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Other => General Topics => Topic started by: PamJ on November 14, 2008, 06:12:17 AM
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I'm still running XP under SP1, because of all the horror stories I heard, and read, after people upgraded to SP2. And I still haven't upgraded to SP3. Question, with avast!, a firewall, and scans with Malwarebytes, and some others mentioned here, how important really is it to upgrade to the current SP? I'm just afraid it'll cause more problems that it might help.
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SP2 & SP3 are Security Patches to the OS and should be downloaded and installed.
While I understand some had problrms, I had no problems with either one of them.
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I'm still running XP under SP1, because of all the horror stories I heard, and read, after people upgraded to SP2. And I still haven't upgraded to SP3. Question, with avast!, a firewall, and scans with Malwarebytes, and some others mentioned here, how important really is it to upgrade to the current SP? I'm just afraid it'll cause more problems that it might help.
Hi Pam...
Along with what Charley has said, they also include additional features and of the three, SP2 is the most extensive. For more information on these packs...
http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/windowsxp_sp2.asp#fw
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=68C48DAD-BC34-40BE-8D85-6BB4F56F5110&displaylang=en
There are two points of concern here. From my personal experience with installing SP2 on various systems, there is more "weight" felt on older systems with less resources. It isn't too much but it's noticeable. I'm assuming this will carry over to SP3 from SP1. Also, there is, or perhaps used to be, a bug with SP3 that causes reboot loops on system with AMD processors. If your system has this brand of processor, then you will need to download and install this patch before upgrading to SP3...
http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/windows-xp-sp3-amd-stop-0x0000007E.html
Hope this helps. :)
Best Regards...
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Thanks CharleyO and ardvark. I know I should do the service upgrades, but I just don't want to end up spending tons of time trying to fix stuff if it does create problems. I'm not bad with computers, but not an expert by a long shot when it comes to fixing issues that might come up.
Ardvark, my computer is five years old, but it still does fine for what I need (except for the "bugs" I'm trying to work out.) It's a Dell, Intel Pentium 4, 2.4 GHz, 640 MB RAM, XP Pro, 2.33 GHz processor speed. I'll check the links you provided--thank you!
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Hi Pam...
With your specs, you should be just fine, speed wise. Like I mentioned though, if you have an AMD processor and upgrade to SP3 without the patch I mentioned in my last post, you could very well have some serious problems! :( I don't know if Microsoft has fixed this bug in SP3's code.
What is the model and model number of your Dell?
Best Regards...
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Hi ardvark,
It's a Dell OptiPlex GX260T.
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Hi Pam...
Very nice avatar. :)
Probably the easiest way to find out is to go to the device manager and click on the "+" symbol next to "processor(s)." What does it say?
Best Regards...
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I'm still running XP under SP1, because of all the horror stories I heard, and read, after people upgraded to SP2. And I still haven't upgraded to SP3. Question, with avast!, a firewall, and scans with Malwarebytes, and some others mentioned here, how important really is it to upgrade to the current SP? I'm just afraid it'll cause more problems that it might help.
Stupid ppl spreading FUD are worse than anything else. Thats why Vista never succeded and thats why bunch of ppl still run first version of Windows XP (no service packs at all). Just forget about them and upgrade to SP3.
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I have 3 systems and one is an old PIII 500MHZ 512MB RAM that is running XP Pro because that was what I could purchase for it to support its SoundBlaster audio and adapter.
It was in the recycle area of my apartment so basically it was free except for the operating system that was Win98SE and riddled with malware.
I have kept it up to date with all the service packs and it runs surprisingly fast for its vintage and with SP3 I noticed a small performance increase.
It runs MBAM, Windows Defender and WinPatrol with the hpHosts and MVPS HOSTS files for protection.
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I had no problems upgrading to SP3. I tend to update stuff within two or three days of updates/patches becoming available, unless there are a lot of horror stories concerning an update appearing, which there weren't with SP3.
I believe the AMD issues was concerning a particular type of computer - HP IIRC- that came out of the factory with incorrect drivers for the processor.
What I like to do, and recommend, is to download the entire installer file for the SP, and save it to a folder of downloads, preferably on another partition, or external drive, and install it from the download. It makes re-installation much easier if it's ever needed.
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I'm still running XP under SP1, because of all the horror stories I heard, and read, after people upgraded to SP2. And I still haven't upgraded to SP3. Question, with avast!, a firewall, and scans with Malwarebytes, and some others mentioned here, how important really is it to upgrade to the current SP? I'm just afraid it'll cause more problems that it might help.
Stupid ppl spreading FUD are worse than anything else. Thats why Vista never succeded and thats why bunch of ppl still run first version of Windows XP (no service packs at all). Just forget about them and upgrade to SP3.
I agree People spreading FUD are worse than anything else. However I think Vista's problem was that it did have many problems in the beginning. Most are already fixed, of course, but people still remember those issues and refuse to upgrade.
To PamJ: There is nothing wrong with XP SP3 that I know of (I've even installed it on several AMD Athlon 64 systems and never ran across the reboot bug)
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Hi Pam...
Very nice avatar. :)
Probably the easiest way to find out is to go to the device manager and click on the "+" symbol next to "processor(s)." What does it say?
Best Regards...
Thank you!
It says the same thing I posted up a few posts ago: Intel Pentium 4, 2.4 GHz. Is there something else I'm missing?
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@ PamJ
Not only are there more security holes in XP SP1 that have been closed in XP SP2 & SP3 making your system more secure, if you have SP1 then there are no security updates available to you for some applications as most now require that you have at least XP SP2.
