PC Problems? I am a PC TECH.

[johndowe]

Hi there.

By this time most of you have probably seen me, either as a joker or very serious.

This said, in my professionnal life i am a PC (ONLY) technician, one of the best i know, and i do know quite a few, i specialize in hardware problems i can do software problems too.

VERY IMPORTANT, I WILL NOT ANSEWER PASSWORD BYPASS QUESTIONS, and other hacking posts.

Also, you should read the next few posts they conatain alot of usefull info.

JohnDowe.

[johndowe]

Hi there.

About installing Windows...

Installing windows isn't just popping in the win DVD in and letting the cpu go until it displays the desktop, that's only the first step.

Then you need to get and install your processor board's drivers, your audio, video, modem, network card drivers, and drivers for all the other cards you have in your cpu, some of the interfaces are integrated in your main board but they still need drivers, windows comes with GENERIC drivers that DO work but only only for simple applicationd like the ones that come bundled with windows, if you want to play music or videos or play games you WILL need the proper drivers for all your cards and integrated interfaces.

You will also need some players and support software, like Quicktime (iTunes) to view apple files like .MOV videos, although they are getting rarer and rarer you will still need it, you will also need JAVA, for alot of internet sites, there are many more but those 2 will suffice for now as an example.

So in conclusion, windows shouldn't even be avaliable to the general public, it should be installed by pros who take the time to do a good job installing all the drivers and the software you will need to begin to use your PC.

Unfortunately, there are some people who have cpu stores and install win but do not do a thorrough job, they don't install all the drivers, and don't install any of the software that is required to use the pc more effectively, but what they do is not illegal, but it should be, some people are more conciencious than others, on the other hand it isn't a cpu field exclusive, it is true for almost every field.

JohnDowe.

[randolph]

Hi John,
Speaking of drivers, My HP laptop with Vista will not operate my HP Scanjet 4470c. HP has no driver to run it on Vista. I searched the internet and got some drivers that don't work.
Any suggestions?
Randolph

[johndowe]

Originally Posted by randolph

Hi John,
Speaking of drivers, My HP laptop with Vista will not operate my HP Scanjet 4470c. HP has no driver to run it on Vista. I searched the internet and got some drivers that don't work.
Any suggestions?
Randolph

Hi there.

Went to HP even sent then an email they're too lazy to lift a finger to help you, i am not a programmer so i can't program one for you.

But if you UPGRADE to XP, there would be some drivers your scanner, and as a bonus you'd get a virtual RAM, Hard Disk & CPU upgrade, you'd have to contact the manufacturer of your CPU DIRECTLY to get the drivers, but it would be an improvement over vista, cause it sucks big time, but since your cpu is so powerfull you don't realise it.

HP used to be one of the best companies for products and support, but no longer, now they are slave to the allmighty dollar and F*** everything and everybody else, sad isn't it.

JohnDowe.

[Tread]

If you setup and install windows, you probably have worked with Windows 7. What's your opinion compared with XP? We all know Vista is crap and you don't have to name general Windows weaknesses. I want know if it is better to keep XP as long as possible or switch to 7 soon?

[randolph]

Originally Posted by johndowe

Hi there.

Went to HP even sent then an email they're too lazy to lift a finger to help you, i am not a programmer so i can't program one for you.

But if you UPGRADE to XP, there would be some drivers your scanner, and as a bonus you'd get a virtual RAM, Hard Disk & CPU upgrade, you'd have to contact the manufacturer of your CPU DIRECTLY to get the drivers, but it would be an improvement over vista, cause it sucks big time, but since your cpu is so powerfull you don't realise it.

HP used to be one of the best companies for products and support, but no longer, now they are slave to the allmighty dollar and F*** everything and everybody else, sad isn't it.

JohnDowe.

Hey John,
Thanks for checking for a scanner driver. Your right Vista sucks, is it difficult to convert back to XP?
Randolph

[johndowe]

Hi there.

