of XP installed on C: drive. After that I suggest you rename the files on D: drive which you want to eventually delete. After proving the system you can then delete the D: drive system files to your hearts content.

If you need help with editing Boot.ini please copy/paste your existing file into a response.

OK, that's fine. Edit boot.ini by deleting the final line, that's the one which contains partition(2), save the file and reboot.

You must use a plain text editor such as Notepad. Don't use a word processor as it will insert all sorts of control characters in the file.

Its wokrin finlay.
Thanks for the info.

Quote from: ronald_peterson on August 15, 2007, 09:52:10 PM

Its wokrin finlay.
Thanks for the info.

Thanks for coming back with your success report. If you are happy with the performance of your system you could now proceed to rename or delete the system files from your D: drive.

Good luck

A few weeks back, after crashing out of NWN2, my computer stopped being able to run anything using Direct3D. When I try to run a Direct3D game, it invariably crashes, and when I do manage to get it to render something, it's loaded with artifacts and screw-ups. Even the little spinning Nvidia logo in the Nvidia control panel (the one that shows sample image quality settings) is screwy. I suspect the issue is with the DirectX software, for a few reasons:

1) I get DirectX-related error messages SOMETIMES (or when I get an error message, it's either DX related or it tells me my graphics drivers have failed)
2) OpenGL apps work fine (i.e. QUAKE III runs perfectly)
3) DXDIAG Direct3D tests sometimes fail (and even when they 'pass' they're glitchy and nothing ELSE works)

This problem has been infuriating: it occurred once before and then sort of took care of itself when I installed the 98.xx Nvidia drivers. Now it has come back and I can't shake it - I've tried uninstalling the drivers, reinstalling all sorts of older Nvidia drivers, I've tried messing with DX, and pretty much everything else that came to mind. Thoughts?

Athlon 64 Socket 754 @ 2.0 ghz.
512 mb RAM
Nvidia 7600GT (AGP, from XFX)Well you COULD try this http://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Secure-cleaning/DirectX-Eradicator.shtml and download and re-install directx, but only as a last resort.Yeah, I've just heard horrible things about the consequences of removing DX. How dangerous is it, per se?(BUMP)

First post for me on these fourms, hopefully someone can give me a hand as I'm completley stumped.

I was playing Battlefield 2142, and all of a sudden my computer locked up and my monitor CHANGED into a bunch of green pixels and they covered the screen.

So I reset my computer, but when I started 2142 again, the game was all pixilated. Not only does this happen with 2142 but every game I've run so far (WoW, Medieval 2).

A friend said it may be something to do with DirectX because my desktop is fine, and shows no signs of pixels. However I ran dxdiag and I also upgraded to DirectX10 and still no luck.

I uninstalled my video drivers and reinstalled the latest ones, but also no luck there either.

So, after exahusting all my other options I've decided to look for some help!

My computer is running SLi technology with Dual Nvidia GeForce 6600's, if that matters at all.

I appricate any help people can give me!How old is your monitor? Is it SVGA, or just VGA?

Is the game compatible with your graphics card? If its not, it will definitely look funny

Instead of pressing the reset/restart button, press the WindowsLogoKey+D
This will prevent data damage that may occur from incorrectly shutting down.

My monitor is an old one, VGA but I've never had a problem with games before using this thing.

Before the crash in which all the screen went green and whatnot with pixels, all my games were working fine.

So yes, my graphics card is compatabile with the game.

The reason this has me so stumped is because my desktop, internet explorer are all working fine, only my games aren't working!

Any other ideas?I'm having a very similar problem. I always assumed that it must be that my graphics card is wrecked or something.

I have the same graphics card as him, but only one, not dual. And I'm having the problem on several of the same games he is. I even have an older monitor, so this KINDA gave me some hope as to what might be going on.

oh, D4rj0n7,
It's not a fix but I found on some games (Medieval 2) you can get it to mostly stop by fooling AROUND with the graphics options, you have to sacrifice most of the quality but you should still be able to play.Quote from: D4rj0n7 on August 12, 2007, 08:14:26 AM

My monitor is an old one, VGA but I've never had a problem with games before using this thing.
Before the crash in which all the screen went green and whatnot with pixels, all my games were working fine.
So yes, my graphics card is compatabile with the game.
The reason this has me so stumped is because my desktop, internet explorer are all working fine, only my games aren't working!
Any other ideas?

You killed your graphics card.

Remove both of them then insert only one. power up and see if it plays.

If not remove it and insert the other one. Power up and see if it plays.

If not than either both your cards are fried or its something else, but I can only think of a card being fried because you said it worked previously.