You would also only be able to have IE6 on your system, with XP SP2 you can upgrade to IE7 or update IE6 to SP2. With XP SP3 you would also be updating IE6 to IE6 SP3 which closes security holes in your browser (if you use IE to browse), but since IE is an integral part of your OS being used for many things other than just browsing you are closing possible holes in your operating system.
The same is true if you use Outlook Express as updating to XP Sp2 or SP3 also closes security holes, so I think you can see it is a no brainer update to XP SP3, in doing that it incorporates all updates including SP2 (so no need to install that first).
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I'm using Vista from day one and apart from slow file copying and awful initial NVIDIA gfx drivers i haven't noticed any problems at all. And i really like Vista. It's rock solid, fast and looks nice out of the box.
Upgraded to SP1 as soon as it was released with no problems. I'm sure i'll update it to SP2 the very moent it's available.
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I guess at this point anyway any problems with SP2 have been fixed, so they won't be an issue in SP3 (since SP3 includes SP2 upgrades).
I forgot to mention that every since the Norton issue that some of you know about, there are certain things on my computer that "don't work right." Should I try to fix those before doing the SP3 upgrade?
-Windows Media Player won't work, even when I completely delete it and download again from the site. Error message reads: "Internal Error," etc.
- System Restore doesn't even come up. Under "System Properties" you can turn it on or off, but when you go in through System Tool, a blank window comes up.
- "User Accounts" under Control Panel comes up blank.
- "Search for Files and Folders" comes up blank.
- IE is weird, as some sites won't come up at all, others load "weird," and others are fine. Been using FireFox
- In my scanner program (HP), if you go into the menu to do certain tasks (scan, save, etc.), they work fine. But if you click on the icons to do those same tasks, nothing happens.
- Certain e-mails in outlook I can print fine; others won't print. ( I copy them to the desktop and print from there.)
All these, and I'm sure more I've forgotten or don't even know about, became an issue after the Norton thing. Most don't bother me, or I've found a work-around. My thinking is that trying to clear these issues up first might be better??
Oh, and I've run Malwarebytes and SUPERantispyware. They did find a bunch of things, but most were adware cookies (one trogan thing), and nothing noticeable has changed with the above issues since the infected files were quarantined. I'm also using Revo Uninstaller for some old stuff, and to try to remove the Norton leftovers.
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I would agree RejZoR about Vista. I have been running it for over 18 months now with no problems, most of the gripes at the beginning were with third party drivers not being up to the required standard and I don't think you can blame MS for that as information was provided early. As a point to note Avast was Vista compliant long before other AV programmes, and if they can do it why not the rest ? Suffice it to say I would not go back to XP. With XP I was reformating every 6 months or so as it slowed down to a crawl ( I experiment with a lot of beta programmes)
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It says the same thing I posted up a few posts ago: Intel Pentium 4, 2.4 GHz. Is there something else I'm missing?
No, for some reason, I managed to let that completely escape me. Ooooops! ;D
You won't need the patch for SP3. :) However, because of the problems you've had with removing Norton and the trojan you've mentioned in your last post, I can't in any way guarantee your success with any SP (there was a day when that meant "Southern Pacific" to me ;D :P) upgrade. It might work better or it might actually be worse, I don't know. :-\
Others might disagree with me but I think you might do better with the SP's if you backed up your files and installed a fresh copy of XP. :)
Best Regards...
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I would try a system file repair.
SFC /SCANNOW
Use Run and then paste the above command on the run line and hit enter. Make sure the WinXP disk is in the
CD Rom Drive. This will check the system files against the original install and make sure none are missing or have been corrupted.
You will need to run Windows Update after this is completed.
Hope that'll help. :)
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It says the same thing I posted up a few posts ago: Intel Pentium 4, 2.4 GHz. Is there something else I'm missing?
No, for some reason, I managed to let that completely escape me. Ooooops! ;D
You won't need the patch for SP3. :) However, because of the problems you've had with removing Norton and the trojan you've mentioned in your last post, I can't in any way guarantee your success with any SP (there was a day when that meant "Southern Pacific" to me ;D :P) upgrade. It might work better or it might actually be worse, I don't know. :-\
Others might disagree with me but I think you might do better with the SP's if you backed up your files and installed a fresh copy of XP. :)
Best Regards...
I do not disagree as the latest infections even have become so malicious that even a full FORMAT can not remove them as they infect the Master Boot Record ( MBR ) and the only way to remove them is to delete the infected partition then add it back with FDISK:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255867
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I would try a system file repair.
SFC /SCANNOW
Use Run and then paste the above command on the run line and hit enter. Make sure the WinXP disk is in the
CD Rom Drive. This will check the system files against the original install and make sure none are missing or have been corrupted.
You will need to run Windows Update after this is completed.
Hope that'll help. :)
I've love to try this. So, this will compare the Windows files on my computer against the Windows OS disk that came with the computer. Does it automatically make corrections, or ask me if I want to make corrections, or does it just alert me if there are issues?
And Windows Update, there's another problem with that that I completely forgot about until I started messing with something today, and is another reason I haven't updated--It defaults to go though IE, and IE is one of things that's messed up. It even says on Microsoft's website that you have to have a certain version of IE. (Which is why I switched to FireFox, which I actually like better.) Can I safely try to update IE from Firefox? I mean, if you never had IE and wanted to get it, you'd have to be using another browser to download it.
If the suggested of checking the OS disk against my computer actually corrects things, it may fix IE and then the whole IE issue would be moot anyway.
Thanks!
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If the suggested of checking the OS disk against my computer actually corrects things, it may fix IE and then the whole IE issue would be moot anyway.
Hi Pam...
You can give it a try but I can't guarantee that it will resolve any or all of your problems (due to the malware infections and possible Norton leftovers) and I'm not sure how well the SP upgrades will go because of it. :-\
Best Regards...
