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I think this is the proper term, I noticed several moths ago that my COMPUTER "skips" like a CD might with a scratch even during the start up sound. I have tried several things to fix the problem with no success and have noticed it even does it during MOVIE play back. what could be causing this. computer is a dell mother BOARD in a VERRE V770 case 80GB hard drive 1gb ram 2.8 GHZ processor on board video and audio. Hope this helps CANT TELL what the original computer was insperon or what

I have an older E-machine with windows XP, that quit working several months ago. Since I am a poor student and had much of my school work on this computer, I took the computer to a computer repair show, who said I needed a new mother board. Relunctantly, I replaced it. Now several months later, my monitor stater turning off and eventually wouldn't turn on at all. I occasionally could get it to turn off if I pressed F8, but now nothing works. The computer is running, and ANOTHER monitor won't work either.
Took it back to the shop, who were SUPPOSE to diagnose the problems, but they just repaired it saying it was the power source. Now a WEEK later, it is doing the same thing as before, but I can't get monitor to work. Repair shop said computer is fried and there is nothing I can do.

I don't trust these guys, I issued a complaint against them, but I still can't access my computer. Is there anything I can do to get the monitor on so I can get to some of my files? Or how I transfer everything to my laptop or a new computer?

I have no experience working on computers, but am willing to try.

I appreciate any help. Quote from: mamasale on November 22, 2009, 11:38:34 AM

...Or how I transfer everything to my laptop or a new computer?...

It all started today, failing to boot normally and getting a BSOD IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. I recently installed a new video card (Sapphire Radeon HD4890), and at first I assumed it was the new drivers. But as the title says I am unable to reboot in safemode and remove it.

Notes:
- I ran a SYSTEM recovery yesterday (not a purchased cd).
- I didn't catch the whole BSOD MESSAGE, only the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

System specs:
(I am a little unsure of the exact specs, as a friend built the rig for me)

Motherboard: gigabyte S-series ga-m75sli-s4.
Ram: Corsair d2 twin 1024 mb(x2).
CPU: AMD Athlon dual 2,8 mghz.

I guess i derailed a little here, but the question(s) is this: Why can't I reboot in safe mode? COULD it be a memory fault?


Help would be greatly appriciated. The troubles with this thing has been piling up the past week, and I'm ready to throw the damned thing out the window...Well, you're on the right track. That error message is generally related to bad, incompatable or conflicting drivers. You can try to see if there is a bios update available - that might help if there is.I think I might have worded my question wrong... I can't GET in into the menu that allows you to boot in safe (f8 tapped vigorously).
The problem isn't my KEYBOARD as I can enter my BIOS and jazz Does your keyboard have a F-lock key? If so, try pressing it when the system starts and then try F8 or F5. Quote

I ran a system recovery yesterday (not a purchased cd).

I got a Inspiron 537 with a Windows 7 upgrade in trade of my old Inspiron 530. I won't use Windows 7 because it has a 64 bit Vista and 64 bit Windows 7 sucks most of my memory from the system (3GB is all the memory).
The system will use Windows XP Professional which will only use 128-512MB of RAM (XP's minimum is 64MB of RAM but I will use advanced features.). It is in warranty and I NEED to know if I should install Windows XP Professional, and if it will void warranty.
I know people installed Windows XP on PCs which came new with Vista, while they were in warranty.Vista and Win7 manage memory (RAM) very differently than XP or previous versions of Windows.

Much of this is an improvement...if it's there ...it's utilised.

I'm not saying you shouldn't change OS's ...rather that you understand what used to appear to be a bad thing...

Food for Thought.

As far as Voiding the Warranty...you will have to contact the Manuf. for CLARIFICATION on that...

Hope this helps.There aren't any XP drivers for that system, you won't be running XP on it.

My bad, I just found them on the Dell site, I just didn't look hard enough I guess. If Dell released XP drivers for it then it should be okay. Contact Dell and confirm it with them though. They may not support the machine for software issues if it is running XP. Only they can tell you for sure. And there you have it...Quote from: Quantos on November 24, 2009, 06:43:26 AM

There aren't any XP drivers for that system, you won't be running XP on it.

There aren't any XP drivers for that system, you won't be running XP on it.

<edit&GT; My bad, I just found them on the Dell site, I just didn't look hard enough I guess. If Dell released XP drivers for it then it should be okay. Contact Dell and confirm it with them though. They may not support the machine for software issues if it is running XP. Only they can tell you for sure. </edit>

Quote from: theripster on November 24, 2009, 04:44:43 PM

...they said they found three blown CAPACITORS on the motherboard and stopped at that point. I have it hooked back up and am still having the same problem. I did have a USB port in the back that had the printer plugged into it. The MACHINE sees the printer, but not the EXTERNAL DVD burner. I am going to return the DVD burner and try ANOTHER one. I don't understand why machine nr 1 sees it and it works fine, but I'm going to try it anyway.

I have a Compaq Presario C300 that has windows xp and I am currently not able to connect to the INTERNET. I have been researching the Error it has given me which is HTTP: Error 12007. I have tried typing things into the cmd and resetting my laptop with no luck. I work at 2 hospitals and I cannot connect to the internet on either one. Please help, I have been able to connect to the internet until Friday and now I cannot connect.Turn off computer. Disconnect router, and modem from power source for 30 seconds.
Power them back on.
Restart computer.

If that doesn't work, bypass router, and connect computer straight to the modem.

If that doesn't work...
Go Start>Run (Start search in Vista), TYPE in:
cmd
Click OK (in Vista, while holding CTRL, and SHIFT, press Enter).

In Command Prompt window, type in following commands, and hit Enter after each one:
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /registerdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

Restart computer.

If that doesn't work...
Go Start>Run (Start search in Vista), type in:
cmd
Click OK (in Vista, while holding CTRL, and SHIFT, press Enter).

At Command Prompt, type in:
netsh int ip RESET reset.log
Hit Enter.
Type in:
netsh winsock reset catalog
Hit Enter.

Restart computer.


If that doesn't work...
Download, install, and run WinSockFix: http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Network-Tweak/WinSockFix.shtml (doesn't work in Vista)
Restart computer, and check again.

If that doesn't work...
Download Dial-A-Fix (DAF) (doesn't work in Vista):
http://wiki.lunarsoft.net/wiki/Dial-a-fix#Mirrors.2Fdownload_locations.2C_and_articles

Have XP CD available in case DAF needs a file. Likely not!

Check all boxes on the screen (clear any restrictions if it shows any)
Then click GO!