My resoultion is set to 1024 x 742, and my colour quality is set to Highest (32 Bit).

I have an HP Pavilion a815n Desktop with Windows XP.

I recently updated my Anti-virus program (AVG) by going to the Grisoft site and downloading the latest free TRIAL. After downloading it, I scanned for viruses and approx. 490 viruses were detected (various forms of Trojan, adware, WinAntiVirus, etc). However, AVG isolated these viruses in the "Virus Vault" and healed/deleted them. A few days later, a software program I was running was not responding and the only way to turn off the computer was to manually press the power button. After it had turned off, I decided to turn the computer back on to see if it was all right, and that was when I was confronted with this error message:

"We apologize for the inconvenience but Windows did not start successfully. A recent hardware or software change might have caused this."

I have not recently installed any hardware, and the only new software that I had installed was the free AVG trial and a computer game. These were installed several days before the error message appeared and I had experienced no problems with them.

I've tried to start in safe mode, NORMALLY and from the last good configuration. None of these work. Occasionally while trying to boot up I get a BSoD but it flashes and then the computer restarts. I managed to copy down the BSoD and it says that there is an "UNACOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME". It also said to check that any new hardware/software was properly installed (which I have). In addition, it said that if problems persist, I should disable/remove any newly installed hardware/software and to disable BIOS memory options such as caching and shadowing. But how can I remove any software if windows doesnt start up? And how can I disable BIOS memory options? If my system is infected by a virus, ideally, I'd like to do a system restore rather than reinstall my enitre OS so is there any way I can access this feature with windows not starting up, or am I just wasting my time?

I have no clue what's wrong with it and I'm seriously lost here. Help please!!!I THINK the displayed BSOD error message is UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME.

Here are the MS recovery instructions.

Good luck."And how can I disable BIOS memory options?"

While booting your machine, before windows starts to load, press F1 or F10 (not sure which for your model, but HP says one of them should work) to access the BIOS configuration utility, this'll allow you to turn off shadowing and caching, but odds are that's not your PROBLEM if the machine was working and you haven't changed it since it last worked. You may want to make sure the BIOS properly recognizes your RAM and hard drive though, so it won't hurt to go in there.

As for the problem, I would try booting from your XP disc and choosing the option to repair the current installation.

1. When the Press any key to boot from CD message is displayed on your screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.
2. Press ENTER when you see the message To setup Windows XP now, and then press ENTER displayed on the Welcome to Setup screen.
3. Do not choose the option to press R to use the Recovery Console.
4. In the Windows XP Licensing Agreement, press F8 to agree to the license agreement.
5. Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press R to repair Windows XP.
6. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete Setup.

This may solve your boot problem, but it (and/or system restore) will not remove viruses, spyware, etc and I'm assuming that if you found 490, that your problem lies there. To fix these, you'll need to find a way to scan your system without booting from it, you may be able to buy an antivirus program that comes with a boot disc that'll allow you to run a scan from the CD or find a geek friend to make you a free BARTPE or WINPE boot disc or make one yourself if you have access to another computer.
check http://www.ubcd4win.com/ to make a BARTPE disc or http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/guidance/disasterrecovery/malware/default.mspx to make a WINPE boot disc or you can try 911 rescue cd http://www.911cd.net/downloads/, which looks easier to set up, but I personally haven't tried it.

good luckHi! Have you a good backup disk..... try it please

Hey guys, Its a long Post, but please read it and help me out

I dont really know where to start so im gonna go ahead and explain things as they come into my mind.

So one day I try to turn on my pc and it wouldnt turn on, so i check everything and i find that my MB fried on me for no reason. I bought a new motherboard and i put it in And i also borrowed my friend's PCI-E card SINCE no AGP motherboards are being sold anymore apparently (and my videocard is AGP), and everything starts going nuts on me.
So here goes...: Windows minifreezes on me like a hiccup, u know if i move my mouse in a uniform motion from 1 end of the monitor to the other it would freeze for a tiny bit then skip to where it would have been if it didnt freeze, then it moves normally and then mini freeze again (or hiccup). and it does this in uniformly also, so every 1.5 seconds the mouse/video/watever im doing kinda does a hiccup then keeps moving. Now its not only the video that does the hiccup/freeze, it also happens with the sound (most of the time).

Now this only occurs at certian times, not just randomly, like now im just typing this topic out, there are no freezes, no hiccups, However as soon as i Start a game, Move a large file, Stream Video, listen to music or start a program, it will do the mini freeze and it depends on when it will end. For example with video streaming, as long as the video im watching is still streaming (or downloading onto my pc?) it will keep doing the hiccup, as soon as i have the full video clip downloaded, the hiccups disappear!. another example is with gaming, when i turn on a game depending on what type of game it is, it will either freeze/hiccup for the whole session or during certain periods of times. its really weird.

Now i did my part and tried to Figure out what part of the pc is smoking (fill in the illegal substance of ur choice). First i tackled the HDD, and i found out that it had an issue, So to MAKE sure it was THE part that was unfit with the rest, i went and put it in my friend's PC and ran it (now i have to freaking call microrobbing bastards for "significant hardware changes") and the HDD ran fine!. I mean litterly ran like a new hdd, Large files were moving way faster, No hiccups no nothing. I even started games and not a single frame skip. nothing, So the HDD checks out, Next i looked at my Ram, and i swapped my ram for another stick, and the problem didnt disappear so its not the ram. Then i went for the next obvious thing, the videocard. I hardly think that the Videocard has anything to do with the hiccups because even though i get hiccups in games, i also get them when i move large files, or when im playing music, so I dont c how the videocard fits in these 2 situations, So the last thing is the newly bought motherboard. Is there a possibility that the motherboard is defective? Has anyone heard of other ppl's PC WORKING just fine and in certain situations, they become useless due to motherboard problems?

It is not a virus or spyware issue im certain of it . I honestly thought that it was just windows being gay since i changed the motherboard and didnt format, but after i booted my windows on my friend's PC, and everything ran perfectly, im 99% sure that its not software issue. I defraged, and checked for viruses and spyware.

Here are my system's specs:
intel P4 2.4 Ghz
Samsung 80 gb hdd
ati x1300
512mb ddr
Asrock p4vm890

BTW just to clairfy the issue with my HDD, for some reason the HDD wouldnt start at all, it would be completly dead SILENT, so the way i fixed it is by tapping on it . now now dont say this is ur problem because i checked with a verity of Disk repair and disk Monitoring software the performance and fittness of my HDD and it was free of errors.

oh another thing for some reason my Videocard overclocks itself so i have downclock it using and overclocking software, But Trust me the card works fine. Im buying a PCI-E card and putting in my system just to make sure the video card checks out.I would reinstall Windows although you don't think that is the issue, many ppl here will tell you that Windows can act really STRANGE after a major hardware change.ya i thought of that too, but then Windows was acting fine when i put my hard drive on my friend's PC. it was acting like its supposed to. now my friend's PC is completly Different setup than mine. not even his motherboard is the same as mine, yet windows wasnt acting upWell i'd say you got lucky then...XP is by nature and design not good at being swapped from one machine to the next...

First thing i would try would be to install the new MBoard drivers.

If that doesn't work read the link below...

Repair Install of XP

Read it carefully paying special attention to the warnings and then print out a copy for reference.well since I only have 1 and a half day left till activation, i might as well backup and format my C drive and keep my D with backed up files. I was really hoping it wouldnt have to come to this. I will format and report back with the results So this is an unactivated version of XP...that would have been helpful information from the git go...the reason its "unactivated" is because Micro$hit thinks its nessessary To activate my windows a 2nd time when i put my HDD on someone else's PC.

It gave me the error that I have done way too many changes on my pc (which i guess is true cuz i put the HDD on someone else's PC) and i need to activate it..and they only gave me 3 lousy days

Edit: I ended up calling microsoft and activated windows to give me some more time to backup, if no solutions other than a format are suggested in the next few daysI just wanna update everyone that my issue was solved by basically a format

lesson learned. Once windows starts acting stupid, Format !

Takes 30 mins and i got microsoft number on speed dial.

but since im on a windows, im never without issues.

computer starting up slow, i don't know what is on my start up MENU that i can take off. it takes a long time sor me to start up. i have windows xp, a GATEWAY, service pack 2, 640 mg of ram, i asked the gateway TECH and the microsoft tech, as i am also having a problem with IE 7, they told me to just take off the ones i didn't need, kept telling them i didn't know what i needed, even typed them a list of what is on there and they game me the same ANSWER. lol, anyone know what has to be on there.?? thanks for all the help. Why don't you post the list, then we'll know what should be on there. You can download HiJackThis (google it) and get it to make a text document of all the registered startup entries, you may not be aware of all of them.thanks i will do that, will post them soon.

