Posts by Catweazle

eerrr..... uummm......

Did you read the topic I suggested, and the articles linked in it? To wipe the hard drive clean and install freshh, you don't boot into Windows. You make a change in BIOS setup, (if necessary) and boot from the Windows CD, instead of from the hard drive!

There is a bungled reinstall on the system, by the sound of things. If so, the best course of action is to wipe the lot clean, and install fresh. See the link in my sig for advice with installing it all again.

Have you tried using a different keyboard, to see if another one works OK? That's the only way to tell if the problem is hardware or software. Keyboards are quite inexpensive ;)

Use the choice that starts up properly!

Perhaps it needs cleaning? Turn the keyboard upside down, hold it up in the air and smack it on the bum a few times, to dislodge any debris and gunk that might be caught under the keys.

Deebs, is that computer part of the overall machine, a computer of your own which is somehow connected to it, or a completely unconnected computer which is nearby to it?

The advice you seem to have been given is bewildering. An MPEG is a video file! If you have a virus which has been introduced to the system because it was 'hidden' in a video file, then an AtiVirus scanning program would be necessary to deal with it.

I've found references to 'Abbahome inc.' which relate to cattle breeding, Auto and Real Estate Appraisal, and a few other things, but nothing which seems to relate to your equipment. Perhaps its simply related to the source of the 'Bug' that has intruded.

But whatever it is, it sounds like something which would necessitate the software installation on the hard drive of the computer to be cleaned up or reinstalled, not like something which would necessitate hardware replacement.

But perhaps I'm misunderstanding what you've said. You've not given a very clear picture of how that computer 'fits in', or what it is actually doing.

Uninstall your CD burning software. Then use device manager (Right click My Computer, then choose Hardware -> Device Manager) select your optical drive(s) and choose Uninstall for those. Reboot your system, let the drives be reinstalled by windows, and then reinstall your CD burning software.

Let us know if you have success or if there are remaining problems please.

Hi stargate,

You need to get a motherboard to suit the socket format of the processor. A Socket 754 AMD64 2800+ would be adequate for you, and you could expect its performance to be quite adequate for ages. For video editing, make sure you have lots of RAM installed, and plenty of hard drive storage. Those are the most important features for performance of that task.

You could alternatively chose a Pentium 4 system, and the Pentium 4 would be as good for video editing as the Athlon64. The Pentium 4 platform has basically reached the 'end of the road' now as far as processor speeds go, and the Athlon64 socket 754 platform won't be too far from it.

Socket 939 hardware is more expensive, but will have a better future upgrade path. You've settled on an Athlo64 2800+ by the sound of it, and that is an inexpensive 'entry level' processor for the newer platforms. I'd have to wonder if you'd still consider it adequate in 5-8 years time, so it would be wise to choose a platform that you can give a 'boost' to later on. That would mean a processor upgrade, and I'd suggest you'd have that option available with the Athlon64s. For Socket 754 you'd probably be looking at the possibility of dropping in an A64 somewhere in the range 3400+ to 3700+, (I'm not sure where that line wil finish, but it'll be somewhere there.) For Socket 939 it'll go beyond that. …

Try installing using only one RAM module at a time (have it in Slot 1)

Also, remove any unnecessary components first, like internal modem, soundcard etc etc
You need only processor, RAN, hard drive and CD drive to install Windows, and if it's successful with a 'barebones' system, then you can add other components one by one to locate the source of the problem.

It's a notebook. It won't start. How the hell do you think that's gonna be done?

The general 'easy way' is to put the hard drive in another system as a 'slave' drive, lift the data files off it and put them on CD, and then put it back in the system and format. Perhaps your local pc shop could do that for you. It CAN be hooked up to a desktop system temporarily as a slave drive ;)

I'm sorry, but assistance with p2p software is not permissible according to forum rules.

If you already have SP1a, and connecting to Norton's LiveUpdate gets you infected, then switch AntiVirus and Firewall protection to a better product. Norton's is about the crappiest on offer anyway.

You silly Goose! If you get a copy of the CD, you can install the updates BEFORE you connect to the Internet.

Adequate preparation is the key to success in any job!