Tread, i have not had the chance to dabble with win 7, i work fixing used cpu's and UPGRADE from vista to XP, but if it follows the trend you're better off with XP, i'm told the requirements are quite high, and you'd have to re-install all the software you currently have, save all the files you created, the pics, videos and zip files you saved, save all the game's save files AND look for win 7 drivers which in all probability do not exist yet (if ever), and to close, there is the old saying: If it ain't broke don't fix it.

As i said in a the first few posts, they shouldn't even sell win retail, cause very few people know how to do the job properly, go see them if you haven't already.

JohnDowe.

[johndowe]

Hi there.

A bit of help on burning CD & DVD's.


If you have burned CD and DVD you probably have made at least a few bad copies, and i don't mean copy protected software, but data disks from files on your CPU, why does this happen?

Well, that question is not that easy to ansewer as one may think, computers are the most complex pieces of equipment ever crerated by man.

First: The burner, some burners are more selective about the discs they "like" or "dis-like" one disc brand may work great for your drive but not on your freind's drive, it is not a quality problem as much as a compatibility problem, but i have found that "MAXELL" and "MEMOREX" discs usually work with most drives, but for music cd's for your car cd player, MEMOREX do not perform so well, so if you have a brand that performs well for you and your drive stick with it, if not try other brands until you find one you make the least amount of bad copies.

Second: The speed of the drive and the disk can influence the outcome of the burning session, if your drive is 12X and the disk is 16X you should not burn any faster than 12X, the best speed would be about 10X, to make sure your drive's hardware can do the job properly.

Third: The cpu system, if you have an older cpu with a new DVD drive you probably won't be able to make a good copy at maximum disk/drive speed, you will have to slow down a bit.

Fourth: What are you doing? With the computer when you are burning discs? The right ansewer should be nothing else than the burning software, within reason of course, why? Because the disc writing process is very time critical and if the cpu is buzy with another program while the burning process needs the cpu's attention but doesn't get it, you will have a bad copy.

Fifth: Make sure your disks are clean and free of contaminants aspecilaly the source disc.


PS Some burners are more compatible than others, i haven't even come close to testing them all i only tested 3 brands and i like LG's the best for DVD's they take any brand of CD and DVD's, but their CD drives suck, go figure.

JohnDowe.

[johndowe]

Hi there.

Hey Randy that was QUICK i wasn't even finished with the posts i was working on, but no problem.

Ok, went to HP no drivers, i'll have to go look elsewhere, and contact people that hold banker's hours.

I'll get back to you.

But did you plug it into your laptop and have the cpu search for drivers on the internet? It sometimes works.

VERY IMPORTANT: Please let me know when the problem is solved, so i don't waist my time solving a solved problem.


JohnDowe.

[johndowe]

Hi there.

The required software for a new PC to be "functionally literate" are:

iTunes/Quicktime @ www.apple.com FreeWare, but you shouldn't use it as your main player, aspecially with MP3/4 players it erases music files it thinks you didn't pay for, it used to do that i don't have an mp3/4 player to check with every version, usefull to play ".mov" and other apple format files, other players use it's codec's.

Real Player @ www.real.com FreeWare the original internet streaming audio and video player, still as good as ever and it'd codecs are also used by other players.

DivX @ www.divx.com FreeWare one of the most used video format for long videos like hollywood movies, and the codecs are also used by other players.

Winamp @ www.winamp.com (optionnal) one of the best players IMO, the playlist system is the one i like the most.

Java @ www.java.com FreeWare used by many if not most internet based programs, also used for internet games.

WinZip @ www.winzip.com used to be FreeWare but it still is almost, used to create, compress and decompress .zip and .rar files, there are others but this is the most popular.

Avast anti-virus @ www.avast.com one of the best, and the best i have tested, but haven't tested them all, the virus database is updated almost daily, 6 months free pay after, but it is one of the best, worth the price, also protects against spyware.

Adobe Flash player @ www.adobe.com FreeWare, for internet explorer to display flash animations.