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It says the same thing I posted up a few posts ago: Intel Pentium 4, 2.4 GHz. Is there something else I'm missing?
No, for some reason, I managed to let that completely escape me. Ooooops! ;D
You won't need the patch for SP3. :) However, because of the problems you've had with removing Norton and the trojan you've mentioned in your last post, I can't in any way guarantee your success with any SP (there was a day when that meant "Southern Pacific" to me ;D :P) upgrade. It might work better or it might actually be worse, I don't know. :-\
Others might disagree with me but I think you might do better with the SP's if you backed up your files and installed a fresh copy of XP. :)
Best Regards...
This process scares me, as I don't have a drivers CD from Dell for my computer, and I can't get one (so they tell me). They told me where I could download them from, though, and pointed out the four that were the most important. And I think I remember a few years ago trying to make a recovery CD through Norton (an earlier version that worked right), and I couldn't do it because of a partition or something Is there a way to find out about a partition?
I've been spending the day making sure I have everything I need as far as software goes, etc., in case I decided to do this. But I'm confused on the driver issue---which ones I need other than the four she e-mailed me.
Thanks, ardvark!
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Hi...
Does your system have a restore partition by any chance? My concern here, as YoKenny has mentiones, is if the malware has infected the Master boot Record (MBR) you will need to wipe the active partition (not the restore partition) and create a new one. Otherwise, a reinstall will do no good. I've learned the hard way on this a few years ago. ;)
Take a look at this page...
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&ServiceTag=&SystemID=PLX_PNT_P4_GX260&os=WW1&osl=en&catid=&impid=
Do you see all of the drivers you will need?
Best Regards...
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ardvark, I must say I'm embarrassed, but I know little about what kind of drivers I need. It appears I'm supposed to pick from that list (which is also the link Dell provided). They provided four driver links in that email that she said were the most important.
Just now, I received another email from Dell. I must say, considering I don't have a warranty left on this, or paying for the help, they've been very quick to answer my questions!
I had asked if I could just copy the files in my "drivers" folder to a CD/flashdrive, and mentioned I thought it was partitioned. This was her answer:
"To answer your question, Yes, copying the drivers folder to a CD or a flashdrive will work. Once you have reinstalled the operating system, you can use the files youi copied to reinstall the drivers.
Dell computers are partitioned, the partitioned space is for the PC Restore. To access PC Restore, please visit the website http://tinyurl.com/yph34j."
Appears they use Dell PC Restore by Symantec.
Is there more than one "drivers" folder?
When you say "wipe" and create a new one. Do you mean reformat the active drive? Does this PC Restore do that?
How does all this sound to you?
Thank you!
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Dell Pc's (at least all the home user ones I have bought in the last ten years) come with a partition on the primary hard drive that contains an image of the system as it was delivered with the system. This image can be used to restore the system to the state it was in the day it was delivered. I cannot recall ever seeing that that the Dell restore function had anything to do with Symantec (and would have recoiled at the thought) but I may just have missed it.
Typically the Dell computers (as the one from which I responding) are delivered with a folder on the C:/ drive called C:/drivers.
I would think your best option would be to restore the system using the Dell installation partition and recovery facility. I cannot guarantee it but I am pretty sure that Dell would ensure that you end up with a clean MBR as well as returning to the system partition as it was on delivery. Yes, all your drivers will be back to the delivery date but it is a whole lot better than having to start with your drivers completely from scratch.
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I cannot recall ever seeing that that the Dell restore function had anything to do with Symantec (and would have recoiled at the thought) but I may just have missed it.
Yes, I had that same sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I saw this at one of the links they provided me:
"Dell™ PC Restore by Symantec (for Microsoft Windows XP) and Dell Factory Image Restore (for Microsoft Windows Vista) restore your computer software to the original state in which it was shipped to you from Dell."
I used Symantec products years ago and have to say I liked them. But, I've learned a lot since then, and had too much trouble when I started upgrading to newer versions, and I won't go near them now.
Thanks for your information, alanfr!
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Hi Pam...
No need to be embarrased, it takes time to learn all of this. There is a lot to know. :)
No, it doesn't appear from the link you provided that the restore program actually wipes and recreates the partition. This you would have to do manually, and to be honest and up front, it can be quite technical for those who don't have experience using DOS command line utilities like FDISK! You absolutely need to know what you're doing! Under the first "Additional info" tab (in the Dell support page) offers this link with futher information how to use FDISK...
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;255867
Also beneficial is typing in the command "fdisk /mbr" after wiping the partition but before creating a new one. You would also need to legally (I don't know if fdisk can be freely distributed or not) find a copy of fdisk that will support drives over 64 GB's to use and burn the .exe and any associated files as well as a boot loading program on to a CD if your system doesn't have a floppy drive. If it does, you can simply copy these files to a floppy disk. Also, imperative here is that you do not touch the restore partition while performing this task, otherwise you will need to purchase a new retail (not OEM) copy of Windows XP, still pretty expensive, unfortunately. :( Again, if your Master Boot Record is infected, it will do no good to simply reformat. :(
However, this program may render all of the above unnecessary, if any virus removal it may perform doesn't corrupt or destroy the MBR. Use at your own risk...
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Antivirus/Avira-Boot-Sector-Repair-Tool.shtml
Unzip the archive to your desktop. You may need to burn the contents to a blank CD. See the help file that's included for more information. I couldn't get anything to work, including the help file, because I'm using x64 Vista. If the tool doesn't find anything, you're hopefully (AV's aren't foolproof) good to go! :) You can just simply restore the system. If you need more help this, post back and i will try to help.
