eMachines OEM XP woes - time to buy $tandard?

[kurttrail]

What an idiot. That's like saying "The Ford Pinto is totally safe
because *mine* never blew up in a rear smash!"

Besides, I don't believe you. Either you're lying, or you just never
detected the malware.

LOL! Whatsa matta? Do you believe that just because you are too stupid
to figure out how to run Windows safely, that no one can?

No, I went to Linux because I *do* know what 'safe hex' is.

Actually, it sounds quite the opposite. Anyone that is running Windows
and gets viruses and/or spy/malware are those that are too stupid or
lazy to figure out how to protect their own computer systems.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[kurttrail]

Dude, that argument is so 90's.

Nowadays, installing Linux is *easier* than installing Windows,
simply because you don't have to worry about installing all your
devices after the installation of the OS.

You can even run Linux from CD and have a fully functional Linux
system in 2 minutes.

LOL! Tried to do that just yesterday, and it couldn't setup Xserver and
died.

Was yesterday the 90's?

I agree that the original Linux advocacy post was off-topic and
unhelpful. I'm just responding to the MVP's one-sided comments about
Linux.

Look at your sig indeed - your 'rebellion' is completely toothless
because you lack either the daring or wherewithal to find an
alternative to MS's products.

ROFL! My problems aren't so much with MS products, but with the
companies policies, especially when it comes to the FUD it spreads.

No wonder you're a little bitter.

LOL! Whatever. At least I don't have to distort reality, like you!

"Firstly, of course Linux is subject to breaches. However, that in no
way
detracts from the fact that Linux is demonstrably more secure than any
version
of Windows."

Please demonstrate it.

http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/0,2000061733,39116229,00.htm

"As for your claim that "the hundreds of free programs are not all of
good
quality," that's also a given. However, you forget to mention the
high-rolling
Free Open Source programs that simply kill the opposition -- think
Apache, think
gcc, think Mozilla Firefox."

Of course YOU fail to mention that both Apache, and GCC are of no direct
use to the average computer user. Again, in the context of this thread,
I doubt the OP could setup and use Apache server sofware, or use a
programming tool, if they can't even figure out to install their video
card drivers after installing Windows.

And that Firefox's 6% of the browser market really is still nothing
compared to IE's 89%. But hey, you are disputing a MS-MVP you accuse of
"A distored and biased assessment of Linux" by giving a distorted and
biased assessment of Linux! Pot meet Kettle!

"Fun? You know, Linux is fun. But until you've tried it with an open
mind, you
have no right to denigrate it."

No OS is fun, it is just the underlying code that gets everything
working together. And that just demonstrates how you will distort
reason as a biased linux advocate.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Tony Norman]

Whatever you say. It meant: Your computer problem is your fault because
you're an idiot and bought the lowest priced computer you could find. By the
way, I'm glad you ASKED if I was "..so stupid..", rather than saying I was,
but that leads me to ask, do you need me to answer that? lol.... I'll bet
that was over your head.

 

[Kerry Brown]

LOL! Whatever. At least I don't have to distort reality, like you!

"Firstly, of course Linux is subject to breaches. However, that in no way
detracts from the fact that Linux is demonstrably more secure than any
version
of Windows."

Please demonstrate it.

http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/0,2000061733,39116229,00.htm

"As for your claim that "the hundreds of free programs are not all of good
quality," that's also a given. However, you forget to mention the
high-rolling
Free Open Source programs that simply kill the opposition -- think Apache,
think
gcc, think Mozilla Firefox."

Of course YOU fail to mention that both Apache, and GCC are of no direct
use to the average computer user. Again, in the context of this thread,

Actually GCC is needed to install some of the free programs. They are
distributed as source code

I doubt the OP could setup and use Apache server sofware, or use a
programming tool, if they can't even figure out to install their video
card drivers after installing Windows.

And that Firefox's 6% of the browser market really is still nothing
compared to IE's 89%. But hey, you are disputing a MS-MVP you accuse of
"A distored and biased assessment of Linux" by giving a distorted and
biased assessment of Linux! Pot meet Kettle!

"Fun? You know, Linux is fun. But until you've tried it with an open mind,
you
have no right to denigrate it."

