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Media Center Making PC Crash
My media center is causing my pc to crash after it has been running
for say an hour. I have a 3 year old HP athlon 4600 dual core ,2 gb ram, with media center. is there anyway to refresh the media center software without formatting the hard drive and reinstalling the OS. I dont want to lose all my software that is installed. thanks. |
Re: Media Center Making PC Crash
Roky wrote:
> My media center is causing my pc to crash after it has been running > for say an hour. > I have a 3 year old HP athlon 4600 dual core ,2 gb ram, with media > center. > > is there anyway to refresh the media center software without > formatting the hard drive and reinstalling the OS. I dont want to lose > all my software that is installed. > > thanks. There would have been a method, if you built the PC yourself. There is a difference, between the approach used by Dell/HP/Acer/Gateway and the home builder. The HP box probably uses a "recovery partition", which returns the computer to factory state. Which means all your installed software, has to be reinstalled. If you had a real Windows CD in your hand, you can do a "repair install". If you start up, from a real Windows CD, there are two options. One is the "Recovery Console", a miniature OS for making repairs to the OS. The other option is for a "repair install". The repair install, returns the OS to its original state, but the installed programs are preserved. You have to go to Windows Update, and do all your security updates again, reinstall newer versions of Internet Explorer, perhaps reinstall Windows Media Player, but the other software you installed, your preferences, your email database, should remain untouched. http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm For best results, the installer CD should be slipstreamed to the same Service Pack you're currently running. So if there was such a thing as a Media Center installer CD, you'd start with that, and use NLite from nliteos.com, to build a slipstreamed CD. Then, follow the repair install recipe. For the owner of a Dell/HP/Acer/Gateway, what is the best way to manage the software ? Keep a folder, where all your program installers are located. The folder should be backed up regularly (in case the hard drive dies, taking all the installers with it). If you keep a folder full of program installers like that, it makes it easier to reinstall them later. A good question would be, "why doesn't HP support repair install", and I don't have an answer for that. If they wanted to check that the existing installed image was one of theirs, I would think that would be easy enough to arrange. I don't really understand the "recovery partition" philosophy, of having to reinstall all the user's software over again. Another tool you won't get to use, is SFC (System File Checker). In principle, SFC allows Windows to check all the system files. In my case, I keep the i386 folder on my D: drive, and I needed to make two registry changes, to get SFC to use the D:\i386 folder, to do the system file checking. Using the Performance Monitor, it almost seemed to me, that Windows was actually just copying all the files over again. In any case, I don't expect you have an actual i386 folder with 5000 files inside it, so SFC probably won't work for you either. SFC is not a solution for viruses, but it is another example of a tool that may not be supported by Dell/HP/Acer/Gateway. I did manage to buy a computer for a relative, where the computer came with a real Windows CD. It was a build option, for the product I purchased (as the company has limited build-to-order capability). So if you look around, at a smaller computer company, some of them offer the option to get a real Windows CD. Or, you can always buy a Dell, then buy a retail OS separately, which gives you more options, and less cruft (pre-installed software you don't want). Paul |
Re: Media Center Making PC Crash
"Roky" <rokybird@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:5860f780-4ba2-4c74-a93a-9b68d634f4dd@r34g2000vba.googlegroups.com... > My media center is causing my pc to crash after it has been running > for say an hour. > I have a 3 year old HP athlon 4600 dual core ,2 gb ram, with media > center. > > is there anyway to refresh the media center software without > formatting the hard drive and reinstalling the OS. I dont want to lose > all my software that is installed. > > thanks. -- If this is a blue screen crash what is the error message and code? What does event viewer show? What is running on media center? |
Re: Media Center Making PC Crash
Roky wrote:
> My media center is causing my pc to crash after it has been running > for say an hour. > I have a 3 year old HP athlon 4600 dual core ,2 gb ram, with media > center. > > is there anyway to refresh the media center software without > formatting the hard drive and reinstalling the OS. I dont want to lose > all my software that is installed. > > thanks. Hi there by the sounds of it you want to do a "repair install" which is basically following the install procedure without formatting the drive, this leaves your program folders and data on the drive but it will put in a new clean Registry so most of them wont work, you would have to reinstall/repair your software. you might also want to test your power supply and check your hard drive for error's. Repair Install http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341 (this description is for XP but should be the same for media centre) JD |
Re: Media Center Making PC Crash
