Killed my PC!

[ANP320]

Yes agree. You need to be working of a new clean version of XP on the new machine. XP's great as an OS now but it's tighter than the proverbial duck's bottom when it comes to keys and re-installs.

The file transfer though is safe for data and settings.

 

[mw2510]

Help!

Ive just downloaded from the offical MS site, XP Service Pack 3.

After it installed I was asked to reboot, I did and it continued to install itself in DOS, then it reboot itself again until the WINDOWS logo and blue scroll bar screen appeared.

After 10secs or so, it reboots itself until the WINDOWS screen appears. Its now stuck on a permenant loop!!!

I cant do anything! I do have the orignal XP CD aswell as an SP2 update CD. When I try and boot from the orignal CD, it wants to re-install windows... Will I lose the contents of my HD?

Thanks!

i had the same problem last night as well. as i didn't want to lose any information i ended up phoning Microsoft this morning on there 0870 number. they talked me through using the recovery consul to remove sp3 and it worked. no idea what that call cost as it was almost an hour but was well worth it. computer now runing great again.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Thanks very much for your replies. If only I had waited and read the rest of this thread.

I attemped to re-install XP so the computer at the moment thinks its in the last stages of a new install - except I have no idea which key I used last time.

Im thinking of using a spare HD and booting from that, copying everything across from it and starting fresh...

 

[HughJarse]

Just been installing new computers on our network and one XP fell over and would not re-boot. If you take the hard drive out and plug it into a laptop or other computer using a USB to ide cable (easily available). You new computer will just treat it as a spare drive and at least you'll be able to access your My documents and copy them over.

May be helpful but the File and settings Transfer facility in XP is excellent and well worth doing before any major updates. Then you can save the lot to a spare drive and just wack it back when your new computer is up and running.

Hope this helps. PM me if you need some help.

You may need to how to "Take Ownership" in order to access my documents on a shared drive.

 

[Satch]

I have been told that on 29 April Windows XP SP3 goes on to the Windows Update and Microsoft Update functionality.

I, for one, have Autoupdate disabled anyway so I can control what wonders befall my machines.

But those who do not have it disabled might care to think about that.

 

[moakesr]

I thought your XP licence is underneath your laptop or pasted it beside your desktop or borrow it from a trial copy until you sort out your original licence. Failing all that use Linux.

Nope, you can't use Linux, you will be accused of it being a geekfest

Mind you, copying .dll's around to fix iffy service packs seems a bit geeky to me

I am off to play with my Etch-A-Sketch (Executive Laptop), no-one will take offence to that, and I can always turn it upside down and shake it to reboot

 

[ANP320]

Thanks very much for your replies. If only I had waited and read the rest of this thread.

I attemped to re-install XP so the computer at the moment thinks its in the last stages of a new install - except I have no idea which key I used last time.

Im thinking of using a spare HD and booting from that, copying everything across from it and starting fresh...

Do you have any back ups of your data - the my documents file?

Good luck anyway, let us know who it goes and if we can help.

 

[wallingd]

PCs are scary sometimes .

 

[television]

Thanks very much for your replies. If only I had waited and read the rest of this thread.

I attemped to re-install XP so the computer at the moment thinks its in the last stages of a new install - except I have no idea which key I used last time.

Im thinking of using a spare HD and booting from that, copying everything across from it and starting fresh...

At least it will only cost you the £25 for the HD and always handy and you could run WIS from the old one once you moved things over

 

[fredfloggle]

At least it will only cost you the £25 for the HD and always handy and you could run WIS from the old one once you moved things over

If only it were that simple.

 

[Dragon]

Never heard of a trial copy licence for windows? Where do you get that from?

There are numerous different licences with XP, just because Microsoft name the version ( ie home,professional, media ) doesn't mean they dont have different licences - I know of at least 4 different xp pro licences that wont work unless you use that particular build.

Even if you remove drive and slave it youre still going to have trouble getting into "my documents". Don't install linux on, theres a massive chance you'll never get your work back. If you've got as far as the licence key I would suggest persevering.

Can't post it here. You can get a trial DVD from you know where. You are too late for XP but you can get Vista then you don't even need to buy and use Talktalk software because it got built-in firewall and other stuffs if you use Talktalk .

 

[Dragon]

Just been installing new computers on our network and one XP fell over and would not re-boot. If you take the hard drive out and plug it into a laptop or other computer using a USB to ide cable (easily available). You new computer will just treat it as a spare drive and at least you'll be able to access your My documents and copy them over.

May be helpful but the File and settings Transfer facility in XP is excellent and well worth doing before any major updates. Then you can save the lot to a spare drive and just wack it back when your new computer is up and running.

Hope this helps. PM me if you need some help.

Ah that what we call you need to get yourself up to date with new technology. If you get so many problems with XP, it telling you a message there, time to move on to Vista.

