Anyone heard of this?


  #1  
Old 07-22-01, 05:09 PM
notaplumber
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Question

We had a 'worm' and additional hardware problems and needless to say, had to wipe the hard drive and start over. Now, whenever we open a window (explore, control panel, my computer.....any folder), we can't see anything. We have the toolbar and address line, but everything below that is a solid grey screen. If you right click you'll get a 'close' box. When you 'close', viola....your files. Explore doesn't do it though...just gives us some gobblety-goop we can't figure out.

We have Windows 98. We've tried uninstalling all our software, one program at a time, to see if it was responsible for changing some setting somewhere but no luck.

If anyone has any suggestions at all, we could really use your help.

Thanks
 
  #2  
Old 07-23-01, 03:48 AM
D
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That is a strange one, I'am just curious, when you redid you your system, did you do an undconditional format on the c drive. Is there only 1 drive or partition on the computer. When you installed the system was it functioning ok ?

Usually when I redo a system, I always prefer a clean install and not an install over an existing system, as sometimes it works and some times it doesn't. Do an unconditional format of the c dive...
format c:/u
once the system is up, and all drivers are in place, check if all is ok. then install your applications 1 at a time rebooting after each install before the next install. Check is all is ok. Do not have an antivirus software active during your software install, I generally install the antivirus software last.

 
  #3  
Old 07-23-01, 09:58 AM
notaplumber
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Thanks dkerr

We did an unconditional format on the C drive. There is only 1 drive, no partition. When Windows was first installed it was functioning OK (as best we can remember). We did install the antivirus software first and then all other programs. Every unconditional format of our C drive forces us to spend two more days re-installing and since we've already done it twice in the past two weeks I really don't feel up to another format (frustration factor). However, if we have to we will.

Another glitch.....since this has happened we can't get our Acer 620U scanner up and running. I've downloaded the newest driver but it just will not load. Keep getting a twain_32.dll error. (You must copy the twain_32.dll file from the source disk to Windows.) We've done this but to no avail.

Will keep plugging away...............
 
  #4  
Old 07-23-01, 12:44 PM
bigmike
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Cool Bummer

Gimme 5 minutes in a locked room with one of these morons that write that stuff! I will see to it he doesn't write anymore! Since you haven't went to far yet, try to format and install again. Maybe you just got a bad install? I would even format the drive 2 or 3 times unconditional. Then partition it so you don't lose everything again and try to install. I have had computers fight me and had to install Windoze 5 or 6 times to get it the way I wanted. Seems it never installs twice in a row the same way... That make sense? Anyway you can format to clear the master boot record too. Like this... type: fdisk<space>/mbr
Then format and install. Also make sure your video drivers are right, the scanner is not something to fret about now, we'll dig into that after the system is up and running good...
 
  #5  
Old 08-17-01, 05:35 PM
notaplumber
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Up and running

We finally formatted C drive again. Installation went smoothly and so far there are no problems. Even the scanner is up and functioning. Who knows what happened but for now all appears to be OK.

Thanks for all your advice.
 
  #6  
Old 08-18-01, 07:32 AM
bigmike
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Cool Windoze

It's just Windoze man. Did you format the master boot record? /mbr? Hopefullt you did, you should be OK now...
 
 

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