Windows Explorer and firewall playing up

[MMUK]

Windows 7 was designed around SATA so it shouldn't be a problem. I take it you have an IDE motherboard with a converter?

 

[Bale]

...if it's going to be like my laptop; cluttered up with sludge like Toshiba, or equivalent programs. In this case, I'd rather build another machine from 'virgin' components.

If you are thinking of a new machine, you could do worse than http://www.novatech.co.uk . They have a "No Bloatware" policy and all you get is the operating system ready-installed. I've been using them for years and their products and aftersales service have been great.

Pete

 

[Robbo3]

I used to reinstall XP on an annual basis, or greater, to keep the machine running crisply.

Check the floppy lead is on the right way round. Easy to get wrong ... I know 'cos I've done it ... several times. A combination of no grip & poor eyesight. In the end, instead of getting a friend to check the lead for me, I knew that if XP didn't find the floppy the lead was the wrong way round.

Before you get to the install stage, & if you don't feel confident to use the built in msconfig try a programme with a start-up cleaner to get rid of everything that starts with Windows

CCleaner is very good - use either the portable or slim version from
- http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/builds

I still believe that the best thing you can do for XP (after saving all your documents & photos etc) is to give it a fresh install BUT I wouldn't be using it connected to the internet.
Edit = wouldn't

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks Robbo.

First off, for some reason msconfig won't run. I just get the flag saying 'file not found'.
I wanted to slim down on the programs that load up at start-up, to quicken things up. That's when I discovered msconfig was missing from System32.

I can't install whilst connected to the internet, because the motherboard has to have updated chipset files installed after Windows is installed.

The biggest problem then is the floppy. If the drive won't respond, even though it is alive, then I can't use a SATA drive. And an IDE drive although usable isn't ideal. In short I am a bit dismayed. Every time I build a PC, some component or another seems to be a dud! :lol:

At the moment it's going through a spell of working okay. It just takes ages for the right click to respond. Once I walk away and make coffee, it finally wakes up, and it's ok until I shut down.

Going to get Number One Son over to check this floppy again though! Cheers for the heads-up.

 

[MMUK]

If you're stuck, I can take a look at it for you when I pop the allthread round

 

[Robbo3]

Lots of info on the web. eg,
Extract a New Copy of Msconfig.exe
Open a command prompt window. Insert your XP CD into the drive and enter the following command:
EXPAND -R X:\I386\MSCONFIG.EX_Z:\WINDOWS\PCHEALTH\HELPCTR\BINARIES

or
What I did to resolve the issue was:
Insert the Windows XP install media
Open up the I386 folder from the CD and search for msconfig
Copy the MSCONFIG.EX_ file to C:\WINDOWS\pchealth\helpctr\binaries
You will need to go to the Tools menu > Folder Options > View > and uncheck Hide extensions...
Rename MSCONFIG.EX_ TO MSCONFIG.EXE

What is the make & model of your motherboard?

 

[Benchwayze]

Hi Robbo.

I am reinstalling XP from fresh. if it doesn't work, I have the laptop to use online, until I can get a new motherboard. It's a Gigabyte board, (Model I can't recall, unless I locate the box!) a make with which I never had troubles before. And I forgot to mention, for some reason the master drive set itself up as 'F' Drive. Doesn't create probs, unless I download something that expects to go to 'C' drive, when I have to intercede of course and change the path.

I tried sometime ago to put msconfig onto the hard drive from my master disc, but it wouldn't copy the file over. So I am closing this down and going over to the lappie. Since I got rid of the junk on the Toshiba, it's running better!

Thanks again fellas.

John

 

[Robbo3]

OK.

For some reason I thought that you didn't have the motherboard chipset drivers.

I reckon you know enough to partition the hard drive during the install. 10GB is plenty for XP & the rest of the drive becomes the 2nd 'D' partition for all your programmes & documents.

When you have everything set up, take an image of the 'C' parttion using something like
Macrium Reflect Free - http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx
Easeus Disc Copy or Todo - http://www.easeus.com/disk-copy/index.htm

save it to CD/DVD then if you ever need to reinstall you have a pristine version of XP ready to go - no service packs, updates or drivers to worry about & it will take probably less than an hour from start to finish.

 

[Benchwayze]

I finally unearthed the problem.

I downloaded the program nLite and made myself a new Windows XP installation disc, with the SATA files integrated on a CD. This disc seems to work, so I am going to give it a go. I haven't reinstalled yet, as I am still rescuing stuff I need to keep. Already shifted cartloads of files to a large-capacity external drive, and backed up my system.
I also downloaded up to date chipset drivers and stored them on the big drive, as I can't get internet access without installing those. Formatting will wipe them from my Master drive of course!

I also used CC cleaner and sorted out a lot of stuff that was clogging the start-up.

In future, all files I want to keep that are space-hungry, will go into folders on the external drive.

