wish me luck.

[Zed]

I have been a bit quiet hereabouts recently as my pc died when I tried to compile a dvd (swap file corruption) thus I have been "playing windows" for a week or so getting the configs right.... had to reload Xp, XPSP2, Firewall etc multiple times.... but whenever I did the "Automatic update" thing the pc would slow down to absurd slowness - she-its me no end. mickysoft is its own worst enemy.... by so many security and critical updates the pc is slower than an old XT - unusable - hence the reloads...

I have JUST reloaded a fresh install and downloaded the security updates. I will now restart my pc - if im not back within a week - send help!! :eek:

the next thing is removing all the mickysoft crap - messenger, outlook express, mickysoft networking etc.... what a pile of horse doo-doo all that is...

[bennylaird]

Think your main problem is that well known virus...... What's it called again? Oh yes Windows..............

[Schtoo]

Zed, I killed this thing when attempting a DVD burn, some stupid thing where if the disc is not recognized, then the whole computer dies.

The puter lasted long enough to burn all the important stuff to CD (two burners, one DVD one CD only) then formatted the whole HD so there was nothing left. Was the only way I could get it back to normal, and also let me dispose of some stuff that was just taking up space anyway.

If what yer doing doesn't fix it, back up the important stuff (pictures, etc) and scrub the thing clean. Should either fix it or f... foul it up.

[sea dragon]

Zed,
As soon as you have to do something with a computer, it is as if it takes you into some fourth dimension. Hours pass and nothing ever seem to be achieved.
Which do you find worse, the estimates of time remaining (that seem to go up and down like a roller coaster) or merely seeing the hourglass (and not being sure if it actually doing anything, still, or not)?:eek: :eek:

[Zed]

I can safely reply that the pc came back, albeit slower than im used to. ferking security software. roll on SP3 so they can build the sec. into the kernel:mad:

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

XP = Xtremely Problematic.

What a piece of bloatware! Worse, it lost half its' functionality when SP2 came out and to get it back I had to buy yet another add-on. :mad: So XP was promptly replaced with W2K Pro.

(Dual-booting with Linux... and can you guess which is default boot mode? )

[Gumby]

I can safely reply that the pc came back, albeit slower than im used to. ferking security software. roll on SP3 so they can build the sec. into the kernel:mad:

or Vista maybe ?

[Auld Bassoon]

Anybody had a go with Vista yet?

I've had a copy of the Beta 2 Customer Preview Program for a couple of weeks, but I've only got two PCs that have the RAM (both 2Gb)and CPU (1 3.4GHz on a 500MB/s FSB, and one a 2.8GHz and an 875P chipset) to fully meet Vista's H/W requirements, and just one of them is equipped with an Intel 925/945 chiipset, etc M/B and Aero-capable video - but that's the one I use for work purposes, so am not really game. The one I'm using right now is a candidate, but if it all goes Windows-shaped (aka pear), then I'll be in a similar situation to Mr Zed

I'm a firm believer in clean installs - not an upgrade as that just typically carries the garbage forward...

[Gumby]

I agree, upgrades are a recipe for disaster.

I ran the Vista diagnostic tool and it said eveything would be fine except for the usb drivers. :confused:

It's a reasonably new Athlon 64 with the works.

[Auld Bassoon]

I also ran the diagnostic tool on the laptop and it effectively said "phtooey, are you kidding?" Only 512Mb Ram and a pissy little P4 2.4 Ghz CPU....

I'd thought about hijacking one of the PCs at work, but they're all wimpy little buggers too. Cheapskates!