Plastic Nev

As mentioned by Randy, help files may not be directly accessible, however Microsoft have sorted that and you can now download the correct program. have a look here= http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917607 There is a lot of unnecessary stuff on that page, just scroll down to the download link for Windows 7 for the program for WinHlp32.exe. The next page sorts out if your system is 32bit or 64bit. and you just click the "Continue" button. Nev.

Hi, if an external monitor as suggested by Seedy (If you have or can borrow one) works OK, just one thing to try is moving the lid on its hinges while the computer is on, does that alter anything? Say for example a change in the pattern of lines, or even a return to the correct screen, as sometimes the cable connecting the monitor panel to the computer can break, or even just pull out of the socket it plugs into. That is a reasonably easy fix, price wise. Nev.

I have heard many times that the computer and now its little brothers, the small phones and different pads and tablets that can do everything, will eventually do away with the need for paper. However - - - - - - - - - Well just watch this- Le papier ne sera jamais mort / Paper is not dead ! on Vimeo

Good idea about the Windows start up music Ray, if everything on the computer has loaded it will play. Nev.

Hi, I run quite a few older programs on my Windows 7 desktop, they all installed and work well and only had problems with one that is now to old. A lot depends it seems on how old the program is as to whether it will run or not, so if your program is over around 8 years old, it may not. However Windows 7 will sometimes tell you during the install if it cannot run it. So providing you still have the install disk or other media, I would try it first and see. Otherwise it may mean buying the upgrade to Windows 7 Professional in order to obtain the Windows XP environment as per the link KenB provided. That in itself is one of the few Microsoft freebies, it's just the cost of upgrading to Windows 7 pro. Nev.

Hi Ray, having no disks may be a problem if you cannot find a recovery partition on the drive, have you looked if there is one? The fault from what I have learned on a quick look round, does seem to be a corruption of the Windows operating system so a copy of it is needed in one form or another. Fortunately there may be a rescue path if it is needed, though not familiar with it so after taking note of this thread from KenB and downloading the correct version of Windows 7. http://extremetechsupport.com/threads/14964-Re-Install-Win-7-on-OEM-Legal-Download Follow instructions for burning a disk and hopefully Ken will be able to help further, as a rescue or system repair by this method is something I am not familiar with, though I think it should be possible. if needing a free ISO image burner http://infrarecorder.org/ Is a good small and free program to use. Nev.

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. Being a netbook, there is a possibility that the connection between the base and the monitor in the lid is broken or a poor connection. This is usually a thin ribbon cable hidden by or inside one of the hinges. The other possibility is a fault on the graphics chip on the netbooks motherboard. To isolate which is the fault, either the monitor and connections, or the graphics chip, do you have, or can you borrow, an ordinary monitor with a VGA input to match the VGA port on the netbook? If so and that "External" monitor shows a good picture then it will definitely be the monitor in the lid or connections to it. You may need to open the graphics controls to enable an external monitor. If on the other hand the external monitor shows the same fault it may be a driver issue. Please let us know, "A" if you can try an external monitor. "B" what happens when you do. Nev.

Hi, my first thoughts are like yours that there is an odd infection somewhere on the system that has turned it into a web bot and is now in the command of some remote hacker, but finding where on the system is going to be difficult if indeed that is the problem. Like KenB I also have friends in IT, so have sent an E Mail and invited comment from him as a just in case we need more help. Nev.

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. Once you get back to us with those details, which will be of great value for us to help further by the way, can you please download and install Speccy, once installed run it and run the computer for a while, then either take a screen shot of what Speccy shows for temperatures, or at least copy and paste the results here please. That will help us if there is a heat problem. Speccy from here= http://www.piriform.com/speccy Nev.

Hi, I was going to ask if you had tried the hard drive check RandyL gave a link to. However having now looked at that page, unfortunately you need the drive and system to be working to run that test. I assume you don't have another computer as you say you are writing here on a mobile, but is there a friend who's computer can be used or borrowed? If so and you are willing to physically remove the hard drive from your own computer and then connect to your friends computer, (Ask if not sure how) We can then do some checks on the drive to see if it is OK or not. Nev.

Hi, although rare, obtaining advice from more than one forum can lead to conflicting advice which may result in damage. The main thing though is advisor's will quite often all come up with similar advice, meaning that we as volunteers on all forums, at least one of us if not more, will have wasted time which could be better used to help someone else. Our time is limited by other factors such as wage earning work or family as we are all volunteers in this business, lending our knowledge and experience to those needing it. However, if gaining no useful help on one forum, then OK come here and let us know what help has been offered, and why it was no good, that is a different matter. OK, now to your last question, a click on the small arrow to the left of the network controller will open a box which should tell us what make it is. If not a small program called speccy will list all your hardware and should also give you the make. You can download the free version from here= http://www.piriform.com/speccy Nev.