When the entire page is finished click the HammerHead at bottom to go to the second DAF page.

Here, one at a time, do the below:

Reinstall BITS
Reinstall Windows Firewall
Repair Permissions
Reset networking

Watch for any File not found or other errors and make NOTE as this may lead to the fix!

Restart computer.
Thank you for responding!! I am actually at one of the hospitals now so unfortunately I cannot directly connect to the modem. I was doing the other ones where I go to start, run, and type in cmd. It was doing great until I got to the ipconfig /release one and it said "this operation failed as no adapter is in the state permissible for this operation. So I continued on down the list and when to start, run, typed in cmd and then typed in netsh int ip reset reset.log and it said " WARNING: could not obtain host info from machine. Some commands may not be available. The network location cannot be reached. And I'd also like to mention when I go into my control panel and go to my wireless network connection properties and click on the advanced tab it says " Windows cannot display the properties of this connection. The Windows management Instrumentation (WMI) information might be corrupted. To correct this, use system restore to restore Windows to an earlier time (called a restore point). System restore is located in the system tools folder in accessories. It looks to me, like some system files corruption.
I suggest repair install: http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/How-to-repair-Windows-XP-t138.htmlIs there a way to restore my system without the Windows CD?Yes, if your computer has recovery partition, or recovery CDs.
You must back up your data first, though, because all will be lost.Thank you so much!!! I will back up all my files. I just wonder what corrupted my files?I don't think, anyone would be able to answer your question.
Sometimes, it just happens.

when I start up my desktop WITHIN a few seconds the monitor goes to a bright white and all i do is turn off the monitor and turn back on then all is well. occasionally i need to do that a couple of TIMES. any ideas? remember i know very little. thanks in advanceI'd try a different display to see if the problem is with the display or the system.Quote from: port49 on November 24, 2009, 11:25:50 AM

when I start up my desktop within a few seconds the monitor goes to a bright white and all i do is turn off the monitor and turn back on then all is well.

I have an Averatec computer; it was bought somewhere in Europe and was given to me as a gift. I tried hooking up the wireless connection for the INTERNET set (I have a quest wireless modem and that seems to work perfectly for ones bought in AMERICA) but only the Ethernet plug in seems to work. When I try the wireless connection the SCREEN will show that it has very good connection for about five seconds then bad for THREE seconds. I've tried to download new drivers for it but it is still doing the same thing. What should I do???I don't have an answer for you, but I do have some questions that will probably come up. You say you're running Windows XP.

XP Pro or XP HOME edition? What service pack is installed?

Are you hooking the wirless up thru a USB port? I'm not fully VERSED on the wirless setup. Does it need to be installed? If you look in the device manager does it show your wireless device?

hello,
i am using WINDOWS XP os.can anyone help how to play a VIDEOCLIP before the desktop is DISPLAYED when i log into my SYSTEM .

When I start up my laptop in the morning, I get a 4-5 applications that AUTOMATICALLY start-up that I don't want to automatically run. They are in the BOTTOM, right hand corner where the volume control, anti-virus program, etc. run. I WOULD like to cancel them out and not have them run UNLESS I want to use them. I have tried going to control panel, system start up, and trying to DELETE them from there, but that isn't working.

Anyone have any other ideas ?Download Mike Lin's Startup Control Panel (it's free). You can uncheck whatever items you do not want to start and then reboot: http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml

I have trouble getting into some forums and downloading some software(i.e. utorrent,tenyardtorrent).

NEED adviceYou need to provide more information. Exactly what happens? Did your system ever work properly? If so, what HAPPENED just before the problems arose? Does this happen with every browser? Provide all the info you can.Quote from: praglen on November 24, 2009, 04:44:44 PM

I have trouble getting into some forums and downloading some software(i.e. utorrent,tenyardtorrent).
Need advice

DO NOT try system restore or anything else until we hear more about the problems you are having and when and how they started.

System Restore will hurt nothing and can be reversed.

While the computer is in safe mode, System Restore does not CREATE any restore points. Therefore, you cannot undo a restoration that you performed when the computer was in safe mode.

Unless you perform the system restore from safe mode. From Windows XP Professional Product Documentation "To run System Restore in safe mode":

hai,
how to fix the power calibration failure of the DVD drive of a PC?What on earth are you talking about?Kanthe - TRY any one of these Google hits..

This SEEMED an easy cure.

Good luck

I'm running WinXP SP2 on an aging, but reliable VAR-built desktop with P3 &AMP; 2 Gb Ram on an ASUS MB. The boot HD is an 80Gb Maxtor. The 2nd HD (slave) is a 100Gb Maxtor DiamondMax ATA that has about 30Gb of my images on it -- mostly irreplaceable now. The system has been running ALONG without a problem for more than a couple of years (except I replaced the Power supply in '07 with no problems). I recently found and eliminated a couple of root kits with MalwareBytes, which in turn unfortunately disabled XP as well . After reinstalling XP, the slave HD is now inaccessible. It shows up in BIOS (startup). It's listed in MyComputer as a "Local Disk", but without any details about it. It shows up in Device Manager/DiskDrives and in Properties as 'working properly' and is 'enabled' (still).
THE QUESTIONs:
~ How do I get XP to recognize this HD so I can access and use it again?
~ Also, if I use the Maxtor install software disk to fix this will it delete all the data on the drive during re-setup?Tell us how Disk Management reports the "slave" hard drive. To access:
o select "Start"
o right-click "My Computer"
o select "Manage"
o within "Storage" category on left pane of "Computer Management" window, select "Disk Management".

Look for information in both the top right-hand pane and the bottom right-hand panes of Computer Management window.Quote

Also, if I use the Maxtor install software disk to fix this will it delete all the data on the drive during re-setup?

Yes...this will wipe the data.

Have you already tried hooking it up as a slave drive to retrieve your data ? ?

After my son "played games" on our computer I now cannot check e-mail, make changes in the control panel and many more. On a webpage I went to watch a VIDEO, it said adobe FLASH was not installed...it used to be....so I went to try and install it and when I tried to click the download button nothing happened. It was recognized as a image and not a link. HP support cannot help as I am out of warranty but they said its an easy fix....Please help, was hoping to do some black friday ONLINE shopping!!!When I try opening user accounts it is blank, Under the start menu I tried to click Help and nothing happened and on IE if a work is setup with a hyperlink I can click it but if it is an image it will not recognize the link. Please HELP!

Can you give us more info about the computer? What version of XP? Do you have virus protection?Do a full scan with your anti virus utility. Also, download MalwareBytes and do a full scan with that. Let us know if either finds anything.

