Windows XP Pro - HELP!!!

[wes0778]

My main desktop at home seems to be "toes up" at this point. It started a while back giving me a BSOD message that it could not load c:\winnt\system32\config\software when 1st powered on or restarted. Power off and power right back up and it would boot normally and work fine, until the next reboot. Then it got to the point it would "blue screen" randomly, and then the power off and power back on did not work anymore. The can't load "software" message happened every time. I found a fix on Microsoft's site, where all the registry pieces in the "config" folder are replaced from the "repair" folder. Now it won't boot normally or in Safe Mode. I thought well I'll try a "repair". There lies the problem and therefore my question. When I select ®epair I get the message something to the effect "no windows system found" and it wants to install a fresh copy of Win-XP. The question is what does the install routine need to find to recognize there is an operating system in need of repair?

[Sheradan]

I had problem like that. Motherboard.

[MidlifeVenture]

If your not trying to save anything format the hard drive and reload complete windows slowly degrades and is about all you can do is start over fresh always save important things to external drives. good luck

[dray]

I just save my links to an email draft and then save all your pic's to photobucket and then wipe it out and start over

 

if your going to do it make it soon as i hear windows is going to stop supporting some more of there programs and they didnt say were they would stop

 

seems they think its time for everyone to buy new again

 

my next one will be a mac.

 

good luck

[saddlebum]

Im am pretty sure they will stick to supporting xp though because too many comercial and automotive programs use xp to run there diagnostic software.

[frankd]

There is also a possibility that your hard drive is going belly up. If you reload it and it works OK for a little while then does the same thing all over, the hard drive is probably the problem.

[Condor]

There is also a possibility that your hard drive is going belly up. If you reload it and it works OK for a little while then does the same thing all over, the hard drive is probably the problem.

 

That was my thought...

[Monty]

Same here... I think it may be the drive.

 

Install a new hard drive as your master, and load Windows on it. Then try hooking up your old drive as a slave, to see if you can pull your pictures and other important stuff off of it. Drives are cheap nowadays.

[Condor]

Same here... I think it may be the drive.

 

Install a new hard drive as your master, and load Windows on it. Then try hooking up your old drive as a slave, to see if you can pull your pictures and other important stuff off of it. Drives are cheap nowadays.

 

When my drive became corrupted I picked up a Teribyte for something like $80 bucks. Partitioned it, and Installed WXP and apps in one partition, C:, and all my data, work files, and photos in the D: With the TB I'll never run out of storage....and if WXP goes bad I can reinstall with nothing lost.

[hipshot]

i had a similar problem, solution: open up the case, pull the "memory sticks out, reinsert them.

be careful to put the sticks back into their original slots.

might solve your problem, for free.

just jt

[calperin]

I'm with the group that blames the HD. Best to do is to get a new HD, and keep the old one if you have info to save, once you install the new one, you can attach the second one and recover the info you want to save. It's a lot of job, but at least you can recover your stuff.

 

[Panjandrum]

+1 on the hard drive. Similar happened to me, though I was using the disastrous "Vista". The shop managed to salvage all my data (as a consultant, I have a lot of work on my hard drive. Everything was put onto an external hard drive (about $75.00), and it is now used for regular weekly backups.

 

The new hard drive inside the box was loaded with Windows 7. It is hugely faster, and I love it... BUT...

...a lot of older software and hardware will not work on Windows 7. This is just an excuse to get a new GPS, scanner, Palm Pilot.

 

Best advice? Buy shares in Microsoft!

[SilvrT]

+1 on the hard drive. Similar happened to me, though I was using the disastrous "Vista". The shop managed to salvage all my data (as a consultant, I have a lot of work on my hard drive. Everything was put onto an external hard drive (about $75.00), and it is now used for regular weekly backups.

 

The new hard drive inside the box was loaded with Windows 7. It is hugely faster, and I love it... BUT...

...a lot of older software and hardware will not work on Windows 7. This is just an excuse to get a new GPS, scanner, Palm Pilot.

 

Best advice? Buy shares in Microsoft!

 

I found a trick to installing software that won't seem to install in Windows 7 ... run the installer in "compatability mode" ... oftentimes it will install and then run the application similarly (compatability mode). NOTE: you have to modify the properties of both the installer and the application to make them run in compatability mode.

 

As for older hardware.... my scanner wouldn't work in either Vista or Windows 7 but I found an inexpensive scanning software that has it's own drivers ... I can now scan with my 11 year old scanner in Win 7.