Hi, this is sounding a lot like the hard drive has died. We need to look in the BIOS to see if the BIOS is actually seeing there is a hard drive in the system. To get to the BIOS pages, press either the Del key or F2 as soon as you press the power on or start button. You may need to navigate round the BIOS to find if the hard drive is being seen by it, if no sign of the hard drive in there then I am afraid it is dead. For help in finding your way round the BIOS pages, have a look at this useful article. http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/ultimate_bios_guide_every_bios_setting_revealed Nev.

Hi again, which CD is it you are using, and what if anything is written on it? Is it a rescue disk created when the laptop was new or a disk that came with the laptop, or one you have got since then? When you say you pressed to boot from the disk, is this from a boot order screen, and if so does it show the hard drive as a boot option? Just need that info to know where to look next thanks. Nev.

Hi, Service pack one may be there already as it came out somewhere around the time you bought the laptop. Otherwise it should come as one of the update downloads. To check if it is there, go to control panel > System and Security > System. It should say on that page if service pack 1 is there or not. Nev.

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help Jaybee. Do you mean the fresh install is hanging and not finishing? as the mention of the AVG file shouldn't come into it until later, unless it is bundled with the original installation software. Can you let us know the make and model of the laptop please so we can look up how the reinstall should run. Nev.

Sounds too suspiciously malware related to me, in fact any unwanted activity can be quite often traced to something unwanted has installed itself. A check and scan with Malwarebytes and also Superantispyware might at least find it, SAS will if it is some sort of adware. If after that and still problems, post in security and let Starbuck or etavares have a look at the logs. Nev.

Hi thanks for letting us know all is OK now, and glad we could help. Sometimes a clear out and start from scratch is the quickest way out of multiple problems. If a couple of years old, there is just all the updates and service pack 1 to get back and all should be OK from there. Nev.

Hi, I am surprised there is no factory reset, unless you have now found it. If so then yes all virus and other malware will be removed. From reading the HP advice, if you have chosen System recovery, and you have no other partitions with data on them, this also should remove virus and malware, as once again it fully reformats the (C: ) drive. Not too sure about the Minimised Image recovery, but it does state you will be asked if partitions are required to be removed, removing them will hopefully get rid of virus as well. Is malware the reason for doing this, or were there other problems? If malware and virus was all, our security and virus removal guys could have helped. Nev.

Hi, have a look at this= http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&taskId=115&prodSeriesId=3938633&prodTypeId=321957&objectID=c02638587 or this= Nev.

Hum, I am surprised, as the colours are correct. Without knowing the circuit, and doubt there is any circuit diagram available, I do wonder at its purpose except as some sort of current limiting resistor. As I said, that low a resistance is nearly a short circuit anyway so if your meter is showing it to be still below 1 ohm at 0.7 which granted is nearly three times higher, I doubt that this resistor is the reason for the full circuit failure. Maybe get a dimmer monitor screen because of it, but not full failure. However if you can obtain a replacement cheaply enough, then go for it, it won't cause harm replacing it, though do be ready for disappointment if the monitor still doesn't work. Nev.

Hi, there are nowadays quite few different means of resetting any computer back to Factory settings. Some computers come with disks, some with what is known as the restore partition and others with a partition that you are supposed to transfer to disk after setting the computer up. To help we need to know which system is used on your computer, so please tell us the make and model of your laptop, then we can find out and advise further. Nev.

I have no answer to your particular problem, however I will explain my set up. My hotmail account was set up when it was still called MSN, they later renamed it Hotmail. However my e mail address still ends with @msn. When I got this Windows 7 machine, I already knew that Outlook Express didn't work on it but the alternative was Windows Live Mail, so I set that up and that works, and I can as yet access my MSN account, which still receives e mail too. Microsoft are of course continuously changing things, and I am convinced it is just so some top manager can justify his existence as there is little reason for the changes they increment. For example, just because they bought Skype, they are now closing the old MSN messenger, which later became Windows Live Messenger, and integrating it with Skype. I like many others have been forced into something we maybe didn't want. Skype has its uses and I use it, but again Why fix something that ain't broke? Microsoft seem not to have heard that one. Nev.

Hi, good to know all is OK now, might just have been a bad install of a driver, now corrected by the re-install. Nev.

I agree with Synapse here, as well as the possibility of meter errors at such a low value, I actually am questioning the value shown any way, a photo of the resistor would be nice, but the colours on it will do, I must also ask, are you testing this resistor with at least one end un-soldered from the circuit board? and also in both directions, I have seen diodes with coloured bands on them. If a diode it will conduct one way, but not the other. I work with electronics on machine control circuitry, and as a licensed radio amateur, I have built audio amplifiers and radio transceivers, as well as repaired them, and never yet come across a resistor of such a low value, hence why I think you may have something wrong. However, if in fact this is the correct value at 0.24 ohms, a length of wire, say a foot of thin wire from a redundant bit of telephone wire, soldered in in place of that resistor, then try the circuit. 0.24 ohms is such a small value it is near to a full circuit any way, so a length of thin wire will be near enough as good a replacement for test purposes. Nev.

Hi what type of connection are you using for the internet? I doubt it will be the operating system or motherboard. If wireless, it could be waiting for the router, in fact the same can apply if wired. Nev.