Bj
Addon Developer
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2007
- Messages
- 1,886
- Reaction score
- 11
- Points
- 0
- Location
- USA-WA
- Website
- www.orbiter-forum.com
Was working on some computer today. Issue was, 'too slow with Norton pop-ups all the time'.
Great, just dandy.
Alright, I get there 9AM. I bring along;
Gateway 2001 computer, with 2002 modem.
I turn on the computer, it takes at least 5 minutes to start. Figured it hasn't had a cleaning since '01 so a fresh install was in order. Started backing up everything to EHD, from all profiles and also from Outlook. Since the modem was so old and only a modem direct connect via crossover Ethernet cable, it takes a special software (also from 2002) to connect to this modem. I ask for the CD, they couldn't find it. I found a version online so I downloaded it and placed it on the EHD.
This is where, I always second guess myself before re-installing, if I got everything and what would happen if it doesnt work after. So I thought of partitioning the drive, placing a new copy of XP on the HD, let them run on that for a while, then when they are ready and have all their programs all setup proper, I can delete the partition and get it ready for regular use.
So I wasn't really sure if there was a way to re-size a partition with XP CD, so I try using Ubuntu 9.10. For some reason (at that time unknown to me) it wouldn't allow me to re-size but only erase and start over. Puzzled, I booted Ubuntu normally off CD and tried Gparted. Same thing, it wouldn't allow me to re-size the partition.
Puzzled, mostly because it gave absolutely no errors. Norton's errors where useless and unrelated. By this time it was about 12PM. So I brought it back to my house where I had more tools to use.
This time instead of using Gparted, that was built into 9.10, I used the live CD, which is 0.4.8.6. Strapping in another HD into the computer just to test to see if Gparted would work on that HD, and it did. The other didn't. But now this time (since am using the bootable CD) it gave me an error, saying something around the lines of disk unreadable or something. Well anyway enough for me to realize I needed to do a 'chkdsk /f' with XP to look for bad sectors. And there where... many of them.
So the fix finally allowed Gparted to work. It was now about 2PM. I re-size the partition, and set the unallocated area as NTFS. It was now 3PM.
Started the XP boot install from CD, it started OK, then when it came to reboot, it rebooted, but it went to boot from the old XP install.
By now I was grinding my teeth.
On and off I go, trying to get it to boot to the setup partition after restart and finally on the 3rd attempt, just before I was going to go in and edit the boot.ini, it decided to work.
Now roughly 4PM. Patience running really thin.
The install gets up to about 20 minutes left, then I get the BSOD. Restart did no good, but the old XP install still worked fine. So I started over, and the stupid
thing wouldn't boot the setup XP. Second try this time, I got the thing to actually boot right. Then it actually pulls through on the install this time. Oh and about 6PM.
Almost seeing light at the end of the tunnel, I start the Service Packs. Apparently since the computer was issued back in '01, XP was not even SP1 yet, so I had to start install of SP2 and SP3. Can anyone guess what happened? BSOD during SP2 upgrade and another BSOD during SP3 update.
Really I look inside the case.
It looked worse than these;
How much worse might you ask? How about this, the CPU fan, you couldn't even see black.
Now really mad, patience thinner than ice in Hawaii, I find out that my sister used my entire can of compressed C02. Great, so I take the air compressor, and plug it in, and popped a fuse. With my fuse about to pop, I take the stupid thing, plug it into the side of the room that doesn't have the fuse as everything else. Open the garage door, step a few feet out, and close it behind me so that only the box, about 4 feet of hose, and myself was outside and I just let it rip. Unfortunately was the best time of the day. Cleaned that mess up, then withdrawing back to my room I finally got the thing working, running, and SP's installed. Connected to the (my) internet fine and working OK.
Now 8PM.
I take it back to their house, took half an hour just to show them how to let the computer 'automatically select' the NEW boot partition, and how to select the old if need be.
8:30PM, attempt to connect to the internet. Software kept crashing every time I tried opening it. XP would not even attempt to open it. Great, now at this point I was half glad I created a partition, because the internet wasn't working.
OK, booted to the old version of XP (startup was about 8 minutes,) then found an alternate version (USB vs Ethernet) version of the software. Booting to the new version of XP (shutdown 5 minutes, at least 5 minutes before I just unplugged it, and startup of about 45 seconds) and attempted the software, crashed yet again. By this time, I was really sore, and my patience was gone. At least I had some self-restraint left though, so not to show it. Anyway, they started digging around and they finally found the big 2' by 4' box that was next to the desk labeled [ISP provider].
That loads up slow as molasses, then finally it gets to the point of checking the hardware before continuing, when it stops and says almost exactly;
"We are sorry, your Operating System version (XP) is not compatible with this software"
Then something along the lines of only able to accept (and read carefully) Windows 95, 98, NT(including) XP.
:beathead:
My guess, XP SP3 must change XP so much that it is unrecognizable as the '01 XP.
Anyway, I call [ISP help desk] and I re account everything that they needed to hear. At any rate, instead of debugging like they normally would do, she just accepted I knew what I was doing, and checked for an update to the software.
There wasn't any, so now left with the option of attempting to downgrade to SP2 (again with that mess) and attempt to install it, or to update the modem for $3/month + $20 shipping.
Fortunately for me, they took the new modem. Now 9:30PM. Since there was nothing left to do I was getting my CD's together, ready to leave, when they started asking me (again) how to now boot to the old partition. So I wrote a step by step how to boot to the old partition;
:suicide:
Great, just dandy.
