OH MAYNARD, I have got serious, serious computer issues now!

[jaybird]

I went and talked to a computer tech this evening. About a new monitor that I know I need, and explained the other problems I have with my display (the shadows etc.) He knew what I was talking about, described the problem perfectly. Suggested I go to www.nvidia.com and download and update for the driver.

WHICH I DID.

Oh man.

Now I'm screwed and tattooed. It wouldn't boot up for like 3 tries. THEN, it opened to DOS, asked if I wanted to start in normal mode or safe mode. I chose normal. Blue screen of death. Message saying "Windows Protection Error. Restart your computer. System halted."

So I did. Then opened Windows in 'safe mode.' Get a pop up saying, "Driver file that displays items correctly is not working. (NO CHIT SHERLOCK) Install new display driver. See Windows Update website for updating drivers."

I click okay, then get a window with 'help' from HP or Windows, heck, I forget. It said I could do a system restore. Fine, good, just take me back to 6pm tonight please.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO. It won't let me do a system restore. And nevermind I have icons the size of my big toe and I can't adjust my resolution either.

HELP! Lasher, hippie, GAwildcat, Dopey, Sneezy, Doc, Grumpy...I don't care. But I'm so close to hacking this bloody machine to bits it is NOT funny any more.

[Angelbabym]

i'm a ditz when it comes to computer, but when you put "maynard" in your title, it reminded me of when my aunts and mom called me that, dont really know what it means but it bugged the he!! out of me:D

[Lasher]

You can do a System restore, you need to make a boot disk

then boot with it, format your harddrive, repartition it, and reload your operating system.

You can make the boot disk off of any computer.


one minor detail if you use XP, you will have to call either your vendor, or microsoft and get a new disk to unlock your hardrive, last time I had to order one for someone they were $10.

[Lasher]

To repartition your hard disk:


If you have not already done so, insert the Startup disk (which you created using the procedure in the "Creating a Startup Disk" section) in drive A.

At the MS-DOS command prompt, type FDISK and press ENTER. The FDISK Options screen appears.
Current fixed disk drive: 1

Choose one of the following:

1. Create DOS partition or Logical DOS Drive
2. Set active partition
3. Delete partition or Logical DOS Drive
4. Display partition information


Press 3 to choose Delete Partition Or Logical DOS Drive, and then press ENTER. The Delete DOS Partition Or Logical DOS Drive screen appears.


Current fixed disk drive: 1

Choose one of the following:

1. Delete Primary DOS Partition
2. Delete Extended DOS Partition
3. Delete Logical DOS Drive(s) in the Extended DOS Partition
4. Delete Non-DOS Partition

If any of your partitions were created with a third-party disk- partitioning utility or installation program, press 4 to choose Delete Non-DOS Partition, and then press ENTER. If all your partitions were created with MS-DOS, press ESC to return to the FDISK Options screen, then skip to step 10 of this procedure.

If you chose option 4, the Delete Non-DOS Partition screen appears.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Delete Non-DOS Partition

Current fixed disk drive: 1

Partition Status Type Volume Label Mbytes System Usage
C: 1 A PRI DOS 23 FAT16 33%
2 Non-DOS 23 33%
3 EXT DOS 23 33%

Total disk space is 69 Mbytes (1 Mbyte=1048576 bytes)

WARNING! Data in the deleted Non-DOS Partition will be lost.
What non-DOS partition do you want to delete..? [1]

Press ESC to return to FDISK Options
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Type the number of the partition you want to delete, and then press ENTER.
To confirm the deletion, press Y, and then press ENTER.
Press ESC to return to the FDISK Options screen.
Repeat steps 4 - 8 if you have any other partitions that were created with a third-party disk-partitioning utility or installation program.
The FDISK Options menu should now be on your screen. If you have a partition that was created with MS-DOS, press 3 to choose Delete Partition Or Logical DOS Drive and press ENTER.

