Tom's Guide | Tom's Hardware | Tom's Games
 |
 |
 |
The boss has just brought his laptop in. He's been having trouble with his BT broadband and after spending hours on the phone with BT and fiddling it hardly works at all now.
(As is always the case with other peoples computers, they obviously didn't do anything different it just stopped working.)
I said I would tidy it up a bit for him (un-
install rubbish etc.) but it has an
explorer/ie error, amongst other things.
Basically it seems to be corrupt, not allow
access to system restore or access memory sticks. The uninstaller will not run either, saying it is not correctly installed, so I cannot remove 'iffy' installs nor access the internet to download anti spyware etc.Is there anything other than formatting or
re-installing xp? (Repairing xp
installations never seem to cure problems in
my experience.)Any ideas much appreciated,
Thanks,
Garyb
By "access memory sticks" do you mean RAM isn't being utilized?
I'd backup the data, make sure you have installation CDs for any programs, and then run the Dell Reinstallation CD.
"So won’t you give this man his wings
What a shame
To have to beg you to see
We’re not all the same
What a shame" - Shinedown
0 
No, I meant usb flash drives.
It seems to me like several people have had a similar problem when they installed SP3 on their machines. It states its only SP2 but I'm not so sure.
No network connections, cannot access the internet, and windows installer doesn't work either.
I think your right and XP will have to be installed again, assume that the boss has still got the discs, but if anyone has an alternative solution then please let me know.
Thanks,
Garyb
0
Well, you could download utilities from elsewhere, burn them to disk and TRY installing them that way.
If that fails to work I don't see any options other than what jennifer has suggested.
Try CCleaner. It has cleaner and registry modules, run both.
0
I know that you said that "Repairing xp
installations never seem to cure problems in
my experience", but if the problems are not a hardware issue, why not give it a try ?
0
Thanks for the replies.
Already tried ccleaner and even though it did find a couple of hundred registry issues it didn't solve the problem. I might try repairing the installation but its a wasted hour normally. The only thing that does work properly is the dvd rewriter software so I can get all the data off ok. Doesn't work as a rom drive though, most strange.
I think it is the little knowledge is a dangerous thing scenario, the boss and a bt helpline was never a good combination, doomed from the start.
Thanks again,
Garyb
0
In device manager, anything showing up there as an issue? I would try to reinstall the network interface drivers, would also check to see if your getting an ip address as you didn't state the specifics to each problem. What IE error are you getting? What about booting into safe mode with networking, any success there?
Silence is golden but duct tape is silver
0
Internet explorer does not work, it flashes a blank page on screen and disappears, not reducing, it closes itself. He has Safari installed and you can open the browser but no internet because the network settings have disappeared. This points me towards IE being corrupt and causing explorer to be selective too.
I cannot install anything from disc or flash drive due to registry errors or missing .dll files.
As for IP addresses, I am only trying to make his laptop work again, himself and BT can sort out his wireless broadband. That was no doubt part of the problem initially but someone/people went too far and fubar'd it completely. I think he said that BT told him to enter a fixed ip address but there's no need for this with home broadband, is there, only if you have exchange server or similar?
Format C and start again I think.
Thanks for all the Q&A's but its the only answer I reckon. That and to tell him to listen and don't leap when something goes wrong.
Thanks,
Garyb
0
Make sure and backup his data before you run the Reinstallation CD.
"So won’t you give this man his wings
What a shame
To have to beg you to see
We’re not all the same
What a shame" - Shinedown
0
Back again. He has found the Dell OEM disc
which has XP on it but I cannot get it to
install/re-install or repair!Windows installer seems to be corrupt as well
and so stops installation/uninstallation of
pretty much everything.When I get to a dos prompt after 'quitting'
the Dell diagnostics set up when booting from
cd I cannot format c: either or install as
'this program cannot be run in DOS mode'Thought about the 6 boot disk option (if I
can find a floppy drive somewhere) but that
would mean 'this program cannot be run in DOS
mode' will appear again?Getting near to throwing it out of the window
(if it was mine I would already have done
that)Any further suggestions? (suppose going back
to Windows 2000 then upgrading to XP might
work?)Cheers,
Garyb
0  |
 |
 |
This post is quite old and has been locked from receiving new replies. Please create a new posting instead.
| Ads by Google |