Adobe (acrobat) Reader @ www.adobe.com FreeWare, used to read ".pdf" files, which most technical documents and e-books are.

Silverlight @ www.microsoft.com FreeWare, in the sence that if you have windows you already paid for it, allows you to see silverlight animations.

Messengers, (optionnal) they allow you to chat with other users, there are several, most common are windows messenger @ www.microsoft.com and/or Yahoo messenger @ www.Yahoo.com both do the same thing roughly the same way and are FreeWare.



Burning software & DVD player, those are manditory if you have a DVD drive and/or recorder, you should use the one that came with your recorder, but if you bought your cpu second hand, or store assembled, you might not have the cd, but the software SHOULD be installed, otherwize you will have to buy it, WinDVD was the best DVD player until Correl bought it, now it's ok at best, burning software for most uses i like NERO @ www.nero.com and ez cd/dvd creator, nero is more down to business, while ez is easyer to use.


JohnDowe.

[Mel Asher]

Originally Posted by johndowe

Hi there.

By this time most of you have probably seen me, either as a joker or very serious.

This said, in my professionnal life i am a PC (ONLY) technician, one of the best i know, and i do know quite a few, i specialize in hardware problems i can do software problems too.

VERY IMPORTANT, I WILL NOT ANSEWER PASSWORD BYPASS QUESTIONS, and other hacking posts.

Also, you should read the next few posts they conatain alot of usefull info.

JohnDowe.

JD

Although I know we have a few technical members in our forum, it's great to have someone offer their services as a PC Troubleshooter. So we'll all forgive your slight immodesty and all queue up for your services. To take a little of the pressure off you, folks might also try Webuser's Advice Forum.

[johndowe]

Hi there.

Mel.

Immodesty? When most techs have trouble finding drivers, because they didn't bother opening the case and looking for the maufacturer and the p/n. and too lazy to install programs that come with the hardware they installed or disabling a device that doens't have a driver installed instead of looking for one, doing a fast format that doesn't check the hard drive while installing windows in a used system just to save time, there is too much ignorance and incompetance in most technical fields, not only by the end user but by suposedly knoledgable people who should know their products and how to take care of them, but as it stands a good consciencious tech in any field is HARD to find.

Most people want fast, fast, fast, but fast, fast, fast, is usually botched that's why i don't do fast i do good, if my customers are in such a hurry, i tell them to go elsewhere, then when they aren't satisfied with fast, fast, fast, then come back to me, and they are happy with my slower but consciencious work.

Also i have been in the computer industry since 1978 when i went to colege in electronics and had some computer programing courses.


PS What's up doc?

JohnDowe.

[modman1996]

I have a 2 year old machine enpower ense10 here are the specs
2.4 g quad core processor
4 gigs of ram
160 gig hard drive
navidia gts 8600 video card
dvd burner,
N series wireless card.

I am thinking about upgrading to windows 7 from xp. My computer came with vista and I hated it and I went to xp. vista made a lot of my older soft ware not work.

Should I upgrade to 7?

[johndowe]

Hi there.

Modman, your Computer is above win 7 requirements, so it will run fine, but it's weakest link is it's hard drive, 160 gig is a bit small, it was huge when it first came out, 3 years ago, if you were to upgrade to win 7 i would suggest you get a 500 gig drive, then upgrade, if you must, if xp works great for you, why fix it if it anit broke? Is there a piece of software you really need or want that ONLY runs on win 7 ?

I have not touched win 7, but microsoft is a company, and it's main goal is to be profitable, this being said.

There are 2 reasons microsoft launches a new windows, first to make money, secondarely, to support new hardware, but supporting new hardware only requires new drivers and maby a new piece of software or two, not a whole new windows.

So since XP works well, and is still supported, keep it, save your money for your next cpu, in a few years, which may come with win 8 or whatever they will call the next win.