No OS is fun, it is just the underlying code that gets everything working
together. And that just demonstrates how you will distort reason as a
biased linux advocate.

Linux is fun. I enjoy testing it at least once a month. To me that is fun,
for the average user probably not. I install it on a spare machine and try
to use it as my everyday pc. So far the longest it's lasted is a week before
I hit some roadblock that I have to use a Windows machine to get by. In all
fairness I have access to the MS Action Pack subscription so whatever I need
to do I probably have some MS software that does it. Usually the roadblock
could be solved with Linux. I just don't have the time to figure out which
program I need, find the version which works with the distro I'm using,
figure out how to install it, then figure out how to use it.

Kerry

 

[kurttrail]

Actually GCC is needed to install some of the free programs. They are
distributed as source code




Linux is fun. I enjoy testing it at least once a month. To me that is
fun, for the average user probably not. I install it on a spare
machine and try to use it as my everyday pc. So far the longest it's
lasted is a week before I hit some roadblock that I have to use a
Windows machine to get by. In all fairness I have access to the MS
Action Pack subscription so whatever I need to do I probably have
some MS software that does it. Usually the roadblock could be solved
with Linux. I just don't have the time to figure out which program I
need, find the version which works with the distro I'm using, figure
out how to install it, then figure out how to use it.
Kerry

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[kurttrail]

Actually GCC is needed to install some of the free programs. They are
distributed as source code

LOL! And the average computer moron would know that?

Linux is fun. I enjoy testing it at least once a month. To me that is
fun, for the average user probably not.

And I am talking about the average person. Testing is something they
have nightmares about.

I install it on a spare
machine and try to use it as my everyday pc. So far the longest it's
lasted is a week before I hit some roadblock that I have to use a
Windows machine to get by. In all fairness I have access to the MS
Action Pack subscription so whatever I need to do I probably have
some MS software that does it. Usually the roadblock could be solved
with Linux. I just don't have the time to figure out which program I
need, find the version which works with the distro I'm using, figure
out how to install it, then figure out how to use it.

And you aren't the average user, which is the context of this tread.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Kerry Brown]

LOL! And the average computer moron would know that?


And I am talking about the average person. Testing is something they have
nightmares about.


And you aren't the average user, which is the context of this tread.

Agreed, sarcasm and irony are hard to get across in a newsgroup ;-)

I would love for Linux to work better. MS needs some real competition. Maybe
the new Mac Mini and OS X (Unix) will do it. All computer users would be
better off with a more competitive marketplace.

In the context of the OP eMachines is not the way to go. They have tried to
be too competitive and cut too many corners. I refuse to work on them. I
have seen too many that simply can't be repaired except by replacing the
whole unit with a better built machine.

Kerry

 

[kurttrail]

Agreed, sarcasm and irony are hard to get across in a newsgroup ;-)

ROFL! Don't I know that!

I would love for Linux to work better.

It's getting closer everyday. It just ain't ready for the average user
just yet. It would be nice is someone could get out a distro that was
more friendly to the average computer user before Longhorn becomes RTM.

MS needs some real
competition.
Agreed.

Maybe the new Mac Mini and OS X (Unix) will do it.

I doubt it. OSX is to tied to running specific hardware, and I don't
see Jobs getting OS X to run on all the hardware that Windows is capable
of running. Linux is the best shot at getting competition for MS.
Though many of the Linux advocates I've seen on the USENET are totally
delusional and are doing their very best at turning people off of Linux.

All
computer users would be better off with a more competitive
marketplace.

Tis capitalism. Competition is better for the market than regulation,
court orders, or the tyranny of a monopoly.

In the context of the OP eMachines is not the way to go.

Definitely! Much better to save up a little longer and buy a good
computer.

They have
tried to be too competitive and cut too many corners. I refuse to
work on them. I have seen too many that simply can't be repaired
except by replacing the whole unit with a better built machine.

Yeah, that is the usual means of really fixing an eMachine, replace it.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[NoStop]

Linux advocates are stupid, especially when their advocacy of Linux is
off-topic to the discussion at hand. Where did the OP ask anything
about Linux?

He asked for a SOLUTION to his problems. I offered him one. A very
legitimate one.

