All:
I just upgraded my daughters' Dell Dimension 8100–I went from 256 to 768 MB of RAM, and upgraded (finally!) from Windows ME to XP Home, SP2. It's working better in some respects, but when I boot up and log in, I keep getting a Windows Installer box that I cancel and have to wait on to disappear if I want to do anything else, and I get a warning about Antivirus not being active. I also can't get to the Control Panel; when I try to, I end up getting a DrWatson Postmortem Debugger Error message, with a request to send an error message (or not) to Microsoft. Whether I send the message or not, I can't do anything else until I go into the Task Manager and kill the DrWatson.EXE process.
What am I missing here?
Thanks in advance–
Tom vonHatten
All:
If this helps, I can't create new folders or get to the drop-down menus for file operations, etc.–and then have to kill Dr Watson again –at which point the whole screen gets erased to the background, and then the desktop comes back up–nothing else.
Thanks again–TvH
Even though folks all over the web regularly have complained about DrWatson, the plain hard fact is that DrWatson activates because there is something wrong. Annoying as it may be to some folks, DrWatson itself is not the basis of the problem.
Did you "Upgrade" from ME, or do you perhaps have the ability to make a clean installation (always the best option)
——
Immediately after installation of an Operating System, it is important to install DirectX 9.0c from MS site.
After that, and in the following order:
ChipSet Drivers appropriate to the MoBo and OS Peripheral Drivers
Next: XP SP2
Next: Microsoft Updates, including WGA and Windows Installer, and 50 plus critical updates and patches
Next JAVA JRE
Shockwave and Flash Player (if desired by owner/user)
Application Programs
Use a Disk Cleanup tool to get rid of Temps
Then Defrag
Following the order above will resolve many problems related to OS installation.
________
If you are presently having difficulty after an installation, and you have followed the above,
concider:
CHECKDISK
Start - Run - (type)chkdsk /f /r - enter
(takes about 40 minutes to complete the run upon rebooting)
Windows File Protection System File Checker
Start - Run - (type)sfc /scannow - enter
Doug:
First, thanks for the quick response.
Whether DrWatson is the problem or not isn't my actual concern: it's the fact that the system hangs up in DrWatson. I still have to stop the process in Task Manager to get any control over the PC back.
I did the "upgrade" installation. I've upgraded all the drivers that the XP install update suggested, and deleted all the programs it mentioned before actually starting the installation process.
I thought I had DirectX 9.0 on this machine already–I'll check on that and check with the Microsoft site to be sure I have all the pertinent updates and patches.
More later–and thanks for the help.
–TvH
Doug:
I've gone through and checked things over. Defrag was fine–I didn't have to do one, but went ahead with it anyway.
–I have to reload my Office XP disc (I had that before I upgraded) to get rid of the initial Windows Installer box, since that's trying to do something with Microsoft Front Page. The disk has been mislaid; once I find it, I'll reload.
–Other than that, I still can't seem to get the Control Panal to show up. I've gotten a window for it on occasion, with the flashlight searching for files, but it won't come up. I then get a DrWatson Postmortem Debugger message, and have to kill the DrWatson process to continue. Once this problem's straightened out, I have to reload and set up my printers, as they're on a server tied to a small network I have with a second computer using Win2K. I can't find the wizard to set up these printers.
–I also have gone to the "Set Program Access and Defaults" screen and tried to add/remove programs. I click on "Change or Remove Programs", and no programs are displayed.
–Tom vonHatten
Start - Run - (type)sfc /scannow - Enter <— note the required space before the "/"
I realize that you've just "checked things over" and that this is a recent OS installation.
However, Control Panel is a central component of XP and a frequent user interface.
Hopefully the above SFC will find and restore it, if not, we'll look at Registry issues.
_________
If you need to install printer drivers on this machine and do not have the original installation CD, you can go to the Printer Manufacturer Website to download the installation package.
_________
Do you happen to have an additional XP Home installation CD (not the upgrade CD that you've already used)
If you do have another CD, consider running a Repair Installation from Restore Console.
__________
In the meantime, I'll check the Registry requirements related to Control Panel.
Doug:
I agree–even though I've checked things over, I still could have missed something.
I tried the sfc command–no luck. I still can't get the CP to show up. I am not, however, getting any DrWatson messages at the moment, either.
I have the printer drivers I need, and have the instructions from D-Link on how to set up my home network the print server. That shouldn't be a biggie–but I want to have the CP working before I do that.
I did try to access the "Printers and Faxes" folder that's in the CP through Windows Help–and could. When I tried to back into the CP from there, though, it wouldn't do so.
And, alas–I have no XP disk other than the upgrade one. Sorry.
Thanks again for the help so far–TvH
Will you please post a HJT Log over in Malware Removal.
As you know. we are not qualified to analyze HJT Logs here in OCP.
However, I will take a look at your log when you post it.
I may spot something that can help us.
AND we'll benefit from whatever feedback you receive from a Malware Removal Expert.
Best Regards