Should you decide to go ahead and buy win 7 ($$$) you will have to save all your files, pics, movies, FAVORITES, saved games, work files, real player downloads, other downloads onto CD or DVD, and win vista drivers will work with win 7, will your older software work under win 7? i don't know, and usually they will say "some softwere may not work" so goto WWW.MICROSOFT.COM and ask them if your most important older software will run under win 7.

JohnDowe.

[Excaliborg]

greetings mr johndowe, i believe i can be of assistance, by your leave of course.

to my knowledge MS have actually extended support for XP for a few more years. as to programs that work with Windows 7, the majority that work with Vista work with Win7, with the exception of daemon tools. you might also experience some issues with older games, mainly games dsigned for XP.

now as to the whole Vista debacle. if the final release of Vista had been as good as the betas or release candidates, all would have ben fine. but MS being a for profit company, they messed it up. as johndowe says, if you have a stable working install of XP, dont change. Vista is a very resourse hungry beastie, so if you dont have the recommended specs, dont waste your time and ignore the minimum requirements. what "minimum requirements" actually mean is the bare minimum to get the os to successfully load without crashing. in my experience i have found Vista to be mostly stable, but there are more than a few gremlins that can hamstring your pc. one thing i can not stress enough is that your pc should always be up to date with the lastest patches and updates and anti-virus, anti-spyware.

[johndowe]

Hi there.

Welcome, my fellow tech, and i appreciate your help, i as every one on the planet, do not have all the ansewers, and i see that we concur on microsoft products.

If there was a new operating system that would run all my apps (office, games, acdsee, cd/dvd copy programs etc,) programmed in assembler i would change in a heartbeat, but vista & win7 aren't it.

JohnDowe.

[johndowe]

Hi there.

Excaliborg, since we will be sharing this thread, i would like to see your views on hard disk partitions?

Also i wrote 3 posts about computers, posts #2, 4 & 6, so you agree with them?


JohnDowe.

[sissygirl]

I need to upgrade from ms2000 pro to XP. anything special I need to do?

[twistedone]

Microsoft has a download you can get to see if your computer can handle Windows 7. I downloaded it, ran it, and it said my hardware was fine for Windows 7, but I may have to uninstall, and reinstall some programs.

With that, Windows 7 just lost me as a possible upgrade.

Originally Posted by johndowe

Hi there.

Modman, your Computer is above win 7 requirements, so it will run fine, but it's weakest link is it's hard drive, 160 gig is a bit small, it was huge when it first came out, 3 years ago, if you were to upgrade to win 7 i would suggest you get a 500 gig drive, then upgrade, if you must, if xp works great for you, why fix it if it anit broke? Is there a piece of software you really need or want that ONLY runs on win 7 ?

I have not touched win 7, but microsoft is a company, and it's main goal is to be profitable, this being said.

There are 2 reasons microsoft launches a new windows, first to make money, secondarely, to support new hardware, but supporting new hardware only requires new drivers and maby a new piece of software or two, not a whole new windows.

So since XP works well, and is still supported, keep it, save your money for your next cpu, in a few years, which may come with win 8 or whatever they will call the next win.

Should you decide to go ahead and buy win 7 ($$$) you will have to save all your files, pics, movies, FAVORITES, saved games, work files, real player downloads, other downloads onto CD or DVD, and win vista drivers will work with win 7, will your older software work under win 7? i don't know, and usually they will say "some softwere may not work" so goto WWW.MICROSOFT.COM and ask them if your most important older software will run under win 7.

JohnDowe.

[johndowe]

Hi there.

If your cpu works fine, don't fix it, you're just looking for problems, if you HAVE TO, reinstall win and you don't have XP or the win you had before, (and your cpu CAN handle a newer win) and you can find all the drivers and all your software will work, then upgrade, otherwise chill, there is no rush, XP will run almost all software, exept Halo 2, only because they wanted to force gamers to buy vista.