Linux is not the cureall to all computer-related problems. It is just a
different way of spinning a wheel, and has its own problems, especially
when it comes to setup and ease of use. Yeah, that may make Linux a

You have no idea what you're talking about here. Today's Linux distros can
be far easier to use than Windoze XP, and that is a fact. Easier because
one doesn't have to concern oneself with obtaining umpteen third-party
patches such as anti-virus programs, spyware sniffers and firewalls to try
and get some kind of security on your box that at any time can be defeated
by the newest malware. Add to that the insanity of the Windoze Registry,
that once corrupted essentially leaves your computer inoperable or the need
to concern oneself with keys and activations whenever the hardware is
updated, and one quickly learns that the Windoze "ease of use" is just so
much FUD. Where's the ease of use when one has to be constantly concerned
about the o/s crashing? Where's the ease of use when one has to be
constantly defragging ones harddrive? Where's the ease of use when
something as simple as a lost license key can mean your system is down?
Where's the ease of use when you have to constantly spend more money for
third-party "solutions" that the operating system itself hasn't provided?
Where's the ease of use when one has to run regedit to fix constant
problems that arise with a closed proprietary system that only the "gurus"
constantly reading KB articles can fanthom? If indeed they really fanthom
it at all.

little more secure than Windows, but that also makes it harder for
novices to actually use Linux. If the OP cannot successfully install
and configure Windows, which is much easier to do than Linux, how in the
world is the OP gonna be able install and configure Linux?

You obviously have no experience with GNU/Linux. My original suggestion of
trying something like Mandrake/Mandriva was made to the OP because it is
really easy to install. Sure it is a different computer experience. You
didn't learn to use Windoze in an evening and learning to run a different
operating system does have a learning curve. But it certainly isn't as hard
as Windoze FUDmakers like to point out. Every step forward with GNU/Linux
is in fact a step forward. With Windoze, it's always one step forward and
two steps backwards because as an o/s it just isn't up to scratch.

Anyone with a truely open mind will see that the advise to move to Linux

And you sir, lack an open mind and that is obvious.

is not on-topic, and is not a better solution to the OP's problem. And
you Linux advocates just look like stupid Zealots in the process!

Looks like the kettle calling the pot black.

God, please save Linux from its over-zealous advocates! Amen!

Why do you think that some of us who used to run Windoze and now don't are
advocates of Linux now? It's because we've taken the step towards changing
over from an inept operating system to a real one and have learned the
benefits of doing so. We are simply sharing our experience with others. Not
to make them Linux users, but to point out that there is an alternative
that really works well and should be considered. We do this for the benefit
of other computer users who are having many difficulties with their
computers because of the fact they are struggling to run their computers
with an operating system that is inherently problematic in so many ways.
Why are people like you so afraid that so many of us have chosen to abandon
your beloved operating system that is so unstable, insecure and kludgy? Are
you trying to protecting your Microsoft stocks? Or are you afraid that once
people wake up to a better way of computing, you will no longer be the
"guru"?

And you cannot accuse me of having any towards Microsoft! Just checkout
my sig.

Your sig is just so much b.s. or you would wake up and smell the coffee.

--

ø¤º°`°ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°øø¤º°`°ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°ø
Windows is *NOT* a virus. Viruses are small and efficient.
Tired of the insecurity of your Wintendo box? Update to GNU/Linux
STOP the dummying down of America - Move to a REAL o/s.

 

[NoStop]

LOL! And the average computer moron would know that?

You are a pretty pompous ass, aren't you? Calling fellow computer users
morons and spreading your FUD so that you can appear to be the non-moron is
sad indeed. Sorry to inform you, but with user-friendly distros like
Mandrake/Mandriva, software is easier to install than under Windoze. Not
only that, but should you wish to remove a particular piece of software,
that is just a click away and ALL of the package is removed. Not like
Windoze where the end-user has no idea what should or shouldn't be removed
and all sorts of garbage remain on the system, clogging up the Registry and
using up hd space.

You aren't gawd's gift to computer users my friend and your so called
average computer morons can just as easily learn to run Linux as Windoze,
without all the insuing problems.

And I am talking about the average person. Testing is something they
have nightmares about.

