PC nightmare!!!

jonthejoinerjonthejoiner England
edited September 2007 in Hardware
I've just done a reinstall of XP, using method described on microsoft website to overcome a startup problem.
Everything now works fine except i now have 81 updates that will not load.

Can anyone help before i put a hammer to this machine.

Ps i'm not a Tech minded person

Comments

  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    "will not load" - does that mean you can download them from the Microsoft Updates site, but that the downloaded updates will not install?
  • jonthejoinerjonthejoiner England
    edited August 2007
    Leonardo wrote:
    "will not load" - does that mean you can download them from the Microsoft Updates site, but that the downloaded updates will not install?


    Yes that's exactly what is happening, theres about 80 of them and they don't install, giving there is a problem with your computer error but nothing specific.
  • scottscott Medina, Ohio Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    This is just a stab in the dark....

    You may have to re" Validate " your install.

    Scott
  • SiggySiggy Sydney Australia
    edited August 2007
    No - this is something i came across with someone else - it is specific after a reinstall - windows updates just wont install,
    I will try and find what i did and will edit this post when I do - I just want u to know it is a known issue and there is a fix - (I just need to rememeber what it is) :)

    OK - try this first:
    First install the newly released 'standalone' version of Windows Update
    Agent 3.0, v7.0.6000.374
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932494

    and then if that doesnt work - download and install the program from here:
    http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/Windows_Update_Repair_Tool/1123680932/1

    Windows Update Repair Tool is a program that tries to automatically clean up Windows Update errors. It uses information gleaned from the troubleshooter, forums, and other sources to eventually provide a definitive solution. In addition, WURT helps clean up a few specific virus and spyware objects that stop Windows Update and even can fix some issues with the McAfee VirusScan Home installers.
  • jonthejoinerjonthejoiner England
    edited August 2007
    Already validated new install

    Thanks Siggy,

    i've followed your instructions and the last link seemed to do the trick.
    All updates were finally installed and PC seems to be working ok.

    Browsers very slow tho. Using IE7 any ideas
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    Browsers very slow tho. Using IE7 any ideas
    How do you connect to the Internet?
  • scottscott Medina, Ohio Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    IE 7 has a Phishing filter that checks every page before it loads it. If it is a big page with lots of stuff it can take a while for it to load .
    Try turning it off. ( In the Tools menu )
    If that brings you back to normal speed ....Then that was it.
    It is up to you weather or not you keep it on or off. It is another level of protection. If you do not frequent "Questionable" websites It likely won't be much of a problem. But if you follow those links in emails telling you your bank account has a problem.....then your screwed.


    Or maybe it is something else ?


    Scott
  • jonthejoinerjonthejoiner England
    edited August 2007
    scott wrote:
    IE 7 has a Phishing filter that checks every page before it loads it. If it is a big page with lots of stuff it can take a while for it to load .
    Try turning it off. ( In the Tools menu )
    If that brings you back to normal speed ....Then that was it.
    It is up to you weather or not you keep it on or off. It is another level of protection. If you do not frequent "Questionable" websites It likely won't be much of a problem. But if you follow those links in emails telling you your bank account has a problem.....then your screwed.


    Or maybe it is something else ?


    Scott
    thanks i'll give it a try.
  • jonthejoinerjonthejoiner England
    edited August 2007
    Ok I've got everything back and all up dates installed and now i have the same problem i was trying to fix in the first place.

    When switching between users and occasionally when booting up i only get to my background picture, no desktop icons and no task bar.!

    Anyone heard of this before or even better know how to fix it.
  • scottscott Medina, Ohio Icrontian
    edited August 2007
    Not sure about that one but I found this on the slow browsing.

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928089?wt_svl=10248EWNa0&mg_id=10248EWNb0

    Scott
  • SiggySiggy Sydney Australia
    edited August 2007
    jonthejoiner wrote:
    Ok I've got everything back and all up dates installed and now i have the same problem i was trying to fix in the first place.

    When switching between users and occasionally when booting up i only get to my background picture, no desktop icons and no task bar.!

    Anyone heard of this before or even better know how to fix it.

    I am guessing - but if it was ok before u re-installed all the windows updates and now it is back to normal .................... possibly one of those updates is the culprit? Try uninstalling the updates one at a time and see if the problem fixes itself or not
  • jonthejoinerjonthejoiner England
    edited August 2007
    Siggy wrote:
    I am guessing - but if it was ok before u re-installed all the windows updates and now it is back to normal .................... possibly one of those updates is the culprit? Try uninstalling the updates one at a time and see if the problem fixes itself or not


    Thanks for the advice, sounds like i need to set aside a few days to find this little problem!
  • jonthejoinerjonthejoiner England
    edited September 2007
    :sad2:

    This is really starting to anoy me. i've tried all suggestions so far. it's getting worse by the day .