And Robbo, the partition is a good idea; something I should have done when I first installed this present set-up. I'll certainly look int the links above too.

I'd like to thank everyone who has chipped in with advice and offers of help. It's all appreciated nd has been immensely useful.
Thanks again

John

 

[woodfarmer]

My wife and i switched from windows to ubuntu about 5-6 years ago. no problems. I do run an xp partition on mine but haven't fired that up for 18 months or so. Just use linux.

linux is free, it works (quicker than windoze) and neither of us has had a computer freeze or rash in 5+ years on any of our three machines.

 

[DrPhill]

My wife and i switched from windows to ubuntu about 5-6 years ago. no problems. I do run an xp partition on mine but haven't fired that up for 18 months or so. Just use linux.

I am a year or two behind you - but I use VirtualBox to run XP within Linux. Saves a reboot for the rare occasions when I need it (streaming video or doing Android development). Also means I can revert to a clean XP in seconds. That way you get your partition back and no longer need to dual-boot.

 

[mseries]

I'm totally Linux (Mint) on this laptop, my sever runs Ubuntu Server and my Raspberry Pi runs Raspbian, though these two are headless. On my laptop I have had some lock ups with Firefox and Chrome but so far none with Opera. I ran Ubuntu dual boot with XP for a while but not anymore, the handful of applications that I need XP for, MapSource and SketchUp, run OK with Wine.

 

[Benchwayze]

My wife and i switched from windows to ubuntu about 5-6 years ago. no problems. I do run an xp partition on mine but haven't fired that up for 18 months or so. Just use linux.

linux is free, it works (quicker than windoze) and neither of us has had a computer freeze or rash in 5+ years on any of our three machines.

I downloaded Ubuntu.
Now have the file on my hard drive. It tells me a memory stick of 32 gig isn't big enough.
I formatted a CD disc, but the program tells me the drive is in use by another application.
So I've been unable to make a 'boot-up' disc.

And how Ubuntu knew I have Roxio installed, I'll never know, because therein lies the problem. Ubuntu is a Roxio file, and wants to use Roxio to record to a CD, but the drive won't play ball; not even after restarting the PC.

I can't find a download for Linux so neither op system will work for me. I thought it sounded a bit too easy to be true!
Oh well...
Thanks any way WF

 

[mseries]

Are you saying your Windows system won't let you burn the Ubuntu iso to a CD ? You need to stop whichever process is using your CD burner so that Roxio may use it.

You probably don't need to format the CD, just burn the image to it. Your download will be an iso so make sure your burner program (roxio) burns the image an not just copies the file.

BTW Ubuntu IS Linux, the other poster is using the words interchangeably. I use Linux Mint which is built on top of Ubuntu which is built on top of Debian which uses the Linux kernel,

 

[Benchwayze]

I have stopped the process. Restarted, but still Ubuntu tells me that an application is using the drive. (Which I know isn't true).

I have tried it with a formatted disc and with a non-formatted disc, both with RW discs and DVD discs. No joy. I suspect a fault on the drive, so I am wasting discs and time. I'm giving up. I'll suffer this dithering Windows install until after Xmas when I'll get a new PC.
Cheers folks!

 

[mseries]

What do you mean Ubuntu tells you ? You haven't installed Ubuntu yet have you ? Can you burn anything else to a CD R ? Can you read one ?

What distro of Ubuntu are you after ? PM me with it and your address and I'll burn a disc and post it to you. I have older ones already, including Linux Mint 13 x86 32 bit which i am using. It's not the newest but it's the Long Term Support version which means it'll be supported until 2017

 

[Benchwayze]

Well Ubuntu doesn't 'tell' me, as such. I just get that message on screen as soon as I try to record.

The drive reads DVDs, plays windows media files, Audio CDs/files and I can copy files with drag and drop.

Tomorrow I'll try reinstalling Roxio, which is the burning program that Ubuntu starts, when I click on Record to CD.
I'll get back to you with the results.
Cheers for now.
John

 

[mseries]

I think the problem is that when you inserted the CD, windows started Roxio, the you started it again to burn ubuntu.

I am not familiar with Roxio but there might be a menu option to 'burn image to disk', on choosing this you'll be asked to locate the image that you want to burn to disk, this is the iso that contains Ubuntu,

Here is a video http://img.roxio.com/enu/flash/creator2 ... n-iso.html (I found this by googling for "roxio burn image to disc" , there is a PDF version further down).

So make sure Roxio is not running at all. Kill it from the Process Explorer. Start it from the Windows menu and see if you can follow the tutorial

 

[DrPhill]

I have 64bit mint 13 install I can burn and send.
Getting the install image is the hardest bit if you have no Linux to hand.
Windows tools do not make it easy. Once You have your first Linux install it is ridiculously easy.

If you are set on ubuntu then tell me which iso you want and I will download and burn you one if all else fails.