So now you speak for the "average person". I'm afraid, you're one of them.
Very average indeed, with still much to learn about utilizing the full
capabilities of a computer which Windoze will never provide. Windoze is an
operating system designed to keep computer users "average" and never
realize the full benefits of operating a computer where the end-user is in
control as opposed to the programmers at MickeySoft. The only reason gurus
like you find Linux so hard to deal with is because Windoze has "protected"
you from really knowing how a computer operates. That's why I say in my sig
that Windoze results in the dummying down of the computer world.

And you aren't the average user, which is the context of this tread.

The context of this thread was to provide a solution to the problems the OP
was having. Sadly, you're the one who has chosen to make it something else.
Hopefully the OP will look into the advice I offered and try it out. My 25
plus years using computers has led me to make the suggestion that the OP
could find a solution by looking elsewhere and was meant to be helpful.
Sorry that you have decided this is somehow not in the best interests of
the OP. But then again, you consider him a "moron", I do not. I believe
that any computer user today, including those that have no other experience
but Windoze, can migrate to a better operating system and in so doing
overcome the inherent inadequacies one finds in the MickeySoft product and
be much happier after having done so, for all the reasons I pointed out.

--

ø¤º°`°ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°øø¤º°`°ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°ø
Windows is *NOT* a virus. Viruses are small and efficient.
Tired of the insecurity of your Wintendo box? Update to GNU/Linux
STOP the dummying down of America - Move to a REAL o/s.

 

[NoStop]

Actually, it sounds quite the opposite. Anyone that is running Windows
and gets viruses and/or spy/malware are those that are too stupid or
lazy to figure out how to protect their own computer systems.

I can't believe how you continue to denigrade other computer users. Does
this somehow build up your own ego? The only "protection" against all the
malware out there is by kludging together all these third-party condoms
that admittedly may not be able to protect against the next new attack that
is surely coming down the pike. A well designed operating system is
inherently designed to offer security and will protect itself without the
need for condoms on top of condoms. Windoze is not and GNU/Linux is. It's
as simple as that and Linux users can be lazy because we know we are
running a system that is not nearly as vulnerable to malware as is Windoze.

You see Mr. Windoze Guru, GNU/Linux is a true multi-user operating system.
That means that certain users cannot bring down the operating system itself
because they cannot install malware that can do that. Windoze on the other
hand is not a multi-user operating system. Any user can install or run
whatever is available on the system. If it ends up being some malware, that
is run then the whole operating system's security is breached. I know that
you just don't get it, but I'm certain that eventually you will. Necessity
will force you to, whether you want it to or not. So although you are akin
to a "moron" (your words) today, to survive in the computer world, you and
many others will one day wake up. It just takes the close-minded longer
than the open-minded to come to the correct conclusions and overcome the
MickeySoft FUD.


--

ø¤º°`°ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°øø¤º°`°ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°ø
Windows is *NOT* a virus. Viruses are small and efficient.
Tired of the insecurity of your Wintendo box? Update to GNU/Linux
STOP the dummying down of America - Move to a REAL o/s.

 

[kurttrail]

He asked for a SOLUTION to his problems. I offered him one. A very
legitimate one.

And a winluser that can't configure there hardware, are gonna find it
easier to configure with Linux? Bullsh*t.

You have no idea what you're talking about here.

LOL! Tried to use a Live CD yesterday, and never got into the GUI.

Today's Linux
distros can be far easier to use than Windoze XP, and that is a fact.

And I can be a transvestite, and that's a fact! Doesn't mean I am. I'm
an above-average Windows user, and yet I have NEVER found any distro of
Linux to be easier to setup and use than Windows. Quite the opposite.

Easier because one doesn't have to concern oneself with obtaining
umpteen third-party patches such as anti-virus programs, spyware
sniffers and firewalls to try and get some kind of security on your
box that at any time can be defeated by the newest malware.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/0,2000061733,39116229,00.htm

Add to
that the insanity of the Windoze Registry, that once corrupted
essentially leaves your computer inoperable or the need to concern
oneself with keys and activations whenever the hardware is updated,
and one quickly learns that the Windoze "ease of use" is just so much
FUD.

Most people that use Windows never even know about the Registry. I love
your FUD!

Where's the ease of use when one has to be constantly concerned
about the o/s crashing?

Really? I'm not concerned about that.

Where's the ease of use when one has to be
constantly defragging ones harddrive?