BTW - Funny story:

Someone asked microsoft why Halo 2 didn't work on XP, they said it was a hardware problem, so he asked if he installed vista, would halo 2 then work on his cpu, the tech at microsoft said: YES, so the hardware problem is BULLSHIT, they just want to make profit, and F*** everybody, nice guys, don't you think? Don't they know there's a recession going on and not everybody could or can pay ($279 in Canada) for vista.

microsoft software; inferior products at a premium prices.

PS. microsoft only publishes Halo, other companies designed and programmed it, but microsoft did put in their 2 cents on the vista thing.

JohnDowe.

[Excaliborg]

Originally Posted by twistedone

Microsoft has a download you can get to see if your computer can handle Windows 7. I downloaded it, ran it, and it said my hardware was fine for Windows 7, but I may have to uninstall, and reinstall some programs.

With that, Windows 7 just lost me as a possible upgrade.

c'mon fella. this one has been floating around teh interwebs for many moons now. when you have your existing operating system and a new operating system that you would like to try, install on a different drive, dual-boot if you have to but one thing that is hardly ever advisable is to upgrade the existing os to the new os. while it works just fine and dandy in theory and in lab environments, real life application works way differently. a fresh install is always the better option compared to upgrading, as it means that your os has no baggage and little niggles from the previous os. and of course the previous os is still there, just waiting to wreak havoc.

as to windows 7, i can honestly say the MS have done good this time round, and hopefully the final release will be better than the release candidate. what i can say about win7 is that overall it has a slicker feel than vista and its a whole lot faster.

you might also want to try out the following:
How to install Windows 7 on VirtualBox:
http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-in...on-virtualbox/

if you have any further questions about windows 7, ask and i'll do my best to answer.

[johndowe]

Hi there.

I almost forgot that win can be upgraded instead of reinstalled, the reason is because it IS a bad idea, and i never do it, a fresh install is the best, everything is new and any viruses, spyware and questionable software is erased, the results beeing; minimal chance of getting the same problems as before, of course if you go to the same sites you KNOW you got problems with, you will have the same problems again, so be carefull.

As for bad sites, if you went to a bad site and got some virus or spyware, or some other nasty piece of software, don't go back to it when you have fixed the problem, the internet is a BIG place, whatever you are looking for, there are way more than 1 place to get it, and there is one magic tool to use and it is called "GOOGLE", you can find everything with it, but sometimes you have to be very specific and patient, usually google gives millions of results, but it has the very usefull "search within results" function to do more filtering but WORDING is very important, it often will make the difference between finding what you are looking for or not.

JohnDowe.

[lindas]

Hello
I have a problem with Firefox.
As soon as I have openedit, I get a page poping up.
I also get new pages coming up, all opening in new windows,they arelike Russianwomen, Adulr firends, No Game, Find Beautiful RussianWomen.
I have tried to get Norton to block them but it doesnot work. Norton alsofound a program which areseeking up cookies.
Have you got a suggestion to what I can do to stop this.

Friendly greetingsform Linda

[johndowe]

Hi there.

I do not use firefox, define "openedit" is it an editing function or a web page?

If it is a function check the programs/pages it opens, if it is a webpage those are pop-ups, a pop-up blocker that works with firefox may stop them but there are so many ways to make a pop-up that it is very hard to block them all.

Mr. Excaliborg may have a better ansewer if he uses firefox.

JohnDowe.

[Excaliborg]

Originally Posted by lindas

Hello
I have a problem with Firefox.
As soon as I have openedit, I get a page poping up.
I also get new pages coming up, all opening in new windows,they arelike Russianwomen, Adulr firends, No Game, Find Beautiful RussianWomen.
I have tried to get Norton to block them but it doesnot work. Norton alsofound a program which areseeking up cookies.
Have you got a suggestion to what I can do to stop this.