I had a hijacked browser and everything locked up so i tried to shut down but it was just locked up. I turned off and when it restarted it had a blue screen saying it couldnt start. I restarted again in safe mode, but it keeps taking me back to the page where you can choose which way to start in safe mode. I tried last good configuration and it still brings me back to that screen. Is there any hope or do i have to do a reinstall of windows?http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304449


At the command prompt, type

%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

and then press ENTER.1. Disable Auto Restart. From the Windows Advanced Options menu, use the up/down arrow keys to select the "Disable automatic restart on system failure" and hit Enter.

This item became available with the release of Service Pack 2. It is not on the Windows Advanced Options menu of Service Pack 1.

2. Blue Screen of Death. Hopefully the machine will stop on a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). Record and post back with the "exact" error MESSAGE text and/or numbers plus any offending software module it might name.

3. Windows Advanced Options Menu. Use the F8 function key during system startup to access the Windows Advanced Options menu. Tap the F8 key once or twice per second as you startup the computer (or immediately after POST completes and screen flashes black prior to displaying Windows XP logo with its processing bar display).

4. Resources. What recovery resources do you have:
a. Vendor supplied recovery/restore partition on bootable hard DRIVE
b. Vendor supplied recovery/restore CDs (or user made)
c. OEM Windows XP Install CD
d. Retail Windows XP Install CD
Thank you all so much. How do i get to the command prompt when i cant get into windows? I dont have any of those resources. I do see the blue screen but it flashes by so quickly i cant read it. Thanks again.Quote from: namaste on November 26, 2009, 09:09:08 AM

Thank you all so much. How do i get to the command prompt when i cant get into windows? I dont have any of those resources.

Boot to the XP CD and choose the first REPAIR option which will take you to the Recovery Console (a command prompt)


I do see the blue screen but it flashes by so quickly i cant read it. Thanks again.

When the system first boots tap F8 and when you get to the boot option screen choose "disable reboot on error" (or something SIMILAR, not sure of the exact wording)

Several MONTHS ago I was having problems with my WinXP and decided to reinstall Winxp and I got part of it installed and figured out what I did wrong.

The only problem I have now is when I restart my computer I have to be watching the boot up and switch it to my ORIGINAL Winxp or it will countdown and boot the set up program that I started.

How do I remove the Set up so that I can reboot and go do something else INSTEAD of babysitting my Boot up???

Can you help?

Thanks
LouisHi. You seem to have created a dual-boot situation on your pc. The last system installed becomes the default when booting. Edit your boot.ini file to make your original install the default and delete the unwanted entry.

Good luckQuote from: T.C. on November 26, 2009, 02:08:55 PM

Hi. You seem to have created a dual-boot situation on your pc. The last system installed becomes the default when booting. Edit your boot.ini file to make your original install the default and delete the unwanted entry.

Good luck

Quote from: Frejoh466 on November 15, 2009, 08:00:44 AM

I unstall it through the Add/remove program. Safe mode dose not work, still GET the error. it's not a game. The folder is on 4,32 MB It's a chat program called ventrilo and they have no clue why I can't open/delete the folder.

HeLLLLP my parents are in their 70's and have been given a packard bell laptop from a friend. they have loaded all their photos on to the lap TOP and now cannot start it.

They were looking on the internet for the first time when it all froze so the turned the power off.
Now when they turn it on the screen says it did not start successfully and choose a mode to start in we choose all the modes and it keeps going to the black xp screen then starts again with the did not start successfully screen again. It is just stuck in a loop.

What can we do to help I am just a much a novice as they are?Boot to the XP CD and choose the first repair option. That will take you to the Recovery Console. Once there, type chkdsk /r and press ENTER. It will take a while to finish, let it do so. When the SCAN is complete type EXIT and press ENTER. Let's see if that helps. If not, we'll try a repair installation.Did you try SAFE mode? You can pressing F8 to go in safe mode.
Clean your registry, all will be OK.

Link RemovedYou may safely ignore the above postHave a nice day.Dear Allan

Thank you for your help. Unfortunately I still have the same problem.

I was able to logon on to the recovery system and followed the commands as you instructed.

The checking process only took 5 minutes. The laptop only has a few treasured photos on it but not any other files or software programs.

I cannot eject the cd either now.

Any more advice?The only one solution is to reinstall it. If it still dosn`t works call microsoft for help. QUOTE from: Johns on November 27, 2009, 09:29:08 AM

The only one solution is to reinstall it. If it still dosn`t works call microsoft for help.

You're WELCOME. And thanks for replying with the information I requested.

Now that you've got a fall back position (knowing you can restore laptop to functional state); it might be worth while to look into making the Windows XP SP3 slipstream CD suggested by "Allan" EITHER for the laptop or another system. It would be a shame to see that Windows XP PROFESSIONAL "PRODUCT key" go UNUSED.

OKQuote from: patio on November 26, 2009, 09:08:51 AM

I did testing of 5 + free imaging apps...
The clear winner to me was Macrium Reflect....

Find the Review Here...

I NEED a full version no Trial

it was working fine then i turned off the computer and restart a few hours later it didn't work it starts booting windows and when its about to launch the INFO it just loaded it does a power restart i try ed safe mode same thing and in bios its not detecting certain values and its not the bios it work fine with other hard DRIVES
and it not that windows or nothing loads at all right before it goes to the USER sign in that when its restarting and safe mode is the same exact thing.1) Can you get to safe mode?
2) PLEASE use punctuation in your posts - you want to make it as easy as possible for us to understand you I understand about the punctuation. But i did state that it doesn't start in safe mode and that all it does is get the the windows screen with the LOAD bar and never loads up fully to let me start up the computer it just continually restarts in every mode.Okay.

1) Before the problem arose did anything new or unusual occur (new hw, sw, virus, error, etc)?

2) First troubleshooting step: Boot to the Recovery Console and run chkdsk /r

I have a computer that has issues from time to time. THINGS run slow, freeze up. I have all the anti virus software running and I was THINKING about backing up my important files and just re installing XP. I have no disc so I am going to buy one (and maybe go to the XP HOME EDITION). My question is, if I wanted to INSTEAD upgrade to Windows 7 Home (it says I can upgrade from XP) will I have problems if I cannot provide my KEY for the current software? If that software is running poorly, would upgrading to Windows 7 make that run poorly also? Is it a totally DIFFERENT program that erases XP or does it build off of it? Should I just buy a new XP disc and re install? If I buy the XP HOME EDITION do I have to remove the old program first or can I just PUT in the new disc and it will automatically remove it and install the new? I am lost. Do yourself a favor and do not purchase the upgrade version.
You will be doing yourself and the community a favor by purchasing the full version and doing a fresh install.