LOL! Once a month is constantly? Hell, I got lazy and didn't defrag
for six months and didn't notice any appreciable difference in speed.

Where's the ease of use when
something as simple as a lost license key can mean your system is
down?

If you are talking about copy-protection problems, I agree with you.

Where's the ease of use when you have to constantly spend more
money for third-party "solutions" that the operating system itself
hasn't provided?

LOL! Windows is bloated too much as it is.

Where's the ease of use when one has to run regedit
to fix constant problems that arise with a closed proprietary system
that only the "gurus" constantly reading KB articles can fanthom? If
indeed they really fanthom it at all.

Lost me here. Don't have constant problems.

You obviously have no experience with GNU/Linux. My original
suggestion of trying something like Mandrake/Mandriva was made to the
OP because it is really easy to install.

Assuming it will recognize all of the OP hardware on installation.

Sure it is a different
computer experience. You didn't learn to use Windoze in an evening
and learning to run a different operating system does have a learning
curve. But it certainly isn't as hard as Windoze FUDmakers like to
point out. Every step forward with GNU/Linux is in fact a step
forward. With Windoze, it's always one step forward and two steps
backwards because as an o/s it just isn't up to scratch.

With Linux, it's hard to even get that first step.

And you sir, lack an open mind and that is obvious.

Whatever. I never said that Windows is better than Linux. I'm not the
one with the obvious bias.

Looks like the kettle calling the pot black.

Why do you think that some of us who used to run Windoze and now
don't are advocates of Linux now?

Because you are purposely coming to a Windows group and giving off-topic
answers. Nobody here is looking to fix their Windows problems by
installing Linux. They would go to a Linux group if that was their
interest.

It's because we've taken the step
towards changing over from an inept operating system to a real one
and have learned the benefits of doing so.

No, its because you think Linux is more than it really is. The average
Windows user will have a harder time installing and using Linux than you
are willing to admit.

We are simply sharing our
experience with others.

Yeah, like born-again Christians!

Not to make them Linux users, but to point
out that there is an alternative that really works well and should be
considered.

Then do that where it is wanted and asked for. You only turn people off
by throwing Linux in their face when that is not what they are asking
about.

We do this for the benefit of other computer users who
are having many difficulties with their computers because of the fact
they are struggling to run their computers with an operating system
that is inherently problematic in so many ways.

And no one ever has any problems with Linux?!

Why are people like
you so afraid that so many of us have chosen to abandon your beloved
operating system that is so unstable, insecure and kludgy?

Could care less what you use. Linux is just an OS that has its own
problems. But you seem unwilling to admit it.

Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able
to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Look, up in the sky! It's a
bird! It's a plane! It's SuperOS!

Windows isn't perfect, and neither is Linux. The sooner ya'll figure
that out, the less you will antagonize. But you are a Zealot! You
can't see that Linux isn't ready for the average Windows user.

Are you
trying to protecting your Microsoft stocks?

ROFL! Check out my web site! I'm hardly an advocate of Microsoft the
company.

Or are you afraid that
once people wake up to a better way of computing, you will no longer
be the "guru"?

LOL! There you go again. "Better" is totally subjective.

Your sig is just so much b.s. or you would wake up and smell the
coffee.

LOL! I'm just waiting for Linux to actually run on my computer, and I
have yet to find a distro that is as easy to setup all of my components
on my system as Windows. I don't want to compromise what I can do with
my computer just to move to an OS that cannot do everything I can do
with Windows.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Duncan905]

Original Poster, checkin in. Yikes, didn't mean to host an OS war.
Thanks for offering that option, but I'd like to focus on remaining
in the WinXP platform for now.

I was brief in my original post, so here's more info:

Hardware capability wise it's still more than adequate for my needs.
I'm not looking to get a new system, although adding firewire &
DigiDesign's MBox is in the future, once the box is stable.

The "Restore" CDs are from eMachines & use Northon Ghost. No
plucking a file or driver off them. The Repair Console CD does give
drive access when the "corrupt/missing Registry files" error happens.


I couldn't format the drive because of massive amounts of home
recorded & concert music that can't be replaced. My first
solution was to buy a fresh HD & ghost installed XP onto it.
That was fine for a time, and it's possible the problems may have
been reintroduced by using my external Soundblaster Extigy USB.
(some XP compatibility warnings) It was, however, stable for about 6
months this way.

