Plug and Play help

MaggieMay

Can somebody please help me! I have error messages coming out of my ears. Just a brief history. I bought a "clean up Windows XP for dummies" book thinking I could make our dial up connection quicker and avoid us being regularly kicked off the internet (plus I've never cleaned the computer up). Anyway, I did something in the misconfig part of the computer (don't ask me what - I followed the instructions in the book and because I've messed with it so much I don't know whether I'm coming or going!)

Anyway when I tried to log on to the internet nothing happened so I decided to uninstall the Peoplepc software and reinstall it. Three discs later and the software will only download to 40%. I called Peoplepc and they ran me through a few steps which ended up with the following error: "Phone and Modem Control panel can not be opened. You may have a problem starting telephony service." At that point Peoplepc informed me it had nothing to do with their software and that it was my computer (which was no surprise to me) and that they could not help me!!!

Therefore I called Geek Squad (at Best Buy) and the guy was really helpful and requested I follow some simple instructions he gave me which was basically getting into the Telephony service and making sure it's started. Through this process I received the following error messages: "Configuration Manager: The Plug and Play service or another required service is not available" another error I received was "Could not start the Telephony Service on local computer. Error 1068: The dependency service or group failed to start" and another "WIN 32: The service can not be started either because it is disabled or because it has no devices associated with it." I've truly messed things up huh? can somebody please help because I know I'm in over my head and I may just have to call Geek Squad in but because I messed it up I'd like to fix it!! HELP!

primesuspect

I'm moving this to emergency help, cause this sounds serious

welcome to Icrontic

adarryl

MaggieM, let's try a system restore to see if you can get back to your previous, yet working settings. Not knowing your comfort level with tweaking PC's, I will walk you through a few steps. Click on START, RUN and in the box that opens, type msconfig and click OK. Click on the GENERAL tab on the next screen if it isn't already open. At the bottom of that window, click on 'launch system restore.' The next window will offer to restore your computer to an earlier time OR create a restore point. Select 'restore my computer to an earlier time' and click NEXT. You will then see a calendar window open. Click on one of the dates that is BOLD and is just BEFORE the time you tried to tweak the computer using msconfig. As you click on one of the BOLD dates, the right side of the window will show restore points. You want to click on one that is labeled: System Checkpoint. If one does not show, select the next earlier date from the calendar until you get one that is labeled "system checkpoint." Select the "system checkpoint" to highlight it. Click NEXT and NEXT again. Let System Restore run; it will want to reboot your PC. Let it. There will be a delay at windows startup. Eventually, you will be at your desktop and System Restore will tell you your system has been restored to the earlier date.

From this point, try your system for awhile and see if it is back to normal. If it isn't, we'll try another route.

BTW, tweaking dial-up for connectivity is pretty much a lost cause. Disconnects are the result of 1) a bad modem or 2) 'First on; first off' policy of dial-up providers. Yep, they kick people off as more try to log on. P.S.-- a firmware update for the modem may help with disconnects, but let's not go there right now.

Anyway , holler back with the results from above and folk here will try to help. GL!

MaggieMay

Thank you for your response - I tried this a few weeks back and although I did try it as far back as the computer allowed me it didn't allow me to go as far back as I wanted to and therefore it wasn't effective. I've decided to call Geek Squad because this has been going on for months and no matter what I try and the advice I receive nothing seems to work. Thank you SO MUCH for your time and advice. MaggieMay

adarryl

Well, it's your PC and your call. However, you might want to try this before you go: START, RUN, MSCONFIG, OK; click on the SERVICES tab, click ENABLE ALL, APPLY and OK.

MaggieMay

I will definitely try that. Although I can't do it until tonight (I'm currently at work!). Thanks again! and fingers crossed!!

adarryl

No problem. BTW, the best way to toggle SERVICES is not through MSCONFIG but through this: START, RUN, services.msc, OK, click on the EXTENDED tab at the bottom of the next window, (it helps to maximize the window at this point) and scan down through the list either looking for services that aren't working such as PLUG AND PLAY, in your case, or services that are listed as disabled. You can check the STARTUP TYPE column to see if a needed service is DISABLED. If it is, right mouse click on the line, ie, PLUG AND PLAY, select PROPERTIES from the drop down that opens, and in the middle of the window that opens, look for STARTUP TYPE, expand the drop down with the arrow to show AUTOMATIC, MANUAL, or DISABLED. For your PLUG AND PLAY service, select AUTOMATIC, then APPLY and OK. You may do this with other necessary SERVICES you may have switched off through msconfig. Remember this about PC's: unless you have permanently deleted something, there is usually an UNDO. Just takes time and effort. Good luck either way you go.

P.S. The trick with any of this is: toggle off only one thing at a time then use your PC to see that all is still working as expected. If it isn't, you know what to go UNDO to bring it back the way it was.

MaggieMay

I'll try that too!! Thank you so much you've been VERY helpful.