I don't have a problem. I have a copy of the CD sitting here, and I've also got a hardware Gateway/Router sitting between my machine and the internet! If I was nearby to you i'd happily install Windows on that system of yours quite successfully. But I'm not. In fact I'm most likely on the other side of the world to you!

It's not my fault.

It's not my fault that you have an older copy of Windows XP which doesn't already contain Service Pack 1
It's not my fault that you decided to go ahead and format before you had things organised and ready.
It's not my fault that your 'PC Expert' friend isn't adequately organised either.

Please stop yelling at me like that!

If you're getting hit as soon as you connect, there's NO safe way around it! Did you download the full Service pack, as mentioned in your other topic?

To get the important ones already on CD, try reading this topic, and following the advice there!

http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread4998.html

Oh my! I'm not accustomed to being called a liar! The tale was related just as it occurred.

And as far as 'hawking AdAware' goes, I think you should read the Security forum 'sticky'! You'll notice that it suggests the use of several programs in combination to deal with Malware. Anyone who thinks any one program is 'the answer' is simply a fool!

The answer to your latest question is in your other topic

Cozzy, you can get the full service Pack 1a from Microsoft's download section

But really, if you're connected via broadband (DSL? Cable?) I think it pays to own a Gateway/Router/ combo unit, even if you only have a single machine. Hardware firewall protection, and they don't cost very much. (By the way, I believe NOBODY should be using a USB ADSL modem ;))

Install SP1 from the pre-downloaded package, if you like, then install all further security updates via Windows update site immediately Windows is installed.

Edit: SP1a differs from SP1 only in that it doesn't include Microsoft's Java VM. You can download that separately later, or simply install Sun's Java VM

hahahahaaaa!! Way to spam,eh?

But a good idea for a topic anyway.

OK, I'm really supposed to be watchin' a movie. Picked up 'silence of the Lambs' today real cheap on DVD, and I haven't watched it for ages. Ole Hannibal was just gettin' carted out on a furniture trolley, and I decided to pause it and make a brew. Big mistake!

Gettin' up to make it and I wandered off to the PC while the kettle was cookin'. Bloody forums! I've been sittin' here half an hour or more now and the damned kettle's gone cold again. Oh well, time to get up from the chair and go cook the thing again. Later dudes.......

I would suggest you'd be best to purchase a 512Mb stick, and if you have any stability problems after installing it, discontinue using the 128Mb stick.

Problems usually arise from mixing brands of RAM, if they occur at all ;)

Contact Dell support to be certain if you like, but you can be sure that the 3 wires are:

12v Power
Ground
fanspeed signal

That's not a technical description . I'm np electronics technician, I'm afraid, but that's simply what the wires do. I'd be almost certain that the white wire is for fanspeed. The red and black would be carrying the current, I'd believe.

But like I said, if you want to be certain, contact Dell's support section and ask them. You'd be surprised how helpful the response to a polite request can be at times. I was recently seeking information about adapting a particular processor fan to a front monitor/controller unit of a different brand, and ended up being sent the design reference documents for the product!

All I can say is this:

The system I'm using now was infested with this about|blank rubbish, it is'nt now!

Just after it got hit with the about|blank thingy, it also got hit with a netsky variant virus. Here's the combination of tools I used on it, all in 'Safe mode'.

Stinger
AdAware
Spybot Search & Destroy
CWShredder
Trojan Remover

It took several reboots before full functionality of the system was restored, as several OS functions 'dissappeared for a little while (System Properties, Add/Remove programs and a few others. They came back after a few reboots)

Having got the system back to clean, working order, I've installed a better AntiVirus package and paid more attention to keeping it updated, as failure to install an update is the reason it copped the virus infection. I've also switched to using Mozilla as my default browser, and use Internet Explorer only when absolutely necessary.

Shouldn't be really any difference. Are the drives configured by jumpers to 'Master' and 'Slave' accordingly, instead of 'Cable Select', and are all IDE settings in BIOS setup set to 'Auto'?

Is the Master drive on the end cable connector, and the slave drive on the middle cable connector?

Hi Marceta,

Opera includes its own popup blocker. In version 7.53, go to Tools -> Quick Preferences, and then "Block unwanted Pop-ups"

If you're not already using the latest version, you should download and install it.