When the "Registry files" issue hit again a few months back I had
success using the Repair Console to get an earlier system state, but
after going through the tedium of re-installing some apps it crashed
again. I got it running, but I left the Extigy unplugged & the
nVidia drivers aren't functioning. They are present & I've
updated them, they display in the Hardware manager but do not appear
in the Sound Devices area of the control panel.

Fixing my sound drivers is secondary to my expectation that the
Registry will just corrupt again.

I have Norton System Works 04, performed a scan out of the box &
kept protection current. I use ZoneAlarm & AdAware. Before I
brought it home I let BestBuy do their $25 Patch/Update/Spyware clean
service. After the ghost install I had ZoneAlarm & Norton
running before I connected to the web.

I think I'm doing the right things, but I need the crashes to end.
If I'm ignorant of some hardware deficiency with nVidia's on-boards
please let me know. I'll build a new system if need be. It'll feel
better than paying $200 for an operating system I should already
have.

 

[Kerry Brown]

ø¤º°`°ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°øø¤º°`°ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°ø
Windows is *NOT* a virus. Viruses are small and efficient.
Tired of the insecurity of your Wintendo box? Update to GNU/Linux
STOP the dummying down of America - Move to a REAL o/s.

Your sig says it all. Most of America (and the rest of the world) is
populated by "dummies". Computers are getting easier for a "dummy" to use.
For the "dummies" the OS is irrelevant. The end result is all that matters
to the them. How many people reading this would know how or even want to
rebuild the motor in their vehicle yet almost all of them can own and
operate said vehicle. If it needs repair or maintenance they take it to a
shop. If they buy a new one it pretty much works the same as the old one.
They can get in and drive it without any help. It is unlikely that the end
user "dummy" will even know or care what OS they are using when computers
reach this point. The geeks, most of us reading this, will care but to most
of the world we are irrelevant. We are the mechanics and hot
rodder/hobbyists. The car geeks have endless arguments about the which brand
is best. The general public buys the one that has a cute colour, more
features, or better marketing campaign. Microsoft realises this, thus XP
Media Center. So far the linux community has not. They are concentrating on
the message of better security when the average consumer doesn't really care
about it. If and when someone in the linux community starts marketing on
features they have a very good chance of unseating Microsoft. They will have
to overcome the geek image of linux and the linux community will have to get
over the fact that most people don't want to learn how to setup and maintain
their pc. It will take very deep pockets but it could be done. Whoever does
it will turn into the next Microsoft and we can all rant about them when
they control the market

Kerry

 

[kurttrail]

I can't believe how you continue to denigrade other computer users.

LOL! I just know that almost everyone I know that have virus and
spyware problems are those that are either too lazy or stupid to figure
out how to protect their computer systems. I don't have any problem
keeping my system clean.

Does this somehow build up your own ego?

Nope. I just tell it like I see, and I pull no punches.

The only "protection"
against all the malware out there is by kludging together all these
third-party condoms that admittedly may not be able to protect
against the next new attack that is surely coming down the pike.

The best protection is using one's common sense.

A
well designed operating system is inherently designed to offer
security and will protect itself without the need for condoms on top
of condoms. Windoze is not and GNU/Linux is. It's as simple as that
and Linux users can be lazy because we know we are running a system
that is not nearly as vulnerable to malware as is Windoze.

LOL! Linux has never had any security holes to fix? Are you really
that far gone that you can't see reality anymore?

You see Mr. Windoze Guru, GNU/Linux is a true multi-user operating
system.

I am not a "Guru." If you can get it to work with your hardware. Every
distro I've ever tried, and it in the double digits now, usually can't
play nice with at least two of my hardware components on average.

That means that certain users cannot bring down the operating
system itself because they cannot install malware that can do that.

If they can get the system running to begin with.

Windoze on the other hand is not a multi-user operating system. Any
user can install or run whatever is available on the system. If it
ends up being some malware, that is run then the whole operating
system's security is breached. I know that you just don't get it, but
I'm certain that eventually you will. Necessity will force you to,
whether you want it to or not. So although you are akin to a "moron"
(your words) today, to survive in the computer world, you and many
others will one day wake up. It just takes the close-minded longer
than the open-minded to come to the correct conclusions and overcome
the MickeySoft FUD.