    Pc never boots to any user account now with a Taskbar or desktop icons.

    can anyone offer any suggestions as to where to go next Please.:confused::confused::confused:
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited September 2007
    Try a Windows XP "Repair" installation (not "Repair Console). Do you know how to do this?
  • jonthejoinerjonthejoiner England
    edited September 2007
    Leonardo wrote:
    Try a Windows XP "Repair" installation (not "Repair Console). Do you know how to do this?


    Thanks but no i have no idea how to do this is it complicated?
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited September 2007
    No, it is not complicated. You will need your Windows XP CD. Use the CD as if you were going to make a fresh installation of Windows XP. When you get to the point where it finds the previous Windows installation and asks you where you wish to install, there will be an option to select 'R' to repair the installation that's already there. That is what you want: to repair ('R') the Windows installation that's already there, which should be on the C:\drive.

    Have you installed Windows on a computer before? Also, do you have a genuine Windows CD or the factory "restore" CD with your computer? (sorry, should have asked these questions before posting the paragraph above)
  • jonthejoinerjonthejoiner England
    edited September 2007
    Thanks for your help

    I have a dell PC with a windows disk that was made when i first turned the thing on. it was a onetime offer to make a "recovery CD".

    It all sounds easy enough, Will i need to backup the user accounts as my Kid have a lot of stuff on here?
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited September 2007
    Do you know how to boot from a CD? That is, do you know how to start your computer so that it begins reading the CD instead of the Windows operating system on the hard drive?

    I'd like you to insert your CD into the CD drive and start the computer, watch the screen and look for something "hit any key" to enter setup. At this time, don't set any thing up. If you do the wrong thing, the restore CD will put your computer back the exact same software state as when you bought, wiping out all your configurations, files, and added software programs.

    Please report what options are available when/if your computer boots from CD.
  • jonthejoinerjonthejoiner England
    edited September 2007
    Ok I've booted From CD to a windows Welcome screen and menu

    To set up XP Now Press Enter
    To repair using recovery console press R
    To exit without setting up Press F3
  • IndigoRedIndigoRed Perth Western Australia Icrontian
    edited September 2007
    Do you know how to get into your bios? If so you need to reset your boot priorities so your cd is the first boot device. Your second boot device should be your c-drive (usually called hdd0) <-- that's a zero.
    So your boot priorities would be:

    1: CD-ROM
    2: HDD-0
    3: FLOPPY


    *Doh, changed your post... nvm...
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited September 2007
    press enter now..... If the disk is not corrupt it will come to another prompt in about 4 minutes asking if you want to repair the previous installl..

    press "r" to repair it......

    Cowboy
  • jonthejoinerjonthejoiner England
    edited September 2007
    Ok i've now managed to boot from Cd and get to Menue asking to repair press "R".

    It asks which instalation ie:1 C:\Windows

    selected that.

    Then came up with admin password. (don't have one so pressed enter)

    Promted With C:\ windows

    What now???????
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited September 2007
    Oh, I've never had to enter an admin password to install Windows. I've never had it setup that way. Just hit Enter again. Maybe that will do it. Everything else you described in the post above is the way it should be. You've made progress. You are definitely at the correct screen to commence a repair installation.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited September 2007
    You're at the windows recovery console, not the repair windows screen. Press "R" when it scans for existing installations of Windows.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited September 2007
    Leonardo wrote:
    Oh, I've never had to enter an admin password to install Windows. I've never had it setup that way. Just hit Enter again. Maybe that will do it. Everything else you described in the post above is the way it should be. You've made progress. You are definitely at the correct screen to commence a repair installation.
    Jon, please disregard my last post. Go with what Thrax has written.
  • jonthejoinerjonthejoiner England
    edited September 2007
    Thanks guys i've managed to repair the instalation and at the moment all working as it should.
    now the big except. i'm back to square 1 with 81 updates that fail to install, i know how to fix this but way back at the begining of this thread it was suggested that it may have been one of these that caused the problem in the first place, would it be wise to install them 1 at a time. a lengthy process me thinks.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited September 2007
    i'm back to square 1 with 81 updates that fail to install, i know how to fix this but way back at the begining of this thread...

    Groundhog Day! :eek:

    As painful as it might be, it wouldn't hurt to install the updates one at a time. When you are done, please make an image of the Windows partition. ;)
  • jonthejoinerjonthejoiner England
    edited September 2007
    Leonardo wrote:
    Groundhog Day! :eek:

    As painful as it might be, it wouldn't hurt to install the updates one at a time. When you are done, please make an image of the Windows partition. ;)


    Groundhog day indeed,

    I've printed a list of the updates from the windows site to help with identifying whats what. you say to make an image of the windows partition, not being a PC wizard, how do i do that?
  • jonthejoinerjonthejoiner England
    edited September 2007
    Thanks for all the help, the problem returned as one of my family let the pc do all the updates b4 i'd finished.
    Resulted to hard line attack and restored Pc with dell PC restore.
    Everything now ok!
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