Friendly greetingsform Linda

someone has been very nawty tsk tsk. only play. i havent used firefox in a while but i shall do my best to assist. sounds like you have a browser hijacking infection. and that can be very nasty. what you need to do is this:

> disable your internet connection
> open firefox and clear all private data and diable any add-ons>
> also check the security settings, make sure radio boxes regarding installation of add-ons and suspicious sites
> pay a visit to your temp directories and remove all items found therein
> next restart your pc and boot into safe-mode by pressing F8 immediately after the BIOS info is displayed
> once you have logged in, run a full scan using norton av. what this does is only the core system components will be started and everything else can be scanned
> next i would recommend that you find another anti-virus, something like nod32, AVG, avast or anti-vira. i recommend nod32 or AVg as these two the ability to actually scan for malicious links and notify you of items trying to install without you knowing. these products also have internet security versions with firewall. but for most people the normal anti-virus and the windows firewall is sufficient

i think once i get the damn dsl working properly, i should do a write-up on anti-virus and firewall programs for informational purposes

[johndowe]

Hi there.

Good job Excaliborg, i never used Firefox, i was thinking to wack it, (un-install & reinstall)

Good idea on the firewall & antivirus tutorial, go for it.


JohnDowe.

[Excaliborg]

hello my good friends, i bring you greetings and hope you are safe in the love our lord. i am coming to you via special ways of internets. google prince obi for a good laugh

anyway, to the anti-virus...almost AV companies have business editions of their products but i will not be mentioning those. one thing you must understand is that no AV product is perfect and that the majority of AV programs are incompatible with each other, so install one only.

AVG: http://www.avg.com/

this program comes in a few flavours:
free edition thats just a basic AV and you can t set your own scan parameters
complete paid for version where you can define your own scan parameters, has anti-rookit (searched for root-kits hidden in your OS), anti-spyware, link scanner (blocks dodgy websites and checks links for threats), web sheild (monitors your network connection for threats and stops dangerous connections) and resident shield (works in the background scanning all files that you access).
and avg intertnet security version that is the same as the above but has a firewall built in.

i have used the free edition and curently have the paid for version installed. both are easy to use and simple to understand. the resident shield in the paid for version might slow your machine down when you access files as each file is scanned (i have disabled it cos speed is important to me). i havent used the Internet Security version but whichever version you choose, you will be getting a great product that will keep your protected.

nod32 http://www.nod32.co.za/ppc/download_...FVtm4wodskbE3Q

the acronym NOD stands for "Nemocnica na Okraji Disku" (hospital at the edge of the disk), a pun related to the Czechoslovakian medical drama series Nemocnica na okraji mesta (hospital at the edge of the city). little joke:D

this is another great AV program but it does tend to get a bit paranoid when scanning files. again this program comes in a fewflavours:

ESET Mobile Antivirus is aimed at protecting Windows Mobile Smartphones from viruses, spyware, adware, trojans, worms, rootkits, and other unwanted software. It also provides antispam filtering for SMS messages (bit silly but ok)
ESET Smart Security incorporates anti-spam and a bidirectional firewall along with traditional anti-malware features of ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
and the not normal AV but no free edition, just 30day trials.

CA http://shop.ca.com/virus/antivirus.a...FUQA4wodhQ6f1w

havent used this program extensively but it does what it says its going to do and the support people ar friendly.

Kaspersky Anti-Virus http://www.kaspersky.com/

this is a little more confusing as the below producs are for home and small businesses. but anyway.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 combines antivirus protection with a personal firewall and an anti-spam filter.
Anti-Virus 2010 solution provides complete antivirus protection that allows you to surf the web safely and keeps your PC free of viruses, Internet and email worms, and Trojans.
Internet Security
Special Edition for Ultra-Portables special edition of Kaspersky Internet Security is designed and customized to work on small and ultra-portable PCs, also known as Netbooks.
Kaspersky Mobile Security is a convenient and reliable solution that protects smartphones from Internet attacks, malicious programs and SMS spam. It also provides protection of data stored on a smartphone should the device be lost or stolen.

another great program to use, my second best in fact. it is a lttle more complicated to use but once you get to know it, it becomes a lot easier.

these are the AV programs that i have used and would recommend to someone looking for a good AV.

