XP Screwed Up

[David Kerridge]

I have a Toshiba Satellite A15-S129 laptop. Intel Celeron 2.40GHz CPU,
40GB Hard Drive, 256MB RAM, with a DVD-ROM-CD-RW and its about 14 months
old, and has been working just great. I use Netscape 7.1 as my browser
on the laptop and on my desktop at home.

I bought the laptop to use when we go to Texas for three months in the
winter, our home is in northern lower Michigan.

My problem started when I got my Christmas present from my wife, a HP
Photo printer model 375.

I loaded the HP CD that came with the printer, when it was all done and
it restarted the computer, that is when it all started. Instead of
booting up directly into my desktop, I got a totally new screen, it had
a vertical line through the center and a horizontal line all the way
across the lower part of the screen. The upper left side said "Windows
XP -- To begin, check your user name. On the right side there is an
icon that has chess pawns in it and "User" along side of it. Below the
horizontal line, there is a button and along side of it says "Turn off
computer". Way to the right of this a statement said that after I got
my normal Windows screen up I could change the "User screen" or
something to that effect.

I got into my normal windows screen and went to where the user screen
told me to go, but the options made no sense to me, and even said
something about getting a system administrator to change things. I
didn't understand any of this so I thought that I could do a "Restore",
so I did that next and the computer locked up, it said that there were
missing "DLL" files and no matter what I did I couldn't get the computer
to go beyond this point.

I took the computer to a computer repair shop here in Boerne TX, they
got it to boot up at least without loosing any of my data, but that USER
screen was still there and it takes 18 to 25 minutes before I get my
normal desktop screen and my computing on or off line is about 10 times
slower than it ever was. In the "C" file listing there are a whole
bunch of strange look in files comprised mostly of numbers that were
never there before.

I am getting an OEM of Windows XP professional and I was wondering if
where is a way that I can format C and blow everything away and start
over. I have all of my data backed up on CDs, but with only a CD drive
I don't know just how to do it.

Help Help Help Dave Kerridge

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

The Windows XP CD is bootable and contains all the tools necessary
to partition and format your drive. Follow this procedure and allow
Windows XP to partition and format your drive:

NOTE: It would be best to physically disconnect all your peripheral hardware
devices, except the monitor, mouse and keyboard, before installing XP.

NOTE: If you have an internal Zip Drive installed, physically disconnect the
EIDE and power cable to it before proceeding, otherwise your main
hard drive may not be assigned the customary C: drive letter.
After installing Windows XP, you may then reconnect it.

1. Open your BIOS and set your "CD Drive as the first bootable device".

===> Accessing Motherboard BIOS
===> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

2. Insert your Windows XP CD in the CD Drive and reboot your computer.

3. You'll see a message to boot to the CD....follow the instructions.

4. The setup menu will appear and you should elect to delete all the existing
Windows partitions, then create a new partition, then format the primary
partition (preferably NTFS) and proceed to install Windows XP.

5. Clean Install Windows XP
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

[Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP]

6. ==> Immediately after installing Windows XP, turn on XP's Firewall.
==> http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

7. After Windows XP is installed, visit the Windows Update website
and download the available "Critical Updates".

8. After installing the critical updates, be sure and visit the support website
of the manufacturer of the computer to download and install any
available Windows XP compatible drivers, such as video adapter
and audio drivers.

9. If you happen to run into any installation difficulties, use the following resources:

How to Troubleshoot Windows XP Problems During Installation
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;310064

Troubleshooting Windows XP Setup
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_setup.htm

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Kelly Theriot]

Also, make sure to visit the Toshiba Support web site and download/install
the specialized drivers designed for your specific Toshiba PC and Windows XP.
http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/su/su_sc_home.jsp

It would also be a good idea to download and install the new ClearType Tuner
PowerToy:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| I have a Toshiba Satellite A15-S129 laptop. Intel Celeron 2.40GHz CPU,
| 40GB Hard Drive, 256MB RAM, with a DVD-ROM-CD-RW and its about 14 months
| old, and has been working just great. I use Netscape 7.1 as my browser
| on the laptop and on my desktop at home.
|
| I bought the laptop to use when we go to Texas for three months in the
| winter, our home is in northern lower Michigan.
|
| My problem started when I got my Christmas present from my wife, a HP
| Photo printer model 375.
|
| I loaded the HP CD that came with the printer, when it was all done and
| it restarted the computer, that is when it all started. Instead of
| booting up directly into my desktop, I got a totally new screen, it had
| a vertical line through the center and a horizontal line all the way
| across the lower part of the screen. The upper left side said "Windows
| XP -- To begin, check your user name. On the right side there is an
| icon that has chess pawns in it and "User" along side of it. Below the
| horizontal line, there is a button and along side of it says "Turn off
| computer". Way to the right of this a statement said that after I got
| my normal Windows screen up I could change the "User screen" or
| something to that effect.
|
| I got into my normal windows screen and went to where the user screen
| told me to go, but the options made no sense to me, and even said
| something about getting a system administrator to change things. I
| didn't understand any of this so I thought that I could do a "Restore",
| so I did that next and the computer locked up, it said that there were
| missing "DLL" files and no matter what I did I couldn't get the computer
| to go beyond this point.
|
| I took the computer to a computer repair shop here in Boerne TX, they
| got it to boot up at least without loosing any of my data, but that USER
| screen was still there and it takes 18 to 25 minutes before I get my
| normal desktop screen and my computing on or off line is about 10 times
| slower than it ever was. In the "C" file listing there are a whole
| bunch of strange look in files comprised mostly of numbers that were
| never there before.
|
| I am getting an OEM of Windows XP professional and I was wondering if
| where is a way that I can format C and blow everything away and start
| over. I have all of my data backed up on CDs, but with only a CD drive
| I don't know just how to do it.
|
| Help Help Help Dave Kerridge

 

[Adrian]

Wow that a long post! and all because your wife brought you a present I bet
that wont happen again!!!

Well the last question how to start over is easy (normally) just boot from
the XP CD and during the install you will be given an option to format the
drive. you will need to select "new install" and not the "repair the
existing" (I think this is a bill gates joke it never does work!) at that
point just select format you will be given a number of choices personally I
would go for NTFS quick format in your case.

Good luck

 

[David Kerridge]

Wow, what a great help you are, thanks so much.

Dave Kerridge

 

[David Kerridge]

Thank you so much, I just don't know what I'd do without help from
people like you. Many thanks again.

Dave Kerridge