problems

so i was deleting MSN messenger off my computer today. cause i am not needing it anymore (i have trillian). all of a sudden my computer freezes.
i cant get it to stop. so i push the power button to restart it (if you hold it a long time, it restarts it.. ). my computer then starts to turn on but says windows isnt working or something like that. (mainly that windows wont start). so i have to choose: start normally, safe mode, safe mode with networking, etc.
any of the options i chose, it will start to go through with it.. then it just restarts the computer and i'm back to the same page.
i called tech support. the guy said he cant tell me anything unless i pay him 35 dollars. but that he'll be nice enough to tell me i need to back up my windows and then restore the entire computer.
how the hell do i back up my windows when i cant open windows?!


i'm so fucking depressed cause of this.


sorry this is written poorly. i dont know .. computer-speak.

 

That guy is an idiot. I'll do tech support on it for $30. Just kidding. ^_^

Do you get any specific error messages? If yes, what are they?

 

Cause of problem: MSN messenger. Nah, not really. I just hate MSN messenger so I make up things like that. The best way to stay out of these problems is to keep away from Microsoft products. Um, solutions. There is probably a way to get back in to windows but it'll be very inconspicuous. Don't be depressed luv, it happens and it's the only way we learn how to overcome these problems. Try starting it in safe mode. My first thought would be that it is try to load some sort of driver that crashes the system. Otherwise, start it with a windows setup CD.

 

it doesnt have an error message. and safe mode wont work.

but so i tried restoring it. and .. then half way through it said to insert some diskette.. i dont have a drive A, so now i just have a blank computer..
my dad is going to look into getting me a new harddrive. i want a new computer..

 

"Deleting MSN Messenger" - were you using "Add-Remove Programs" from the Settings>Control Panel?

Is this a Windows XP machine? You can't hit F8 for startup options and try safe mode? And you booted from the CD to try a Windows repair but it won't let you?

Wish I could suggest a few more things, but a new (or 2nd Hand) Hard drive is a nice way out, especially if you have a lot of important stuff on your only (Windows-bootable) hard disk at present - install Windows fresh on the new HDD, plug your old one in as a "slave" config 2nd HDD, and copy essential files over from your old one.

Uninstalling MSN Messenger has never scrambled Windows on me before, but a crash halfway through "Windows Update" or installing a major SP has!

 

I'm slightly confused, I'm trying to figure out what you have already done. Are you trying to reinstall windows? Or are you just trying to get windows to boot? You can't reinstall windows over itself, you must first reformat your hard drive. If you are just trying to get it to boot so you can back stuff up, you can make a boot CD or floppy disk, then it should work at least well enough so you can save any essential files. I know this probably sounds complicated, PM me if you want help

Alex

 

ok. I was just deleting stuff from my computer. it froze. i restarted. it would start to restart, but windows wouldnt come on. instead a screen asking if i wanted to boot up normally, use safe mode or .. something else (like the last configuration that worked).
i tried all of those options. it would start thinking, but instead of doing those things, its would restart itself. and i'd be back to the screen with the safemode/normal options thing.
i didnt back up my windows cause i cant get on to windows.
i tried to use the restoration disk.. it got 25 percent done, then said to insert a diskette. my computer doesnt do diskettes (its a laptop). so i have no idea why the software to restore the computer that came with the computer would ask that. .. anyway, so the restoration can't happen.

so now i'm buying a new harddrive.

and i'm looking into finding a cheap desktop cause i'm mad at my laptop.

 

maybe you could reinstall windows format your harddisk and make a clean install there are diagnostic tools which can assist you such as ubcd-xp and techie'z tool kit (scan and repair) it is kind of odd that your system just freezes that can mean that a virus damaged your registry or that system components were deleted by accident

peace

 

Take out your Windows installation disc.

Put it in, boot up the computer, and choose the option to "boot from CD."

When Windows asks you if you want to repair the Windows installation already on the system, choose NO, and then reinstall Windows directly over the old installation.

Most of your installed programs will probaby not work, but this will give you a chance to get access to all of your lost documents, save them to a CD or send them to another computer where they can be stored, and then you can reformat your hard drive and install a fresh, uncorrupted installation of Windows.

 

ok, thanks. i'll see what i can do..

but i do want to get a new computer cause desktops are better. unfortunately i'm poor, so it has to be something cheap. Anyone know anything about Dells?