I gave an old PC to somebody i know, before i did i zipped all there old pictures and the file was encripted.

now the person i got the pc off wants there pictures BACK.
I have tried to unzip the file but i do not have access, only the user who created the file can unzip it, but the user account has been deleted and if i make one of the same NAME the Certificates do not mach and i still do not have acces

Is there anyway i can open this file

Thank you

IanNo.
Without the correct password for the encrypted files you are out of luck...
Unless you want to pay for a data recovery service which after you see the price you might change your mind.Are you sure you need to be on the same user account? I've never heard of something like that, unless you selected some setting?

As patio said compression software does not just stick a password somewhere, a complex ENCRYPTION algorithm used and the only way this can be undone is by knowing the password or by enduring a TEDIOUS brute-force 'hack'.

Could you POST screenshots of the screen you see when you try to extract and the error message which says you need to be on the same user?It just says access denied, it does not ask for a password or anything.

When you right click over the file go to properties and get the options,
click the advanced button, encryption is ticked.
you cant untick it because its says access denied
click the details button
in there it says the only user with access is ..........
i tried to add another certificate which would be able to access the file but there was none in the list

cheersIf you are talking about Windows 2000/XP file encryption, if you have not got the password, the data is gone forever. Unless you have a supercomputer and many decades of time.

This is why, when encrypting files or folders, it is a good idea to note the password somewhere and back up the certificate, because if the user account gets deleted or whatever, a new user account, even with the same name, will have a different and useless certificate.








Why not burn the file/folder to a cd in its encrypted form and give it to the former owner?

Alan <><

Ya on my desktop you can see like the shortcut to the program but not the little picture

EX. my computer has a little computer, my DOCUMENTS has folder

i am running windows xp home edition sp2Could you perhaps provide a screenshot to give us a better idea?Is this for all icons or shortcuts (please specify).
What Operating System is this?

If it's for shortcuts, make sure the path exists. If it does exist but the icon is wrong, delete that shortcut and recreate it by right clicking on the original file and click 'send to desktop'. This will create a shortcut to the file.

If it isn't too much trouble, post a picture for us to have a look at.[img=http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/4710/untitledbmpol2.th.jpg]

Here the picture

And windows xp Small picture but I can tell all your shortcut icons are MISSING...Yes, small picture, but I see what you mean now.

Althought the icons have changed, do the shortcuts still WORK?
How long has this been happening?
What changes have you made RECENTLY? Did you install anything before this happened?
Have you tried using System Restore?
What protection do you have?yes the shortcuts do exist

i think i found the solution when i make a new short cut the picture reappears What picture ? ? ?I think he did what I told him to do. He recreated the shortcut and the icon reappeared.

Congrats I think i kinda ignored this after i found my solution well this is how i did it

Alright i did this

Right-click-->Properties--->Change Icon -->Selected Picture Provided-->Repeat

It took like 5mins to do all of EM

Hope this helped for people with this problem

Well i was searching for my answer i found this cool trick

Invisible Folder tut
Heres how its done

Right-Click-->New Folder-->Hold alt press 0160 on num

pad--->Right-Click-->Properties-->customize tab--->Change Icon--> Pick a empty slot

Complete

Well thax for your help

I wonder what happened prior to all of this.

I followed all the instructions from Microsoft to backup my e-mails on Outlook Express 6 and was able to successfully GET them in a folder and then to a CD. However, when I try to open the backed up files, I get the message that Windows cannot open the .dbx files. I am not a savy computer user and would appreciate any basic information to help me be able to open my backed up files. THANKS for any help someone can give me.Sounds like you have backed up correctly, you can not open a .dbx file from windows, it doesn't reconise the file extension. Having a backup is for when your current EMAILS don't WORK or you want to put them on another computer, to do this you open outlook express and go to file, import, messages, select the path of where you have your backup STORED (e.g cd ) and import from there

I had a copy of XP on my computer, and a buddy gave me another copy and I put that on. TWICE during installation it said there was some part that was corrupted or damaged, but it STILL installed. Now, when it boots up, it gets as far as the XP screen, then goes black and a MESSAGE pops up that says there is insufficient virtual memory and then goes back to the begining. Tried to BOOT from disk, but it's not giving me that option. Tried making the dvd drive the primary booting operation. Tried unplugging the hard drive. Tried it in safe mode. Tried starting it from last known good setting. All of this and nothing changes. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance.Hopefully this is a legal version of Windows...

If not...get one and do a clean install...that should solve your problem.I doubt EITHER version is legal...
However...

Ok, so last night my COMPUTER was fine. This morning, my screen went black. I turned it off and on and it still didn't work. I did on/off again and pressed F8(but it didn't take me to safe mode, just XP)). I was able to make it into XP but Spy Sweeper(which is booted at startup) wouldn't load, it just hangs on me. I went to do Windows update before it hung on me but when Spy Sweeper hung on me, I went to restart my computer the regular way but the restart process couldn't finish.