Avira Anti-vir is another but i havent used it. http://www.avira.com/en/pages/index.php

there are many AV programs out there, and which one to use can be difficult to choose. your best bet would be to do some research on the AV of your choice.

google search results for the most popular:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...aqi=g1g-s5g-m4

you will notice i havent said anything about firewall programs, as i havent used any stand-alone firewall programs. i've either used an AV with a firewall or i've used the built-in firewall that ships with windows. not the smartest choice but then again i dont like waiting for the firewall to learn my surfing habits, but thats just me.

again google search results for the most popular:
http://www.google.com/search?client=...utf-8&oe=utf-8

if you require any further help, ask johndowe or myself.

[johndowe]

Hi there.

Good job, but what about AVAST av?


JohnDowe.

[sesame]

I always buy assembled computers and never branded ones.
I choose special parts suitable to my needs and assemble them with the help of an assembler. One side of my computer cabinet is always open for better air circulation or if I need to tamper with the RAM or HDD, etc. My machines run smoothly.

[sailove]

For the most part my computer works well, but every once and a while I get online and the sites I go to won't download they say waiting for numbers of items to download and they never do has this have something to do with my virtual memory and if so how do I correct it ?

[johndowe]

Originally Posted by sailove

For the most part my computer works well, but every once and a while I get online and the sites I go to won't download they say waiting for numbers of items to download and they never do has this have something to do with my virtual memory and if so how do I correct it ?

HI there.

You don't give me much to go on, so i'll give you a generic ansewer.

MOST of the time when a web page fails to load completely it's the web site's host that can't fill the demand and a time out occurs and the page doesn't download completely, there isn't much you can do since the problem isn't on your end but at the other end, all you can do is to refresh the page it sometimes works, or try later, also the problem can be poor site maintenance, and there too there isn't much to be done since again the problem is at the other end.

JohnDowe.

[sailove]

Thanks for the replie, I have another question I would like to ask. A while ago I got a virus. My antiviral software did nothing to help. (Nortons) The only solution I found was to reload windows xp, the old copy is still on my computer taking up space on my hard drive. When I start my computer I have a choice of 2 different installations of windows.I guess my question is: is there any easy way to delete this extra copy of windows or any easy way to wipe everything off my hard drive and just reload 1 copy of windows ? I still have my original disc with product code. Your help would be appreciated.

Originally Posted by johndowe

HI there.

You don't give me much to go on, so i'll give you a generic ansewer.

MOST of the time when a web page fails to load completely it's the web site's host that can't fill the demand and a time out occurs and the page doesn't download completely, there isn't much you can do since the problem isn't on your end but at the other end, all you can do is to refresh the page it sometimes works, or try later, also the problem can be poor site maintenance, and there too there isn't much to be done since again the problem is at the other end.

JohnDowe.

[johndowe]

Originally Posted by sailove

Thanks for the replie, I have another question I would like to ask. A while ago I got a virus. My antiviral software did nothing to help. (Nortons) The only solution I found was to reload windows xp, the old copy is still on my computer taking up space on my hard drive. When I start my computer I have a choice of 2 different installations of windows.I guess my question is: is there any easy way to delete this extra copy of windows or any easy way to wipe everything off my hard drive and just reload 1 copy of windows ? I still have my original disc with product code. Your help would be appreciated.

Hi there.

Any anti-virus will stop older well known viruses, but not all anti-viruses are kept up to date to stop the newest viruses.

How the intivirus works, is first it checks for older viruses in it's database, then ith checks the "behavior" of the programs, and if it does something it deems not "cosher" then it stops the process and flags it, but the line between well behaved programs and viruses is not all that well defined so some viruses may defeat this and infect your CPU.

This beeing said, when you installed the second copy of win you made a little mistake, you had to delete the partitions and re partition the drive with only one copy of win, but what is done is done.