If you chose option 3 on the FDISK Options screen, the Delete DOS Partition Or Logical DOS Drive screen appears.
If you have a logical drive, press 3 to choose Delete Logical DOS Drive(s) In The Extended DOS Partition and press ENTER. The Delete Logical DOS Drive(s) In The Extended DOS Partition screen appears. If you don't have any logical drives, skip to step 19.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Delete Logical DOS Drive(s) in the Extended DOS Partition

Drv Volume Label Mbytes System Usage
D: 15 FAT12 65%
E: 8 FAT12 35%

Total Extended DOS Partition size is 23 Mbytes (1 MByte=1048576
bytes)

WARNING! Data in a deleted Logical DOS Drive will be lost.
What drive do you want to delete.........................? [ ]

Press ESC to return to FDISK Options
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Type the letter of the drive you want to delete and press ENTER.
Type the volume label if there is one and press ENTER.
To confirm the deletion, press Y and press ENTER.
If there are other logical drives you want to delete, repeat steps 12 - 14 above.
When all logical drives have been deleted, press ESC. An information screen appears.
Press ESC again to return to the FDISK Options screen.
Press 3 to choose Delete Partition Or Logical DOS Drive and press ENTER. The Delete DOS Partition Or Logical DOS Drive screen appears.
Press 2 to choose Delete Extended DOS Partition and press ENTER. The Delete Extended DOS Partition screen appears. If you don't have any extended DOS partitions, skip to step 21.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Delete Extended DOS Partition

Current fixed disk drive: 1

Partition Status Type Volume Label Mbytes System Usage
C: 1 A PRI DOS 23 FAT16 33%
2 EXT DOS 23 33%

Total disk space is 69 Mbytes (1 Mbyte=1048576 bytes)

WARNING! Data in the deleted Extended DOS Partition will be lost.
Do you wish to continue (Y/N)........................? [N]

Press ESC to return to FDISK Options
-----------------------------------------------------------------
To confirm that you want to delete the extended DOS partition, press Y and press ENTER.
Press ESC to return to the FDISK Options screen.
Press 3 to choose Delete Partition Or Logical DOS Drive and press ENTER. The Delete DOS Partition Or Logical DOS Drive screen appears.
Press 1 to choose Delete Primary DOS Partition and press ENTER. The Delete Primary DOS Partition screen appears.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Delete Primary DOS Partition

Current fixed disk drive: 1

Partition Status Type Volume Label Mbytes System Usage
C: 1 A PRI DOS 23 FAT16 33%

Total disk space is 69 Mbytes (1 Mbyte=1048576 bytes)

WARNING! Data in the deleted Primary DOS Partition will be lost.
What primary partition do you want to delete..? [1]
Enter volume label...............................? [ ]

Press ESC to return to FDISK Options
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Press ENTER to delete your primary partition.
Type the volume label, if there is one, and press ENTER.
To confirm the deletion, press Y and press ENTER.
Press ESC to return to the FDISK Options screen.
Press ENTER to choose Create A DOS Partition Or Logical DOS Drive. The Create DOS Partition Or Logical DOS Drive screen appears.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Create DOS Partition or Logical DOS Drive

Current fixed disk drive: 1

Choose one of the following:

1. Create Primary DOS Partition
2. Create Extended DOS Partition
3. Create Logical DOS Drive(s) in the Extended DOS Partition

Enter choice: [1]

Press ESC to return to FDISK Options
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Press ENTER to choose Create Primary DOS Partition. The Create Primary DOS Partition screen appears.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Create Primary DOS Partition

Current fixed disk drive: 1

Do you wish to use the maximum available size for a Primary DOS
Partition and make the partition active (Y/N)..............?[Y]

Press ESC to return to FDISK Options
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Press ENTER to specify the maximum size for the partition and make the partition active.
Make sure your Startup disk is in drive A and press any key.
Formatting Your Hard Disk
You cannot use your hard disk until you format it.

To format your hard disk:


if your hard disk drive is drive C, type the following command:
format c: /s
Press Y and press ENTER to proceed with formatting.
Once formatting is complete, type a volume label if you want one and press ENTER.

[jaybird]

Lasher, I tried to do a system restore, from my start menu option. It wouldn't let me.

CAN I uninstall this driver I just installed? I started to and got a pop up that said it 'all driver components and corresponding registry entries will be permanently removed from your system.'

THAT scared the bejeebers out of me so I clicked cancel.

I run Windows ME (ME as in MAJOR ERROR)

I do have a recovery disk(s) that came with the computer. "Recovery" sounds waaaaaaaaaaaay too much like 'reformat' to me.

