Explore topic-wise InterviewSolutions in .

No idea if this will be of use but posting anyways - just in case it might help someone else.

Late afternoon today - attempted to 'wake up' my internal CARD reader - now and again it is not showing in explorer and usually a disconnect of USB cable and re connect encourages WIN to ''see'' it - and the four ''DRIVES''.

This time - BSOD!!!!  Horrors ... and a message saying approx ..... "Parity error/memory - consult your hardware vendor"  Yikes!!!

Shut off - powered off totally - let rest then try again - monitors blank with no signal and CPU fan goes to high speed - and that's it!  Zilch.  Repeat - same.  Sinking feeling in belly!

I could get a recovery CD to read and booted with that but did not feel like any major attempts at that stage to try any rescue in case matters went worse.

Spent a while updating data on spare machine with external drive, ready to have to switch work to that one.  Just one idea to try with main machine - let's check mem sticks - long shot.

Removed both 1Gb sticks - swapped them - so #1 stick became #2 and VICE versa - refitted with care for full seating ........ and heavens be praised after powering up again - booted!!  Quick spell in safe mode - all looked OK - then boot normal to usual win ... success.

So - message here might be that suggestions made in posts in past about removal and reseating of boards, mem etc - can just help.  In my case I suspect (maybe) the mem stick reversal somehow achieved a reinitialization effect ...... main thing is - back up and running - right now anyways.

Any ideas from anyone else would be interesting if any actual explanation.

How do I stop the Microsoft message from appearing when an I/E ERROR has occurred and I am asked to I  "send"  a REPORT or  "do not send"? I didn't know you could do that.  I thought you just had to hit one of them and not WORRY about it.  Try this...

Start>Control Panel>SYSTEM>Advanced>Error Reporting>DisableThank You..................WesthallYou are most welcome.....I assume it worked for you.Yes.

When I right-click a file, document, etc. the only choice I have is the DVD DRIVE and the flash card when it is inserted, that's it.What flavor of Windows ? ?

You now have 3 different TOPICS going all with one sentence questions and no INFO on ANYTHING about your machine Windows ver. etc.

Keep in mind we can't see your machine from here except on really clear days.Windows XP,  Home Edition,  Version 2002,  Service Pack 3,  Dell Dimension DE051.

Hello, I often create EMPTY wav file by using the "right-clic, new, wave file" function on the desktop, but recently, the wav file option has disappeared from the LIST (I can STILL create .txt, .ZIP etc...) How can I get it back?

Thanks.

D.SI'm not sure if this option comes standard with WINDOWS but I can't be certain, it sounds like a shell extension installed by another program. If you uninstalled any programs before it disappeared then try re-installing them.
I suppose, in theory, it could also be caused by something you have recently installed that caused some sort of shell extension conflict causing neither to show properly but I know nothing when it comes to these things.the new submenu, at LEAST for sound files, is not a shell extension at all.

if your running XP try this registry script.

it restores the "shellNew" key to the wavfile entry in the registry.

Code: [Select]Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.wav\ShellNew]
"FileName"="sndrec.wav"
Thanks.. but it doesn't work for me... Another idea anyone?

D.STweakUI 

Use it myself.

Just Download it, and goto the "Templates" Tab on the window and you can add/remove file types to the list when you right-click This solved my problem! Thanks!! In the end, I think it all came down to some file association problem...

Hi, I bought a Dell Dimention 4500 preinstalled w/ WinXP Home, then I had it downgraded to Win2000 Chinese versiion. Now I'd llike to go back to XP Home. I have the Reinstall CD, and I have all my Data files backuped. I'd like to reformat the hard drive to clean it and get RIT of all the junk stuff.
How should I do and what eles I need beside of the reinstall CD from Dell.
I have some experience of INSTALLING software. Don't know how to reformat a hard disk.
Will be appreciated very much if any one can teach me how to do step by step.
I'm always willing to learn though I am a bit aged. Please forgive me if I don't get it right away. Quote from: Aged_Learner on April 14, 2009, 07:59:38 PM

Hi, I bought a Dell Dimention 4500 preinstalled w/ WinXP Home, then I had it downgraded to Win2000 Chinese versiion. Now I'd llike to go back to XP Home. I have the Reinstall CD, and I have all my Data files backuped. I'd like to reformat the hard drive to clean it and get rit of all the junk stuff.
How should I do and what eles I need beside of the reinstall CD from Dell.
I have some experience of installing software. Don't know how to reformat a hard disk.
Will be appreciated very much if any one can teach me how to do step by step.
I'm always willing to learn though I am a bit aged. Please forgive me if I don't get it right away.

Thanks!
I booted up from the XP reinstallation CD and formating the Hard Drive now, It'll take a while, and it's time to go to bet for me now. Good Night!

hello all

i am a newbie as u can see i was searching for a good forum to post my question and i found this , i hope i can find the ANSWER here.

well, i am taking an Operating system class at the university, and we have a task about the Memory placement!

what is required that we should make Four DIFFERENT Scenarios for the memory placement strategies! :

" first fit "
" next fit "
" best fit"
" worst fit"

each scenario contain of four different Requests, and four Holes to place that requests.

BUT , each scenario must only WORK for that method!

ex) first fit scenario will work only on first fit and any other strategy will fail to place the requests on it!

i hope i explained about what i am straggling around here been trying so long and its just not working with me
MOSS t of us do not do memory management, it is don by the operating system. Some types of operations work best when the memory is contiguous.  That is, all the memory needed by a task is all in one area with no 'holes'.

For help with the problems given, you need to consult you text box to understand what the issues are.

" first fit "
" next fit "
" best fit"
" worst fit"

Have to be understood in the context of the book  you are working with.

Some technology in use today resolves the issue at the hardware LEVEL, so it becomes a pointless exercise to study this, expect it helps you learn how to study. Which may be the real objective of the course.Actually this sounds more like a logic puzzle than a hardware question...

You have 2    5 gallon containers.
You need to measure out 3 Gallons of water.

How do you do it ? ?Lol patio

Just recently I have had Windows Installer pop up on the screen trying to install a product called Status. Then I get a message saying the following:

An installation package for the product 'Status' cannot be found. Try the installation again USING a valid copy of the installation package 'status.msi.

Can anyone TELL me what this is about? Thanks.status.msi is a HP Printer program.  for what ever happened it's recommended to put the HP printer CD back in the Drive and direct the load from there.  Once this is done it should fix the pop up.

Well delete all that crap.....it is unknow where this bugger came from.....the only way i found to get rid of it is by opening regedit and clicking on edit and find and then type in the whole string being displayed in the install PROMPT.  Once it finds the string.  delete the key.  then OPEN internet explorer and search on any search engine gdiplus.dll  .   Once you find the site you can download it for free if you read it closely and then install it to C:\Windows\system32\ and do a full shutdown and then power back up.  The prompts should not start on boot.  I haven't seen it try it again SINCE doing that.   Good luck mate.

I just built my first computer, and when I tried to install the OS it gets stuck. I am installing XP. When I turn on my computer it makes a continuous sound, that is very annoying. The first time I tried installing XP it looked like it was GOING to work, than it gave me some message that the hard drive was bad or there was a VIRUS. So I reset the computer and tried again, now all I get is "verifying DMI pool data" and it wont move pass that. I read the post about DMI and it talked about BIOS setings being correct. I have no idea if my settings are correct. How do I know? Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, and if this is a stupid question. But I am very new to all this. I know home theater not computers. Try a simple diagnostic tool. Boot a CD or floppy that has some basic diagnostics. Run a memory test for half an hour. If the memory is heat sensitive, it will so up before half an hour.  Where would I get these tests?Open up the computer and make sure all CONNECTORS and add on cards are seated properly.  That means straight/level/flat in the sockets.  Especially the ram chip(s).

Restart the computer and press the Delete key on the keyboard for about 10 seconds.  The bios screen should appear.  Now look for a setting in the bios menu that says something like Optimized Settings, usually on right side of the menu.  Select one of them if there is more than one you may WANT to try all of them.  This will basically scale the system back to minimal factory settings and then save and reboot.

If it still makes that nagging noise, there are several possiblilies.  Bad RAM, Bad Video, or heat sink isn't making good contact on the CPU.  Baring those, I would take out any add on cards and disconnect all drives.  Get the motherboard, ram, video working and then add on one item at a time.  The one that makes the nagging sound is your problem device.You will need a working PC to download and burn the CD ISO

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

Once yu have a working CD, try it first on the good machine, then see if your new machine will pass the memory test.

i m using xp pro. with multi user. my system tray CLOCK is missing. In start menu , the OPTION for this also is deactivated. How to restore clock in system tray. for other user it is working fine.Right clik any tray item and select Properties and uncheck Hide inactive icons...it is not working.
i think it is a registry issue,but how to solve it.........don't know.....Right click the Taskbar, select Properties, Taskbar tab, Notification area, tick the "Show the Clock" box.

thanx.
 but the option is ALREADY in deactivated condition.
What do you mean - deactivated? Quote from: Dusty on April 13, 2009, 04:30:07 PM

What do you mean - deactivated?