Whenever you make a move from one OS to another, by far the best way to go is to back up, wipe clean, and install fresh. Upgrade installations only inherit little underlying problems which are inevitably present in your current installation, and then magnify them!

Also, you should really be looking at downloading drivers for all your components prior to installing the new OS. There will almost certainly be more up to date drivers available for your equipment, and it would be better to use them.

Then move the slider to the screen resolution you want, and then press <Ctrl> + <A> together. That is the keyboard shortcut for the 'Apply" button.

Can you 'pick the window up' by holding down the mouse button when the pointer is over the top title bar of it, and then 'drag' the windows upwards enough so that the buttons are visible?

Identify the soundcard! You won't find a driver until you are actually looking for one for the specific device you have there.

If it's a Branded PC with onboard sound, check the manufacturer's website for the make/model number of your system.

If it's a 'white box' PC with onboard sound, check the manufacturer's webite for the make/model number of your motherboard.

If it's an 'add-in' soundcard, check the manufacturer's website for the make/model number of the soundcard.

By the way, if you need to identify the motherboard or add-in card, you won't be able to do so unless you open the system case and have a look at the information printed on them ;)

That is incorrect information, RyanBoggs001.

I would strongly suspect that following the advice of those friends would get you into trouble sooner or later ;)

You will find out the correct information about Windows XP product activation by reading this document and its related links.

Stop using the system. Take it to a data recovery service.

It's an expensive thing to do, but is the surest way to get around the problem, and even then there's no guarantees. I'm sorry, but formatting wipes the drive clean. Luckily, it does not overwrite all the information on the drive, it simply removes the ability to access it, so any of the storage area which has not been overwritten since will actually still contain data, and it is possible to lift that data off.

Unfortunately, the fact that the drive has been converted from FAT32 to NTFS as well leaves me with little hope, and I'd be reluctant to even recommend one of the downloadable data recovery programs that can be found available, in order that you might try to get it back yourself. I really think the best option is either a professional service, or simply 'biting the bullet', contacting management with the problem, and getting that Document folder and its contents put back on your machine again by them.

Google is definitely the best utility you have available ;)

Read the "Spyware" topic linked in my sig, please and follow the advice there. Using simply an Antivirus product and one malware removal product isn't enough nowadays, I'm afraid.

Moved to Security.

If you have a retail version, you are allowed to unistall it from the first system, then install it to another. If you have an OEM version it can only ever be used on the original system it was installed to.

A volume license is required for installation on more than one PC at the same time, as mentioned above.

Yes, Judith, both can be online at the same time. But the connection has to be made first on the PC which has the modem installed. Once the connection is active, the second PC can use it via the network. You simply need to run the Network wizard and configure the systems for internet connection sharing and it'll work fine.

You just wont be able to MAKE a connection with the second PC, that's all. The connection always has to be made on the first PC..

By the way, if this discussion is to continue, it really SHOULD be in it's own topic in the networking section. Please PM me if you need further advice, and I'll split the relevent section of the discussion off to a new topic in that section.

Actually, there are more forms of RAID than that, Puckdropper. You've only described RAID1

JellyHead I can't be sure what's happened there. In fact I'm not particularly familiar with RAID setups in any case. Perhaps the system has had RAID configured, and formatting a drive has disabled it. In any event, if disabling the entry causes the error message to go away, and the system still runs fine, then leave it disabled.

Perhaps other people more familiar with RAID might have alternative advice, but for now I'd simply uncheck the entry and leave it at that ;)

Could you get that startup list please, as I requested in my initial response. There's a chance that a program may be trying to run which was installed to the drive which has been formatted.

A good way to check would be to disable the entries in the list, one by one, to see if disabling one makes the error message go away. (Don't forget to reenable each before disabling another ;)) If one proves the culprit, you could simply leave it disabled, or let us know what it is to see if we can find a way to clean it up properly.

If you have already used all the drive space for existing partitions, then you will need commercial software such as 'Partition Manager' or the like to do the job. Windows XP cannot resize partitions, it can only delete them or create new ones in 'Unallocated space'.