From what the link also said, the drivers for your system are included in with the reinstall for the devices originally present when you first bought the system or its manufacture date, as Alan mentioned. For any devices that you have installed since then, you will need to dig up the driver CD's for them or find the drivers online. ;)
However, copying the driver folder(s) from your current copy of XP doesn't get mean they will be installed, ready to go when you place the folder(s) in the drivers folder of your new copy. ;) I'm not sure if there is more than one folder. You would need to install the drivers manually or with an installer program. Plus, there is the issue of registry entries and the drivers in question needing and/or placing folders, files and icons in other locations. ;) Doing it manually can also get pretty technical. :-\
My suggestion would be to hold off on formatting until we see if the MBR can be taken care of without having to delete the partition. This would be far easier! :)
Best Regards...
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You seem to have a bunch of things going on, and they may or may not be related, but many are addressed in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/831430/en-us :
Briefly,
When you try to view any one of the following dialog boxes, the dialog box may appear to be empty or partly empty:
• Search Companion
• User Accounts
• Windows Update
• Help and Support
• System Restore
• When you try to start Microsoft Windows Media Player, you may receive an "An internal application error has occurred" (or a similar) error message.
• Internet Explorer may not be able to print. When you click File, and then click Print, the Print dialog box does not appear. The print preview is blank.
Check out the rest of the article and see how many cures it provides.
Norton fragments - I had the same problem a few years ago. Google "symantec.com removal tool". On my search it is was at at the top. Set a restore point then run the utility. It helps. Reboot. Then do a <Windows Key> < F> (Find) Norton to see what's left. Delete the major folders, and reboot occasionally. When satisfied, run Disk Cleanup. If you had a Norton Suite, do the same or for obvious program names there may be. Watch out for folder / program names that may be the same as other, desired stuff. Also, Norton is auto-billed annually. Even if you've cancelled, you may continue to be billed. Check it. Been there. 'Nuf sed.
Service packs / security packs- I was cautious when SP2 came out, waited a couple of weeks, saw that nobody was actually claiming problems except the usual MS slammers, and ran it. Worked fine. Use the updates - that's why the product is supported.
System file repair - ran it a long time ago (W3.1?). Great idea - but what if the system has been updated or modified from the way it was shipped? After a few dozen prompts with something like "the file in use is a newer version... do you want to replace it?", I stopped and haven't used it since. Your call.
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I know little about what kind of drivers I need
Here is something else that may help you in your quest to restore your drivers:
Universal Driver CD
"This CD, (Iso format about 600 mb) contains software drivers for over 25,000 hardware components from brands such as
Dell, HP, Compaq, IBM, Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, as well as hardware component manufacturers Intel, 3Com, VIA, nVidia, ATI, SoundMax,
and many more."
http://mysharedfiles.no-ip.org/UniversalDriverCD.html (http://mysharedfiles.no-ip.org/UniversalDriverCD.html)
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In one of Dell's emails, they sent me the link for each of four drivers they felt were most important (audio, chipset, modem, video), and then the link for the whole list, drivers and downloads. The link (below) also shows my service tag, which to me would mean I need ALL of the ones listed. Is that correct? Or am I supposed to pick which ones---and if I need to pick which ones, how do I know which ones? Bottom line, I guess: Are these supposed to be everything that came on my computer originally?
http://tinyurl.com/5cgrjk
sawduster, thanks so much for that link. Everything listed is what I'm experiencing, but when I checked it under Method 1, it succeeded, so it appears there's no problem with the jscript. I mean every single one of those symptoms they listed is exactly what I'm experiencing. I understand about replacing newer stuff with older stuff, but since I haven't updated much of anything, I don't know if I'll see that a lot. And I could always update everything again.
I use this computer for my job (self-employed), and have lived with it this way for a year with no other problems surfacing with software, and we have several other computers being used in the house, plus a new one my husband bought a month ago that he hasn't even hooked up yet (although that's Vista and nothing else we have is). I have the Dell OS disk and a OEM Windows XP I bought (still unopened) because I don't care to move to Vista until I have no choice. I don't care for it, plus I don't want to cause any issues with my clients exchanging documents back and forth, and none of them use Vista Office or OS, or plan to in the near future. (My son's Dell laptop he purchased through college had Vista, he couldn't stand it, and bought an OEM XP. I bought one for myself at the same time.)
Ardvark, thanks for making me feel better for asking such elementary computer questions! Some of this sounds like things I'm not quite ready to try yet, with the fdisk and such, especially when I've lived with it like this for over a year. (I was a holdout when Windows first came out---loved DOS, but have forgotten pretty much everything over the years!) My son has formated the hard drive on his desktop several times before (no partition, no viruses, and had all everything he needed to do it!), but I might see if I can get him to help me with it over Christmas break. If it just a "personal" computer, and not one used for my business, I'd be more willing to jump in with both feet on some of these more technical things! Oh, ardvark, why an original and not OEM? When my son replaced Vista on his Dell laptop with XP OEM, it's worked fine. Just another one of my "clueless" questions. ;)
You know, I think I just need to buy a new computer to have waiting in the wings if this one explodes!!! ;D ;)
;D
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After performing the first steps of Method 1, did you verify that the registry acually contained the exact values shown in Method 2?
Also, just for giggles, what happens in Safe mode? Search should work, the others may not.
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After performing the first steps of Method 1, did you verify that the registry acually contained the exact values shown in Method 2?
Also, just for giggles, what happens in Safe mode? Search should work, the others may not.
I tried "user accounts" in safe mode (I think), but nothing else. Might do that, though.
EDIT: Yes, I checked everything in Method 2, and each one has what they say it should.
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While you're at it, you could try creating a new account and see how it behaves under that account, but.....
