Error Messages

[Sassie Mama]

Hey there, I have been getting not only messages that my window's xp is not geninue but last night. i can be reading something or anything and it reboots. And then when i get a Microsoft message saying something:Microsoft has encounter a serious problem: Send or don't send. Now my question is is that my window's doing that or not?? If i turn off my computer for awhile. lets say an hour or so i can be on here for a short time. ( Sorry for any typos but i'm typing fast here).What in your opinion is causing that?? Also my son loves to play games at www. disney.com and it will do the same thing to him. I checked my memory and i still have alot there so i'm stumped here. Any help out there. I have a feeling someone here will be getting a call in the morning.. wink wink. thanks everyone and any help will be appreicate.

[Chuck]

What generally happens is that once you get the message the windows is not genuine it stops getting updates through the Internet. If Win XP stops getting needed you are then more prone to virus infection.

Sounds like you might have a virus or a good piece of spyware causing this. Unless you know for sure your windows is not genuine it is quite possible you could be getting a false warning.

[darkangelsblade]

Chuck can you fix that problem? I am having the same problem Sassie Mamma is having.

[Chuck]

Yes

[Sassie Mama]

Someone told me to use a compaq quick restore disk on my computer and it would take care of all the problems that i am having now. But will it get rid of a possible virus. I know that i will lose my Window's xp and alot of stuff on here but what about the bad stuff?? I am so confused here between hubby and everything else here. I just want it fixed!! Friday is my 44th wait i mean 21st birthday and shoot i want to go celebrate hehehee. Again any help will be appreciated. Thank you!! :-)

[kcredden]

To all who use quick restore disks. Be sure to back up anything you wouldn't want to loose, otherwise you will. Those disk do nothing but wipe your HD clean of everything and reinstalls Windows in a 'factory' state. Meaning the same way it was when it came out of the factory. It will eradicate viruses and other malware, but also your love letters, and important things.

Remember back up often, to CDRs, or DVDs and make at least 2 copies of every backup disk. DVDs and CDRs arn't 100% reliable

Oh! and Happy 21th :)

Someone told me to use a compaq quick restore disk on my computer and it would take care of all the problems that i am having now. But will it get rid of a possible virus. I know that i will lose my Window's xp and alot of stuff on here but what about the bad stuff?? I am so confused here between hubby and everything else here. I just want it fixed!! Friday is my 44th wait i mean 21st birthday and shoot i want to go celebrate hehehee. Again any help will be appreciated. Thank you!! :-)

[Foxy]

On that note Kevin or anyone else. What is a good program to use to back up your system? Preferably a freeware ;) free is ALWAYS in my price range.

[kcredden]

Hey, a vixen after my own cheap heart! :) Sadly, there isn't one program that will do all backups, but with a file manager, and knowing what to look for helps. I'd advise using Windows Explorer (start/run/ type 'explorer' in the field.) and the search engine that Windows provides.

If you use the search engine that Windows has, look for the following:

For graphic files search for:
*.jpg
*.gif
*.png
*.bmp

For text, mail, and documents
*.eml
*.txt
*.doc

For movies:
*.avi
*.mpg
*.wmv

For sounds:
*.mp3
*.ogg
*.wav

99% of your files SHOULD be in your 'my documents' directory. If you back it up to CDR/DVDs regularlly that should help a lot. But the above will help find 100% of irreplaceable files.

If there's interest, I can write up a tutoral that has screen shots, and directions on how to a backup using Windows Explorer, and Windows built-in search. It's exceptionally easy.If you need CDR burning software, I know of a decient freeware CDR burning software, that works pretty good. NOt sure if it's set up for DVD yet.

On that note Kevin or anyone else. What is a good program to use to back up your system? Preferably a freeware ;) free is ALWAYS in my price range.

[Foxy]

Tutorial please... cause I am lost....

Doesn't take much to confuse me.

[Chuck]

Simple. Right Click your mouse om My Documents folder. In the Menu that pops up scroll down to "Send To" and select where you want to backup to. A CD Write I assume.

Do this for each folder on the drive you wish to backup.

System Restore will clean off everything. Even the viruses. The trick is not getting infected again while you are trying to put on thing like an updated virus scanner and all the winders updates. Could take as much as 6 hours to do, start to finish.

[Foxy]

Simple. Right Click your mouse om My Documents folder. In the Menu that pops up scroll down to "Send To" and select where you want to backup to. A CD Write I assume.

Do this for each folder on the drive you wish to backup.

System Restore will clean off everything. Even the viruses. The trick is not getting infected again while you are trying to put on thing like an updated virus scanner and all the winders updates. Could take as much as 6 hours to do, start to finish.

Thanks Chuck! That is helpful. That is also why I just take it to you, it is well worth the money at your place!!

[kcredden]

One thing I found here: Before you do a restore or re-format your harddrive follow this line of work:

Disconnect any physcial connection to the internet dial-up: your phone line, DSL - the DSL connection, Cable - the coax, or Cat5 cable (Any cable that connects your computer to the internet basically.)