 

[Dragon]

Nope, you can't use Linux, you will be accused of it being a geekfest

Mind you, copying .dll's around to fix iffy service packs seems a bit geeky to me

I am off to play with my Etch-A-Sketch (Executive Laptop), no-one will take offence to that, and I can always turn it upside down and shake it to reboot

You are wrong. If you use the Knoppix version of Linux it does not use any of your disk space to load it up. It loads up from a CD to your PC memory and from there you can remove viruses and copy files but then you have to use Unix/Linux commands to copy files over to your stick memory or floppy disk.

 

[ANP320]

Ah that what we call you need to get yourself up to date with new technology. If you get so many problems with XP, it telling you a message there, time to move on to Vista.

I reckon XP's pretty solid these days. With reference to SP3, I think a lot of the problems happen when you try to install the whole lot in one go. That's why the automatic updates are quite useful cos you get it all in dribs and drabs and its easy to undo anything you don't want without suffering what Killerhertz has had.

I know you get a bit more functionality with Vista but I wonder whether it's bug free yet. Do you know how well it networks? XP Home was lousy but XP pro is easy peasy.

 

[moakesr]

You are wrong. If you use the Knoppix version of Linux it does not use any of your disk space to load it up. It loads up from a CD to your PC memory and from there you can remove viruses and copy files but then you have to use Unix/Linux commands to copy files over to your stick memory or floppy disk.

You misunderstood me, I am great fax of Linux and would have been using Knoppix in a flash to sort out this problem.

Others on this board are somewhat vehemently opposed to Linux and I was enjoying a moment of schadenfreude at the expense of Windows users.

 

[Dragon]

Oh!

 

[HughJarse]

You misunderstood me, I am great fax of Linux and would have been using Knoppix in a flash to sort out this problem.

Others on this board are somewhat vehemently opposed to Linux and I was enjoying a moment of schadenfreude at the expense of Windows users.

Youre pushing your luck
All the people said was horses for courses. Linux is no use to the average pc user. Just as maybe youre not happy installing a lingutronic but some are, some aren't happy using linux.

As for Dragons comments above !!! Oh deary me... telling people to move onto vista just shows me youre true knowledge, as even microsoft themselves are already talking about their new OS, and I was being sarcastic about trial versions - I guess youre talking beta and I most certainly wouldn't advise anybody to blindly install those.

Maybe you need to get yourself uptodate with new technology.

To keep this on topic, Im very willing to get my tech department to sort out your pc killerhertz, but you would have to post it up north , which is not going to be cost effective for you.

 

[Dragon]

Yes I am a techie for 30 years. Beta version of Vista? Official release of Vista sinc Jan 07. We are talking about Vista SP1 now.

I saw a copy of Vista DVD with trial licence when I bought a Tosh laptop encouraging us to upgrade from older OS.

Warning: You cannot install WIS on Vista but then you can install it on Win2000 or XP dual boot.

I better stop here before I get booted out of Merc stuff. WIS is Merc stuff link anyway.

If you guys are not proficient in Linux, you better start now else you will be slaved to Microsoft licence. It looks complex but upon experience it easier and better and cheaper than Microsoft. It the oldest OS as far I know that currently exists.

 

[HughJarse]

Yes I am a techie for 30 years. Beta version of Vista? Official release of Vista sinc Jan 07. We are talking about Vista SP1 now.

I saw a copy of Vista DVD with trial licence when I bought a Tosh laptop encouraging us to upgrade from older OS.

Warning: You cannot install WIS on Vista but then you can install it on Win2000 or XP dual boot.

I better stop here before I get booted out of Merc stuff. WIS is Merc stuff link anyway.

If you guys are not proficient in Linux, you better start now else you will be slaved to Microsoft licence. It looks complex but upon experience it easier and better and cheaper than Microsoft. It the oldest OS as far I know that currently exists.

I give up.

 

[andy_k]

If you guys are not proficient in Linux, you better start now else you will be slaved to Microsoft licence. It looks complex but upon experience it easier and better and cheaper than Microsoft. It the oldest OS as far I know that currently exists.

I rely on three or four key pieces of software for my work none of these run under linux. There is no alternative as clients want stuff delivered in certain file formats

Please explain to me how Linux could be seen as "better" for me

At home, I use computers for various things including playing games which do not run under Linux, using CNC software which does not support Linux and for photography. Sadly there is no Linux versionof my camera control software

Again, I ask you, please explain how Linux is better for me than an operating system which works, is regularly upgraded and has (if needed and at a price) technical help which is only a phone call away.

I'm not as "vehemently opposed" to Linux but telling me that it's better than windows is like telling me that I don't need an estate car to ferry around the family plus two dogs when a unicycle is cheaper and better

Andy