Well, as it turns out, my copy of XP is from a corporate license agreement and can not be validated. So, I need to purchase a valid copy. The person who built my system did not inform me of this.

Final Q: When I get a valid Product KEY, can I update my computer and activate and validate it without reinstalling the os?Yes.

I'd still spend the time calling the 800 #...you may save yourself $100 Bucks or so...Quote from: McGuire on November 26, 2009, 10:23:20 AM

Final Q: When I get a valid Product Key, can I update my computer and activate and validate it without reinstalling the os?

Yes.

I'd still spend the time calling the 800 #...you may save yourself $100 Bucks or so...

if you have a "corporate" copy you should be aware that the person that sold you this copy is doing so illegally.

I would also be calling and talking to the person that sold me the comp.

i have an aopen custom pc-desktop- my question is, where on my ( aopen motherboard) is the plugin for my sata interface cable go? i can't find it anywhere's.
i have a 3.5"internal harddrive upgrade kit,
it's a SEAGATE 500gb/go 16mb cache. please help thank youcan't SEE it from here...cloudy today.
what about amboard model # ? ?aopen ax34 if thats what you meanThe port will look LIKE this


Is this your motherboard?
http://www.motherboard.cz/mb/aopen/ax34-b.htm

This one doesn't have a SATA port.
You can get the ax34 manual here
http://download.aopen.com.tw/Default.aspx

In order to use that drive you'll need to get a SATA to PATA adapter.this is my motherboard

[Saving space, attachment deleted by admin]Quote from: dogowner on NOVEMBER 26, 2009, 09:51:31 PM

i have an aopen custom pc-desktop- my question is, where on my ( aopen motherboard) is the plugin for my sata interface cable go? i can't find it anywhere's.
i have a 3.5"internal harddrive upgrade kit,
it's a seagate 500gb/go 16mb cache. please help thank you

Is there a way to get the original files & programs for an xps400, so I can start all over again & update it from there? Learning has caused me to lose some files & finding them is difficult & if I start all over again I THINK it would be easier to understand.
My primary is a signed CD-ROM & my secondary is an unsigned CD/RW-ROM ( I also need to find a way to sign my secondary before having to go buy all new EQUIPMENT). Thank you ahead of time for all that reply.You should call Dell. Regarding your drives, what do you mean by "signed"?


RE: while learning on my own ,per se, I was informed that my CD/RW-ROM is unsigned & will not work as my primary, wish I knew why, since being 3 times the size & it being another problem I'd love to figure out & use. Thanks for telling me about Dell but isn't there another way or place to regain all the original that came with this 400 when it was originally sold? Appreciate it, Thx.Where did you get this machine?I bought in from someone cheap, true it's used but I'm legit at my age, honest Jeez I sure hope that doesn't sound wrong. You see at my age & on 100%, I'm trying to keep busy & learn this computer age & next month I have to take a break to catch up with my bills. It isn't easy with no raise for 2 years & having to pay for all this, I hope you understand. Thank you for REPLYING.
You'll need to get what you need from Dell or from the person who sold you the system.Quote

I bought in from someone cheap

I'm 56 year old on 100% disability. OK I'll go to Dell & ask them but being a second owner & hoping the 1st owner had good relationships with Dell(?) but if that isn't true is this the only way? I've gone there & tried downloading their files , is that all I have to do? Thx

I searched the subject and FOLLOWED the trouble shooting with no LUCK. Opinions much appreciated.

Just yesterday during operation my desktop stopped producing sound. When I open Itunes a warning popped up SAYING "audio/video playback is corrupted". Sure enough no sound from I-tunes or any other program.

The weird thing is when STARTING up the computer I can hear windows boot up. Also the volume control icon on the task bar disappears 20 seconds after my desktop appears during starting; and I can use/hear it regularly during those 20 seconds before it disappears.

In the Sound & Audio Device Properties WINDOW in my control panel all the audio and sound tabs are grey/un-highlighted. So I can't changes settings or defaults.

I've reinstalled all original device and windows drivers from the manufacturer CD.

It doesn't appear to be a bad sound card, but I can't mess with my settings to isolate the problem. What can it be!!!

Cheers and Thanks

Kolermos

Try a system restore point before this happened

Greetings - I am sorry to POST this so NAIVELY - I am pretty much a computer illiterate person - I know how to use my PC but not to fix anything.

My PC was working online okay - really really SLOW but okay. Someone suggested I use ccleaner to clean up my computer to SEE if it would run faster, so I tried it. I am not sure if it was something I did wrong with this program or just my computer but when I was done my computer got disconnected from the internet.

When I diagnose the problem it says that windows cannot detect wired or wireless network CARD installed.

I have no idea how I uninstalled this nor do I have any idea how to re-install it.

Does anyone have any suggestions???

Go to START - RUN and type: devmgmt.msc (then press enter). Do you see any yellow exclamation marks?

Please help. I really think my PC is on its way out but I would really like to give it one last SHOT on my own. This happened to me a couple of years ago and ended up paying a fortune in both cash and sanity to Techguys. Anyway, when I am on the pc after about 5mins either the MONITOR will turn iteslf off or the MOUSE freezes. I then have to turn it off and back on and then it repeats. I have managed to get all my photos off to run a recovery but 5 mins into it it turns itself off so I can't recover it or do any scans. No idea what to do next !!!

Thanks Desperate

I have a Windows XP disk with the ORIGINAL serial key. But when I TRY to USE it, it says the key is INVALID. What should I do?CALL Microsoft

Lately I've been having a weird connection problem which doesnt let me connect to programs like AIM, iTunes Store, and even games like Halo. But I dont GET it because I still can use the internet perfectly and super FAST without any problems. Can anyone help?

Now the problem with Norton is that I have NIS 2010 ad it never wants to open now, it goes directly to "One-Click Support" where I've talked with 3 different technicians and nothing. Only time it works is if I reinstall it, and as soon as I turn on the computer again the next day, it starts again.

Help me Uninstall Norton, using Norton Removal Tool: http://service1.symantec.com/Support/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039
Don't reinstall it yet and see, if things are back to normal.that worked, thanks. Now what do I do about Norton?Honestly?
Leave it uninstalled.