Do the restore or reformat

Install Windows

Install all your protections; IE: Anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, etc.

THEN reconnect to the internet, and start doing the Winders updates. Otherwise you can (and most probably will) be re-infected. Can take as little as a few minutes, for there is dedicated malware computers out there, that flood the internet with this, looking for any unprotected computer. (note to everyone, I've already had that happen a couple of times before I learned about pullign the plug first :)

Chuck:

Do you know of anyway of saving all the update files and such that you DL from MS, when you do this update? That 6 hours is one major reason I stay away from XP, and stay in Win2k.

System Restore will clean off everything. Even the viruses. The trick is not getting infected again while you are trying to put on thing like an updated virus scanner and all the winders updates. Could take as much as 6 hours to do, start to finish.

[bdr]

I wipe my computer every couple of months, just because I install a lot of games and I am constantly tweaking and messing with windows, usually screwing it up.
Before service pack 2 for XP, I would get the sasser worm within 2 minutes of hooking up my modem.
Sassie Mama, if you are running the original software that came with your machine, I would seriously consider letting Chuck or someone do a clean install from a Windows XP SP2 disk. The main reason being Compaq and most of the other computer manufacturers have their own data-mining software and crap that they pre-install. If someone does a clean install, you can add only the programs you want and have a smoother running system.
I am sure Chuck and the rest will agree that the least amount of programs running in the system tray, the better windows runs. If you have more than 5 or so icons next to your clock, thats close to too many things at once..
Just something to think about!

BDR

Do you know of anyway of saving all the update files and such that you DL from MS, when you do this update? That 6 hours is one major reason I stay away from XP, and stay in Win2k
kc, You can slip-stream a copy of Windows XP with service pack 2 which will cut a LOT off of the update times too !
http://www.helpwithwindows.com/WindowsXP/winxp-sp2-bootcd.html

BDR

[Sassie Mama]

Hey everyone!! Thanks so much for the advice here. it's great to have so many knowledgable people here on one website. And a special thanks to everyone at TCS. You all did a great job fixing this thing. Much appreciated. But there is one thing. I miss the blue and green toolbar hehehee.but i will get used to the gray again soon. I got rid of Window's xp today (thanks to chuck) and i'm back using ME now.And I love it!! and it's running great!! again thank you everyone here and at TCS. Have a great evening and weekend :-)

[kcredden]

I use to do that, with Win98, due to it crashing so badly, it'd damage the FAT, or other vital part of it. I was SO glad to get on Win2k and I thought at first I was on linux for the first year. I never had to reinstall it, it was so stable. :) When XP came out, I liked it too. Till MS started that activation, and I would have to buy a new copy, when I lost my computer. I went back to 2k, since it was bought and paid for. At least it's stable, and now secure.

Boy you was right on the money with Sassy: I had forgot about that, mother's new Dell had the same problem, I'm going to wipe, and install 2k on it soon

Thanks for the advice on slipstreaming, BTW. I'll try that on Win2k. Hopefully I can get that straightened up.

And yes, I agree 100% about the # of programs running in the background. Protections is all that should be running.

I wipe my computer every couple of months, just because I install a lot of games and I am constantly tweaking and messing with windows, usually screwing it up.
Before service pack 2 for XP, I would get the sasser worm within 2 minutes of hooking up my modem.
Sassie Mama, if you are running the original software that came with your machine, I would seriously consider letting Chuck or someone do a clean install from a Windows XP SP2 disk. The main reason being Compaq and most of the other computer manufacturers have their own data-mining software and crap that they pre-install. If someone does a clean install, you can add only the programs you want and have a smoother running system.
I am sure Chuck and the rest will agree that the least amount of programs running in the system tray, the better windows runs. If you have more than 5 or so icons next to your clock, thats close to too many things at once..
Just something to think about!

BDR


kc, You can slip-stream a copy of Windows XP with service pack 2 which will cut a LOT off of the update times too !
http://www.helpwithwindows.com/WindowsXP/winxp-sp2-bootcd.html

BDR

[Chuck]

KC, Buddy. Clean your house and you will quite losing computers. LOL, I am just kidding.

Sassie, Thanks for your kind words. The blue and green tool bar are just images. As you can see, they don't make the computer run better.

Win98, WinME, WinXP and Win2000. All you said was make Bill Gates richer. Non of them are stable and to say stable and the word Windows in the same sentence is just crazy. LMAO

Windows can only be made partially stable with the proper amount of 3rd party software. They then need constant care by using this 3rd party software to keep them stable. Having a computer requires as much work and patients as your 1st born child. If you do not have children then your PC is your 1st born child and you can dispel and fear of having children in the future.

Adaware, Anti Virus, these programs will help you stay stable if you run them regularly.

Stay away from file sharing and XXX Sites. 80% of all infection is traced back to bad or infected downloads from these type sites.

DON'T CLICK on POP UP's that promise to fix your computer. They more times than not will cause your computer to become more infected.

Excessive POP Up's are caused from Ad and Spyware. A hint should be that if they are a part of the problem you are having, they will not be the solution to fix it.