Hey Lasher, wanna come over for a latte and oooh, say we play on my computer awhile? :D
ROFLMSAO!

[flute]

boy if you're in safe mode & able to get into the net, you're better off than my old pc..the one sitting in a box in our bedroom lol! We couldn't do nothing but NOTHING in safe mode... :eek::eek::eek:

said safe mode would let us fix our problem but I don't remember for nothing but nothing what we had to do..but i've been there...and no i'm not lying :rolleyes:

[jaybird]

Ummm Lash...can you translate that into English? :D I'm jeest a stoopeed woomun when it comes to doing much more than typing on this bloody machine.

But I don't think I have a start up disk. I have a 'recovery' cdrom.
3 actually. 2 that say system recovery and one that says application recovery.

But that resembles reformatting doesn't it?

GULP.

[jaybird]

flute, I finally got out of safe mode. But it's all farked up as far as appearance goes.

[Lasher]

yep the recovery cd, will reformat your hardrive.

You can try unistalling the driver, but it you are having so many problems you are booting in safe mode, after having all the other problems you have already had, i would say starting from stratch isn't a bad idea, but I can also understand not wanting to loose your files if you don't know how to burn them off.

[Ladytiger]

Jaybird-that is what my boyfriend does...email me if you would like our phone number- maybe he can help you.
((((((((HUGS)))))))

[jaybird]

I understand I can burn them to cdr's using document or something. I haven't got anything to lose.

If I upgrade to XP from ME, do I need to GULPreformatGULP first, or just buy XP?

If I uninstall that driver, will it JUST uninstall that new one?

idontwannadothisidontwannadothisidontwannadothisid ontwannadothis.

[Lasher]

it should only unistall the new driver, might unistall both, but at worst your display would be messed up, and as i understand it, it already is.


XP might create more problems, i.e. your printer, cdburner, etc, not working properly, all the way down to your sound card.

If you are able to get on line now, you are doing pretty good.

Did you look up your driver at nvidia, or just download one the tech told you to?

you might want to try that first, go to nvidia again and search to find the right driver.

[mewoman]

Jaybird, I know this won't help your current problems and you may already know this, but system restore is NOT automatically enabled in windowsME. This is one windows OS that you actually have to go in and set it up. That could be why you were unable to restore to an earlier time.

Anyway, if you decide to keep ME on your puter, I have a book specifically for ME. It won't help with all of your technical issues, but may help for some. (Just not this one, lol) This is how I found out you have to enable system restore manually in windowsME. It's kind of a tutorial along with a disc.

Anyway, I can send it to you for shipping cost only. Just let me know.

[jaybird]

Lasher, I downloaded the update specific to my driver.

What do I have to lose by uninstalling it? Not much it seems!

[nooshu]

I am so sorry you are going through such a nightmare. Believe me, I so understand.
I was looking for someone to tell me the simple, quick fix to make my computer "all better". Everyone tried, but nothing worked and with each new thing I tried, the computer just got worse. It was a miracle when I was looking at a regular page instead of the blue screen of death.
I did everything possible to avoid the "R" word. In hindsight, I wish I just did that to begin with. I frustrated the H*ll out of myself and drove myself nuts with trying a million different things. I don't know exactly what was wrong, but I'm assuming some files missing stuff or some corrupt ones, but the Big R, solved my original problem and all of the new ones that I had created. With everything burnt to discs, it was 4 hours start to finish, loading programs, files, passwords, setting up internet, etc. I had put in alot more than 4 hours avoiding the inevitable.
I just made sure that I printed alot of info off the internet, so I was totally prepared. If I was around, I'd run over and help you.
If you start off fresh, you then can see what problems are actually hardware issues, if any.I am so not telling you what to do. Obviously, that is just my opinion. I just hate to see you driving yourself nuts like this. It boils down to what you want to do.
I wish I(or anyone else for that matter) could tell you a simple answer to end this nightmare.((((jaybird))))

http://www.kissmyfloppy.com/j330jf3/img3c9ccd25186b4.gif

[smeans]

ROFL i love the cartoon.:D :D

hope you get your puter fixed jaybird!!!!