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PC/Windows Troubleshooting

Discussion in 'Technical Board' started by Nettdata, Dec 1, 2009.

  1. voltronman

    voltronman
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    All I currently have is a set of restore cd's and Ultimate Boot CD 4, which has XP pro and so the repair won't function properly.
     
  2. Binary

    Binary
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    I've done a lot of system repairs.

    The majority of them are never quite the same again. Just a little flaky, a little unreliable, a little quirky... Repair works great to get a system up and running long enough to back data up off it. But I usually recommend a format/reload afterwards.

    That's my experience anyway.
     
  3. Nettdata

    Nettdata
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    Totally agree.

    Mostly, I'll run a Linux LiveCD of some sort to be able to mount the HD and pull files (unless encrypted, etc), then just go straight to nuking it from orbit and a complete re-format/re-install.

    One of the joys of a registry-based system is that it's really, REALLY easy to totally FUBAR things permanently, and no repair process in the world will recover it. If you had a complete backup/recovery system in place, that's a different story, but not many non-businesses have that. Hell, not many businesses have that either.
     
  4. McCloud182

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    it might be fixable without having to do a format/reinstall.


    tap f8 when the computer boots and see if you can get to the boot selection screen


    it will have options such as
    safe mode
    safe mode with networking
    last known good config.
    disable automatic restart upon system halt (it's something like that. You may or may not have this option at all.)

    select the disable automatic restart option. This will keep your computer from rebooting once it hits the blue screen, which enables you to actually see the error. Copy down the information and post what it says if what I say next does not resolve the issue.

    Boot back to the boot selection screen (tap f8)
    Try selecting the last known good config. option 1st and see if that fixes the issue.
    if it does not you can always try going into safe mode and running a system resore.

    worse comes to worse and you find out it's an update you can try a system repair using a xp media center edition cd. You can also google some information about removing the last few updates. I would not really recommend this to someone who isn't familiar with editing the registry or using dos based commands though.
     
  5. rexmundi

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    Diddo on a system never being the same. Just recover the data and reformat/install OS. If you need a XP PRO COA let me know I can grab one at work for you.
     
  6. Maxi

    Maxi
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    My OS/boot drive is an old 7200RPM 80GB Seagate drive, I'm planning to replace it with an 80GB Intel SSD. What's the best way to clone it from one to the other? Will I run into any major problems booting from it considering it's new hardware to Windows 7?
     
  7. Maxi

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    Nevermind, googling the right keyword answered it.
     
  8. carl24

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    I am unable to open .exe files/applications (such as msn and itunes), what can I do?

    Every time I click on something like msn or itunes, I am asked to "Choose the program you want to use to open this file."

    I do not get it.
     
  9. john_b

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    I've seen this with spyware and virii. MS has an article on it here that may help.
     
  10. carl24

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    Thanks, I figured that out.

    But now I am getting this message when I try to d/l certian things, such as Lastfm plugins:

    [​IMG]
     
  11. downndirty

    downndirty
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    My first problem with Windows 7:

    On the corner of my desktop, above the clock, I have this:

    Windows 7
    Build 7600
    This copy of Windows is not genuine.

    The issue with that is, it should be, I haven't changed OS's since I picked this thing up from Best Buy (Gateway NV series, with automatic updates turned on).

    Anyone else having similar issues?
     
  12. Nettie

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    Did you activate it? IIRC, with Windows 7, you have 30 days to activate it, then it will give that message. You should be able to hover over it & it should say Get Genuine Now, and if online, will do it's thing.
     
  13. imlkrsfn

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    Try Firefox. It'll take no more than a few minutes and there's a good chance it'll fix itself. Your other option is to do what the error says. Control panel - Folder Options - File Types tab - New - put psd in the box and click OK. Scroll through the list until you find psd, click change, choose a program to open it with. Google "open [file extension]" to figure out what program to use. In this case Google open .psd and read through the first result to find a program to use.