Hi my laptop has stopped working. I don't mind so much but there are some music files and word files i would quite like. Basicly it goes as far as the windows black loading screen with the logo etc but then just does that and goes no further.
Can anyone help?

Thanks!Your drive may be damaged. If you are COMPUTER hardware savy you can buy a external 2.5" hard drive case and mount your laptops hard drive into that and then be able access your DATA through USB communications to SATA or IDE depending on the type of hard drive your laptop has. Be sure that the system this device is to be plugged into has the latest antivirus to avoid spreading if it is viral.

Other than that you can try the windows repair utility that is on the OEM CD that may have come with the laptop and perform a repair or restore ( without formatting ) which would rebuild Windows, but not touch your music etc.

Also HEARD of people using Knoppix Linux Live CD to access data, but if you dont know Linux, then the first 2 ideas are better for you as for to get NTFS support is quite fun and manual.From a dead power up; start pressing the F8 key.  This should bring up a Boot Choice Menu.  Select Safe Mode and enter.  If it boots to a warning click on okay and let it boot all the way to the desktop.  You should have Safe Mode in all 4 corners of the screen.  Click Start Shutdown POWER OFF.  Try booting again.  If it crashes during the second boot.  Try the option on the menu that says last know good configuration.

Guessing, it could be a driver or perhaps the memory chip has been dislodged.  My experience is its a driver issue.

it died some time ago,

Sorry.  It presented with the current problem, and i put it in the cupboard because I was saulking...... lol.  just turned it on one day and, black screen , no response.

I did a bit more looking at the beep codes, i think i was wrong.

my beeps were 1 4 and 6 short beeps.  see below for tech support on beeps.

1 Short beep - System is operating normally.
1 Long beep - Memory refresh circuitry has failed which indicates a problem with the motherboard. Try reseating the memory DIMM or SIMM modules. Make sure if you have added memory that it is rated at the correct speed for the system.
1 Long 2 Short beeps - The video adapter has failed, or the video memory is having a read/write failure. Try reseating the video card. If the video card is a PCI video card, try moving it to another slot.
1 Long 3 Short beeps - The system does not detect a monitor. Verify that the monitor cable is properly attached to the video card or the onboard video and to the monitor (if the monitor has a detachable cable). If possible, try another monitor on the system to verify that the video adapter is operating properly.
2 or 3 beeps - There is a problem with the system’s memory. Reseat the memory DIMM or SIMM modules.
4 beeps - This indicates a non-functional timer. This indicates a problem with the motherboard.
5 beeps - This indicates a CPU (Central Processing Unit or processor) failure. Try reseating the processor.
6 beeps - This indicates a keyboard controller failure. Try reseating the keyboard connector.
7 beeps - Another indication of a processor problem. Reseat the processor.
8 beeps - This indicates a video memory read/write failure. Reseat the video card (if any) and memory DIMM or SIMM modules.
9 or 10 beeps - This indicates a ROM (Read-Only Memory) checksum error or shutdown register failure. This indicates a defective BIOS chip(s). Reseat the BIOS chips.
11 beeps - Indicates an error in the cache memory. If the system has a Pentium class processor, reseat the processor. If the system has a cache memory module, try reseating it. These beep codes will vary depending on the system.

thanks for you help, but the http dosnt work.... can i grab the address from you.  thanks.

still the same sorry! not getting the page to load.

My IE7 isn't operating correctly and giving me fits,if I uninstall it and reinstall it,what will I LOOSE?IE7 isn't resonding when I click on IE and have to go to list mamager to get out of anything,then go to Opera to get on comp.I have a Dell DESKTOP with Windows XP Home edition.just install the latest ie8

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/Internet-explorer/default.aspx   Most I've talked to  SAY the IE8 is a big problem,so I'm sorta in doubt about downloading it.IE8 has issues that are as confounding as what your are experiencing now. Wait awhile until all the bugs are weeded out.
For some it works great, for others it's a nightmare.

Have a look at this http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318378Thankyou very much for your help,and will go TRY restting IE before I try anything else.Your info on my problem has been very helpful.You are most welcome......Good Luck.

I am running Win XP on an IBM NetVista and I want to re-install the Win XP onto a new hard drive that I installed. I have the Win XP key that is on a label on the computer case. Can I use an "upgrade" version of Win XP to do this and also, can I use the same "upgrade" disc on other computers after I have re-formatted their hard drives. I assume that this is not illegal, since all computers have a valid purchased Win XP license.nothing illegal if they all have licenses, but the "upgrade" CD will require WINDOWS 95 or 98 to be installed.Not neccessarily installed....
At the prompt you can simply insert a qualified CD of an earlier version...ahh, yes that's true.


Not sure if it would work with windows 3.1 to XP.Yep.
Just insert floppy #4....then at the 2nd prompt it asks for floppy #2...
               Thank you both for the response. I am just TRYING to re-install the Win XP that I am currently running but I do not have the original system discs. The system is running poorly and I want to re-format and re-install the Win XP. I was HOPING to do this with an "upgrade" disc since the machine is already licensed. If the "upgrade" disc won't work, is there some other way short of buying the full-on version?All you need to do the upgrade install is a previous version of Windows.....
Do you not have one ? ?I do not have it on a disc, just the Win XP that came installed on the computer when I bought it.What happened to the old hard drive?
Is it in working CONDITION with XP on it?
If so, you can CLONE old drive to the new one.
Win XP is still running on the old drive but after 4 years its corrupted (runs slow, crashes, etc.) If I clone it will the new drive pick up all the problems? If not, how would I clone it?Did the new drive come with any CD?
If not, you should be able to download cloning program from the manufacturer site.

Quote

Instead of these three steps, I would recommend following the CH guide found here, and then posting the logs for a malware specialist. Chances are with their help you can get your PC back in tip-top shape without a reinstall.

A Windows XP System Restore would essentially undo all the changes you made- including uninstalling programs and the malware scans- really it should be a first stop measure to perform when you still have checkpoints (saved system states) from before infections/problems, now, the location the checkpoints are stored is significant to answering number 5:

How does one go about cleaning a winlogon notify infection? Unfortunately, barring the use of popular anti-malware applications (which generally work), one would need to drop to the Windows Recovery console via the use of the retail Windows CD, whereby they can delete the infectious files all at once, reboot, and delete the keys. Problem solved.

Your older one as you say may provide some clues as to a possible method of recovery- for example wether it tries to, but fails to load windows, wether a safe-mode boot might work, or wether the bootup files are completely hooped (which, come to think of it might be remedied by using the appropriate boot-up files from your newer PC, which you will have fixed up before digging into the old one. Of course this is all speculation since we have yet to determine exactly what the issue your old computer is having is.

I forgot to define the acronym- "POST" stands for "Power-On Self-Test", almost all computers back to the original PC take a quick peek at their organs as they start-up, make sure they don't have any issues, check the RAM and so forth to ensure that their parts are working at a glance, and then it proceeds to read special portions of the hard disk, which loads up the OS loader, which loads up the OS and so forth)

If the message you get is something to the tune of something missing or "disk failure" or something, it might just be a CMOS setup boot order issue, likely exacerbated by the long time of disuse. the BIOS options are accessible during the POST as indicated by a line of text such as "press <DEL> to enter setup" or "press <F2> for advanced recovery options", and so forth. Within these menus you can usually find a good number of options, some of which concern the order of which the computer will inspect its drives to look for bootable devices, in much the same way as you'd define an order to find clothes to put on in the morning if you had a number of dressers.


If the BIOS is game and knows whats going on then (again, assuming no physical issues with the HD, in which case you can of course replace it), you can use either the System recovery Disc or a retail Windows CD. Personally I prefer the windows CD method, since in most instances you can boot up from the CD and select a "repair" option, which usually fixes file corruption (it won't remove viruses, but that would require booting up first ). Really you do have more then two options- a system recovery disk for that PC would be a surefire cure, but it's always best to explore non-data losing options first

And then you have the spontaneously developed operating system errors which grow and grow over time and become more and more annoying. If you could get used to doing recoveries with minimal disruption, you could actually make a case that regularly scheduled recoveries would be nice to do even if viruses did not exist, nice to do in other words just to clear up the errors

IMPORTANT QUESTION;
Can I deduce from this that if you have a retail Windows CD you can remove viruses from your computer that any number of antivirus programs have failed at removing?

ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION:
If you buy a Windows OS retail CD, how many computers can you use it in??
you can have virus files on your disk, but not be infected.

If you buy a Windows OS retail CD, how many computers can you use it in??

I had a little "breakthrough" on the new one last night. Using Windows, I have been unable for many months to get my DVD/CD reader/writer to recognize fresh DVD+ data discs. I more or less of forgot that I had Sonic Digital Media Plus preinstalled, which I almost never used. But since I am spending a very large amount of time on all of this, I stumbled on Sonic and loaded it and, sure enough, if I use Sonic, my empty discs are recognized and I can burn data discs.