LOL! The average windows computer user would want to log on as Root!

Now again how is any of this on-topic to this thread? It's not. I
can't help the OP out of his problems configuring and running Windows.
Any one that is not a born-again Linux Zealot knows that Windows is
easier to configure with much more hardware than Linux, so your answer
of switching to a totally different OS, was not asked for, nor on-topic.


--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Kerry Brown]

Original Poster, checkin in. Yikes, didn't mean to host an OS war.
Thanks for offering that option, but I'd like to focus on remaining
in the WinXP platform for now.

I was brief in my original post, so here's more info:

Hardware capability wise it's still more than adequate for my needs.
I'm not looking to get a new system, although adding firewire &
DigiDesign's MBox is in the future, once the box is stable.

The "Restore" CDs are from eMachines & use Northon Ghost. No
plucking a file or driver off them. The Repair Console CD does give
drive access when the "corrupt/missing Registry files" error happens.


I couldn't format the drive because of massive amounts of home
recorded & concert music that can't be replaced. My first
solution was to buy a fresh HD & ghost installed XP onto it.
That was fine for a time, and it's possible the problems may have
been reintroduced by using my external Soundblaster Extigy USB.
(some XP compatibility warnings) It was, however, stable for about 6
months this way.

When the "Registry files" issue hit again a few months back I had
success using the Repair Console to get an earlier system state, but
after going through the tedium of re-installing some apps it crashed
again. I got it running, but I left the Extigy unplugged & the
nVidia drivers aren't functioning. They are present & I've
updated them, they display in the Hardware manager but do not appear
in the Sound Devices area of the control panel.

Fixing my sound drivers is secondary to my expectation that the
Registry will just corrupt again.

I have Norton System Works 04, performed a scan out of the box &
kept protection current. I use ZoneAlarm & AdAware. Before I
brought it home I let BestBuy do their $25 Patch/Update/Spyware clean
service. After the ghost install I had ZoneAlarm & Norton
running before I connected to the web.

I think I'm doing the right things, but I need the crashes to end.
If I'm ignorant of some hardware deficiency with nVidia's on-boards
please let me know. I'll build a new system if need be. It'll feel
better than paying $200 for an operating system I should already
have.

Sorry we all got off on a tangent and were ignoring your question. My
experience with eMachines is that they are very cheaply built. I have spent
many hours trying to repair them. In the end it was easier to refund the
customer's money and give up. I no longer accept them for repair. A lot of
the parts are proprietary and only available from eMachines. They only stock
replacement parts for a limited period of time. When the supply is exhausted
the pc can't be repaired. Even if you can get the parts often it doesn't
solve the problem as the part is engineered to be cheap to manufacture not
work reliably. I know this isn't what you want to hear but in my experience
it is reality. My advice would be to save your money until you can afford to
buy a better pc. In the mean time test your ram. Get memtest86+ from
www.memtest.org Try setting the BIOS to the slowest settings. Download and
install the latest chipset, video and other drivers from emachines if
possible. It may not be, I just tried to get to their support and it came up
with errors in IE and Firefox.

Kerry

 

[kurttrail]

You are a pretty pompous ass, aren't you?

LOL! Yes, I am! So what?!

Calling fellow computer
users morons and spreading your FUD so that you can appear to be the
non-moron is sad indeed.

FUD! LOL!

Sorry to inform you, but with user-friendly
distros like Mandrake/Mandriva, software is easier to install than
under Windoze.

Really? How?

Not only that, but should you wish to remove a
particular piece of software, that is just a click away and ALL of
the package is removed. Not like Windoze where the end-user has no
idea what should or shouldn't be removed and all sorts of garbage
remain on the system, clogging up the Registry and using up hd space.

I agree that many Windows programs have lousy uninstall routines. Is
that a Windows problem, or the writers of that software's problem?

You aren't gawd's gift to computer users my friend

I'm not your friend either.

and your so called
average computer morons can just as easily learn to run Linux as
Windoze, without all the insuing problems.

Really? If it is just as easy, then why aren't they? I've tried and
continue to try to run Linux on my system. Have yet to find one yet
that will run all of my hardware.