 

(so much for my "excuse".... lol)

[Guest tx2sturgis]

I just save my links to an email draft and then save all your pic's to photobucket and then wipe it out and start over

 

if your going to do it make it soon as i hear windows is going to stop supporting some more of there programs and they didnt say were they would stop

 

seems they think its time for everyone to buy new again

 

my next one will be a mac.

 

good luck

 

Has anyone noticed that ALL of the computer problems reported on this forum are with winders boxes?

 

 

Once you go Mac, you never go back.

 

 

I've had 2 Macs in five years and I've NEVER had malware, spyware, or viruses in either machine. Neither have I had a hardware failure. Macs come with all the re-install CDs, but I have no idea how that works, because I have NEVER needed to reformat or reinstall anything.

 

I used winders machines for YEARS and I got quite familiar with re-formatting and reinstalling...swapping harddrives, running virus programs...etc etc etc...

 

 

Its amazing how I dont miss ANY of that anymore. The Mac just WORKS.

 

 

Edited November 25, 2010 by tx2sturgis

[friesman]

 

Has anyone noticed that ALL of the computer problems reported on this forum are with winders boxes?

 

 

One you go Mac, you never go back.

 

 

I've had 2 Macs in five years and I've NEVER had malware, spyware, or viruses in either machine. Neither have I had a hardware failure. Macs come with all the re-install CDs, but I have no idea how that works, because I have NEVER needed to reformat or reinstall anything.

 

I used winders machines for YEARS and I got quite familiar with re-formatting and reinstalling...swapping harddrives, running virus programs...etc etc etc...

 

 

Its amazing how I dont miss ANY of that anymore. The Mac just WORKS.

 

 

 

That the percentage of windows users visiting this site is prolly about 98% of the traffic.....so then they will also have a larger share of issues.

 

I gotta say my experience with macs wasnt near as good as yours, so count your stars that youve been lucky so far.

 

Brian

Edited November 25, 2010 by friesman

[Freebird]

Add me to that list also....oh how I hated that Mac.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

That the percentage of windows users visiting this site is prolly about 98% of the traffic.....so then they will also have a larger share of issues.

 

I gotta say my experience with macs wasnt near as good as yours, so count your start that youve been lucky so far.

 

Brian

 

Its just a fact that Macs are more reliable. Less downtime. I'm talking about current generation Macs...as far ahead of the old Macs as a Venture is ahead of an old Yamaha moped.

 

But we've had this argument before. I'm not trying to convert anyone...but he DID say he was buying a Mac next time. My congratulations will be forthcoming.

[friesman]

Its just a fact that Macs are more reliable. Less downtime. I'm talking about current generation Macs...as far ahead of the old Macs as a Venture is ahead of an old Yamaha moped.

 

But we've had this argument before. I'm not trying to convert anyone...but he DID say he was buying a Mac next time. My congratulations will be forthcoming.

 

LOL! its not an argument, its a constructive discussion.

 

I like different opinions, it makes the world interesting.

 

Brian

[Guest tx2sturgis]

By "argument" of course I meant discussion...but some users get miffed when I bring up the reliability and malware-resistant nature of the Mac computers.

 

Many loyal windows users tell me that its only a matter of WHEN i get hit with a virus or something. Well, I've been in the Mac world now for about 5 years, and nothing yet. And I have seen articles posted on the internet of users who have been using Macs for 18 years, and no viruses...no failures.

 

Its kinda like riding a motorcycle then isnt it? Your friends tell you that sooner or later you might get killed riding that bike...but still you keep riding.

 

Same thing on the Mac operating system. Sooner or later it MIGHT get some kind of virus. But until then...I'll sure as hell gonna be enjoying the ride!

 

 

 

[friesman]

By "argument" of course I meant discussion...but some users get miffed when I bring up the reliability and malware-resistant nature of the Mac computers.

 

Many loyal windows users tell me that its only a matter of WHEN i get hit with a virus or something. Well, I've been in the Mac world now for about 5 years, and nothing yet. And I have seen articles posted on the internet of users who have been using Macs for 18 years, and no viruses...no failures.

 

Its kinda like riding a motorcycle then isnt it? Your friends tell you that sooner or later you might get killed riding that bike...but still you keep riding.

 

Same thing on the Mac operating system. Sooner or later it MIGHT get some kind of virus. But until then...I'll sure as hell gonna be enjoying the ride!

 

 

 

 

 

SIGH.......We gotta get you outta that cult youre in........theyve brainwashed you.... And where have they hidden the body?????? lol!!!