Thanks for that very good introduction to manual removal of viruses, especially since it calms me down a little about the seeming failure of antivirus programs: I can see what they are up against, a lot of stunts and tricks that unfortunately, the low-level programmers can think of. We did mention and emphasize how they are at the bottom of the barrell, didn't we?

Me: yeah, I got this message about your virus, saying something about not being able to delete my files

Support: Oh- yeah this is embarassing- what files?

Me: my document files, they are still there- the virus is supposed to delete them. This is three years of hard work that should be down the tube!

Support: OK, calm down, here, navigate using explorer, and delete the files manually-

Me: alright- but this better be fixed soon. deleting my important documents by hand is a chore. I really should start doing backups though.

Regarding AV programs I haven't usd one in years myself- (by which I mean, say, one running in the background)

This install of Windows XP that I'm running on right now is about 6 months old- but I reformatted simply to change my drive partitions a bit, not because of malware issues or whatnot. Also, my old PC, which  I still have but is kind of gutted right now, I had running over 5 years with a single install of windows XP that was installed over windows 98SE; aside from a few malware issues that I promptly noticed (it was a slow machine so any malware was pretty evident) and removed.

Also, the very first thing I did when I got my laptop, after being forced to basically run through the Recovery to get it setup initiallly, was a complete reformat. The laptop, even though it was a dual core and much faster then my desktop, was very slow. All the crap Toshiba decided I wanted took a toll, so I started off with a clean reformat, installed all the drivers and so forth, and now it runs blazingly fast.

This would be my only argument against a "recovery disk", since I can't stand having programs preinstalled for me, and prefer to install me own.

technically the errors aren't spontaneous, and appear in part due to user actions- but usually innocently, via the installation and removal of programs, some of which don't properly clean up their registry entries, which end up confusing later installations of other programs into making false assumptions, etc etc.

A Virus, as I'm sure your aware, is simply a program. The PC needs to be instructed to execute the virus- thus the RUN keys I describe in my previous post being manipulated. What you might have is simply some infected files sitting on the disk, perhaps you hadn't done a scan in the intervening time, but either way since you weren't experiencing symptoms chances are it was just a few random files that were harmful but not active.

Even so, it's not to difficult to clean it up, with various tools (free tools, of course). and a little extra time- just a few "deep scans" in a few anti-malware type apps.

That depends on experience- it requires one to identify the exact files that need to be deleted- all of them usually need to be deleted at once, or else what's left rebuilds the set. (it's kind of like those bosses in old games, where you have to strike hard and fast or else they regenerate  ). For me, I use an excellent program called Process Explorer, whereby in the event of a known infection I can find running programs and loaded DLL's that I know shouldn't be loaded, write them down, reboot into recovery console (which I have installed on my HD for quick access), and delete them. I've only had to do this once, for a virus that was completely undetected by any anti-malware app, but it is definitely a useful way of removing viruses. I wouldn't say it's particularly hard, once you've got the filenames, but it does require using the command line, and not everybody is comfortable there.

well, your allowed to install it onto one PC. However, you can use the "repair" option or recovery console on any XP PC you want.

Actually- this is simply because the windows built-in burning for XP doesn't recognize DVDs.

As far as the old tower and it's CD drive issues, it could just need some more time to open- even in the case it doesn't work it's a cheap replacement (usually ~25$), or perhaps a power supply issue- or even just a loose power plug...

1. Do I need to completely "wipe the drive" before I use the retail Windows OS disc?
1a. If so, how do I do that; do I need a separate disc to do that?

2. Do I need a separate disc to reformat (or partition?) the drive and if so, what exactly do I need?

3. Is there any other process I need to do, or is there any other disc I need to use, before inserting the retail Windows OS disc?

3. Will the Windows OS disc have most of the drivers I would have if I bought a new computer, or if I were able to recover the original factory settings of the computer in question?

3b. If not, how difficult is it to get the drivers you need?

4. Just to be absolutely clear regarding usage (ownership rights): if I were to buy a Windows OS disc and attempt to use it on the old computer, I would be unable to use it on any other computer, at least insofar as installation of an operating system is concerned? Is that correct? If so, I assume this would be enforced by some kind of licensing key?

ps: Just to add a major specific example regarding how out of control this system was and still is right now, when you power it up,
one of many wild things going on was and probably still is a never ending check disc routine running as soon as you power up.

however, if the PC is newer then about three years I'd make sure to go to the manufacturers site and at least download the network card driver, so that you can access the net in the event that the default Install CD doesn't have a generic driver for the card.

I don't know, it would depend on the age of the PC. if they use SATA to connect their hard disks then you would need a disk for that or else it will blue screen on every boot. We could confirm this if you pass on the manufacturer and model number of the machine (if you already did- sorry but our posts are really long 

If you install XP into the old PC, you are prompted to give the CD-KEY which is contained somewhere on the packaging on a sticker,, and really is what you paid for- the license. (thankfully microsoft provides us discs as an added convenience to taking advantage of that license 

After installation, windows will want to be "activated", which means it will connect to a microsoft server; if you later install XP onto another machine (say your new one), the same CD KEY will not work as the other machine has already been activated with it.

you CAN, however, use that disc to perform a repair install without worrying about activation-

another method would be to copy the file C:\windows\system32\wpa.dbl to a floppy disk or other removable disk, and then instead of activating the machine copy it back to the same location. This will give you the same license you were given by purchasing the PC in the first place, and is not "sidestepping" the protection in any way.

You mean, to make sure I understand, that I go to the manufacturer site and download the network card driver to a disc right now, and then, if after a recovery I have no internet, I need to install that driver from the disc or from the portable hard drive?

And that since I am attempting two recoveries, I need to have the network card driver for both of them on a data disc or on a portable HD? For any and all other missing drivers, I can get them from the manufacturer sites later? Am I still correct?

There is still a lot of confusion about this, so please clarify even more than you already have.

My brother, who is an electrical engineer, is at least as confused about this as I am. Although he and everyone else seems to agree that manufacturer recovery discs that use recovery partitions are machine-specific, he told me that you can in fact use a retail OS CD disc to install Windows in more than one machine at about the same time. I asked him: what would happen if you tried to install windows with a retail CD and the installation failed to one extent or another, so you wanted to junk the machine and install into a different computer using the CD? Or, what if the install was successful, but there was a hard drive crash a month later, and you wanted to abandon that computer for a different one? He said that for all scenarios such as these, the license key system would not stop you from installing Windows in a separate machine. He said the license key system is to monitor for (and prevent?) more than a very small number of installations with the same disc, I'm thinking maybe the number he has in mind is four or five.

Therefore, given the contradiction between what he said and what you have said, would you clarify: are you completely certain that a retail Windows OS disc can be used one and only one time, and in one and only one machine, as far as the installation of the OS is concerned? So that, for example, if a month or two after the install the computer mechanically fails and is abandoned, you still can not use the same OS disc to install Windows in a different computer?

Can you please explain a little about what this is: I have never even heard of this until now.

Instead of this, which I'm nervous about being able to do this, can you do the following in order to use a single Windows OS CD on two different computers?

1. Find out what the original Windows OS license key was (the one for the OS which is corrupted and no longer working) and simply copy your license number on a piece of paper.

2. Input this original license key during the installation rather than the license key of the Windows OS CD you are using.

In other words, are you given an opportunity during the installation to use a license key other than the license key provided by the retail OS disc itself?

1. TRUE OR FALSE: If you have them, you can save installation files onto a portable hard drive or a data disc, and then use them to install a program onto your main drive after a recovery?

2. TRUE OR FALSE: By looking at the C-drive directory, you can see the folders where most of your installed programs lie. In some cases, and this is especially true for smaller programs, you can copy the whole program folder to a portable hard drive or to a data disc, and then install the program simply by copying the folder back over to the C-drive following the recovery. (Actually, I have no idea whether this is true or false, but if I had to bet, I'd say it's false, because by doing this you still have not actually officially installed the program, but as we know, my assumptions are often wrong. Or else it's false because in many or all cases, there will be program components elsewhere, and not found in the folders.)

3. TRUE OR FALSE: Assuming you are doing a manufacturer type recovery using the Recovery Partition, (what I am attempting this Friday or so with the new computer) you will get most or all of the programs that you had the day you turned the computer on for the first time.

4. TRUE OR FALSE: One of the first things you should do after a successful recovery is update Windows to the latest security pack. You should not have to worry about any problem with this upgrading. Specifically, Pac #3 from just about a year ago is safe and trouble free to use.

5. TRUE OR FALSE: Regardless of answers to the above, it's kind of risky to transfer programs from a pre-recovered system to a post-recovered system, because viruses and spyware, that helped to make the recovery mandatory can possibly lurk inside these programs.

