KenB

Until "someone smart" comes along you are stuck with me. Did you get through the repair install ? Which Service Pack is installed now ? Can you still boot up in Safe Mode without the system crashing ? Is your hard drive SATA ? ================ For KB's reference

Hi and welcome to ExTS You will not be able to do this. You cannot format a hard drive with Windows running. If my memory serves me correctly, Win 98 has a Start-up Floppy Disk. You would need to format the drive using this. A quick format removes all files from the Hard Drive. A regular format removes the files and also checks the disk for bad sectors. If you are going to go to the trouble of installing 98 then upgrading to XP I suggest that you take the extra time to run the regular format. You will need to check in the BIOS to make sure that the floppy drive is the first boot device.

Hi Do you get any error message ? Have you tried "Last Known Good Configuration" ? or Safe Mode ? To try these - switch on and tap F8 about once per second. Select from the list of options. ============ presumably you have files etc on the hard drive that you may wish to recover ? If you use the recovery partition or recovery disks you will lose these. There are ways to access the data - if you want to try ......before you try a recovery install.

Let us know how you get on :)

Hi, It could be. Often when the battery is failing the date and time will be affected as you say. However, the CMOS battery is the most common cause of "Checksum Error" Another cause is changes to the BIOS / BIOS update. If it is switching off suddenly I would be inclined to: 1. Remove the CMOS battery for 1 minute then replace. ( Note the + is on top ) This will reset BIOS to defaults. 2. If you still get the same problem the try replacing the CMOS battery.

Thanks for the feedback. No doubt others with a similar problem will benefit from the solution you provided :)

Hi Caroline, I am not a security expert - but your MBAM log looks clear to me. One of our security experts may be able to comment on the OTL log. Try a System Restore to a date just prior to the start of your problem. Start ...type in ....system restore ....ENTER DO NOT use the recommended restore point - select "Choose a Different Restore Point". If the problem is more than 5 days then check the box "Show Restore Points Older than 5 days" Select a date that is just prior to the start of your problem. Your data / photos / files etc will be fine. ( it is possible to undo the restore if necessary ).

The drivers may well be up to date and functioning - but we suspect the hardware has a laser fault. If you can burn DVDs and not CDs then the problem invariably lies with the laser that burns the CDs. One thing you can try is to delete the Upper and Lower Filters from the Registry. I suggest that you create a Restore Point first before you do any work on the registry. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows7/Create-a-restore-point This link shows in great detail how to delete the Filters. http://pcsupport.about.com/od/driverssupport/ss/upperfilters-lowerfilters-sbs.htm Please be careful editing the Registry. If you are unsure - ask. You still need to try burning a DVD if this doesn't work.

Hi and welcome to ExTS I am not a Win7 user so until Nev or somebody else chips in ........ Start > type in ....devmgmt.msc....ENTER Click the + next to "Sound Video Game" What is listed? Are there any yellow exclamation marks or Red Xs ?

I'm with Randy on this one. There are 2 lasers and the one for burning CDs may well be damaged. Try burning a DVD as suggested.

Thanks for your honesty. How do you know it is illegal? I suggest that you go back to "whoever" ( if you paid for the installation ) and ask for your money back. There is always the option of reporting them directly to Microsoft. If they are trading as computer sales / techs MS will no doubt take up your case.

If you can afford a little more on the Video Card take a look here: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/gaming-performance-radeon-geforce,review-32251-2.html HD5670

This error message from a few days ago mentions MSN Messenger 6.1 It implies that you were trying to install an older version of messenger ( 6.1 ) Take a look here: http://www.filehippo.com/download_msn_messenger/ Try installing the most recent version. (Right side of screen) If your system is running OK then you need do nothing more.