 

Any pre-made computer is, in my opinion, an absolute piece of crap, and you're going to experience the same problems with your desktop as you do with your laptop. There is absolutely no avoiding it unless you build your own computer.

And Dell is better than Gateway or Compaq, but Dell is still an asshole company. They were putting Windows XP on there machines when I bought one, and I wanted Windows 2000 (older version). They charged me $99 for the downgrade, and then I tried to install Windows 2000 on an older machine, and they protected the disc so it would only install on THAT machine (when Windows 2000's upgrade costs $99 anyway). I called them up and BITCHED at their manager for it, and they still would't do shit. I'll never buy another Dell in my life because of it.

 

well the only reason i think desktops are better, is my laptop gets carried around town, so its a little more beat up than a desktop would be.

from what i've experienced, anyone who works for any computer company that you can talk to on the phone is an asshole.. so i dont think i'll let that determine what i buy.
i dated a guy who was really into computers and he always swore at dell cause "they make the worst notebooks".. so I wasnt sure how the desktops (the cheaper ones) would be...




btw, thats my favorite frank lloyd wright quote

 

Laptops don't have room for 2nd HDDs so one of my previous suggestions is flawed - the overinstall option (of HZs) should do fine for recovery of any important files, before a fresh format-windows install. It is unlikely that you have physical hard-disk damage, more likely you've just deleted some vital system files by mistake, so you don't need another HDD.

One possibility for recovery is to get one of those external usb interface cases that can hold a 2.5" HDD. I made a nice portable 20Gb portable drive out of a case like that and a 2nd hand notebook HDD, and use a 40Gb one for backups at work.

In Australia, Toshiba have a rep. as the "best" notebooks (but most expensive), HP and the Dell Inspirons and IBM Thinkpads are quite respected too. The distinction between a "mobile" road-warrior notebook (with the low-power/mobility processor like Centrino/Pentium M) built for long battery life and the desktop replacement models (bigger screen, processor for performance) is quite stark now.

Desktops are always better value in terms of price-performance, easier to modify/upgrade, and if you feel confident enough, building your own from empty-case to final OS install, or modifying/upgrading an existing 2nd hand system (PIII boxes can be found very cheaply) can be a very economical option!

All the best with that immediate recovery!

 

Yeah don't bother trying to replace the hard drive, laptop parts are expensive, and laptops are not meant to be upgraded. I'd suggest reformatting your current hard drive and reinstalling windows.

 

My favorite is "Anyone over 6 feet tall is an incredible waste of building material." (Wright was only 5'3")

I'm only 5'8", and I live in Minnesota where everyone is a giant compared to me because of their scandinavian ancestry, so I can sympathize with him

 

Hikky Z gave Good advice.
There's no need to fomat the drive especially if the data needs to be recovered cuz of no backups.

 

is reformating the same as using the restoration disk? ... cause thats my main problem now. i CANT use that disk.. i tried and it asked me to put in a floppy.. i dont have a floppy drive, nor any floppys.

this is so annoying.

 

hehe,
formating means deleting everything,
restoring means puting everything back

Dont use any discs that came along with your PC,
try to get someone to make a copy of windows for you or something,
those restore discs always install software you dont want/need
(If someone makes a windows CD for you, and makes it "bootable", you dont need a floppy anymore)

 

that seems to be some very subject and incredible information to me and doubt any of it would stand up to scrutiny

re-instally windows over another installation will, in the long run cause and create more problems and issues that you now have...if you're gonna go to that much work, just use the XP CD to format the drive, then re-install the o/s on a clean drive

 

I speak from experience. I've had a computer from all three manufacturers ... the Gateway was a lemon to boot (it didn't even work correctly with a factory install), and the Compaq ran SO slow for its hardware, it wasn't even worth using. The Compaq was like 1.2 Ghz, and it ran slower than the 500 Mhz Dell that we had. The Dell had less RAM too.

Since then, I've had another Dell that was 1.7 Ghz (which I gave to my sister now that I built my own computer), and I've been asked to run tech support on many computers outside of our own family, and not one of them has been a Dell, it's always been either a Gateway or Compaq. Although, HP also seems to be a pretty reliable brand, my parents bought one of those now and haven't had *too* many problems with them.

Either way, you're always free to disagree. Because it's experiential knowledge, that's why I said "in my opinion." If you can't handle that, ignore it.

Nawww, really?

That's why I said it was a short term solution in order to back it up.

Don't take me for an idiot now.

... did you even read the rest of my response?