6. TRUE OR FALSE: Programs for which you have discs, such as in my case Microsoft Office, can be reinstalled post recovery (using the same license key you have always had). In other words, there is rarely any time limit on your use of purchased software such as Microsoft Office. And, unlike with respect to the Microsoft Windows OS, there is no confusion about whether you can install programs such as Microsoft Office on more than one computer: you definitely can do so. However, if you tried to install it in a large number of computers, 10 or 15 or 25 or some such number of computers, you would be stopped by the license key system?

I was only making sure, the OP is aware, that by using vacuum cleaner to clean his laptop, some part(s) might have been damaged, and the dump file, seems to be proving my claim.
It can be just RAM, so your advice to run memtest is good, but it may be also something else.Thanks for all the replies guys, but I just want to clarify that I didn't ACTUALLY use a vaccum celaner (w/ bristels per se). All I used was this mini-vacuum, basically similar to a small compressed air can. (it had a small tube that i used to blow away any dust). Not sure I could damage the RAM from that, but I'll take your advice anyway.


BTW, I someone else told me about memtest and I ran it for about 3-4 hours and I'm PRETTY sure I didn't see any bad sectors or such. To be certain, I'll run it again. What's the recommended time I should run it for?, and are there any ideal conditions (plugged/unplugged/etc) that I should run it in?The best way, is just to leave it overnight. Plugged/unplugged doesn't matter.hi i have sama problem what should i do?what is the solution?ram?or somthing else?PLZ help me az soon az possible this killing me plz DONT jack someone elses post as this will CAUSE confusion with the posts

I am trying to disable script error messages in I.E.7 A previous post on this site from Feb. 15, 2009 from Calm as a bomb seems to have what I am looking for with one exception.  I have WINDOWS XP PRO, SP3 and use Mozilla Firefox as my default browser.

Calm as a bomb gave these directions:

Type:  Services.msc into RUN on the Start menu.  I did that.

Press OK  I did that

Click the Extended Tab at bottom to view all your services.  I did that.

Scroll down the list until you come to  Machine Debug Manager. 

This where I am having a problem.  My list (I have checked and rechecked it) does not have service called Machine Debug Manager.  Maybe Calm as a  bomb is running something else besides I.E.7  That's what I have and I am not GETTING anything named Machine Debug Manager. I am on the correct page that he states to go to.  Can this service/function be listed under or in somthing else on this page with what is operating on my system?  Thank you.

hello everyone

i need to delete my IE cache overflow , and so far i have found two ways to do it (below).  would one of you fine fellows take a look and let me know which is the best.

#1-TIP > Internet Explorer Cache Overflow
Solutions

For manual deletion, use this method:

1. Open an Explorer folder window (for EXAMPLE, double-click My Computer). From the Explorer menu select Tools | Folder Options | View. Make sure that you have checked the box next to "Show hidden files and folders" and uncheck "Hide protected operating system files".

2. Start Internet Explorer and click Tools | Internet Options | General tab | Settings | View Files.

3. IE should have opened up a folder window, typically viewing a folder with the name of C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files. Put your CURSOR in the Address area of the folder window and add the name \content.ie5 to the name, so in our example the Address bar would now read c:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\content.ie5.

4. You should see a series of four folders with random eight-character names like ADOZMZS1. Go into each folder and delete all the files they contain. Do not delete the folders.

5. If desired, reset the folder options you changed in step 1.

#2-For manual deletion, use the method below:

Click My Computer/Tools/Folder Options/View. Check the box ?Show hidden files and folders?, and uncheck ?Hide protected operating system files?.
Reboot the computer while tapping the F5 key. At the options menu choose either Safemode with Command Prompt or F8/ Safemode with Command Prompt. Log on as Administrator and also repeat the proceedure as Regular User. At the blinking cursor enter ?del index.dat /s? without the quotes. Now press "Enter". *Take NOTE, there is a space after del and after .dat.
You may reset the folder options changed in step 1 if you like.
The above PROCEDURE also deletes the IE cache index (index.dat) file as they are often damaged. Microsoft documents 306837 and 293402 provide additional information on this issue
 
     

Use CCleaner: http://www.ccleaner.com/download/builds. Get "Slim" version.
Broni

 sure do appreciate your reply.  i d/l the ccleaner but do not know what to check i think it would be something in the advanced part.

help me if you can
harleyThis is my setup:



You may WANT to uncheck "cookies", so you don't lose your passwords.

i am using a dell dimension 4550 with windows xp home service pack 1.i have had to action a full system restore due to a virus and have reinstalled windows xp from original cd that came with pc.also run dell resource cd to add drivers etc.all working fine except for a missing ethernet controller port.i have tried driver roll back updating driver from original cd.but the system will not recognise that drivers are on discs.i am therefore unable to CONNECT to web with my pc to download updated drivers and DONT know what else to do.please could someone help as i am sending post from a mobile phone internet connection.If you kept all the cd's that came with your computer when you bought it then you should have all the correct drivers required for reinstallation.

How are you trying to install the Network drivers?

Are you getting an error MESSAGE when installing the Network drivers?

If all else fails you will need to download the latest drivers from dell's support section on their website (from a friends house or a public library).Travel to Dell's site and enter the Service Tag # off the machine...
You will see a list of all your drivers.thanks patio but i only have ACCESS to mobile phone internet.i tried to use my phone as a modum but my nokia n 96 will only work with windows xp service pack 2 which i cant download as no pc access. :-(Does your next-door neighbor have internet access ? ?
Time to bake some chocolate-chip cookies ! !

 Look around on your CD that came with the machine for your motherboard drivers and install them. Do a reboot and than the NIC drivers should install.

lol at least someone made me laugh today ive been sat at pc since 5 this morning tearing my hair out i rang dell and they said they could fix it in 5 mins for a £60 + vat charge so baking cookies it is then lolthanks spoiler ill give it a try now.cheers.im not that confident but here goes lol
 Good on you...
Don't pay Dell any MONEY....drivers are and always have been FREE...hey i just dug out an old laptop with a broken screen but is working perfect otherwise.i have connected my desktop monitor to lap top so can use it.could you advise me how to transfer data from laptop to desktop although i have no cable to join the 2.sorry to be a pain but im a novice to all this This is a common problem. If you load the montherboard drivers and than reboot your system will "see" the network card and let you install the drivers for it.

You should have a restore CD with your system drivers on it.

 Hi,
What i would advise doing is going to your local library or a friends house with a flash drive and downloading the driver from the internet, putting it on the flash driver and bringing it back plugin it into your computer and loading the driver from that to your computer so you dont have to deal with connecting computers togeather. Hope this helps

I have an older Dell computer and WOULD LIKE to set it up so my g'kids can play the computer games that we have.  I have Windows 98 that I can install.  The problem is that the computer has not sound.  How difficult would it be to add a sound card, and is it something I can do myself?  I am not going to connect the computer to the internet, just going to set it up to play the games.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  It will be a looong school vacation.  Thanksit's easy to install but you need to download the drivers for the card if a drivers cd does not come with the card.

When you said computer doesn't have sound, you meant it does not have a card already in that can play sound or just that you can't get the already present device to work?Sound card always comes with driver CD.Just make sure that that card has drivers for 98.The computer never had sound.  There must be something I have to do other than install the disc?  SORRY if I am sounding stupid, but it's something I have not done before.  How much will it cost?Basic sound card, ~$15.Are you sure you have the speakers plugged into the right port?yeswoah- if there is a place to plug speakers into, you have a sound card.

so all you need is to install the drivers.

download everest, run it and save a quick report. attach it to your next post.Just go to youtube and SEARCH "install sound card" and you'll get a video explaining how to install. Luck. Quote from: BRONI on April 09, 2009, 06:34:18 PM

Sound card always comes with driver CD.

Hello

I have read an essay talking about the y2k.
this is what I have read:

Quote

The scientists predicted that IT systems. ranging from meteorological devices and hospital equipment to data systems
in governments, banks and airports, would fail. It was though embedded systems, which also made use
of data logic, such as utilities and other crucial infrastructure, would collapse too.

Planes falling out of the sky. Computers somehow growing legs and attacking people. Blenders grabbing babies and- I’ll STOP there. No, this isn’t the plot of a old anti-automation movie. It’s what happened when the clocks switched to the year 2000. At least, that’s what the media exploded the whole mess into. The media detonated a simple design oversight into a giant scare that caused people to spend millions of dollars on supplies they didn’t need.