Hi and welcome to ExTS I don't use Ubuntu so advice may be limited. Could you ever print wirelessly on this network? Does this help? https://help.ubuntu.com/community/NetworkPrintingWithUbuntu ==================== EDIT: I found this that I wrote a while back. For XP Machine read Ubuntu For Laptop Machine read Remote XP The path on the Ubuntu machine will obviously be different - but you should be able to follow. On the XP machine check that the default printer is shared. Control Panel > Printers Right click on the default icon > Sharing > Check the box "Share this Printer" > Give the printer a name (Make a note of this) Still on XP: Control Panel > Network Connection > Local Area Connection > Properties Make sure that "file and print sharing" is checked Still on XP: You need to know the name given to the XP machine Right click My Computer > Properties > Computer Name Make a note of "Full Computer Name" On the Laptop check that the drivers for the default printer are installed. This will need to be Vista Drivers for your printer 1. On the laptop Control Panel > Printers > Add Printer 2. Select Add Local Printer ( NOT Network Printer) > Click Next 3. Select Create a New Port (leave the default in the drop down selection as Local Port) > Click Next 4. Windows displays a dialogue box asking a port name. Type in ..... \\Host name\printer name Host name - is the name of the XP desktop ( from previous instruction ) Printer Name - is the name you gave to the shared printer in XP ( see previous instructions ) so what you type should look something like the following: \\MyXPmachine\HPprinter (Be aware that this section is case sensitive.) Click OK

Hi and welcome to ExTS This bit confuses me... Are you saying that when the monitor goes off - the Boot sequence stops - then continues from where it left off when the monitor comes back on ? =============== Switch off at the wall - leave the plug in the wall socket. Locate the CMOS battery on the motherboard. (looks like a silver coin) Take it out and wait for 1 minute. This will reset the BIOS to default settings. Try booting again.

Hi, I found a similar problem caused by Windows Update Service. In Safe Mode. (if you have 8GB installed) Start > type in ......services.msc......ENTER Scroll down and locate Windows Update Double click on the service and select "Disabled" from the drop-down list > OK Restart in normal mode with the 8GB in place. This was a strange cause - BUT the system booted normally with this disabled. You obviously need to go back and enable it again.

I think you will be happier with your new choices. If you are spending that sort of money - it is worthwhile spending a little more on quality. Let us know how the build goes :)

Hi, I can't help with by-passing passwords - sorry. As I said before though, you seem to have more than just a password problem. Is this a new(ish) machine ? You said that there was an "upgrade" (memory). The only 2 things that come to mind at the moment to get you to the stage where you can type are as follows: 1. Take the RAM out of the machine. Switch on - do you get anything different happening? 2. Put just one module back ( assuming there are 2 ) Try booting again. Swap the modules over if no luck. 3. Locate the CMOS battery and remove it for 1 minute. This will reset the BIOS to defaults. The above is not related to your password problem - but may get to the point where you can type. 4. There is another option and that is to install a fresh operating system. There is no guarantee however, that you would be able to do this as, for the moment, your system seems to be frozen.

I can confirm what RandyL has said. If the m/board is exactly the same as the old one then all should be well without having to re-install :)

Hi and welcome to ExTS I have to warn you before we go any further - it is not our policy to provide any assistance at all in by-passing passwords. We have no way of knowing that the laptop is genuinely yours. I don't doubt that it is - but we have no way of checking. I hope you understand. We cannot stop you using Google to get past a computer's Blue Screen without the admin password. I have never heard of replacing a screen causing this sort of problem. It sounds like you have more than just a password problem. Did this machine ever work since you had it? If you switch on and constantly tap f8 ( about once per second ) can you access Safe Mode or Last Known Good Configuration?

64 bit Win7 is, to all intents and purposes, future proof. More and more software is being produced for it and, if your funds are a bit limited, you could run it on 2GB RAM for the time being then add RAM later. All packaged retail editions of Windows 7 (except for Home Basic) include both 32 and 64 bit software. (Not OEM versions) There is a short video here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/help/videos/32-bit-and-64-bit-Windows-7 You will need to install MS Silverlight

Sorry I should have beem more specific - no any 32bit system only supports up to 4GB. This would be illegal. 64 bit or 32 bit Win7 See here PSU options http://www.gamingpcbuilds.com/power-supplypsu/best-gaming-power-supplies-psu/ As far as I can tell the rest of your system choices look fine.

I have removed the link from your signature. Please explain why you you are advertising a computer repair facility. You have obviously added this to your signature recently.

I ran your test and my download speed was recorded ZERO. I note yours shows 1.09Kbps I ran the one provided by Match ( the one I usualy use ) and I get 10.1 Mb/s I suspect even your reading is wrong - 1.09 kb/s is very low. Have you tried the link Match supplied?

Hi and welcome to ExTS Try resetting the BIOS Pull the CMOS battery for 1 minute and replace. Note the + is on top. ======================== It could be a driver issue. Do you get a Blue Screen ? Does it dump memory ? This link may be of use.