instalation of IE8 killed XP machine HELP!

[MossRoad]

... will not try the xp-pro disk.. sounds like issues will result..

thanks

soundguy

Can you find an XP home install CD anywhere? A friend or family member perhaps. If anything, it is a good exercise to see how the different recovery methods work.

The 6 CD set that you made will most likely do that same thing as the restore partition. That is, it will restore to factory condition.

 

[Soundguy]

yep.. might be it.. I got a notice saying I needed to install it.. looked like a microsoft thing..... then poof!

oh well.. if clean wipe is all I have a chance for.. I'll take it.. I can backup all my important data to another pc.. and I can do the footwork to get new video drives after bootup, as I installed a new video card about a year ago ( nvidia 7600 ).. so drivers should still be available.

a pain.. but at least i will have the machine to work with... ARGH!!!!!

while I'm complaining.. I think vista is cr@p too! I loved XP....

I don't mind IE 7 or 8.. I use 8 on my work pc and am used to it now.. I have IE 7 on my beater dell optiplex system.. seems to look pretty much like 8??

soundguy

FWIW -

1) Compaq's hidden 'restore' partition only could do one thing the last time I used it: flush the machine to a as-delivered pristine XP install. All your data goes away.

I used this before donating a Compaq to a school. I assume 'restore from hidden partition' is intended for just that, to flush a machine before re-assigning it to a different user, or before retiring it. It's not data recovery! And it sounds like your Compaq is from the era I'm talking about. Maybe the newer ones added a 'restore and save your data' option.

2) My wife's Vista/Fry's laptop just failed same as your XP Compaq. Boot is a flash of the power-on light, a momentary grunt from the HD then one from the CD ... then nothing.

About one time in ten I can get into the bios, where I set boot order as CD first HD second, everything else Default. This didn't help. Boot from the provided 'system restore' CD has exactly the same results. And the CD only contains a 'flush everything' restore option.

And occasionally I can get the boot choices screen, then boot into Safe Mode. I restored the earliest System Restore Point which was just before a major Microsoft automated maintenance download; maybe that included IE8.

While it will occasionally show the boot choices screen then accept non-network Safe Mode, normal Windows boot continues to fail 100%. Safe Mode will continue running as long as you like, so it doesn't seem to be an overheating or damaged HD issue.

I suspect the Automated Update from that background Microsoft weekly update download is what killed it.

Is anyone else experiencing what Soundguy and I encountered after installing Microsoft's latest and finest?

 

[Soundguy]

Can you find an XP home install CD anywhere? A friend or family member perhaps. If anything, it is a good exercise to see how the different recovery methods work.

The 6 CD set that you made will most likely do that same thing as the restore partition. That is, it will restore to factory condition.

will look tonight.. but pretty sure i don't have one.

I believe I may be able to get one from a friend that has offered to help me though, if I can't find one.

soundguy

 

[Scooby074]

I think your doing the right thing. Format and reinestall will likely give you the best end result.

You have a long time running on your previous install. (yes i know someone will chime in that theyve had the same install since 2001 )

I think you said you have access to a xp pro disk? Thats what id throw on. With your new card you should have no issues. (Soundcard maybe, but unlikely).

When you reinstall Partition your HD so you can keep your data separate from your OS. THen if in the future you have to reformat, it will be MUCH easier.

 

[/pine]

upon reboot it bluescreened

before you go any further (unless it's too late)

What is the stop error code on the BSD ?

 

[Soundguy]

never could pin down an error as it rebooted.. never could get it to stop that... did find out the error though!.. will save that tidbit for the end.

am on the 'dead' pc now.. did a reformat and clean install.. just got my new video card drivers, and am now on ie 8.. found out google tool bar.. an old copy was trying to be an add on.. and was incompatible.. info said it could cause crashes.. I think that's what did it.. I got a new copy that likes ie8.. and now no problems.

am in the process of thumbdriving over my 16gb of backed up data.. then will reinstall my office software.. and palm pilot software.. then get logged back into all my websites.. already got email and networking back up.

sheesh.. i hate 'starting' a new pc... too much footwork.!!

thanks to ALL who helped.

will post back once all is restored and let you know that it 'took'.

soundguy

 

[/pine]

There should be a BIOS setting to prevent it from restarting on stop faults (BSDs)...this would have paused it so you could have read the stop error but that's a moot point now...

be sure to remember to set a "restore point" as soon as everything is configured...

on a side note...I always recommend that Windows users keep a bootable "Live CD" (Linux) disk handy... then if Windows crashes or even if the hard drive fails the systemcan still be used in a pinch...a Live CD can also be used to recover data from the drive even if Windows is broke...

 

[Scooby074]

. found out google tool bar.. an old copy was trying to be an add on.. and was incompatible.. info said it could cause crashes.. I think that's what did it..

Told ya

No toolbars on my browser. For obvious reasons. Oh and ill add the obligatory... Get Firefoxhttp://www.mozilla.com/en-US/products/

 

[Soundguy]

I did download firefox and use it temporarilly earlier today.. no issues with it.. just am more familair with IE as it's now on all my other pc's.

did some research at microsoft and the googletoolbar 2.x was DEFFINATELY what caused my problems... go figure.

oh well.. I just finished setting the pc back up.. got my 16gb of user data xfered back over.. got my network up.. email set back up.. got my pda software as well as office software back up.. everything is running.. as a bonus I found a new video driver.. newer than I had been using by about 8months.. actually seems to look better.. more video options.. better video control panel.. etc.

system is running faster.. but then I expected that as we all know junk builds up...

whew.. I'm beat! takes forever to get all this set back up.

thank goodness I had a spare old PC on winxp to act as a surrogate for my data...

soundguy

 

[2manyrocks]

So your recommendation is no weather toolbars even with Firefox? I'm sitting here with it dark outside and mine is telling me it is sunny at my location anyway.