   What sparked the controversy? Well, the original problem was simple, and would have never caused any difficulty. The problem was the way programs interpret date input. Everything will go fine, as long as you entered the century portion of the date, as in March 22nd, 2006. But, (in older computers) If you entered in in mm-dd-yy format, the computer would assume 19 for the century part. (Essentially, the simple solution would be to simply enter the century portion). Of course, the media added all sorts of it’s own effects to this simple problem. For example, planes would fall out of the sky. Supposedly, the schedules would roll-over to 1900, and apparently the plane would notice the date change, and since the flight wasn’t scheduled, the planes computer would force it the crash. Whoever thought of this deserves some kind of medal for being the stupidest human being on the entire planet. First off, if this were the case, we wouldn’t need airplane pilots, since the plane obviously knows how to fly itself. Secondly, the plane’s on-board computer probably doesn’t even keep track of the date at all. The simple statement of a simple “bug” (to be frank, it isn’t a problem at all. In fact, it’s simply a limitation of representing dates using 2-digit years. If computers where designed to overcome this limitation, (by tacking a 20 on the front instead) we would face the same difficulty, except it would be when attempting to enter a 20th century date. Of course, the moment the media got a hold of anything that could happen when the clocks rolled over, they bloated the entire thing out of proportion. Although this was probably the result of a few passes through people- word of mouth. People would add stuff onto it. For example: assume  “Computers may have difficulty dealing with dates using two-digit centuries.After the year 2000” Was the original quote. A reporter takes this in, and send it to their editor (changing it) as “Computers may have problems handling dates after the year 2000”. The editor gets a hold of this sentence, and publishes it in the paper as “Year 2000 poses problem for computers”. Since the actual detail from the original quote has all but disappeared, readers are forced to fill in the blanks. The only people that fill it out correctly are programmers or hardware designers who are already aware of the problem, and understand how very insignificant it is. Others however, fill it in with the worst thing they can think of. Computer users- people who use computers, but don’t program them, and thus don’t understand exactly how they represent dates - make assumptions, and assume that the computer doesn’t even store the century part of date- that the mm-dd-yy format is the native format that the computer uses for dates, and that it simply places “19” in front of the year and converts the month to a string. They end up with the effect that computers will wrap around to 1900. The whole situation was more of a testament to how many people are less computer-literate than they think than it is a huge controversy that will kill millions when computers rise up, devouring human flesh while displaying prompts such as “please cut off your ear and place it in your floppy disk drive. Press any key to continue...”. Who was blamed for this crisis? Of course, the only people who actually understood all the fodder the media had been pumping out. The result? Their 100% accurate solution of “just enter the century portion of the date” was not only instantly attributed to their desire to leave the spotlight, but also scoffed upon by “experts” (these experts are the people who originally made the assumption that computers store year information using 2-digits). The experts were heroes. They pointed out to the media that programmers and hardware designers were setting the world up for disaster, and made them out to be a group of evil supervillians. Of course, the public ate this up. If January 1st 2000 wasn’t going to be “judgement day” by golly, then people had better die. These are the very same people who believe that people in positions of power where not only chosen by certain supernatural entities but that they actually have a IQ larger than a THIRD their weight. The entire fiasco was simply a statement that a large number of people are still as scared of computers as they where in the 60’s and 70’s. In the computing industry, all was CALM, until the people from the other side CAME in and founded several companies completely dedicated to look for “Y2K compliance” in applications and hardware, and declared “Standards” that must be met to me Y2K compliant. Of course, the empty-headed people in charge of government where in the same league (mostly) as those who founded those companies (who really have zero liability. What purpose could they serve after the year 2000 and what kind of ethics could they show it their very purpose is extinguished after the year 2000? This is like a company that sells vehicles simply going out of business once they reached a certain productive peak, leaving tens of thousands of people with 30000 dollar lemons. This is the similiar situation with aforementioned Y2K compliance institutions. These companies were a scam from the beginning- unlike a normal scam, however, this one was backed by the government.

Yay! Homework!

Six months ago, I suddenly lost the ability to open IE7.  Each attempt gave the response..."The instruction at "0x018f084" refenced memory at  "same". The memory could not be written. Click OK to terminate."

 Every attempt gave a different number in the quotes. I searched the net for a solution and found none (didn't post here), though I did find people with the same problem. Eventually, I gave up and uninstalled IE7. Attempted to install IE8. seemed to go OK until I restarted, whereupon I momentarily saw the same error message above.

So, I switched to Mozilla Firefox and was happy until today when I lost it, too. I get only "The application failed to intialize properly (0x0000005). Click OK to terminate the application." I found a user on the Mozilla help forum with EXACTLY the same symptoms. We've gotten no help there. One responder kept referring us to fixes for "Firefox crashing", apparently unable to understand it's not crashing; we can't open it.

Meanwhile I attempted unsuccessfully to download Opera. I get "failed for invalid access to memory location."

I'm left only with Netscape 8 which, ironically, I discovered today has been rendered EXTINCT due to their inability to compete with the other browsers.

Does anyone have any similar experience or suggestions for help? thanks, Mike. Quote from: crowstalker on April 09, 2009, 08:58:20 PM

Six months ago, I suddenly lost the ability to open IE7.  Each attempt gave the response..."The instruction at "0x018f084" refenced memory at  "same". The memory could not be written. Click OK to terminate."

 Every attempt gave a different number in the quotes. I searched the net for a solution and found none (didn't post here), though I did find people with the same problem. Eventually, I gave up and uninstalled IE7. Attempted to install IE8. seemed to go OK until I restarted, whereupon I momentarily saw the same error message above.

So, I switched to Mozilla Firefox and was happy until today when I lost it, too. I get only "The application failed to intialize properly (0x0000005). Click OK to terminate the application." I found a user on the Mozilla help forum with EXACTLY the same symptoms. We've gotten no help there. One responder kept referring us to fixes for "Firefox crashing", apparently unable to understand it's not crashing; we can't open it.

Meanwhile I attempted unsuccessfully to download Opera. I get "failed for invalid access to memory location."

I'm left only with Netscape 8 which, ironically, I discovered today has been rendered extinct due to their inability to compete with the other browsers.

Does anyone have any similar experience or suggestions for help? thanks, Mike.

Please post,
Operating system:
Laptop or Desktop:
Age of computer (approx.):
Disk space:
RAM:

And any other information that might be usefull.

Please post,
Operating system:
Laptop or Desktop:
Age of computer (approx.):
Disk space:
RAM:

And any other information that might be usefull.

I'm a court reporter, and I use a special software called CaseCatalyst to edit my transcripts.  I just bought the software, and during training, my trainer noticed that certain drop-down boxes only stay open for 1-2 seconds, if they even open at all.  I'm supposed to hit T on my computer which allows me to edit a certain word, and the software will have a drop-down box that will auto-suggest the word I'm trying to edit.  This box is SUPPOSED to pop up automatically once I hit "T", but even CLICKING the "suggest" box only opens it for the 1-2 seconds, then closes.  I called the techincal support and they told me it was something with my computer.

I also noticed that after winning a game of Solitaire, the cards scatter for about 1-2 seconds, and then it automatically goes to the "Play Again?" box.  I have a feeling these are both part of the same issue, and I have no idea how to resolve it. 

Any suggestions?  I'd really appreciate it.

-Andreaif the computer is a laptop, I wonder if there are some "HELPFUL" keyboard or touchpad settings which have been enabled, and I wonder if these things happen if an external keyboard and mouse are plugged in and used.

I am not a laptop expert, and I wouldn't really know how to proceed if you found that the problems you DESCRIBED went away with an external KB & mouse, but at LEAST you would have narrowed it down a bit.
 It is a laptop, a Dell Vostro 1000 to be exact.  I wouldn't even know what the keypad settings should be on, but I don't use an external mouse and never have.  The software trainer tried looking at my settings and didn't see anything out of the ordinary.  If anyone had any other suggestions I'd really appreciate it!

-Andrea Quote from: amrinker on April 09, 2009, 03:25:46 PM

I wouldn't even know what the keypad settings should be on, but I don't use an external mouse and never have.

Hello to all. I've been struggling with the problem of my computer resuming from standby when I don't want it to. I'm running XP Pro SP3. What I want is for the computer to go into S3 state - fans off, hard disks off, session saved to RAM - and stay there until I press a key. But when I put it into Standby, it wakes up after a period ranging from a few minutes to an hour or so.

I've followed all the advice one finds when searching the forums for this problem. I've done the usual checks of the BIOS settings and USB device settings. The next step seems to be to find any resident process that sends commands that cause the system to wake up - for example, I disabled Norton Antivirus's LiveUpdate feature. That seemed to work for a while... But the problem always returns. I've run antivirus and malware scans. I even tried disabling AutoSave in Word and automatic e-mail checking in Outlook Express (these are the two applications I have running 95% of the time - plus FireFox). Still no happiness...

But then I got to thinking: Maybe I'm missing the whole point of the thinking behind the S3 standby state.
To me, logically, when I put the system on Standby I want it to stay that way. I want it to do things like check for updates and e-mail when it's running, which to me means after I press a button - be it the ON button or a key on the keyboard when it's in S3 state. I don't want applications deciding when to wake the system up, unless I expressly tell them to. Logically, not only should hardware be programmable to wake or not wake the computer, but so should software. MCE (which I'm not running on this computer) needs to do that, of course, to record TV, but that still boils down to the user *telling* it to wake up and record a certain program, and then go back to sleep.

So my question is, is my thinking wrong? Am I asking too much in expecting the computer to go to sleep when I tell it to, and wake up when I tell it to? Or am i doing something wrong? It seems to me that if I have to disable anti-virus updating, automatic document saves, and e-mail checks, I might as well go ahead and hibernate or shut the cotton-pickin' computer down.