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/142676/en-us has some of the syptoms, but doesn't fit as well the other.
I understand it's been a while (so I don't think System Restore isn't going to work for you), but do you remember if it all started at once or came on gradually, and had you made any changes when it started - settings, new programs, or new hardware?
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You guys are not going to believe this but I went to take a screen shot of all my blank dialog windows and----------they're all up and working now!!!!!!!! And I can print any e-mail in Outlook! I have NO idea what I did (or we did) that fixed these. Something I did today or late last night, I guess. Now I'm afraid to turn the computer off! LOL
The only things I've done since yesterday afternoon are check the regsvr32 things sawduster suggested, plus some more I found on Ramesh's site (they were all okay), and I moved all the deleted Norton files from the recycle bin back into the Norton folders to try again to uninstall them all, but hadn't done that yet (don't think I'll mess with it anymore now). Don't know why, but I thought moving them all back, and then trying the Revo again might get them all this time.
Anybody have a clue?!?!?
Thanks to everyone for hanging in here with me, but looks whatever was wrong is fixed. Big question, though, is it now safe to SP update, or should I just leave well enough alone with all the troubles I've had?
:) :) :) :) :) :) ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D :o :o :o :o :o
(Sorry, I'm getting a little carried away here!)(http://e.deviantart.com/emoticons/e/excited.gif)
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We're all excited for you.
One step at a time.
Use the Norton removal tool from their web site and reboot.
They should know what's where.
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If everything works fine, clean out any garbage files you may have, do Tools / Options / Maintenance / Clean up / Compact on Outlook Express, maybe a adware / spyware and A/V scan, then do a disk clean-up, then a defrag.
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I don't use Outlook Express, just Outlook.
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We are actually excited for you. I've been following this adventure, and, frankly, admire your persistence and thoroughness. (Plus that of the helpers, of course.)
Just a heads-up, though. On the odd occasion compressing the folders in Outlook Express has been known to cause problems. (Happened to me.) Give it the time it needs to finish doing this, and don't empty the recycle bin afterwards (part of disk cleanup) until you see that OE is functioning correctly. (You'll know immediately if it's not. All your mail will be missing. ;D)
[edit] just seen your reply. Don't think that's a factor, then. Dunno. Don't use outlook.
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Outlook doesn't need this step. It's just a good idea to get rid of all junk such as emptying your trash before doing a lot of other disk clean-up.
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I don't speak Firefox. Lots of programs follow the rules you set up in IE and FF is probably the same. You may have a conflict in what IE calls Tools / Internet Options / Advanced. There may even be a FF setting that conflicts with the IE setting and the computer is trying to obey both.
Let's go one step at a time, and make sure everything works in between.
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You guys are not going to believe this but I went to take a screen shot of all my blank dialog windows and----------they're all up and working now!!!!!!!! And I can print any email in Outlook! I have NO idea what I did (or we did) that fixed these. Something I did today or late last night, I guess. Now I'm afraid to turn the computer off! LOL
The only things I've done since yesterday afternoon are check the regsvr32 things sawduster suggested, plus some more I found on Ramesh's site (they were all okay), and I moved all the deleted Norton files from the recycle bin back into the Norton folders to try again to uninstall them all, but hadn't done that yet (don't think I'll mess with it anymore now). Don't know why, but I thought moving them all back, and then trying the Revo again might get them all this time.
Anybody have a clue?!?!?
Thanks to everyone for hanging in here with me, but looks whatever was wrong is fixed. Big question, though, is it now safe to SP update, or should I just leave well enough alone with all the troubles I've had?
:) :) :) :) :) :) ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D :o :o :o :o :o
(Sorry, I'm getting a little carried away here!)(http://e.deviantart.com/emoticons/e/excited.gif)
Hi Pam...
YAYYYYYYYYYYY! :) 8) :)
No need to be sorry, I'd be ecstatic too!
While I'd be inclined to say leave it like it is, without upgrading to SP3, I'm not sure if you have or if you will continue to get updates to the OS, plus the increased security risk. :(
Also, OEM copies are designed for system manufacturers who agree to preinstall and support those versions of the operating system, rather than Microsoft, in exchange for a cheaper rate per copy. Legally, OEM copies are "wedded" to the system (motherboard specifically) they were originally put along with the COA and if the motherboard dies, then so does the copy of XP. There are more limitations. This particular post on CNET offers more detail...
"FAQ
by FWPIII - 10/22/05 2:41 PM In reply to: OEM verses Retail XP Home. by caktus
The following information was found at Tek-Tips
ALL OEM copies can only be installed clean: (that is, the hard drive must be formatted before XP OEM can be installed). They cannot be used to perform an upgrade of an existing Operating System so make sure
you back up all necessary data and files BEFORE installing XP OEM, since the format of the Hard Drive will erase ALL data on it.
There are two types of OEM CDs:
1) an OEM version created by a system manufacturer. These copies are usually "BIOS-locked", and can only be used on the exact machine they were created for.
2) a "FULL OEM", or "FULL OEM DSP". These may be installed on any IBM-compatible machine. These may or may not be provided with a factory-built machine, but are usually purchased separately for installation a home-built machine.
You will be making a trade-off in buying an OEM version. YOU will trade the ability to upgrade an existing installation of Windows (and save
your data and programs) and the legal right to install the copy on a new machine, (if you should change your old machine for a new one), for a
big savings in the initial cost of Windows XP.
