PC probs..Knoppix Time...cheapest Windows 7??

[Undercover Elsa]

I've been having PC probs since yesterday
(On the XP PRO drive)
Started with lagging when typing into text areas, then on desktop if I clicked one icon the others in the row were rapidly highlighting in sequence. Hmmm.
I changed the batteries on my wireless mouse & kbd and this seemed to help.
I was in the process of installing Safari for windows. That went OK.
Got a prompt for a windows update so did that.
Uninstalled a few progs to tidy up...

Did a frag analysis and needed doing, but thought I'd better run disk check first.
That took 3 hours, and when windows loaded afterwards the toolbar was just a blue strip. Drive was towing away in background for ages but it never loaded.
Did a forced restart...windows tried to check disk again.
I let it, only took an hour, said it had finished but didn't reel off any error report.

Still not loading toolbar.
Put Win XP disk in and did FIXBOOT.
Still not loading.
Restarted in safe mode...wouldn't load at all..just a partial list then froze.
Can't think of anything else to try except a repair install or a format.
Any other ideas anyone?
Whatever...I reckon it's Knoppix time to get my files off first (I did a backup a couple of weeks ago so not that much to rescue, thankfully.)

I have another hard drive which I set up with Win 7 (don't ask where from ) a while ago..which was fine when I last hooked it up.
Just loaded it to eliminate mobo/RAM probs etc and it loaded absolutely fine.
Except for a MicroSoft notice that it's fake. Bugger.

Don't want to install XP on it, so anyone know the cheapest non OEM Windows 7 source??

Shep x

[pompeyfaith]

Re: PC probs..Knoppix Time...cheapest Windows 7??

Shep I am going to PM you.

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: PC probs..Knoppix Time...cheapest Windows 7??

Shep

Try launching Explorer.exe from Task Manager - see if it gives you any errors??

If it does give you the "Explorer.exe has encountered a problem" error. Look in the "Click Here" information for a Mod Name (a *.SYS or *.DLL file) and if it is there, that file is causing your problems.

Also Read this --> Computer stops responding with a black screen when you start Windows XP

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: PC probs..Knoppix Time...cheapest Windows 7??

Failing that try a restore to last update as one of your updates may be conflicting with the explorer.dll or similar.

You can restore from command and/or in pre-boot sequence with or without winXP disk.

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: PC probs..Knoppix Time...cheapest Windows 7??

Steve has been texted

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: PC probs..Knoppix Time...cheapest Windows 7??

I'll try that..would have to be through the XP disk as although the desktop and icons are there, no toolbar and CTR-ALT-DEL doesn't bring up Task manager. Nothing responds. Its as if its busy trying to do something in background. Have left it for hours to no effect.
Each time I restart it it tries to do Check Disk again too. I know the registry fix for that but can't get into Registry.
I'm on my lappy now...just going through to get the files off the big pc with Knoppix then I'll be back.
Thanks Niddy & PF xx

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: PC probs..Knoppix Time...cheapest Windows 7??

Shep --> 10 things you can do when Windows XP wont boot | TechRepublic

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: PC probs..Knoppix Time...cheapest Windows 7??

Explorer.exe is what runs desktop/icons etc which as they're missing means you've an issue with explorer.exe

You never deleted that whilst you were tidying up did you?

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: PC probs..Knoppix Time...cheapest Windows 7??

LOL nope...just some old progs..

Have got all my files off OK.
Just ran windows repair installation from XP disk, no better.

It's trying to run another disk check at each reboot. If I stop it (press any key to stop..) it just hangs there now.

So I'm letting it run a full disk check again.

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: PC probs..Knoppix Time...cheapest Windows 7??

Try a restore to an earlier point prior to last updates so go back to an update in April and revert back.

See what that does. It's the explorer.exe that seems to be bad.

[PlanB]

Re: PC probs..Knoppix Time...cheapest Windows 7??

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: PC probs..Knoppix Time...cheapest Windows 7??

Thanks Niddy...tried all sorts...it was just hanging on the scan disk screen everytime it restarted after everything I tried via the XP CD.
Nothing worked...there's an ominous click every 5 seconds on the drive now too.

To save further messing with it I've formatted and reinstalled XP as a temp measure. That's going fine so far, just downloading windows updates (yawwwn) but I've been kindly offered a Win 7 disk so I can then sort out the other hard drive and transfer everything on to there.

I've hung onto XP for too long anyway!

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: PC probs..Knoppix Time...cheapest Windows 7??

To save further messing with it I've formatted and reinstalled XP as a temp measure. That's going fine so far, just downloading windows updates (yawwwn) but I've been kindly offered a Win 7 disk so I can then sort out the other hard drive and transfer everything on to there.

I've hung onto XP for too long anyway!

Yep I was copied into email by Pompey - go win7, it's way better

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: PC probs..Knoppix Time...cheapest Windows 7??

Yep now I've decided to make the switchover can't wait!

I've also been road testing different browsers over the last few days (mainly because of your comments about IE8 Niddy plus the fact that it was putting up a really annoying security error every time I Googled, now that Google's diverting to https. )
I've fallen in love with Safari for Windows, it's brilliant!!! I love the web2 interface and the fact that you can set it to load straight to a graphical page of personalised "top sites". Very fast too, compared to "Interminable Explorer".
(I used to have an Imac and I liked it on there so it's great that it works on windows now)
I'll be putting it here on the lappy too when I've got the main pc sorted.

Thankyou to all you lovely people on here for helping, I don't know what I'd do without you!!

Shep x

[BBoo]

Re: PC probs..Knoppix Time...cheapest Windows 7??

I use Speed Dial with Firefox and find it's very good. It isn't graphical, but it assigns numbers to favourite pages, so for AAD I press Ctrl + 2, Google Ctrl + 6, Nymphomaniac Housewives Ctrl + ......... Ooops, nearly gave that one away then!