Your options:

- Avira free antivirus: http://www.free-av.com/en/download/1/avira_antivir_personal__free_antivirus.html
- Avast! free antivirus: http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

- free Comodo Internet Security (firewall + AV): http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/
NOTE. During INSTALLATION, Comodo will also allow you to install AV only, or firewall only, if you prefer to combine one Comodo product with some other product.

If you decide to install Avast, or Avira, make sure, Windows firewall is turned on, or use Comodo firewall..
If you decide to install Comodo Internet Security, or just Comodo firewall, make sure, Windows firewall is turned off.

IMPORTANT! Make sure, you use only ONE antivirus, and ONE firewall.
are these good? just asking since everything free isnt always goodYou have my WORD on it. Using all of them myself on different Windows installations.We recommend both Avira and Avast as free AV options on my forum too (with the edge to Avast). I agree with BRONI - both good products. My personal favorite, however, is not free (Kaspersky).thx for the help Broni, and I guess I'll go with Avira too, as far as Allan says. Adn maybe one day I'll get kasperky You're welcome

When I click on Start --> Programs, then ask it to show them all, it provides two large columns of programs and program folders. But I know there are more, off the SCREEN on the right. If I uninstall a program, another one becomes visible!

How do I tell it to show them all?

I'm using Windows XP, pretty up to date (automatic UPDATES and such).

Thanks!

EdCan't say I've ever had that problem. I thought when it ran out of room to the right, it would display them back towards the left. Any chance you could post a screen shot.

If any of the ENTRY strings are very long, consider renaming them to reduce width of column required to display them.

What screen resolution are you using? Perhaps if you set display to higher resolution, you'll get more screen area (real estate). To set:
o Right-click open area of desktop - context menu appears
o Left-click "Properties" - Display Properties Window appears
o Left-click "Settings" tab
o Adjust "screen area" slider to desired value; e.g. 1024 x 768 pixels.
o Left-click OK buttonCan't say I've had that problem either, but when I saw this post, I looked at my program names or descriptions under programs. I shortened the longest one and all my columns became smaller.

You must have one program that has a lot longer name or description that it NEEDS to have.

For INSTANCE, Microsoft can be shortened to MS.

Right click on the longest name and click on rename and make your changes.

I tried to get in window but I dont have access ..It shows totally blue screen ...I am in safe mode and i cannt even to get in the start up option to GO thru the programs or internet...... I dont have any access Windows version?
Do you have Windows CD/DVD?IT is window XP and I dont have CD....I'm afraid, you'll need to get one. Borrowed one will do.
Nothing DISPLAYS in Safe Mode, either?
Did you try "Last known good configuration"?You can try to save your data by "slaving" the hard drive to a working computer with a functional operating system. See: Data Recovery TUTORIAL: How to Slave a Hard Drive. You would boot the functional operating system off of its hard drive and then try to access the file system of problem hard drive to backup data to another device.

Is there a recovery/restore partition on the hard drive? Newer brand name computers frequently ship with an operating system preinstalled and a hidden recovery/restore partition. Generally the hard drive recovery option restores the system to the state when it shipped (meaning your data gets wiped).

What is the MAKE and model name/number of the computer? Desktop or laptop?

my 3 year old got hold on my laptop and now some functions on the keyboard like the arrows, page up, page down, home, and end, do not work right. also the NUMBER pad is built into the letters so that you have to push Fn to make them work, well somehow that is now reversed o that i must hold down the Fn key to USE the letters. I am running windows xp.

Thanks in advance, Bunafireman825What is the make and model name/number of the laptop? Is there a sticker on the bottom or perhaps under the battery that supplies this information and/or possibly the product number?

SOMETIMES it's useful for us to view the documentation provided by the manufacturer on their download/support website pages.It is not a name brand i had it built by a computer shop in my old hometown, the stickers under the battery are, RE7752201633 1FL91 05 next CFL91965G1, Stickers on the bottom are 10-7019-05020, another in a diamond 2002/95/EC , Another showing battery ratings has model: FL91Quote

model: FL91

Hope you guys can help me out. I am getting this error:

STOP: 0x00000024 (0x00190203,0x86A39890,0xC0000102,0x00000000)

and the advice to disable antivirus programs and so on. I do not know how to do that from here as I can not find my way past the blue screen.

I just ran the a hard drive diagnostic from F12 during boot-up.

Floppy diskette seek failure

Then,

Drive 0: WDC WD160JS-75NCB3 PASS
Drive 1: WDC WD160JS-75NCB3 PASS
Drive 2: TSSTcorpDVD-ROM TS-H352C Diagnostics not supported
Drive 3: HL-DT-STDVD+-RW GSA-H21N Diagnostics not supported

Test complete, Press to reboot.

Then I start over.

It will not boot to any of the safe modes nor to the Last Known Good Config

I have my OS reinstallation CD and all of the driver disks. As far as recovery, the computer has 2 hard drives. I backed up the ENTIRE C: drive to a western digital external drive several months back and then added only family photos, etc. from my Kodak easyshare software after that. It has been down for about 8 weeks now but I've been online with my trusty 1998 era Dimension V350 and win98, but it isn't up to the task for all I would like to do.


Any help would be greatly appreciated.How to use the Windows recovery console
At the Recovery Console, type chkdsk /r, then hit Enter-key

Read procedure carefully, so you don't do an install by mistake.Ok, it booted to the CD drive, then flashed a message to press an F( ) key to start Automated System Recovery. I did not do that, but waited for other selectable options. The boot ended with:

File SETUPREG.HIV could not be loaded.
The error code is 47872

Setup cannot continue. Press any key to exit.


I booted to the CD drive again, this time a new message with the same error code:

File \i386\ntkrnlmp.exe could not be loaded....


Shall I try the automated recovery option?I'm not sure what "Automated System Restore" will do. It's either a Reinstall or a Repair Install. The former will take the computer back to the day it was shipped and you will lose all your data, software installs and updates. A Repair will hopefully fix it without loss of data.

Since you have it all backed up on the 2nd hard drive, go for the Automated System Restore.

If that doesn't work, then you have the OS reinstallation CD and all of the driver disks to start from scratch.Apparently, I do not have the Recovery disk... maybe something I should have made when new or am just not finding it... I'm going to put this on hold, there are still about 4-5 weeks of family pictures that I did not back up so don't want to go too far and not be able to get them back.

Thanks Commando.Quote from: dstryr on October 12, 2009, 06:06:56 PM

Ok, it booted to the CD drive, then flashed a message to press an F( ) key to start Automated System Recovery. I did not do that, but waited for other selectable options. The boot ended with:
File SETUPREG.HIV could not be loaded.
The error code is 47872
Setup cannot continue. Press any key to exit.