NOTE: OEM versions must legally be sold along with a hardware item, but in many cases this hardware item may be a power-cord (usually a $1) or mouse (they might even give you the mouse to satisfy Microsoft's
licensing requirements)
Three other issues that need to be emphasized about an OEM license:
1. You will receive no support from Microsoft. You will be referred to the original OEM licensee.
2. You cannot upgrade the FULL OEM DSP version. When longhorn or whatever appears this will not be a qualifying license.
3. Currently you can transfer (no, not two copies) a non-OEm license to a new machine. You remove XP from the first machine and the license will transfer to the new machine. You call Microsoft and they will issue you a new activation code. You cannot do this with the OEM license. It is for one machine only, the original machine. You will not be issued an activation code for a new machine.
4. You can upgrade the RAM, hard disk and other devices. And use the phone option to re-activate. The question is whether the OEM installation is fundamentally the same after the upgrade"
The "licensee" in #1 is you, in this case. Folks with these copies have to take care of the support end of it all by themselves. :(
The retail version offers more rights including the ability to transfer the OS to any system, provided you uninstall it from the previous system. The retail version is also Microsoft supported.
Hope this helps and I'm glad your system is up and running correctly again! :)
May God Bless you and your family! :)
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Interesting information, ardvark--thanks!
Right now Dell is still selling computers with XP pre-installed and Vista (I believe on CD or something). I didn't know all that about OEM, but purchased it on Amazon in case I ended up having to get a computer with Vista and wanted to replace it with XP. It worked for my son on his Dell laptop a couple years ago, so I figured it would probably work for me if I needed to go that same route, so I bought one for myself.
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<snip>
We are actually excited for you. I've been following this adventure, and, frankly, admire your persistence and thoroughness. (Plus that of the helpers, of course.)
Thank you, Tarq57! :)
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Interesting information, ardvark--thanks!
Hi Pam...
You're welcome, glad I could help! :)
Best Regards...
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I got lost in the flow of the conversation fo a while there.
PamJ - Are you all updated?
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I got lost in the flow of the conversation fo a while there.
PamJ - Are you all updated?
I haven't done the disc clean and defrag yet. Don't know if I'll get to it today--swamped with work. But might tonight. I don't know how long disc clean takes, but I know defrag can take a while. (It's 8:28 a.m. right now here!)
Thanks!
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I got lost in the flow of the conversation fo a while there.
PamJ - Are you all updated?
I haven't done the disc clean and defrag yet. Don't know if I'll get to it today--swamped with work. But might tonight. I don't know how long disc clean takes, but I know defrag can take a while. (It's 8:28 a.m. right now here!)
Thanks!
Looks like you need to tweak your forum time to match your actual time. :)
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;) Gotta get MY 20 posts first.
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On mine the clean-up was 45 seconds from first to last click.
Since you don't know how long it normally takes, I would suggest that yours may take longer. Even so, not long. It's just an automated process to empty your recycle bin, delete temporary files, temporary internet files, etc. Certainly less than 5 minutes.
I do mine frequently - at least every few days.
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May I suggest you try using CCleaner. :)
You can download the version without the Yahoo toolbar from my server:
http://mysharedfiles.no-ip.org/CCleanerCaution.html (http://mysharedfiles.no-ip.org/CCleanerCaution.html)
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CCleaner does have many features and could be considered.
I was trying to get her to a fast, no-decisions required clean-up to install SP3 on a machine that appears to be as sent from the vendor. Age unknown, but the specs I show are a P4 from as early as 2003 (quick search, unverified). I didn't think it would be a good idea to start tweaking the registry and such at this point before doing a little basic maintenance.
Her call when she gets time to do it.
Good suggestion.
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I didn't think it would be a good idea to start tweaking the registry and such at this point before doing a little basic maintenance.
CCleaner only cleans the registry if that's what you set it for.
I find it easier to use the the built in function.
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CCleaner does have many features and could be considered.
I was trying to get her to a fast, no-decisions required clean-up to install SP3 on a machine that appears to be as sent from the vendor. Age unknown, but the specs I show are a P4 from as early as 2003 (quick search, unverified). I didn't think it would be a good idea to start tweaking the registry and such at this point before doing a little basic maintenance.
Her call when she gets time to do it.
Good suggestion.
Hey, sawduster, pretty good! ;)
Dell Optiplex 260T desktop, purchased new summer 2003 from Dell. Came with partitioned hard drive, Intel Pentium 4, 2.33 GHz, 640MB ram, Windows XP Pro, SP1. Never have upgraded much that's Windows-related, to be honest.
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Not updating your system leaves you wide open to possible attacks.
Protecting you against these attacks is the reason most of the updates are made available in the first place.
It's your computer and your choice but updating your system is just as important as updating your Security Software. :)
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Not updating your system leaves you wide open to possible attacks.
Protecting you against these attacks is the reason most of the updates are made available in the first place.
It's your computer and your choice but updating your system is just as important as updating your Security Software. :)
Well, I guess I should have phrased that better. I USED to upgrade Windows stuff (except to SP2 because I heard so many people were having problems with their systems crashing and such), until I had the issue that this thread turned into, about certain things not working right. That included IE, and Windows Update, which wouldn't work at all. (When you select "Windows Update" it automatically goes to IE, even if you have another browser set as your default. Since my IE wasn't working correctly, Windows Update wouldn't work.) Never upgraded to SP2 because of the fear factor AT THAT TIME, haven't upgraded any Windows items in the last year and a half because it wouldn't work.
To be honest, back when I could update, I never thought it was that important, and manually did it whenever I thought about it. I figured if everything was working okay, I had a firewall, and AV, did periodic scans--what was the point, especially if it might cause problems I'd have to deal with, and me not having a lot of computer experience to fix things when they mess up. I've changed my mind on this now, though. (I don't like having anything on automatic update except for AV resident, unless it let's me know what it's getting ready to update and I can choose whether I want it or not.)