Alright, I get there 9AM. I bring along;
- External Hard drive
- Ubuntu 9.10
- XP SP2&3 disks
Gateway 2001 computer, with 2002 modem.
I turn on the computer, it takes at least 5 minutes to start. Figured it hasn't had a cleaning since '01 so a fresh install was in order. Started backing up everything to EHD, from all profiles and also from Outlook. Since the modem was so old and only a modem direct connect via crossover Ethernet cable, it takes a special software (also from 2002) to connect to this modem. I ask for the CD, they couldn't find it. I found a version online so I downloaded it and placed it on the EHD.
This is where, I always second guess myself before re-installing, if I got everything and what would happen if it doesnt work after. So I thought of partitioning the drive, placing a new copy of XP on the HD, let them run on that for a while, then when they are ready and have all their programs all setup proper, I can delete the partition and get it ready for regular use.
So I wasn't really sure if there was a way to re-size a partition with XP CD, so I try using Ubuntu 9.10. For some reason (at that time unknown to me) it wouldn't allow me to re-size but only erase and start over. Puzzled, I booted Ubuntu normally off CD and tried Gparted. Same thing, it wouldn't allow me to re-size the partition.
Puzzled, mostly because it gave absolutely no errors. Norton's errors where useless and unrelated. By this time it was about 12PM. So I brought it back to my house where I had more tools to use.
This time instead of using Gparted, that was built into 9.10, I used the live CD, which is 0.4.8.6. Strapping in another HD into the computer just to test to see if Gparted would work on that HD, and it did. The other didn't. But now this time (since am using the bootable CD) it gave me an error, saying something around the lines of disk unreadable or something. Well anyway enough for me to realize I needed to do a 'chkdsk /f' with XP to look for bad sectors. And there where... many of them.
So the fix finally allowed Gparted to work. It was now about 2PM. I re-size the partition, and set the unallocated area as NTFS. It was now 3PM.
Started the XP boot install from CD, it started OK, then when it came to reboot, it rebooted, but it went to boot from the old XP install.
By now I was grinding my teeth.
On and off I go, trying to get it to boot to the setup partition after restart and finally on the 3rd attempt, just before I was going to go in and edit the boot.ini, it decided to work.
Now roughly 4PM. Patience running really thin.
The install gets up to about 20 minutes left, then I get the BSOD. Restart did no good, but the old XP install still worked fine. So I started over, and the stupid
thing wouldn't boot the setup XP. Second try this time, I got the thing to actually boot right. Then it actually pulls through on the install this time. Oh and about 6PM. Almost seeing light at the end of the tunnel, I start the Service Packs. Apparently since the computer was issued back in '01, XP was not even SP1 yet, so I had to start install of SP2 and SP3. Can anyone guess what happened?
BSOD during SP2 upgrade and another BSOD during SP3 update. Really
I look inside the case. It looked worse than these;
How much worse might you ask? How about this, the CPU fan, you couldn't even see black.
Now really mad, patience thinner than ice in Hawaii, I find out that my sister used my entire can of compressed C02. Great, so I take the air compressor, and plug it in, and popped a fuse. With my fuse about to pop, I take the stupid thing, plug it into the side of the room that doesn't have the fuse as everything else. Open the garage door, step a few feet out, and close it behind me so that only the box, about 4 feet of hose, and myself was outside and I just let it rip. Unfortunately was the best time of the day. Cleaned that mess up, then withdrawing back to my room I finally got the thing working, running, and SP's installed. Connected to the (my) internet fine and working OK.
Now 8PM.
I take it back to their house, took half an hour just to show them how to let the computer 'automatically select' the NEW boot partition, and how to select the old if need be.
8:30PM, attempt to connect to the internet. Software kept crashing every time I tried opening it. XP would not even attempt to open it. Great, now at this point I was half glad I created a partition, because the internet wasn't working.
OK, booted to the old version of XP (startup was about 8 minutes,) then found an alternate version (USB vs Ethernet) version of the software. Booting to the new version of XP (shutdown 5 minutes, at least 5 minutes before I just unplugged it, and startup of about 45 seconds) and attempted the software, crashed yet again. By this time, I was really sore, and my patience was gone. At least I had some self-restraint left though, so not to show it. Anyway, they started digging around and they finally found the big 2' by 4' box that was next to the desk labeled [ISP provider].
That loads up slow as molasses, then finally it gets to the point of checking the hardware before continuing, when it stops and says almost exactly;
"We are sorry, your Operating System version (XP) is not compatible with this software"
Then something along the lines of only able to accept (and read carefully) Windows 95, 98, NT(including) XP.
:beathead:
My guess, XP SP3 must change XP so much that it is unrecognizable as the '01 XP.
Anyway, I call [ISP help desk] and I re account everything that they needed to hear. At any rate, instead of debugging like they normally would do, she just accepted I knew what I was doing, and checked for an update to the software.
There wasn't any, so now left with the option of attempting to downgrade to SP2 (again with that mess) and attempt to install it, or to update the modem for $3/month + $20 shipping.
Fortunately for me, they took the new modem. Now 9:30PM. Since there was nothing left to do I was getting my CD's together, ready to leave, when they started asking me (again) how to now boot to the old partition. So I wrote a step by step how to boot to the old partition;
- Push power button (labeled with a sticky note) on computer
- Press down arrow when you see a 'count down' clock on the screen
- Press enter
:suicide:
