Computer Help, Please!
Despite the fact that my virus cleaner is no longer finding Sasser, my AMD Athlon XP 1700 computer still doesn't work. HELP!
It starts up Windows, but when I see my desktop it shuts down to a blue screen proclaiming a memory dump and telling me to restart while holding the F8 key to access safe mode. This problem doesn't happen in safe mode, but of course I can hardly use my computer for anything when it's that way.
I want to format my hard drive and start fresh. It's a long over-due maintenance task anyway, and I've got my data and software backed up to CD. The only data I would lose by formatting is my past e-mails. Eudora no longer works because of an "unhandled exception" that shuts it down as soon as it starts. I un-installed it and installed the latest version, but to no avail. So, it looks like I'll lose all my e-mail records of who I sent ConFusion ads to. From now on e-Mol is my only mail client.
Unfortunately, to format the hard disk I have to do so from the BIOS. The operating system can't do it because of course the hard drive is the disk it's running on. When my computer starts up, before starting Windows the BIOS is supposed to tell me what key to press for setting options, such as making my CD drive bootable for the Windows installation disk. But it never shows any such option. F8 doesn't do it. All that gives me is that safe mode menu. The computer is bootable from the floppy drive, but I don't know why. What good is that?
What if I take out the hard drive and expose it to an industrial magnet? Just kidding. But I'm feeling desperate.
Comments
ded-guy on May. 13, 2004 3:55 PM
For booting into the BIOS, [Del] or [F1] are good ones to try. For that matter, just go along the F keys and hit 'em all. One should drop you into the setup menu.
If that doesn't work, it *is* possible to boot from a floppy, load CD drivers and run the Windows installation CD. I'm just not sure how to make said floppy(floppies) right now.
matt-arnold on May. 14, 2004 7:26 AM
I managed to re-install Windows yesterday and over-wrote the old installation. Now I can't get it to detect any hardware, including the sound card that's built into the motherboard, and the USB ports that have my external modem, printer, and PDA hotsync cable. I'm pretty sure my motherboard came with a CD, so I'd better find it.
"My Documents" is still intact. All of my applications still remain in the "Programs" folder, but none of them show up in the start menu's Programs fly-out.
I'll use your tip tonight to try to format the hard drive.
matt-arnold on May. 18, 2004 11:58 AM
OK, I found the motherboard drivers CD. That fixed the hardware issues. I also downloaded the patch for Windows to prevent Sasser infection, which happened twice since the re-install. Photoshop is no longer working because it says my personalization settings are not valid. I just yesterday remembered to back up my instant message logs from Trillian, and I finally figured out how. I have a lot of conversations saved on there that mean a lot to me to go back and read. I just wonder, if I format the hard drive what else would I forget and lose?
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