Trying to erase the first copy of win can be problematic, Microsoft in it's infinite wisdom (ah ah ah) has probably used some of the files from the first win in the second one also it has a virus, so to be safe i would do a back-up of your most important files check 2 -3 more times to be sure and wipe everything and start from scratch with a reformated re installed win XP.


I am thining if i shouldn't do a post on installing win in detail and with all or most of the software you need to get up an running without having to allways look for programs you used to have or you should have...


JohnDowe.

[johndowe]

Originally Posted by no1000

You are a life saver! Ok how do i reformat my computer if I don't have my windows xp cd? The computer currently has windows vista but I like xp better. Anyway I can download it?

also...

any spyware/malware/virus remover I can download for free???

Hi there.


You know the old saying, you get what you pay for?

Well there you go with the free anti-viruses.


But about your CPU, if it came with vista, there may not be any XP drivers, so without the proper XP drivers you could do basic computer functions like most of the programs that come with win, but if you want to play music, videos, games and other more complex software you WILL need proper XP drivers, otherwise forget XP, try 7 instead, it is much better than vista.

JohnDowe.

[sailove]

Once again, thanks for your reply, and I like your idea of a post to install windows, but my problem is not in the installtion but in wipeing my computer clean and starting again I don't mind looking for and reinstalling programs I use (except for sound drivers, that can be a bitch) it gives me something to do besides viewing porn LOL. I guess my question is : Is there any good resource material(book) that will give me detailed info (on wipeing my comp clean for a new start) that you can refer me to ? Thanks again

Originally Posted by johndowe

Hi there.

Any anti-virus will stop older well known viruses, but not all anti-viruses are kept up to date to stop the newest viruses.

How the intivirus works, is first it checks for older viruses in it's database, then ith checks the "behavior" of the programs, and if it does something it deems not "cosher" then it stops the process and flags it, but the line between well behaved programs and viruses is not all that well defined so some viruses may defeat this and infect your CPU.

This beeing said, when you installed the second copy of win you made a little mistake, you had to delete the partitions and re partition the drive with only one copy of win, but what is done is done.

Trying to erase the first copy of win can be problematic, Microsoft in it's infinite wisdom (ah ah ah) has probably used some of the files from the first win in the second one also it has a virus, so to be safe i would do a back-up of your most important files check 2 -3 more times to be sure and wipe everything and start from scratch with a reformated re installed win XP.


I am thining if i shouldn't do a post on installing win in detail and with all or most of the software you need to get up an running without having to allways look for programs you used to have or you should have...


JohnDowe.

[Mel Asher]

Originally Posted by johndowe

Hi there.

By this time most of you have probably seen me, either as a joker or very serious.

This said, in my professionnal life i am a PC (ONLY) technician, one of the best i know, and i do know quite a few, i specialize in hardware problems i can do software problems too.

VERY IMPORTANT, I WILL NOT ANSEWER PASSWORD BYPASS QUESTIONS, and other hacking posts.

Also, you should read the next few posts they conatain alot of usefull info.

JohnDowe.

JD -

I appear to have lost or corrupted my DCIMAN32.dll on my Desktop computer, and cannot access the Internet through any shortcut, although I can log onto Internet Explorer. I am on Windows XP, but have lost the original disk that I used to set up XP originally with.

Any ideas or suggestions I can use ?

Appreciate

[johndowe]

Originally Posted by Mel Asher

JD -

I appear to have lost or corrupted my DCIMAN32.dll on my Desktop computer, and cannot access the Internet through any shortcut, although I can log onto Internet Explorer. I am on Windows XP, but have lost the original disk that I used to set up XP originally with.

Any ideas or suggestions I can use ?

Appreciate

Hi there.

If it is indeed the DCIMAN32.dll that is damaged, you would need your XP CD you could use another XP CD but if it is a different version, it may do more harm than good, over the internet like this it is much harder to properly diagnose a problem than if i had the CPU on hand, at least you are lucky your CPU works you can do a back-up and then re-install win, i would strongly sugess a QUALIFIED tech to do it though.


JohnDowe.