After I do this disk clean and defrag sawduster suggested, I plan on seeing if update works.
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Not updating your system leaves you wide open to possible attacks.
Protecting you against these attacks is the reason most of the updates are made available in the first place.
It's your computer and your choice but updating your system is just as important as updating your Security Software. :)
Well, I guess I should have phrased that better. I USED to upgrade Windows stuff (except to SP2 because I heard so many people were having problems with their systems crashing and such), until I had the issue that this thread turned into, about certain things not working right. That included IE, and Windows Update, which wouldn't work at all. (When you select "Windows Update" it automatically goes to IE, even if you have another browser set as your default. Since my IE wasn't working correctly, Windows Update wouldn't work.) Never upgraded to SP2 because of the fear factor AT THAT TIME, haven't upgraded any Windows items in the last year and a half because it wouldn't work.
To be honest, back when I could update, I never thought it was that important, and manually did it whenever I thought about it. I figured if everything was working okay, I had a firewall, and AV, did periodic scans--what was the point, especially if it might cause problems I'd have to deal with, and me not having a lot of computer experience to fix things when they mess up. I've changed my mind on this now, though. (I don't like having anything on automatic update except for AV resident, unless it let's me know what it's getting ready to update and I can choose whether I want it or not.)
After I do this disk clean and defrag sawduster suggested, I plan on seeing if update works.
Hi Pam...
I understand how you feel, I used to be pretty leery of windows updates myself. Since receiving my laptop and getting all of the "important" and "recommended" (and a couple "optional") updates (for Vista x64,) I have not had the problems I once feared after reading other folks's accounts. :) I think the stories they have relayed have happened, I just think they represent the exception, not the rule. ;)
When you turn the automatic update service on, you will probably asked to download and install some (perhaps a lot of) updates prior to being asked about the SP's, especially since you're still using SP1. :)
Best Regards...
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In addition, you may see some changes to the page since you last updated manually, and may have to go through a few extra screens.
You may also have to reboot (repeatedly?) as the updates are added since it expects the machine to be in a certain condition before applying the change.
I'm on auto update and apply. No problems yet.
Just get it done as soon as you can and let us know how it all went.
8)
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When I had it check my computer to see what updates I needed, after checking, it said to download SP2 first and then come back to check for other items. It also said to back my system up first. My data is backed up. Is the "Back Up" and "Files & Storage Transfer Wizard" in Tools what I should use in addition? What about backing up the registry? Was thinking I should back that up to something external? (Been researching that some.) I do have a new restore point set in case of a problem, but how can you get to that if for some reason Windows won't boot back up?
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I just downloaded WMP10. I had deleted in again last week just to get it out of the way since it wasn't working anyway. Since the other issues I was having are fixed now, thought I should try to get it back on in case SP2 or some other Windows update might have an update to WPM, and it might cause problems if WPM wasn't installed. WMP now works fine---apparently the last of the problems fixed that have been wrong for 1-1/2 years.
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Why not just download SP3 http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en)
as an installer package?
Big download, but includes all updates from SP1 on, up to the point that SP3 was released.
The download can be saved for later re-install if required.
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If I understand correctly:
On the backup question- when you start to install many / most programs, they will recommend backing up first. Somehow they feel if that if your disk crashes they can say "I told you so".
Whether you use a wizard or copy them to CD/DVD manually is not important, though many backup programs will keep track of what you have already backed up, and if it hasn't changed, it doesn't back it up again.
The whole idea is to have whatever you can't stand to lose stored somewhere besides that hard drive.
We all follow a periodic backup plan, don't we? ::)
Some like to copy the registry to the desktop - it's visible if you come back in safe mode.
Also, check the "DO NOT CLICK DOWNLOAD IF YOU ARE UPDATING JUST ONE COMPUTER" part of the link Tarq provided. It may apply. I don't think you've mentioned your connection speed - it will take a while. Supposedly you can also just turn on Auto update. I'd rather have it do it NOW.
Hey! we're up to 5 pages. And only 4 more posts until I can edit my profile!
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Also, check the "DO NOT CLICK DOWNLOAD IF YOU ARE UPDATING JUST ONE COMPUTER" part of the link Tarq provided. It may apply. I don't think you've mentioned your connection speed - it will take a while.
Yes, it will take a while. I'm on cable, I think from memory the download took about 5-8 minutes. It's ~310Mb.
I believe the MS warning "DO NOT CLICK..." is based partly around (1) yes it will take a while, and the update process to SP3 is likely* to be smaller/faster via MS updates, and
(2) Maybe MS don't want too many folk downloading such a large installer package. Even MS have to pay for bandwidth.
* Given that PamJ hasn't had updates for a long time, I would imagine the updates via the automatic update process will be a similar size to the ~310 installer package. But it will take a great deal longer, because of the several likely required reboots.
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Why not just download SP3 http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en)
as an installer package?
Big download, but includes all updates from SP1 on, up to the point that SP3 was released.
The download can be saved for later re-install if required.
Being the experienced person I am ;), I was just following the directions that the MS update site gave me after checking my computer.
EDIT: That link says for IT Developers and Professionals. That one's okay for me?
I was wondering that too, because I know SP3 has all the SP2 updates, but then I was thinking, what do I know?!? LOL
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It does indeed say for IT developers and professionals, and I'm neither, but it worked for me. That's one of the things that led me to think that maybe MS would prefer home users to use automatic updates.
I have kept the installer file on a separate partition. If I ever have to re-install Windows, it's going to save me a fair bit of time.
One of the other plusses, is that in the event of problems, the entire SP can be uninstalled. This can be a minus, too, as then you still have to work out what update/s caused the problem.