I booted to the CD drive again, this time a new message with the same error code:
File \i386\ntkrnlmp.exe could not be loaded....

Shall I try the automated recovery option?

Definitely booting from the CD. When I chose the ASR option I was prompted to insert the ASR disc into the floppy drive and when I left the Windows CD in the drive and hit <ENTER> it paused and requested the ASR disc again.

I got rid of Vista because my internet and sound weren't working after getting it back after someone put Vista on it after working on it. I tried to install windows XP, I'm not sure if it installed right. I'm having issues, when I start up the computer it SAYS "failed to find disk....." with a black screen and I press enter and it just KEEPS repeating it. Pretty much I reformatted my computer and nothing is on it and I'm trying to get windows and everything to work again. It wasn't finding internet or sound or anything really I don't have any drive cds or anything, just an upgrade of Windows XP. I'm assuming something is wrong inside the computer? It just keeps saying "Failled to boot from disk" or something like that. When I can get to the main screen it doesn't recognize anything, like sound or display or internet.

OP: XP Home
processor: AMD Athlon 64 x2 Dual Core Processor 6000+ MMX
Memory: 2046MB RAM
47MB used 3896MB available

Under display it doesn't say anything
Under sound it doesn't say anything ....it says no sound card was foundI tried changing the boot device priority between hard disk and cdrom but nothing worked there.It can't boot from the disk because you wiped it. and since you only have a upgrade disc you'll need to buy a retail copy that you can install.Quote

47MB used 3896MB available

It just keeps saying "Failled to boot from disk" or something like that. When I can get to the main screen it doesn't recognize anything, like sound or display or internet.

I'm setting up a second user in Windows XP. I want to customize the desktop for that user. I cannot delete icons from the desktop.

I get an error: Error Deleting File or Folder. Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use.

Suggestions?How are you TRYING to delete the icons? And do you have administrative privileges in that account?Just deleting the shortcut by dropping in recycle bin. Administrative privileges.Try deleting by:

1) right-click on icon and choose "delete" or
2) go to \Documents & Settings\username\desktop and try to delete from there

what happens?Right-click didn't work. Actually, I didn't add a NEW user, I changed the NAMES of the two users already setup. When I go to Documents and Settings, the old names are still there. Maybe that has something to do with it?You cannot change the names in Documents & Settings. You can create new usernames and copy everything from the old user folders, but you can't actually change the old names to the new ones in that folder. Anyway, did you try to delete the icons from the "old" usnername folder in Windows Explorer?There were only a couple of the icons from the old username and I was able to delete them there. There are others I'd like to delete but don't know where they're at.They are in \documents and settings\???username (possibly "all users")\desktop

check all the user desktop foldersOk, thanks so much. One more Q: If I remove a program from Add or Remove Programs from one user, does it delete it from the computer for both users?If you UNINSTALL a program you are uninstalling it from your computer, so YES - it's gone for everyone.

hi all, re-booted my pc as normal a few days back and when it loaded back up the english language seems to have disappeared and has now been replaced by some unknown language, makes it hard to do anything, anyone kno a way of fixing this?

any help much appreciated, iv attached a screenshot to give you an idea of what im up against

Go to Control Panel - Regional & Language Settings and make sure English is selected. If it is, you need to run a full scan with BOTH your Anti Virus utility AND MalwareBytes (which you might want to do in any case)

By the way, in the future you should give your thread a subject that relates to the specific problem you are having.sorry about the thread title, didnt know what to PUT in there

as for going to the control panel, i have managed to find my way there thru using the icons, but when im there, theres no way off tellling what is what (attached a screenshot) same with virus scans, i have them installed but its near impossible to use now

Okay, you obviously have a LITTLE problem here

If your AV came on CD and has a boot time scan option, use that. If not, download a boot time AV scanner from the web, burn it to CD, and run it.thanks for your help Allan, will download at a friends and try thatYou're welcome and good luck it looks like the "Tahoma" Font and/or MS Sans Serif Fonts are missing or corrupted; Or, the values in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\microsoft\windows NT\currentversion\fontsubstitutes for MS SHELL Dlg and MS Shell Dlg 2 are corrupted or point to the wrong font, which in this case appears to be symbol.



If your able to see in a command prompt window, try this command:

Code: [Select]reg query "HKLM\software\microsoft\windows nt\currentversion\fontsubstitutes\" /s
Look at the entries for MS Shell Dlg and MS Shell Dlg 2, and ensure they are a readable font (Tahoma is the default). If either is not, try this command:

Code: [Select]reg add "HKLM\software\microsoft\windows nt\currentversion\fontsubstitutes" /v "MS Shell Dlg" /t REG_SZ /d Tahoma

and for MS Shell dlg 2:

Code: [Select]reg add "HKLM\software\microsoft\windows nt\currentversion\fontsubstitutes" /v "MS Shell Dlg" /t REG_SZ /d Tahoma

If the value is Tahoma, you could try changing it to another font, such as Times New Roman; after changing them, reboot. If it works, at least you'll be able to read things; find out what happened to Tahoma, the default font, though.



when you go to this picture
where the line is HIGHLIGHTED go on the beginning and chose the 47-Th line which is English (United STATES).

Probably it will help you.

Cheers.

1. Hard Drive.
a. How does it interface to motherboard; PATA (IDE/EIDE interface) or SATA?
b. Which drive do you have; make and model name/number?
c. What is the TOTAL capacity of the drive; e.g. 80 GB?

@theripster it was Test Drive or SOMETHING i dont think it would've fixed the problem anyways it was gonna take too long since my hard drive is 400 gb so i stopped the process.

@dahlarbear
a. its a SATA drive
b. Western Digital WD4000AAJS
c. 400 GBSorry regulator...

But if you don't have the patience to let a drive diagnostics app finish and do
it
's job...and you want to keep it Top Secret we can't help those that won't help themselves.

You've been given good advice and not followed it.I have tried everything that everyone's said its just not working even xp install cds that have sata drivers slipstreamed.Use the drive manuf. FREE utilities to partition/prepare the drive for use in a PC and move on....i've tried those utilities before patio and they all come up that the DISK cant be found or inaccessible either way that dont work.Bad SATA CONNECTOR on the MBoard...
Bad Data cable on the drive...
Dead drive...