What's the point of S3 standby state, after all?I RECOMMEND replacing norton with a real AV program.

chances are Norton is causing the issue; even with updates turned off.Thanks for answering. So you agree that in general, apps shouldn't bring a system out of S3 standby? I'm not being unreasonable in my demands? Quote from: lestertrad on February 25, 2009, 03:37:52 AM

Thanks for answering. So you agree that in general, apps shouldn't bring a system out of S3 standby? I'm not being unreasonable in my demands?

My internet exployer 7 isn't responding,but can get on internet with opera.Do I need to uninstall internet expoyer and reinstall,and do I uninstall  it before I reinstall it.Everytime I click on internet exployer,comp seems to freeze up and have to go to list manager to get out of it,then I can go to opera to get on comp,or should I download Internet Exployer 8.I have a desktop with windows XP Home edition.
Thanks,Hi,

1. Open Control Panel
2. Internet Options
3. Click on Advanced tab.
4. Uncheck "Enable third party browser extension".
5. Check the option "Disable Script Debugging(Internet Explorer)".
6. Click  on OK.
7. Close and open Internet Explorer.

Regards

Sykes Did you try resetting internet explorer?

Here is microsoft's solution for doing that ... http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923737

As for getting internet explorer 8, there are new tools like the privacy browsing mode that you might like at times and ie7 will someday become obsolete and microsoft will no longer be updating it via windows update since ie8 will have been their standard.
Thanks guys ,it WORKED.Both of you have given great answers,as My comp is working fine once again because of both of you.Only question is,do you think I should get IE 8,is it better than IE 7 ?I think IE8 is better than IE7 personally, but you gotta try it out to see if you think so too.

InPrivate browsing --- prevent IE from saving cookies, browsing history or anything else that others can use to see what you've been doing on the net.

Compatibility mode for webpages that worked fine on older browser but are not working or don't look right on new one.

Those are the two biggies of IE8 but other features are there.

It's up to you if you want to switch, I think IE8 is decent, in terms of what Microsoft is doing  and so maybe try it out and see if you like the new features. The basics between IE7 and IE8 are still the same in terms of going to the sites you normally like to visit but the new features and look are the things to try out. And if for any reason IE7 seems better than IE8 for you, then uninstall IE8 and go back to using IE7.Ok will go try and see.Thanks again for your help.
Thanks, Hi,

Glad to know that WE were able to help you.

regards

Sykes     Sorry guys ,but after doing as you said about UNCHECKING the enable 3rd party extensions and placing a check by the disable script BUGGING my IE 7 will go to each site much better,but I've lost all of my tool bars.If I must uninstall IE7 and reinstall it,do I have to uninstall the existing one before I can reinstall? Quote from: smstock1 on April 05, 2009, 02:15:59 PM

    Sorry guys ,but after doing as you said about unchecking the enable 3rd party extensions and placing a check by the disable script bugging my IE 7 will go to each site much better,but I've lost all of my tool bars.If I must uninstall IE7 and reinstall it,do I have to uninstall the existing one before I can reinstall?

I mean toolbars.I had google,and a couple more tool bars and they're still in programs ,but when I search for them in tools not showing,and not showing in browser bar either.Are you a tech on here,or just a guest?

    Glad to hear this site has others trying to help all of us( beginners),so do you think I will need to reinstall IE7.Will I have to reinstall my tool bars again also.Do you think there is any other possible way of fixing this problem without reinstalling IE7,as most sites recommending IE8,but many people say there is a lot of problems with IE8

am having problem with my laptop model . it powers up but with a gray screen, so i cannot view anything. i TRIED hp support but to no avail . although LATER in the day i had unplugged everything for about an hour and it started up for about 10 minutes,, this morning it is doing the same thing,..  any ideas.. they had me TAKE out battery, power off,, strike keys,,, etc...      any suggestions other than turning everything off for the day then trying when  i get home ..
thanks. TRY plugging it into a external monitor a cable might have come lose or if that does not work it could be your ram.
Hope this helps.Is there a port on the laptop which allows you to plug in a desktop monitor?  Do you have an available monitor which you can plug in to try to see if you get a display on the monitor?  This will help show if the builit in video card is properly PROCESSING a signal.  Then you'll know if it's something with the laptop's display, itself.

I DOWNLOADED (win utilities) and used the find duplicates utility. does anyone know of a site that will check the results and let me know which ones to delete.A SIMPLE answer is to just leave any duplicate file finder alone unless you are 120% sure what you are doing. These tools are actually worse than registry cleaners when it comes to making computers unbootable. 

Just WALK away... Plenty other ways to free up space if you're interested.
Quote from: evilfantasy on March 22, 2009, 09:05:57 PM

Just walk away...

even more in WinsXs- heck those are old versions! don't need those anymore!

I had a Emachines T3958.  The mother board crashed.  I bought an external case and cable for the CPU, but I can not retrieve the data files on it.  The Emachines had a pass WORD but I am not given the opportunity to enter it.  I am "denied" access to the files. 

Is there a METHOD available to access the files from the old CPU?

THANKS HunterIf it was your machine and you did some work on it how did you lose the BIOS password ? ?
Just curious...Hunter - WELCOME to the CH forums.

Quote

I bought an external case and cable for the CPU....  Is there a method available to access the files from the old CPU?

Hi i am having trouble with my internet EXPLORER. It opens and shows up in the taskbar but you can't SEE it and you can't do anything but close it.Do you just see a white box when you open it?
What VERSION of internet explorer are you using? Like 6 or 7 or 8...
Did you make any CHANGES to your computer right before this started?

Sir,here are some BASIC quistions on computer language:
1) what is "environmental variable" ?
2)where should I USE them in a path ?
3)what is the GENERAL FORMAT and SYNTAX ?
       Wth regards spdCHFGoogle has the answers -

http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/environment.htm

I have a pent lll 750 mb of ram. I just loaded a new XP os on a new hard drive, I also loaded Kaspersky 09. I loaded my old Office 2000, when I went to update SECURITY to LOAD updates I got the message:" Expected version was not found on your machine." When I do a scan with Kaspersky I get positives for detections for anything from dangerous to moderate -all Office parameters. .Thanks for any consideration. I thought of something else today - I POSTED this yesterday- my board is MAYBE 9 years old, my new hard drive is 160 gigs, maybe the bios can't see/work with that much space. I don't know the relationship to the BIOS and the Office Security install: if the configuration to install the update is dependent on bios parameters? Thanks for the consideration of considering my problem.Googled your problem and>>>>

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Expected+version+was+not+found+on+your+machine.&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=

Especially http://support.microsoft.com/kb/837826

Good luck.You have the same machine in 3 different posts...
Topic Closed.
Please see your other thread for replies...

I m USING XP Professional 2005with sp2. Inbuilt dos version is 5.1. How can
I use DOS 6.2? Can I download dos 6.2 and install it? Will it hamper the
EXISTING installed softwares in XP? Please help me with PROPER suggessions.
Its very urgent
                                                                                THANKS
                                                                              devduttaaDouble PostActually his other Post is about installing DOS....this one is about installing DOD....
Not sure what it is but Topic CLOSED.

Our business has a bunch of users who move between computers with roaming profiles on WINDOWS XP Pro SP3 workstations. Some users had some Toshiba laptops with integrated NVidia GeForce GPUs and drivers. These users log on to the workstations without the NVidia GPU and get a message stating "Error Loading nview.dll" every time they logon to systems without the NVidia GPU.

In the past when this has happened, I have tombstoned the users profile and created a new profile and set the laptops as local profile only to avoid that profile from making its way out to the other workstations.

Now a Group Policy went across by a higher up and it flipped the local profiles on those laptops to replicate to the workstations again and I am looking for an easier solution than having to tombstone and reinitialize about 20 users.

Anyone know of any tools or techniques to REMOVE the DLL Library pointers from profiles to save me from all this lengthy work rebuilding profiles?

Thanks,

Dave

Help me with a ,so that I can PLAY several video files with a suitable media player, such as VLC Media player or other.
 With HOPE,            .what is a ""? Is it LIKE a batch file? If so, why write it like that?

To the resourse persons.
 SIR/MADAM, I need a "batch file", opening which I can enjoy my favorite  videos that are prelisted in the "batch file",I would change the list according to my mood. I also request you that the corresponding video player would close automatically after playing my selected videos.
 With hope to LEARN little by little from the generous, I remaim 'spdCHF'.

Hey there I have a hard drive that has some data that SEAMS to be lost is there a way for me to retrieve that data?What do you mean by "lost"? How did you lose your data? WHATS the whole ISSUE?  We need more information in order to HELP you

Ok, thanks to a virus, I had to format/reinstall Windows XP Pro. Got all the service packs updated, and finished. I didn't even have time to back up anything at all, except for a SMALL collection of FILES on my 1 GB Lexar USB Jumpdrive.

