my XP Pro is unstable

[Tom Gibbs]

My XP Pro with service pack 2 is unstable. Yesterday it was so unstable I
could barely control it. Clicking the mouse would usually bring about a
double click response even though I had done all I could to control mouse
click speed, reinstalled the newest A4 Teck mouse software a few time,
reinstalled the newest ATI video drivers a few times, etc.Click to shut down
a program and the one or two underneath it would often shut down with it.
Highlighting words or phrases was a crap shoot, try to put my cursor
somewhere and a whole phrase would highlight, and even more erratic stuff
was happening, like dropdown list dropping and disappearing before I could
read them. The keyboard commands were more stable.

I have:
Taken out the video card and reseated it.
Cleaned all my fans and the dust out while I was in there - watched all of
them working fine.
Deleted the video and mouse software programs from Control Panel.
Reinstalled Service Pack 2.
Reinstalled the video new drivers only - no fancy control program options
I did not reinstall the mouse program and drivers, but let MS drivers run
the mouse.

The computer is much more stable, but not completely stable.

I am considering reformating the hard drive and it all back up if I can find
where to save all my program setting, e-mails, etc, etc, etc. It is very
important that my machine be completely stable and reliable for work.

I have heard that MS only allows XP to be reload four times. Is this true?
If the program were completely stable that might be OK, but that is not my
experience right now. The system seems so complex and cumbersome that how
could one figure out how to maintain it without reformating? I have been
running XP Pro without a cookbook figuring that the Help was sufficient. And
it was when my problems were smaller.

How do I diagnose the system? System Information does not show conflicts.
Could my video card be at fault? It says it is OK. Yesterday clicking on a
Title Bar would diminish a program, but clicking the little box to diminish
would do create some screwy reaction or another.

Thanks to anybody who will write anything.
Tom Gibbs

 

[Hamish]

My XP Pro with service pack 2 is unstable. Yesterday it was so unstable I
could barely control it. Clicking the mouse would usually bring about a
double click response even though I had done all I could to control mouse
click speed, reinstalled the newest A4 Teck mouse software a few time,
reinstalled the newest ATI video drivers a few times, etc.Click to shut
down a program and the one or two underneath it would often shut down with
it. Highlighting words or phrases was a crap shoot, try to put my cursor
somewhere and a whole phrase would highlight, and even more erratic stuff
was happening, like dropdown list dropping and disappearing before I could
read them. The keyboard commands were more stable.

I have:
Taken out the video card and reseated it.
Cleaned all my fans and the dust out while I was in there - watched all of
them working fine.
Deleted the video and mouse software programs from Control Panel.
Reinstalled Service Pack 2.
Reinstalled the video new drivers only - no fancy control program options
I did not reinstall the mouse program and drivers, but let MS drivers run
the mouse.

The computer is much more stable, but not completely stable.

I am considering reformating the hard drive and it all back up if I can
find where to save all my program setting, e-mails, etc, etc, etc. It is
very important that my machine be completely stable and reliable for work.

I have heard that MS only allows XP to be reload four times. Is this true?
If the program were completely stable that might be OK, but that is not my
experience right now. The system seems so complex and cumbersome that how
could one figure out how to maintain it without reformating? I have been
running XP Pro without a cookbook figuring that the Help was sufficient.
And it was when my problems were smaller.

How do I diagnose the system? System Information does not show conflicts.
Could my video card be at fault? It says it is OK. Yesterday clicking on a
Title Bar would diminish a program, but clicking the little box to
diminish would do create some screwy reaction or another.

Thanks to anybody who will write anything.
Tom Gibbs

It sounds as though your pc is responding to spurious mouse imputs, and your
video is working fine. So the problem looks to be around your mouse. Have
you got a different one you can try, and use the standard XP drivers.

Hamish

 

[Rock]

My XP Pro with service pack 2 is unstable. Yesterday it was so unstable I
could barely control it. Clicking the mouse would usually bring about a
double click response even though I had done all I could to control mouse
click speed, reinstalled the newest A4 Teck mouse software a few time,
reinstalled the newest ATI video drivers a few times, etc.Click to shut down
a program and the one or two underneath it would often shut down with it.
Highlighting words or phrases was a crap shoot, try to put my cursor
somewhere and a whole phrase would highlight, and even more erratic stuff
was happening, like dropdown list dropping and disappearing before I could
read them. The keyboard commands were more stable.

I have:
Taken out the video card and reseated it.
Cleaned all my fans and the dust out while I was in there - watched all of
them working fine.
Deleted the video and mouse software programs from Control Panel.
Reinstalled Service Pack 2.
Reinstalled the video new drivers only - no fancy control program options
I did not reinstall the mouse program and drivers, but let MS drivers run
the mouse.

The computer is much more stable, but not completely stable.

I am considering reformating the hard drive and it all back up if I can find
where to save all my program setting, e-mails, etc, etc, etc. It is very
important that my machine be completely stable and reliable for work.

I have heard that MS only allows XP to be reload four times. Is this true?
If the program were completely stable that might be OK, but that is not my
experience right now. The system seems so complex and cumbersome that how
could one figure out how to maintain it without reformating? I have been
running XP Pro without a cookbook figuring that the Help was sufficient. And
it was when my problems were smaller.

How do I diagnose the system? System Information does not show conflicts.
Could my video card be at fault? It says it is OK. Yesterday clicking on a
Title Bar would diminish a program, but clicking the little box to diminish
would do create some screwy reaction or another.

Thanks to anybody who will write anything.
Tom Gibbs

XP can be reinstalled on the same system as often as you want. There is
no limit.