Move the drive to another machine to confirm this.well tried it on my dads computer with his cables and nothing worked so i think its a dead drive. his computer is a couple months old so his cables are somewhat better than mine, and i tend to LEAVE my computer on at night (which i know can be bad for a computer) to download stuff.Leaving a machine on does not hurt it...
Find the manuf. webpage and see what the Warranty is on the drive...you may be in Luck.good news i can get a replacement from WD.ugh this is painful using this slow laptop...I miss using my fast computer...its gonna be at least 2 to 3 weeks before my new hard drive arrives.My last one only took 3-4 days....

Hi
I am not very computer savvy but have tried following the instructions to gain the three logs for removing MALWARE. (If that is the problem, I don't really know?)
My problem is that when I am playing a game on my computer, any game, it will close down every so often to the desktop. This can be 3-4 TIMES an hour or more or less, it's not consistent. Most of the games aren't affected by this and carry on playing fine once MAXIMISED but the odd game doesn't recover. So it varies from mildly annoying to extremely so.
I did try using the self help process but I don't understand the results enough to know what to remove and what to keep. Please help?
I've attached the three logs plus dxdiag report
please let me know if I need to do anything else
Thankyou in advance
Dave
ps and I did say I wasn't savvy, I REALISE I've posted it in the WRONG forum but don't know how to undo that... sorry

[Saving space, attachment deleted by admin]

I use windows xp and reformatted my computer now when I go to open SOMETHING either the properties page or TASKBAR options popup with a beeping sound.Then to close the pages /TABS sometimes I have to click it four, five,six times.If anyone could help it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Johnboy Sounds LIKE you should reformat and reinstall again. Immediately after installing the OS do the following (in the order listed):

1) Install the chipset driver followed by the VIDEO, audio and network drivers.
2) Install an anti virus utility
3) Download and install all MS Updates

When FORWARDING e-mails with pictures, the recipent only gets X for the pictures. Is there something simple for this?SAVE pictures to your HARD drive and re-attach them.

hello folks

shoot , i got a problem i think. when i boot or restart my computer i get this warning (attached). i just reinstalled xp HOME and didnt know i had ANT roxio stuff.
when i GO to the link on the warning i DONT know what to do, i done a search for roxio and directcd and came up with nothing.
well help this old man out if you can.
thanks much
harley

[Saving space, attachment deleted by admin]First, please stop the "help an old man out" - it's STARTING to get real old. Second, if you followed my instructions and formatted your hd before reinstalling you can't possibly have any apps installed that you didn't just install.Allan

thanks for reply. i formatted the hd and reinstalled xp three times the past three days. i have not installed roxio, i have installed nero 5.5. dont know what roxio is.

thanks again
harleyWhat CD is this you are re-installing with ? ?
It could be loaded with crapware so tell us what it says on it...

Dell 2400 with XP home edition SP2 512 MB of ran purchased in 04

Hey all. I have a computer that I had purchased way back in 04, and just until literally 2 days ago I didn't use it for anything but music because I could not figure out how to get it online.

I did the netsh clearing the registry trick and that allowed me to access the net through IE. I'm able to get online and the computer seems to be working excellent until... I try to use anything that has to do with adobe flash. I can't download adobe player 10 manually or through the download manager, nor will alternate browsers work when I try to download them. I've tried Mozilla, Opera, IE 8, and Netscape. None of those browsers work, the only one that will work is the stock IE that came out with the purchase of my computer. Another thing that I NOTICED is If I download limewire it will not connect so that I can download music. I want to my computer to work like a normal computer and it's on the right road, but it still needs some work.

Can anyone help me out with this problem? Thanks in advance!Frankly, I didn't understand most of your post.

But the part I did understand was that you had a problem upgrading flash. I've had that problem a couple of TIMES too.

You need to go to control panel, add/remove programs and delete previous versions of flash, then you can download the newest version of flash. There seems to be some kind of conflict with older versions and upgrades. That tip was from Adobes site.

IMHO it's just poor programming on flash's part. Haven't had that problem with other upgrades.Sorry if my wording wasn't CLEAR, but I did fix the computer...

Basically my computer did nothing but playback my CD's for three whole years. Approximately 5 days ago I cleared the registry on my computer via run< netsh winsock reset. This allowed my computer to find my broadband connection as well as pull up my stock windows xp internet explorer browser, therefore I was able to surf the net.

However, any downloads I tried to make be it activex, adobe, limewire, even alternate browsers i.e. Mozilla Opera, etc. did not work at all. I couldn't see youtube, get into facebook, myspace, all that jazz.

The fix all together was simple, yet so difficult for a non computer guru like myself...

I reset the registry... run>ncpa.cpl>REPAIR connection immediately after run>netsh winsock reset black screen momentarily pops up after that reboot computer.

Following that process I deleted an antivirus software (Kapersky, maybe different for someone else) that was blocking my ability to pull alternate browsers or any type of video even audio.

Both these simple steps let my 5 year old computer, that did nothing but play CD's and sit in a storage unit for 8 MONTHS, work!

Hope it helps someone else. And thanks for your advice!

Perfect example of why reg cleaners and/or editing the Registry without knowing the results can be should be avoided at all costs.....

I have been trying to Install Outlook 2003 on an ACER desktop computer RUNNING XP-Pro.

I continually get the error show in the attachment.

I tried deleting Outlook, then USING Outlook Express I could get the email WORKING. then I reinstalled Outlook from the client apps on our server (as I done before) but no luck.

Any ideas?

[Saving space, attachment deleted by admin]I don't click on links. What's the error?ERROR MESSAGE:

"Unable to open your default e-mail forlders. Outlook could not start because a data file OT send and recieve mail could not be found. To add a data file, such as a personal folder file, double-click the Mail icon in Windows Control Panel."

I have tried this and cannot create a new folder.Go to the Start button
Right click over Microsoft Office Outlook
Select: Properties
Look for Setup email accounts and directories
Select: Email Accounts
Select: View or Change Existing E-mail Accounts
Click Next
Look for Deliver New E-mails to the following location and check to see if "Personal Folders" is already there (if not)
Click on the New Outlook Data File button?
Choose Ofice Outlook Personal Folders File (.pst)
Following remaining prompts... Thanks for the information.

I finally had a chance to access the computer in question and the fix worked.

Thanks again.Quote from: WireGuy1950 on November 30, 2009, 10:58:42 AM

Thanks for the information.

I finally had a chance to access the computer in question and the fix worked.

Thanks again.