Now, the problem I'm having is it will not RECOGNIZE the jump drive as a jump drive. Every time I plug it in, it kicks back "Local Drive: D" (the other two drives are C:\ the main, and I: the restore drive, the optional ones are Removable Disk E, F, G and H, and the DVD and CD Drives). Looking under properties when plugged in, it lists 990 MB, 28 MB used.

I've TRIED to INSTALL the drivers, and it took a long while before it even recognized the USB stick (the whole "This is not a HI-Speed connection problem), but now, even on other PCs, it kicks back that the USB stick is a local drive. Any help, please? I can stand having to rebuild the files I had on the PC, but the USB stick had some stuff I was working on.Can you access the flash drive when it is listed as a local drive?I had a really old computer, and it takes about 30 secs for a flash drive to be called a removable disk.I have a 65 Chevy that does that as well.....

My laptop had an issue with the power button which is now fixed. Before I sent it out for repair, I had to pull out the hard drive & move files to the desktop we had to buy for the interim. While I was moving the files, I had problems with getting files as my ACCOUNT (admin) had a password. After some fiddling, I won.

The problem: Now that I have the laptop back, when I try to sign in to my account, it says that there's an error & that it will give me default access. NONE of the programs come up when I click on the Programs arrow. Also, MS Office seems to have disappeared from sight in the other account as well. It still functions when I open a Word DOCUMENT, so it's around somewhere, but I don't see it.

I would just wipe the hard drive & start over, but I'm worried that if I do, something else will go wrong. So far, everything else has.

Thank you!You should have no problem copying data files. However, program executables are a different isuue.  You can not just move them,  you will have to re-install each program.

Sorry for the SAD news.I'm not worried about any of the other programs. Just worried about XP. It was INSTALLED on the computer when I bought it, so I don't have an actual physical copy of it, like everything else.

The system recovery discs ought to have XP on them since it was a part of the system then, right?Companies have different ways of providing recovery DISKS fro customers. Some  provide a CD to restores the computer back to the factory fresh condition. But it also overwrites any data the the user has on the internal hated disk disk.
Therefore, you first must save personal data and setting on a removable media, such as a DVD-R, if your computer has a DVD burner.

right well i have no idea about computers btw!
but im sooo raged right now...

ok so my c drive has like no memory and ive moved everything i could into my d drive as my d drive has hundreds of space...
but it still says like 24mb or kb dunno... (what order does kb, mb go in?)
so then.. i started to get pissed off and deleted some stuff thats meant to keep itunes running... now my itunes wont uninstall cause it has files missing or whatever
so how do i delete itunes, also how can i change where program files like msn is saved.... so i could save it on my d drive?

also it said i couldnt uninstall things because i have no memory but its also saying to gain memory uninstall program files grrr *censored*'s goin on

i have an eee pc 901 or something ...running on xp ....does that HELP?

PLEASEE helppppp
Use Revo Uninstallerhow can i instal it if i have no memory .....
i dont know how to download it to my d driveTry the following:
Go to Start ----- Control Panel ---- Add or Remove Programs
Chose a program that you want to un install and when you click once on a program on the right side of it you will SEE a BUTTON Change/remove, just click on it and follow the steps.
1Byte=1bit
1kB=1024B
1MB=1024kB and so on.
Cheers.like i said it says i dont have enough memory to uninstall programs via control panal...add/remove programs and i cant install revo uninstaller because i have no memory to install it - i have lots of memory in my d drive just dont know how to install things into there...You're confusing memory with hard drive space....
Right click your C:\ drive in My Computer select Properties and report back with how much free space and total capacity are...well like i said i know f.all about computers
on my c drive i have 59.1mb free and 3.72gb used
on my d drive i have 7.01gb free and 7.50gb usedTime to INVEST in a larger hard drive...I'm amazed Windows even runs on that C: drive...
How long has it been like this ? ?Half of C is being used for the OS...if XP is installed on it.

You can install the Revo Uninstaller if you install it on the D: drive.

However, you have other problems...like getting a larger hard drive.

Hello there,
Recently i have tried a number of file managers for windows in order to find out something better.Although there are vastly superior file managers (Xplorer2,Directory Opus,FreeCommander,TOTAL Commander,Explorer ++) compared to windows explorer i have long GET USED to it and it's hard to learn anything new.

That's why i am currently searching for a plugin for windows explorer (windows XP) which i can configure to make a list of favourite directories.

Take for example Explorer ++ :



I find the feature of having a configurable list of my hdd's and any other directories GREAT!

Also i would like to ask if anyone knows any plugin to add tabbed interface to windows explorer.And if it's not a trouble please share any useful plugins/shells you like!

Thanks in advance As far as tabbed interface for windows explorer is related i have found QTTabBar.Although it's not perfect it is very user friendly!

PC was dragging. Read online about McAfee Plus slowing down puters a lot, so I decided to uninstall it. While I was in Add/Remove Progs I decided to remove some Java Runtime Environment updates too. Not sure if one or both messed me up, but my pc is acting all out of whack. Some web pages load, some dont. Some buttons on web pages work, some dont. ALSO some pc functions, like Restore (from Start Programs Accessories SYSTEM Tools Restore) does not work at all. I wanted to Restore system to a week back, but I can't get to it. I even tried to get to Restore from Safe Boot, but it comes up blank.  I've tried a ton of troubleshoot stuff: reloaded Java, IE7, ran Disk Clean-up, DEfrag, etc.  Nothing. Still stuck. Thought I would tap into you fine group of experts before going to PC Doctor. Thanks.try to search in start menu the items you have uninstalled and see if they mayhave sliiped some place else as well they can b slippery little suckers and hide around corners i have NOTICED ! also CHECK bottom LEFT hand corner of your screen above start menu and see if it shows done/ but with errors ..on the pages that give you have problems to access you may see a yellow exclamation mark there too do this after you search uninstall files     you will still need java script for other variations as well ! and i do hope the info you provide will save you some $$ rather than pay $70-90 for a doctor do little to do little.

Help. When I Downloaded Windows Live Messenger Downloader And Installed Windows Live Messenger My Rundll32's Type Of File Became Wlsetup-web(Name Of The Downloader). How Can I Make Rundll32 Into Its Original Type Of File?Where did you DLoad it from ? ?
What exactly are the error messages you are getting if any ? ?

More info...Every Program Opens With Run as. Tons Of Setups Don't Work.




Here Ya Go...UHH Which Should I Click?I Tryed Them All And The Problem Was Fixed THANK You Soooooooooooooooooooo MuchThe "RUNDLL32" Problem is one of the most interesting problem one can come across.There are two solution for u.
1.Scan ur hdd disk for virus,sometime the problem is virus related.
2.Reload all the dll files through Recovery Console.If the above two doesnt solve ur problem,then there is only one alternative and i.e is to reinstall the OS.
All the best.
the problem had nothing to do with rundll32 and was merely an accidental association that was made on executables- this was also the reason setups weren't working.

Executable files are normally associated with themselves; IE their default command is "%1" %*. Obviously using the shift key on a context menu and an open with followed by "always open with this program" CHECKBOX will CAUSE the file to be loaded into that program. in this case if was the windows live setup program which will SIMPLY quit if it's arguments are confusing.

Hi, I lost the password to access my computer, and I can't log into windows since. And all my important files are in the computer. PLS can anyone tell me how to breakthrough this nightmare and can "safe mode" SOLVE the problem?do NOT double post. see my reply in your other thread. The first link I GAVE is to a CH document on the issue.

Less then 30 seconds between your two TOPICS. How fast were you expecting a reply? Or was it an ACCIDENT?

My computer RECENTLY picked up some kind of virus that went by vrta.tmp. This virus is gone, thank to several searches and sweeps of my hard DRIVE. However, it left me with and odd problem. It seems to have gone into my registry and changed the ImagePath data entries to several important services to C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\VRTA.tmp. The result is I no longer have sound, internet, and a few other things, those being the two most important. I figured I could simply change them BACK to the correct targets, for example audiosrv.dll for the Audio Service, but I get a ERROR 193: 0xc1 message.This applies to everything but the Plug and Play service, which worked fine when I changed it. I suspect this may have something to do with it being an .exe file, and most of the rest being .dll. I've tried downloading and replacing the files, I've tried moving them to the desktop and retargetting the ImagePath data entry there, and tried looking for a file on my C drive called 'program' which many online sources suggested may be the problem, but no luck. I'm still soundless, internetless, can't access the Event Log, System Restore, or many, many other services...help?
Thanks in advance.
Oh, and I'm RUNNING Windows Xp Pro on a Dell Inspiron 1100.So does that mean the system restore does not work at all?
And you do not have a backup of your registry?
Are the lost services just for a specific user?
If so, you can find the right values in the registry for another user.System restore may work, but I seem to be lacking in restore points, possibly something else the virus did before I killed it. No backup of my registry, and I just tried logging on to another user and oddly enough got nothing but a blank screen, like when Explorer shuts down.
I don't think it's a case of the right registry values either. If I point the Imagepath data entry at the wrong thing it actually say Error: file not FOUND. It's when I actually match it to the correct file it gives me Error 193. Sounds like a wipe and reinstall to me 

Might try using this...instead of the unreliable System Restore.