I turned it off manually and did the power off/on again and every now and then, F8 would boot to XP every now and then but most of the time it didn't and even when it did and I went to restart it the RIGHT way, the process still froze on me. Also, there were times where I just let it sit there and the whole computer freezes after 15 minutes of starting up.

I turned it off again and used the delete key to get into the BIOS, which worked. I verified EVERYTHING and all was good there, then I left the BIOS and hit F8, this time I was able to make it into Safe Mode. I restart the computer from Safe Mode and like normal mode, it also hangs after I choose restart.

Can anyone help me out please? I even went into Task Manager to turn off Spy Sweeper in the process of booting up and that didn't work. Can anyone also explain my freezes after 15 minutes of booting XP and freezes with the restarts and why the screen wouldn't show up(and at the same time, POST doesn't happen either)?Can someone help me out here? This is very urgent!So, have you tried booting safemode and choosing "Last Known Good
Configuration" ?I think I know what is causing this. I think this should be moved over to the hardware forum because this deals with hardware. I just found out that this is a hardware issue.

Ok, so here is what I did. I got my bro's computer, swapped my memory and RAM with his and things worked great from there. Then I take out his RAM and put mine back in but keep his card. Things work good there too.

Now, I take my card back into my computer and the computer won't START unless I get to the BIOS by pressing the delete key. Only way to get to the text phase that leads to XP is press the delete(BIOS) key right when I turn on the computer. I can now do proper shutdowns and restarts again and restarting is just fine and so are shutdowns, but even with a proper shutdown, I still have to get to the BIOS to get to XP.

I even tested out my card on my brother's computer and it worked fine there. I used my RAM on his and worked fine, my RAM on my computer also worked fine. My bro's RAM worked fine on both his and my computers so now this leaves the card. However, my card can boot well on his but not on mine(unless I GOTO BIOS). Any help here?

(Note: His card is nVidea and mine is ATI. Despite the card differences and that I don't have an nVidea driver, computer can still boot normally. And I've had this ATI card since May and nothing went wrong with my booting until yesterday.)Replace the video card.

Alan <><

Where do i find internet explorer 7 download or update
And is there any reason why ie7 will not load on my dell /windows XP/ internet explorer 6



IE 7.0 here
http://www.google.com/toolbar/ie7/
FireFox here
http://www.mozilla-firefox-3.de/us/grafik/top_firefox.gifYou'll need to download the program that Microsoft has you run to ensure you're using a legit version of Windows, keep in mind.My advice is forget Internet Explorer and get Firefox. It is much more customizable and has WAY LESS security problems than IE. You can get it here: www.getfirefox.comQuote from: trouble on August 19, 2007, 11:18:37 AM

Where do i find internet explorer 7 download or update
And is there any reason why ie7 will not load on my dell /windows xp/ internet explorer 6

... get Firefox. It is much more customizable and has way less security problems than IE.

I recently loaded Microsoft Office 2007 and my computer now is not behaving well at all. The main concern right now is that after I go into Control PANEL and click "Add/Remove Programs", no programs AT ALL will load although I know they're there because my computer is working sort of OK. Can anyone tell me what to do about this aggravation?What version of windows? Is Office 2007 working? What are your hardware specs? How much free disk space do you have after installing Office 2007?

You MIGHT DOWNLOAD CCleaner and RUN it's Windows or Applications scan and it's Issues scan. Get the Slim version of CCleaner. When you run the Issues scan, do the registry backup as prompted before removing all that it finds. Repeat the Issue scan; it may find additional ITEMS upon a repeat scan.

I'd follow that with a disk defragmentation also.

I am UNABLE to OPEN Windows explorer. When I right click the start button and select EXPLORE all I get is an audio warning noise and nothing else happens. The same thing happens when I click on the start menu and click on My Computer. Even when I create a new folder on my desktop it will not allow me to open it. Please help.What OS do you have?
Protection?
What are your recent changes?

Jonas I have Windows XP, I'm running DefenderPro for my firewall, antivirus, pop-up blocker, and anti spam. The last update I installed was SP2. I do use MS auto update so what ever updates have RECOMMENDED lately have also been installed.Try start -> run and type "SFC /SCANNOW"
(You might need the Win XP CD.)
And run type "CHKDSK /F /X"

Jonas Jonas,

Run the check that you SUGGESTED to no avail. I'm still not able to open any folders on their own or Windows explorer. I am able to access all folders through programs like Word or Excel. Thanks for your suggestions anyways.