If you do, however, have unallocated space on your hard drive, then go:

Control Panel
Performance and Maintenance
Administrative Tools
Computer Management
Disk Management

You'll see the unallocated space there and be able to create a partition in it, and then format it for use. If it's for the backup of a Windows 98 system, (via networking of course) then yes, you should create it as a FAT32 partition. Whatever software you are using to create a drive image of the Windows 98 system needs to be able to store and retrieve the image via Local Network.

Oh, i'm sorry - the earlier advice I gave should have been to ensure that both 'IDE PIO' and 'IDE DMA' options are set to 'Auto'. If you have both of those in BIOS setup, see if that makes any difference.

Other than that, double check that the identification jumpers on your drives are set to 'Master' and 'Slave' accordingly, that 'Master' drives are connected to the end connector of the data cable and that 'Slave' drives are connected to the middle connector.

"Cable select' settings might sound all dinky and cute, but they introduce more chances of error, IMO.

hlokzilla, you've been asked a couple of times now to post your problem in the C++ forum section:

http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/forum8.html

This forum section here is for general discussion about everyday (read: "Real Life") discussion and socializing!

Please post a topic in the appropriate section for your specific technical problem. Copy/paste would be a wonderful friend to you right now! ;)

Make sure you have installed the motherboard chipset drivers in your Windows 2000 installation.

What do you mean by 'better'?

That's a value judgement, and difficult to apply to an operating system. There's nothing wrong with Service Pack 1 after all!

SP2 contains all the updates that have been issued since the inital release of SP1, plus improvements to Internet Explorer, Internet Connection Firewall, improved networking features and security, and a host of other improvements, mostly security-related.

Get it here! WARNING!! It is 'beta' software, not final release, and may still contain 'bugs'!

Read about it in detail here!

Is this the fan on the processor, or a fan for the system case? If it is one for the processor, you can get hundreds of suitable aftermarket alternatives from PC component suppliers.

Have you still got the old fan? You should be easily able to cut and join the wires on both to use the old plug on your new fan!

If it IS a processor fan, the last thing you want to do is disable the alarm warning! If it is a case fan, there should be an option in BIOS setup to disable the warning. Look under a 'Power management' heading, a 'PC Health heading or similar in BIOS setup. (I'm unfamiliar with your Dell, but most systems have such a setting)

But basically, I think you've simply shopped in the wrong place! If you've no specialist PC stores nearby, look for online PC components vendors.

Buy a second hard drive. Fit it as master, and alter the configuration of your original hard drive to 'Slave'. Install Windows XP Home to the new drive, then copy across your data files before dealing with removing the borked Windows install from the original drive and formatting it for further use. You would onl need to purchase an inexpensive drive for the purpose, and you would end up with valuable additional storage capacity as a result.

Alternatively, fit the drive as slave in a different system, and lift off the wanted data to make backup copies.

Do a format/fresh install.

The link in my sig will lead to a couple of articles about doing the job, and you should ideally remove the existing partition(s) and create a new one in its place. that'll give you the cleanest installation of Windows you can get ;)

Reinstalling over the top of a buggy installation is NEVER a good idea!

'fish finger'

heh heh.......

Here's the biggest 'finger' the 'Fish' ever gave!

[img]http://homepages.tesco.net/%7Ebeautiful.day/images/i%27m%20fixin.jpg[/img]

"Gimme an 'F'!......." :D

next..... 'Cowhide computer"

errr... uummmm........

If you have an Ethernet card you will have an Ethernet socket in one of the card slots! If you have onboard Ethernet, you will have an Ethernet socket somewhere in the rear connector panel. It's like a phone socket only a tiny tad bigger ;)

Install both your motherboard chipset drivers AND your display drivers!

Oh! :o

heh heh.........

That 'old box', I'm afraid, is one of those 'nasties' ya reckon ain't on that 'pooter, so ya just might have to go down that road agin or simply just give up!

Either that, or it's a piece of software, loadingat startup, that's trying to 'phone home' and look for an update ;)

Check out our Security forum section, please. You should start with the "Helping yourself" topic which is 'Stickied' near the top of page. I'll move this topic to that section for you, to save you the trouble of posting it again.