    Another simpler option I remember after typing all that above is to open my computer and go to C:\Documents and setting\leon\and so on (it's at the top of the error). Find t.psd in the last folder you get to, double click it and choose the program to open it with.
     
  14. Uno

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    I have recently hooked up my windows 7 laptop to a TV.

    I was wondering if there was a way to arrange the audio devices so that whatever is on the TV screen uses the TV speakers, and whatever is on the computer will come from the computer speakers, at the same time?
    IE - TV Show on my TV will be using the TV speakers, while, say youtube on my computer will be using the computer speakers.

    I can arrange either the TV or computer speakers in single use, but not using them both at once for the same thing, or separately.
     
  15. Kubla Kahn

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    I am having a similar problem that Carl24 had. I was infected with a malware virus last night. "Vista Antimalware 2010" to be exact. As I have done before with similar viruses I googled a solution. At first most applications I opened would ask me what type of program was needed to open them but would still run.

    I used this sites suggestion:

    <a class="postlink" href="http://hands-oncorp.com/2010/03/21/vista-antimalware-2010-removal-instructions/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://hands-oncorp.com/2010/03/21/vist ... tructions/</a>


    I created the notepad exe file and ran it. Since then I have not been able to open any sort of software like firefox or windows media player. It gives me the same message with each "This file does not have a program associated with it for preforming this action. Create an association in the Set Associations control panel." I think I might have fucked up the registery keys something good? I have vista and cannot find the files tab in folder options and cannot find any sort of "Set Associations" option in control panel. Any suggestions?
     
  16. PewPewPow

    PewPewPow
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    RAAAAAGGGGEEE!

    Alright guys I really need some help with this. I'm running Windows Vista 64bit Service Pack 3.
    My issue is that I bought a linksys AE1000 USB wireless thingy. Ever since I put this thing in earlier my system has crashed without fail within at most 10 minutes of startup. I think I'm up to 30 crashes at the moment. I'm thinking the wireless thingy messed up my USB drivers but I haven't been able to find any to download.
    Any help would be much appreciated
     
  17. Sean Daley

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    I'm hoping this is the right place for this. Forewarning: I'm not the best with computers.

    I got a Sony Vaio laptop (VGN-NW130J if that matters) about a year ago. I updated it to Win7 right when I got it.

    It came with a built in Motion Eye camera. I have never used this camera before. A couple of my friends are moving away and want to keep in touch with skype, so I thought I would set up my skype account and finally be able to use the camera. I did so, and skype doesn't find/recognize a camera for my computer. So I did some searching and all I could find people saying about getting the camera to work was having Arcsoft WebCam Companion. So I got that from the Sony website, opened it, and it also says it can't find a camera.

    Then I searched through my device manager and control panel and can't find anything to do with a camera.

    Has anyone had this problem? Is there an easy fix for it that doesn't require certain start up discs that I probably don't have anymore?
     
  18. hoju

    hoju
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    I hope one of you guys can help me here seeing how none of the other things I've tried did.
    Using: Windows XP on a Compaq Presario.
    Problem: I am not getting any sound through browsers. Not firefox or IE. I am however getting sound through itunes and other applications so I know that my speakers are hooked up correctly. In the sounds section of my control panel it doesnt register my speakers at all and I dont even have the option for volume control in the bottom right. Ive tried uninstalling/reinstalling some things and still no sound.

    Thanks to anyone who can help
     
  19. Nettdata

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    I'd try uninstalling and re-installing your browser.

    And what sound source within the browser are you using? Flash players? Maybe un-install and re-install Flash as well, and ensure that it's all up to date.

    Also go looking at your Flash preferences, and see what your sound input/outputs are set at... and volumes.
     
  20. Juice

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    How long have you had the computer?
    How long has this issue been going on?
    What was the last successful update you did?

    Most likely, youll have to contact microsoft if theres a serial key error. Otherwise it may be a corruption in the system32 folder and youll have to to do a restore with the built in factory restore utility

    Another thing you can do is if you can figure out when this started occuring, look in your Add/Remove programs and check the Updates box. Then see what updates were done around that time and do a system restore back before that point.