Software to repair corrupted files?

binkie,

What happens is after I have loaded a program and need to restart the computer. The program I have loaded comes up with a message, "do you want to restart the computer now." I click yes, then it hangs up.

Do you mean install OR opened an already installed program on your system?

Are any of these relevant to your problem?

We will get there in the end.

kind regards,

What happens is after I have loaded a program and need to restart the computer. The program I have loaded comes up with a message, "do you want to restart the computer now." I click yes, then it hangs up.

Any program?

What happens if you say no, then reboot manually?

Note the holding in the button to force a power off is due to a setting in the BIOS - if you count, it should be about 4 seconds you need to hold the button. That part is normal.

Yes, it hangs up with all programs I have installed. If manually you mean clicking on the START, having the message come up with 3 squares (standby, shut down, restart), it still hangs up. Holding the power button in for 4-5 seconds works fine. Everything on the computer works fine except the restart. binkie

Well, sounds like a driver issue so I am back to tallin's suggestion that leads you to here .

Binkie, please look in Device Manager (Start then Run, type devmgmt.msc and press Enter) and see if there are any yellow marks next to anything. This sounds very much like a ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) problem.

One thing I'd do is go to the HP web site for your computer and download and install all the latest drivers listed there.

• Video
• Sound
• Network
• Modem
• Chipset (can be most important)

What HP model computer do you have? I'll take a look too and see whats available.

I looked in the device manager and there are no yellow marks. My computer is an HP Pavillion Model A640N

Binkie, this HP article talks about problems when updating to SP2 so it probably also applies to SP3. Read through it then come back if you have any questions.

Do you have Nvidia graphics? The article I posted a link to above has directions on determining what you have.
Do you have a TV Tuner card?
If so both should be updated per the link posted above.

This is the HP driver download web page for your computer: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwar…323&lang=en

I see the original Chipset and Graphics drivers but I would expect them to already be present when you did the clean install from the Recovery CD.

Hi Rich, thanks for the link. I don't pretend to understand it. I put my computer's model in Google and came up with a number of sites in which folks who have the same computer are having similar problems due to installing SP3. It appears to be a particular problem for owners of HP computers. I uninstalled SP 3 and the computer works fine. Now I am in the process of installing SP2 on my main computer and I'm on the old laptop. What I basically got out of the search of Google that anyone having this problem should contact MSN support (which for me is a total nightmare). Evidently there are a number of fixes out there that either do not work or have messed up the computer to which they were applied. Consequently, I guess I am going to go with SP2. Do you think this is okay? THANKS!! binkie

Hi Rich, thanks for the link. I don't pretend to understand it. I put my computer's model in Google and came up with a number of sites in which folks who have the same computer are having
similar problems due to installing SP3. It appears to be a particular problem for owners of HP computers. I uninstalled SP 3 and the computer works fine. Now I am in the process of installing SP2 on my main computer and I'm on the old laptop.

What I basically got out of the search of Google that anyone having this problem should contact MSN support (which for me is a total nightmare). Evidently there are a number of fixes out there that either do not work or have messed up the computer to which they were applied.

Consequently, I guess I am going to go with SP2. Do you think this is okay?

THANKS!!
binkie

You need to contact HP and download their SP3 fix - HP used non-standard Windows images that broke many AMD machines when SP3 was installed. Not Microsoft's fault this time as HP/Compaq had 9 months to play with and test SP3 before it went public. To make matters worse, HP blamed MS and the press jumped on it. Note this headline from PCWorld: XP SP3 Bug Makes Some AMD PCs Crash. SP3 bug? Yet in the same article they show how the problem is not with SP3, but HP not conforming to standards! How is that an SP3 bug? You can read what I thought of PC Worlds irresponsible reporting in the comments that follow that article. Funny how PC never responded.

Thanks Digerati! One quick question before I contact HP. SP2 works fine with my computer but when I try to install ANY updates for SP2 (after removing SP3) and Outlook Express (I like 6 better than 7, although I tried 7 and still it won't do a restart) my computer won't do a restart. Is this a different problem now too? Or is it related to my installing SP3, although it has been uninstalled? Thanks! binkie

Is this a different problem now too?

With 4 pages of troubleshooting in this thread, who knows? I'm just saying HP has a fix for machines not working after SP3. SP2 was not affected by this image problem.

I have generally found that patches that do not install properly often do not back out properly either. I am afraid I have nothing more to offer than all that has already been suggested.

Most likely the same problem since SP3 is SP2 + all updates up to the time SP3 was released. Follow Digerati's link and give it a try.

Most likely the same problem since SP3 is SP2 + all updates up to the time SP3 was released.

Pretty much that is true, but SP3 changes some default settings and has a few other subtle additions and changes, err, I mean "enhancements" too that are not in a fully updated SP2. One that annoyed me was SP3 removed my Address Bar in my Taskbar, and the option to put it back. Fortunately, a tweak came out to fix that.

Other than that, there were some welcomed security changes as well - not many, but enough to where if you have not upgraded, you are behind.

See Microsoft's abstract, Overview of Windows XP Service Pack 3 (a TinyURL Redirect) for more details.

Thanks! I emailed HP's support and am now waiting for a reply. binkie

One last message to thank you guys for all your help!!!!!!!!! HP service was no help. I kept getting replies from different techs who had not read my questions. After trying everything that was suggested and unable to try a few suggestions since no one answered my "how do I proceed" questioons, I took the computer to a repair shop and was told that this is a problem they are encountering more and more, and are not always able to repair. I guess I will have to live with it. There is one thing I shall never do again: Buy any products by Hewlett Packard! binkie