This isn't actually a problem, this is just me posting my solution after three weeks of playing with my system.
The STORY: I was tired of my Windows XP Home SP3 on my laptop's Sata 80gb HDD. So, online, I bought a 320GB Sata HDD.
The 80gb one had two partitions, a system recovery and the actual OS and files itself. Using DriveXML i took an image of the OS and files, putting it on my external, then put the new HDD in.
I then installed Windows 7 RC.
This is where I went wrong
According to pretty MUCH every resource I found online afterwards, I should have put the cloned OS on first. Never mind. I didn't do it in that order.
Using the Windows Partition manager I made another two partitions on the 320GB drive, so 7 had two (the little 100mb one for its bootloader thing) and one for XP and one for files. Then, using EasyBCD 2.0 I made it so XP could be booted.
However, XP would not BOOT past the welcome screen.
This is because XP was confused, it had gone from a 2-partition drive to a 4-partition drive, also, from the first partition on the first to the third partition on the second.
Online tutorials recommended that I erase the MountedDevices in XP's registry. So I did. No difference.
At this point I tried three million and one online tutorials, ranging from SETTING new Disk ID's (which ruined both OS's) to downloading BartPE and XXclone. However, nothing worked.

At this point, I found http://support.microsoft.com/kb/249321/ which seemed to outline my problem. So I restored the MountedDevices from XP's image, and PLAYED with the drive letters. No solution.

So, I made an assumption. If Windows 7 knew where things was, why couldn't it tell windows XP? Using regedit, I navigated to the MountedDevices in 7.
I then exported HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\system\MountedDevices to a reg file.
Then, using notepad, I modified the start line from
Code: [Select]Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices]to
Code: [Select]Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_USERS\system\MountedDevices]I then loaded the hive (G being the drive with XP) G:\Windows\System32\config\System (no extension) into the registry into HKEY_USERS with the name "system"
Then, I deleted every value I could out of XP's MountedDevices and ran the new reg file. This populated XP's registry's MountedDevices with Windows 7's Registry's MountedDevices

Then, following the instructions in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223188 I switched \DosDevices\G: with \DosDevices\C:

This fixed the problem! Windows XP would now boot, and when it did, it was on Drive C: and 7 was on drive G:. When 7 booted it was on C and XP was on G.

So all I can say is, if you pull a me and install a dual-boot in the wrong order, not all is lost. I didn't want to reinstall 7 because of the copious drivers it had to download when i first turned it on. If you fall into this situation, i only hope this helps.
Cheers.

hello, i have tried everything with volume but nothing seems to work here
using Windows XP SP 3 , followed the steps by microsoft SUPPORT site extracted SndVol32.exe
then followed the steps here too
then downloaded SndVol32.exe n copy/pasted it in system32 folder of windows
still dsnt work
the drivers r properly installed checked with device manager too all is fine there
help please

using realtek high definition audioFirst of all, please start at the beginning. What is the original problem? Second, what do you mean you "cut and pasted" sndvol32.exe?i cant see the volume controls in the system tray (main prob) , i downloaded the SndVol32.exe n put it in the system32 folder

windows cannot display volume control on taskbar because the Volume control program has not been installed.

get this error in spite of trying EVERY method suggested to rectify it.What happens when you go to START - RUN and type: sndvol.exe and press ENTER? Then try sndvol32.exe and press ENTER?windows cannot find either of them Okay. What led up to this? I'm guessing at some point everything worked properly, yes? If so, what happened just before the problem arose (new hw, sw, virus, error, did you delete files, etc)?

And again, you said you "cut and pasted" the file. Did you do that or did you MOVE the file to the \system32 folder?well i was installing like anti-virus n java since i had to reinstall windows itself coz of som problem, thigs were fine b4

i COULDNT find sndvol b4 i extracted it from the cd, so i downloaded it tht wen i cut pasted it to the system32 folder

now there are two sndvol32.exe one in system32\dllcache and another in \system32 .... and these are from the windows cdAdd/Remove windows components-> volume controlnope cannot find Volume Control options itself in the Add/Remove Windows Components.... tried everything n YET nothing is happening really don't get the real problem .... files in place ,drivers intact What problem caused you to reinstall Windows? And when you reinstalled, did you first reformat the drive? How did you reinstall Windows?cause of BSOD (blue screen of death) .... i FORMATTED the drive and installed from Windows XP CDFormatting because of a blue screen error seems like overkill, but okay (do you recall what the error was?). And just to be clear, you BOOTED to the XP CD and then installed, is that correct?

After formatting and reinstalling, did you install the chipset driver before installing the audio driver?yes installed the chipset driver and then the audio driver

yes boot from cd and installed
...0007B
and 24 it changed between these two....

well i couldnt possible do anything other than formatting n reinstalling is it? any other solution for bsod? just installing another copy of windows wont b good either, eats space, if any other solution would b of great help next time i get it ....

I had my computer debugged at a STORE this summer. Since he TOOK everything off and put it back on, most of the time, I do not GET the pictures in email from web sites. They are boxes with little boxes in the upper LEFT corner with a red X in them. How do I get rid of the boxes and get my email to show me coupons etc?

I received a file from a friend with photos from a photo shoot and he zipped it and sent it. He sent 2 other files and I had no problems. On the third one when I click on extract all files and then next a box COMES up saying ".DS_Store" file needs password to access. This didn't happen on any other file that they sent me. He's CHANGED things on his end several times and I have deleted the files like 4 or 5 times and still GET the same problem. How do I get around this?Sounds like he is sending you another zip file within his zip or a file that needs a password.

Tell him to make up a new zip file without the password PROTECTED file

So I went to the computer store to buy a large monitor to use with my laptop. I do a lot of mechanical design work at home. When I told them what I wanted to do they said it couldn't be done. Since I've seen it done, I bet someone out there can set me straight.
What I want to be able to do is to RUN my laptop with its LID closed (out of the way somewhere), with a monitor connected to the VGA port and a keyboard/mouse connected over USB. Basically, it will work lilke a desktop computer when I'm working at my desk.
Then when I'm on the road, it will work like a regular laptop.
The guy in the Microsoft polo shirt at the big blue store with the yellow TAG (whose name shall be unspoken), said this is impossible, since the laptop will hibernate as soon as its lid is closed. In the LAST company I worked for, this is exactly how the IT guys set up my machine, so I know it can be done.
Ideas?
Thanks!Unbelievable. The Microsoft guys an idiot. You are right on target nomechanic. Of course it can be done.

Simply re-configure what your laptop does when you close the lid.

From memory go to control panel then power options and in there is the option to tell your computer to do nothing when the lid is closed.

There are even options to enable you to have one screen on/off or both on mirroring each other and even displaying different stuff on each screen. THATS in your display properties tho.Quote

Unbelievable. The Microsoft guys an idiot.

Gee Salmon Trout how do get anything done. lol