 

Brian

[SilvrT]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... I so want to get into this "discussion" of MACs vs Windows .... but I won't. Or am I already? LOL

 

There's no disputing that MAC's are good but .... if you haven't had a LOT of experience with Windows, then you really can't put the OS down. ... and you can't just replace a Windows box with a MAC and expect to have the same functionality...and that's a fact.

 

(when I say a LOT, I mean having worked with hundred's of Windows machines and several versions of the OS)

 

We have 50+ Windows machines here at work (desktops and servers that I support). Not ONE of them has crashed in 4.5 years ... now how's that for reliability???

 

As Brian said also, Windows makes up probably 98% of all personal and business OS's ... so naturally we'll hear more about it's "issues" .... but the fact is, MAC's are not without issues .... we just don't hear about it much.

 

ok, I'll be quiet now as I'm really not going to get into this discussion....

[Rocket]

And where have they hidden the body?????? lol!!!

 

Brian

 

Don's pond monsters, ate it........... :rotf:

[Monty]

Let's not get into the Mac/PC war here, and concentrate on helping Walter fix his problem, ok?

[Guest tx2sturgis]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... I so want to get into this "discussion" of MACs vs Windows .... but I won't. Or am I already? LOL

 

There's no disputing that MAC's are good but .... if you haven't had a LOT of experience with Windows, then you really can't put the OS down. ... and you can't just replace a Windows box with a MAC and expect to have the same functionality...and that's a fact.

 

(when I say a LOT, I mean having worked with hundred's of Windows machines and several versions of the OS)

 

We have 50+ Windows machines here at work (desktops and servers that I support). Not ONE of them has crashed in 4.5 years ... now how's that for reliability???

 

As Brian said also, Windows makes up probably 98% of all personal and business OS's ... so naturally we'll hear more about it's "issues" .... but the fact is, MAC's are not without issues .... we just don't hear about it much.

 

ok, I'll be quiet now as I'm really not going to get into this discussion....

 

I have said many times that windows is FINE for business users. The windows OS is MADE for the business user. And I dont mean to infer a ruse, but why in the hell do they need an IT guy if the winders boxes dont break? Most IT guys will NEVER recommend Macs for the corporate environment...since that might put them out of work.

 

And anyway, Apple does NOT market the macintosh computers to the business world...in fact they tend to IGNORE requests from large corporations when someone wants to see what Apple has for them.

 

Thats as it should be. Just like the Blackberry is a fine device for the business user, shredding services are fine for the corporate office, and blade servers are designed for business. Windows is a product whos main purpose in life is to work in the corporate world. Even the 'home' versions of windows are a stripped version of the operating system they intend to sell in large numbers to the coporate clients.

 

But Apple is concentrating on the home user. iMacs, iPhones, iPads, and iPods are ALL made for the average consumer. A person who gets to CHOOSE how they spend their disposable income.

 

I know of more than a few IT guys who sweat over a hot windows corporate environment at work, then come home to an iPad, and iMac, or an iPhone.....cuz they can relax and not have to 'fix' them.

 

As an aside, the market saturation for the Mac is now somewhere around 5-20%...depending on where you look and who you ask. Most often it seems to be about 10% in the corporate world...users who bring laptops to work, and up to 20-25% in the private homes of upscale owners on the east and west coasts...so whatever the number is, there should be an equivalent percentage of Mac problems reported....but nope.

 

At any rate. Yall just keep on doing what yer doing. It keeps the hackers intentions from landing on the Mac OS.

 

 

 

http://www.macworld.com/article/154241/2010/09/asci_2010_report.html

 

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pc-magazine-announces-top-pc-manufacturers--printers-in-annual-survey-54998292.html

 

http://www.allbusiness.com/technology/computer-hardware-desktop-computers/945594-1.html ( click to page 2 )

 

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2352796,00.asp

 

 

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/Apple-Tops-in-PC-Customer-Satsifaction-Survey-838703/

 

Its always interesting to see that PC magazine, a primarily Windows-centric publication, rates Macintosh so highly, and so do the readers of that magazine.

 

Hey I'm not trying to 'gore' anyones ox....But like women, cars, motorcycles, beer, and coffee, some of us have better taste!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2010 by tx2sturgis

[SilvrT]

Let's not get into the Mac/PC war here, and concentrate on helping Walter fix his problem, ok?

 

I agree ... mostly coz when ya get tx2sturgis goin .... he's like the duracell rabbit... LOL (just funnin ya Brian ... you do have some valid points, there's no doubt about that)

 

anyhoooo... Walter might want to try doing the "fix mbr" .... google it and there's lots of info about it.