So now you speak for the "average person".

Always have been, schmuck. The average computer luser is stupid and
lazy, and yet I try to help them.

I'm afraid, you're one of
them.

I'm above average. My test for separating out the average computer user
for intermediate or above average users is the ability to organize the
start menu. And mine is meticulous!

Very average indeed, with still much to learn about utilizing
the full capabilities of a computer which Windoze will never provide.

LOL! What can you do in Linux that I can't do in Windows, and I mean
something constructive.

Windoze is an operating system designed to keep computer users
"average" and never realize the full benefits of operating a computer
where the end-user is in control as opposed to the programmers at
MickeySoft. The only reason gurus like you find Linux so hard to deal
with is because Windoze has "protected" you from really knowing how a
computer operates. That's why I say in my sig that Windoze results in
the dummying down of the computer world.

Linux is just an OS. It ain't perfection on wheels. You need to get a
little perspective.

The context of this thread was to provide a solution to the problems
the OP was having.

LOL! The OP can't configure hardware in Windows, no way is he gonna be
able to do it with Linux!

Sadly, you're the one who has chosen to make it
something else.

ROFL! You are delusional. All he needs to do is install his video
drivers. Not change OSs.

Hopefully the OP will look into the advice I offered
and try it out.

I hope he does too! And you should give him your email address so you
can answer all his problems setting up and running Linux! I'd love to
see you do that!

My 25 plus years using computers has led me to make
the suggestion that the OP could find a solution by looking elsewhere
and was meant to be helpful.

No, it was meant as advocacy.

Sorry that you have decided this is
somehow not in the best interests of the OP.

It's not! If it was then you'd offer to help him switch! Come on! I
dare you!

But then again, you
consider him a "moron", I do not.

LOL! You see him as a potential convert.

I believe that any computer user
today, including those that have no other experience but Windoze, can
migrate to a better operating system and in so doing overcome the
inherent inadequacies one finds in the MickeySoft product and be much
happier after having done so, for all the reasons I pointed out.

LOL! I am a computer user. I have yet to find it easy to setup and run
Linux on my computer, and I've tried many different distros.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Duncan905]

Please folks. Fight your OS wars in another forum.

Thanks, but no thanks to switching OS platforms today. I do
appreciate the info on this but I need help with WinXP.

I would love some more insight on how effective installing Win XP Home
Standard w/SP2 would or wouldn't be relative to my registry corruption
issues.

 

[kurttrail]

Please folks. Fight your OS wars in another forum.

LOL! That is what I was trying to tell the Linux Zealot to do. This is
a Windows group.

Thanks, but no thanks to switching OS platforms today. I do
appreciate the info on this but I need help with WinXP.

I would love some more insight on how effective installing Win XP Home
Standard w/SP2 would or wouldn't be relative to my registry corruption
issues.

I agree with Kerry. Save up your money, and get a better computer. If
you have the expertise to build your own, then I would go that route,
and choose quality products after doing research, and not just going
with the cheapes components.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

 

[Kerry Brown]

Please folks. Fight your OS wars in another forum.

Thanks, but no thanks to switching OS platforms today. I do
appreciate the info on this but I need help with WinXP.

I would love some more insight on how effective installing Win XP Home
Standard w/SP2 would or wouldn't be relative to my registry corruption
issues.

It probably won't help. From what you have described your problem is most
likely with hardware. I admit I am prejudiced against eMachines so take my
advice with a grain of salt. If one version of XP won't work, switching to
another usually has no effect. It may make things worse. The original
version from eMachines may have modifications to make it work better with
their hardware. Registry corruption can often be traced to bad ram or a
failing hard drive. What looks like bad ram can often be caused by other
hardware i.e. poor/failing power supply, poorly designed/failing
motherboard. I have seen some eMachines models that have a very small
proprietary power supply. When I hooked up a known good power supply with a
much higher rating the problems they had went away. Unfortunately there is
no room in the case to install a good power supply. Some models also use
non-standard size motherboards so changing the motherboard is out as well.
If you are stuck using the eMachine I would test the ram www.memtest.org
Then download the diagnostic utilities from the hard drive manufacturers
site and test the hard drive. Note be careful, some of the diagnostic
utilities may overwrite data on your hard drive.

Kerry