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Need help with pc problem.

  • 14-12-2005 8:54am
    #1
    Stench Blossoms
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,390 ✭✭✭


    My friend got a hp computer about a year ago. About 2 months ago when she was downloading something (paddy power poker thing or something like that) the computer just shut down. It wouldnt turn back on again. Checked the fuse in the plug etc and and it still wouldnt turn on.

    So they brought it back to PC World who told them it was because they had so many viruses. They reinstalled windows and gave it back to them

    Now the computer is worse. When you start it up pop up messages come up saying to "install generic volume, disk drive etc" these don't go away. And when you click install you get a warning saying "not sutible for XP" or some error like that. You get an option to "continue anyway" or "cancel installation"

    Then a pop up comes up saying "Low memory on HP_RECOVERY(D)"

    She tried reinstalling windows again herself but in the process of this she got an error sayin "such a such a file is missing" she pressed escape and then continued on with the reinstall but the computer is just the same after reinstalling.

    you basically can't do anything with the computer because of all the pop ups.

    Anybody have any idea how to fix this?


Comments

  • #2
    masterK
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,757 ✭✭✭masterK


    Sounds like a total reformat of the hard drive and a reinstall of Windows is required. Even if this does not solve the problem at least it will eliminate it being a software problem and your friend can bring it back to PC World and tell them so.


  • #3
    aidan_walsh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,208 ✭✭✭✭aidan_walsh


    orla wrote:
    Now the computer is worse. When you start it up pop up messages come up saying to "install generic volume, disk drive etc" these don't go away.

    This looks like it means that hardware wasn't installed properly after Windows was reinstalled. Open up the Device Manager (Right click on My Computer -> Manage -> Device Manager) and see which deivces don't register as properly installed. They will most likely have a yellow warning triangle over the icon in this case.
    orla wrote:
    And when you click install you get a warning saying "not sutible for XP" or some error like that. You get an option to "continue anyway" or "cancel installation"
    This is the usual process for unsigned device drivers in Windows XP. Its usually safe to continue, but Microsoft is only warning you that they have never encountered the driver before and can't guarantee that it will work.
    orla wrote:
    Then a pop up comes up saying "Low memory on HP_RECOVERY(D)"
    Is this a hard drive partition (does it show up as a hard disk in My Computer)? This sounds like the type of thing that should register on the computer at all, and may have been intended as a hidden partition. Its probably fine, the partition would have been fit to hold all it needs and no more, but it was exposed during the reinstall and shouldn't have been.
    orla wrote:
    She tried reinstalling windows again herself but in the process of this she got an error sayin "such a such a file is missing" she pressed escape and then continued on with the reinstall but the computer is just the same after reinstalling.
    Which file? How did she go about reinstalling?


  • #4
    DonkeyStyle \o/
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,144 ✭✭✭DonkeyStyle \o/


    Smells like dodgy ram to me.
    I had similar problems with reinstalling XP (after unusual/random stability problems)... "The file 'blah' could not be found/read/blah" the cd was fine, I tried two different CD drives... same thing... I swapped out the ram and tried the install again, worked with no problems.
    Of course this was ram I was overclocking waaay too much, so I guess I just fried it... shame though, it was pricey enough ram.
    I'm not saying this is 100% what your problem is, but it's a possibility... one of many possible problems happening at the same time.
    I'd say get memtest86 running on it, see if you can try some different ram sticks in the machine (the same type of ram of course).


  • #5
    daywalker
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 552 ✭✭✭daywalker


    aidan_walsh wrote:
    Is this a hard drive partition (does it show up as a hard disk in My Computer)? This sounds like the type of thing that should register on the computer at all, and may have been intended as a hidden partition. Its probably fine, the partition would have been fit to hold all it needs and no more, but it was exposed during the reinstall and shouldn't have been.

    ON the HP machines the recovery partition is actually not hidden from the user, but shows up as a drive in my computer, kinda stupid really as a novice user may actually delete or damage the information by accident.

    OP: did she use the non-destrutive or destructive recovery from the HP recovery boot-up menu, sometimes the non-destructive recovery's do not work as while attempting to recover files, the recovery becomes corrupted.


  • #6
    Stench Blossoms
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,390 ✭✭✭Stench Blossoms


    daywalker wrote:

    OP: did she use the non-destrutive or destructive recovery from the HP recovery boot-up menu, sometimes the non-destructive recovery's do not work as while attempting to recover files, the recovery becomes corrupted.

    non-destructive. It didnt give an option for anything else.

    When she reinstalled she just pressed F10(?) when the computer started up. She doesnt have any cd's for the comp.

    I have a "spare" XP cd, Should i use that to reinstall windows?
    aidan_walsh wrote:
    Is this a hard drive partition (does it show up as a hard disk in My Computer)? This sounds like the type of thing that should register on the computer at all, and may have been intended as a hidden partition. Its probably fine, the partition would have been fit to hold all it needs and no more, but it was exposed during the reinstall and shouldn't have been.

    Yeh it does show up in "My computer".

    She never really used the computer. Like the only thing it was mainly used for was itunes.


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  • #7
    Lush
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 67 ✭✭Lush


    Orla

    Yes use your XP CD. Boot from the CD, agree to install, then highlight the partion, press d key then verify and delete it/them until there are no more partions. Then create a new partion by pressing the c key and then press enter, use full amount. Format with NTFS option and install as normal. Try and use her XP key-code.

    XP should pick up all the hardware. If you can put SP2 on straight away, along with anti-virus software. Then and ONLY then go onto the Internet and download the Microsoft Antispyware software and install that. Keep the anti-virus updated every week at least.

    :cool:


  • #8
    aidan_walsh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,208 ✭✭✭✭aidan_walsh


    orla wrote:
    I have a "spare" XP cd, Should i use that to reinstall windows?
    Licensing wise that might be a problem, since she would have most likely gotten an OEM version of Windows. Is your copy of Windows also OEM (did it come with the computer)? If so, the license and key are non-transferable.


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