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/erunt.html
 
Alan <><  Run the system file checker. Click Start then Run and type in  sfc /scannow
Have you XP CD ready - it will ask for it.

If that doesn't work, and you are hesitant to do a clean install, then you can boot to the recovery console to build a new registry. You will have to boot to the XP disk and  press R to enter the recovery console. Then select the installation of XP you want to repair. If you only have one installation of XP on your computer type 1 and press enter. You will then be prompted for the password. If you don't have a password, just press enter here. We want to get to the root directory here so type in: cd\
You should now just see a standard C prompt.

Now use these command to restore a registry. This will build a new registry. Your registry is corrupted so we will have to build a new one.
Code: [Select]delete c:\windows\system32\config\system
delete c:\windows\system32\config\software
delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam
delete c:\windows\system32\config\security
delete c:\windows\system32\config\default

copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system
copy c:\windows\repair\software c:\windows\system32\config\software
copy c:\windows\repair\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy c:\windows\repair\security c:\windows\system32\config\security
copy c:\windows\repair\default c:\windows\system32\config\default
Good Luck

any one can help me, FRIENDSTER was block in my PC  how to restore it, my os is xp, thnx.....  Does this have anything to do with your VIRUS PROBLEM?

Morning all,

I've got a Dell Inspiron laptop and it won't work - I'm having black screen problems (as are a trillion other computer users ACCORDING to all the searches I've done for help online!)

However, all the advice seems to apply only to those that can basically get their computer switched on (in Safe mode or whatever), or those who have their Windows XP discs.

My problem = I switch my computer on, get the Microsoft Windows loading screen and then a black screen with my mouse pointer icon. This remains till I hold down the power button.

* I don't have any Windows XP CD's as Dell provide all that online only.
* When I've tried F8 during start up, I get all the necessary text but none of the 'Safe Mode' options make any difference...still a black screen (but with the addition of "Safe Mode" text around the top and bottom of screen
* I've tried the 'F12>Diagnostics' test but this hasn't made any difference. 
* I then tried calling Dell - my warranty expired in November 08, which I'm sure they hadn't warned me about...in fact when I asked them why they hadn't reminded me they said "we tried to call you" ?!?!?! Anyway, they then charged me £25 to...? Guess what...run the same diagnostics check again! As that threw nothing up they said they'd NEED to pass the ENQUIRY on to the software dept but I'd face another charge of around £60!! There ended the phonecall.
 
So, can you help?! I can't get Windows loaded to try any commands and feel pretty useless...and this coming from someone who felt pretty confident with using computers and technical stuff.

Big cheers,

Zanzibub

Hi!Why dont u scan ur laptop's hard disk once for virus.It may not be possible for u to scan since ur not able to start ur machine,i would recommend if u can can remove ur hdd and scan it with the help of ur friends computer.Then Try once.Thanks 'tobydorji' - as you say, I can't even get my computer to a stage where I can scan the hard drive. I have no idea how I would remove my HD and get a friend to scan it, but I'll do some asking around. Does control+Alt+Delete bring up task manager at that point?

I take it "safe mode command prompt" doesn't work either?

try this, it's the "recovery Console" disk for windows XP- try performing a repair install from there:

http://www.thecomputerparamedic.com/files/rc.iso



if repair doesn't work, you can do a system restore from the recovery console prompt:

Quote

Sometimes I screwed up my machine so bad, that i couldnt boot into windows anymore, not even safe mode. So i looked around for ages and eventually found out how to do it in the recovery console. For anyone who is new to windows, the recovery console can be found by booting up your machine with the XP CD in the drive, and booting off of that CD. Then it will ask you if you want to go to the recovery console, and select that option. The recovery console is basically a MS DOS command prompt, with a little more functionality.

When you get to the recovery console follow these instructions.

    * Type CD\ then Enter
    * Then cd system~1\_resto~1 then Enter
    * Type dir then Enter

When you hit enter it will list all the restore points folders like rp1, rp2 …….. If the restore points have more than one page then u have to keep on hitting the <Enter> key to view the last restore point folder. You will have to choose the second to last option folder

    * Type cd rp {the second to the last restore point no. } (Note: Example: cd rp9, if rp9 is the second to the last restore point where the last restore point no. is 10
    * Then type cd snapshot

Now the command prompt will look like this c:\system~1\_resto~1\rp9\snapshot

    * Type: copy _registry_machine_system c:\windows\system32\config\system
    * Press enter
    * Then type: copy _registry_machine_software c:\windows\system32\config\software

Then type EXIT

...

If you get an access denied error when doing the above, then do the following at the recovery console:

Type CD\ then press Enter
Type cd windows\system32\config then press Enter
Type ren system system.bak then press Enter
Type exist press Enter

Your PC will reboot, go back into the Recovery Console and then you have access

If you still cannot get access in anyway to your installation in the recovery console then your SAM database files are corrupt. There is no way you can restore these with the recovery console. You may need to do a fresh install

Hello everyone,

I just set up an FTP SERVER on my COMPUTER, using the IIS (you KNOW, btw: i'm running windows xP professional). And I was WONDERING, can I use a batch file to automaticly send files to my computer from any other windows computer, this could come out usefull at school.

Does ANYBODY have experience with this and maybe wants to help me on how to do this? I know there is a FTP server command in cmd but still I don't know how toget files from another location onto my computer.

Thanks,Doesn't anyone have experience with this?

any1 can HELP me solve this problem?my problem is when i wan format my PC,then it appear the blue screen that write there say chkdsk,and i have been try but still cant ,do any1 know ??You formatted your computer? What EXACTLY did you do? Quote from: Carbon Dudeoxide on March 31, 2009, 03:39:56 AM

You formatted your computer? What exactly did you do?

wan

so the real question is, does any1 know how.

harrdddrive

Now thats just overddoing it. LOL

Hello there.
I have XP SP2 installed in my computer. Which has a partitioned hard DRIVE. Drive C is 9GB and Dive H is 150GB. I get constantly reminders that C drive is full.
Unfortunately I haven't got a floppy drive, otherwise I could use F-Disk to work with the partitions. I have windows installed in Drive C but I can also see a windows FOLDER in drive H.
Does anybody know of a free program which allows to merge these TWO partitions in a dingle partition. Or even give me some hints on how to do this.
I realise I may lose programs in doing so.
I have tried the windows XP SP2 disk but it cannot upgrade nor repair as the message comes that there is insufficient space on C drive.
At present I have 7GB free on Crive C and 150GB free on Drive H.
Regards
Bert
So you have your windows disk?
You can use that disk to repartition your drive.
Do you have your data backed up?Why don't you just use the xp installer disk and there you can find the option saying partition your hard drive, delete this partition, etc.That's what I tried with the Windows XP disk, but it keeps on saying that there isn't enough room on my C drive (ALTHOUGH I have 7Gb free. And I have to delete files. I cannot get it to access my other partition which is over 140Gb. Although there is a windows file as WELL, which I cannot even open nor delete.

Bert.

I use att yahoo.com for email. Lately my replies to emails sent to me are coming back to the sender in the Greek language. It seems to be a perfect translation of the english to greek. I type it at my end and it comes out in english, but the recipient sees the greek. Apple computers seem not to be affected, except when they push the "PRINT" ICON on their mail page.  If they use File-Print function it works ok.  I checked Encoding and my mail is using Automatic-default.  My default print is New Times Roman.This has to be a setting on the recepients side mate. Your computer cannot translate perfect English to Greek. It's impossible. Quote from: Mulreay on March 28, 2009, 07:59:05 PM

This has to be a setting on the recepients side mate. Your computer cannot translate perfect English to Greek. It's impossible.

It seems to be a perfect translation of the english to greek.

yes but what is my problem?

Overseas I end up with english, wonder if this is a similar scenario.

Need to update your font cart.
Overseas they now speak Brit, not English.

It depends which side the sea you're on.

I am receiving MCI Error: "All wave devices that can play files in the CURRENT format are in use.  Wait until a wave device is free, then try again" in MS POWER POINT.  The problem results in .wav sound clips not playing in Power Point.
OS - XP SP3 - 3gb - Intel Core 2
MS HotFix does not apply to SP3 that was suppose to correct the problem.
Problem occurs with only one .wav sound file of less than 100MB.
Have tested sound card successfully.
.wav file does play in MEDIA Player.
Have MOVED the Power Point file to two other computers and can successfully replicate the problem.
I have MS tech support on it but after more than 96 hours they have not yet arrived at a solution.  Other computers using same OS.

FYI - this deficiency was prevalent in SP1 and SP2 and the HotFix allowed for a modification to the registry.  SP3 does not accept the same modification - or, at least, I haven't been successful - but the HotFix reads that is does not apply to SP3.


Any ideas?  Your help greatly appreciated!