I had no problems with this update, and believe that to be the majority experience.
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I did SP2 on a 26.4 dial-up.
You're fortunate.
I think if you just get the drive tidied up, set your Auto update for every day about an hour ahead of then, reboot, and walk off, you'll be fine.
Later d/l the whole thing like Tarq said and save it to CD.
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"And only 4 more posts until I can edit my profile!"
Sawduster, now you have three more posts to go!
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Just a quick update. I only have 11% free space, so I can't defrag (or at least it says it can't--says it needs 15%). I deleted a bunch of audio files and pictures, and still only 11%. Guess I'll have to figure out what software I can uninstall to get up to 15%.
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PamJ, have you run the disk cleanup yet?
That might well buy you enough space.
How big is your hard drive?
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I think that machine was stock with a 40G drive. It's been a long time, but I <<think>> the 15% is a recommenation for efficiency and it will let you continue, but it it's slower. You've still got room to shuffle files.
The cleanup we're talking about doing before defragging is Start / My Computer / Right Click on C: / Properties / Disk Cleanup. Then make sure that Temporary Internet Files, Recycle Bin, and Temporary Files are checked. The others you can determine later. I also do Downloaded Program Files and Offline Web Pages. I'm curious as to how much gets freed up. By doing the cleanup first, there's more room and fewer files to shuffle.
BTW - You didn't say if you had actually done the Disk cleanup before. One of my Dells would stop the cleanup process when I first got it, and I wanted to stick this in before I forgot it. It might not happen to you. If so, no worry. (Disk Cleanup Tool Stops Responding While Compressing Old Files http://support.microsoft.com/kb/812248/en-us).
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Just a quick update. I only have 11% free space, so I can't defrag (or at least it says it can't--says it needs 15%). I deleted a bunch of audio files and pictures, and still only 11%. Guess I'll have to figure out what software I can uninstall to get up to 15%.
A big space consumer is System Restore and is usually set way too high.
Get into System Restore then its Settings then move the slider down to 5%
(http://www.imagespeech.com/out.php/t2325_restore.png) (http://www.imagespeech.com/out.php/i2325_restore.png)
Reduce the Temporary Internet Folder ( TIF ) size to 100MB as that is adequate for a session of surfing and make sure that it is cleaned after browser closing.
CCleaner is good at removing un-necessary stuff.
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Good afternoon and good morning!
Yes, it's 40, and I did the disc cleanup beforehand. It took literally under a 30 seconds for the disc cleanup, but I tend to keep the temporary file folder and recycle bin pretty cleaned up anyway so that might be why (I noticed those were two places it cleaned).
After posting, I figured out how many gigs I needed and discovered I'd be here forever trying to delete individual things for the amount I needed. So, I went through checking to see if there was one thing I could remove to accomplish that. I have a personal folder with audio and pictures only, and the whole thing is a little larger than what I need, so I'm going to move it to a flash drive. Have to go get one though, as the ones I have are already in use for data backup and don't have enough room left.
Oh, I think someone mentioned this earlier. I have Comcast cable for internet.
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Why not see if it will let you do it with less than 15%. May as well get it started.
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Why not see if it will let you do it with less than 15%. May as well get it started.
True, if I didn't have to work on the computer at the same time. I run a business from home and use the computer non-stop. Don't need things slowed down or hanging up while trying to get client work out. ;) Plus, as I understand it, the defrag process tends to hang up and keep starting over again if other processes are running at the same time. I plan on doing it tonight--let it work while I sleep!
Hey, sawduster, you're at 20 posts now!
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sawdust, I just noticed your new signature, and now I'm wondering if you can help me with a new problem? I noticed you can help most people find the "any" key--I lost mine and can't find it! ;D Maybe it's this newfangled ergonomic keyboard I have that's split into two separate pieces!
(http://img117.exs.cx/img117/1189/y4tsearch.gif) (http://img117.exs.cx/img117/1189/y4tsearch.gif)
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Hi Pam,
As this never ending saga seems to continue, may I suggest that you consider a larger HD,
40 gig is a baby by todays standards.
Right now, prices are quite low and it would probably end many of your frustrations.
Sp3 (which I also suggest is what you install first) will gratly cut down on the amount of total
updates required for your system.
A download is also available from:
http://mysharedfiles.no-ip.org/windowsxp-kb936929-sp3-x86-enu.exe (http://mysharedfiles.no-ip.org/windowsxp-kb936929-sp3-x86-enu.exe)
Happy updating. :)
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sawdust, I just noticed your new signature, and now I'm wondering if you can help me with a new problem? I noticed you can help most people find the "any" key--I lost mine and can't find it! ;D Maybe it's this newfangled ergonomic keyboard I have that's split into two separate pieces!
(http://img117.exs.cx/img117/1189/y4tsearch.gif) (http://img117.exs.cx/img117/1189/y4tsearch.gif)
I remotely remapped your keyboard. It's the big one toward the bottom. ;D
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sawdust, I just noticed your new signature, and now I'm wondering if you can help me with a new problem? I noticed you can help most people find the "any" key--I lost mine and can't find it! ;D Maybe it's this newfangled ergonomic keyboard I have that's split into two separate pieces!
(http://img117.exs.cx/img117/1189/y4tsearch.gif) (http://img117.exs.cx/img117/1189/y4tsearch.gif)
I remotely remapped your keyboard. It's the big one toward the bottom. ;D
Oh, I see it now!! Thanks!!
(http://www.netpond.com/images/smilies/pcfite.gif)
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I remotely remapped your keyboard.
Huh? ???
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It's a joke.
;D
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It's a joke.
;D
Hi....
Ohhhhh, ok....gotcha. Thanks. ;D
Best Regards...