"Roky" <rokybird@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:5860f780-4ba2-4c74-a93a-9b68d634f4dd@r34g2000vba.googlegroups.com... > My media center is causing my pc to crash after it has been running > for say an hour. > I have a 3 year old HP athlon 4600 dual core ,2 gb ram, with media > center. > > is there anyway to refresh the media center software without > formatting the hard drive and reinstalling the OS. I dont want to lose > all my software that is installed. > > thanks. did you ever do a backup ? Control panel - system - system restore tab - look at /choose restore point(s). If problem just started pick most recent restore. If still a problem - pick next one back ,,, etc |
Re: Media Center Making PC Crash
On Sep 8, 5:32*pm, "- Bobb -" <b...@noemail.123> wrote:
> "Roky" <rokyb...@yahoo.com> wrote in message > > news:5860f780-4ba2-4c74-a93a-9b68d634f4dd@r34g2000vba.googlegroups.com... > > > My media center is causing my pc to crash after it has been running > > for say an hour. > > I have a 3 year old HP athlon 4600 dual core ,2 gb ram, with media > > center. > > > is there anyway to refresh the media center software without > > formatting the hard drive and reinstalling the OS. I dont want to lose > > all my software that is installed. > > > thanks. > > did you ever do a backup ? > Control panel - system - system restore tab - look at /choose restore > point(s). > If problem just started pick most recent restore. > If still a problem - pick next one back ,,, > etc What is happening is when I make media center window FULL Screen the control icons on the window disappear and i cant control the media center. If i try to shut it down with windows task manager ,It DOESNT shut down. Now I installed a new video card two weeks ago but i believe this problem has been around for months. QUESTION: If i do system restroe back 2 months will it delete the software for the video card. If so how would I get my PC to run? I didnt install the card. Roky |
Re: Media Center Making PC Crash
On Sep 8, 7:59*am, "GTS" <x...@y.net> wrote:
> "Roky" <rokyb...@yahoo.com> wrote in message > > news:5860f780-4ba2-4c74-a93a-9b68d634f4dd@r34g2000vba.googlegroups.com...> My media center is causing my pc to crash after it has been running > > for say an hour. > > I have a 3 year old HP athlon 4600 dual core ,2 gb ram, with media > > center. > > > is there anyway to refresh the media center software without > > formatting the hard drive and reinstalling the OS. I dont want to lose > > all my software that is installed. > > > thanks. > > -- > > If this is a blue screen crash what is the error message and code? *What > does event viewer show? *What is running on media center? when i make media center full screen the control icons vanish and i cant control media center or get rid of it, even with windows task manager, i was running my satellite feed through the s video connection for live tv roky |
Re: Media Center Making PC Crash
On Sep 8, 10:57*am, JD <No.Re...@sorry.com> wrote:
> Roky wrote: > > My media center is causing my pc to crash after it has been running > > for say an hour. > > I have a 3 year old HP athlon 4600 dual core ,2 gb ram, with media > > center. > > > is there anyway to refresh the media center software without > > formatting the hard drive and reinstalling the OS. I dont want to lose > > all my software that is installed. > > > thanks. > > Hi there > > by the sounds of it you want to do a "repair install" which is basically > following the install procedure without formatting the drive, this > leaves your program folders and data on the drive but it will put in a > new clean Registry so most of them wont work, you would have to > reinstall/repair your software. > > you might also want to test your power supply and check your hard drive > for error's. > > Repair Installhttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341(this description > is for XP but should be the same for media centre) > > JD that sounds very complicated and dangerous, it will be a last resort, it might be easier me and safer to format the drive and reinstall the OS. Roky |
Re: Media Center Making PC Crash
On Sep 8, 12:05*am, Paul <nos...@needed.com> wrote:
> Roky wrote: > > My media center is causing my pc to crash after it has been running > > for say an hour. > > I have a 3 year old HP athlon 4600 dual core ,2 gb ram, with media > > center. > > > is there anyway to refresh the media center software without > > formatting the hard drive and reinstalling the OS. I dont want to lose > > all my software that is installed. > > > thanks. > > There would have been a method, if you built the PC yourself. > > There is a difference, between the approach used by Dell/HP/Acer/Gateway > and the home builder. The HP box probably uses a "recovery partition", which > returns the computer to factory state. Which means all your installed > software, has to be reinstalled. > > If you had a real Windows CD in your hand, you can do a "repair install". > If you start up, from a real Windows CD, there are two options. One is > the "Recovery Console", a miniature OS for making repairs to the OS. > The other option is for a "repair install". The repair install, returns > the OS to its original state, but the installed programs are preserved. > You have to go to Windows Update, and do all your security updates > again, reinstall newer versions of Internet Explorer, perhaps > reinstall Windows Media Player, but the other software you installed, > your preferences, your email database, should remain untouched. > > http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm > > For best results, the installer CD should be slipstreamed to the > same Service Pack you're currently running. So if there was such a > thing as a Media Center installer CD, you'd start with that, > and use NLite from nliteos.com, to build a slipstreamed CD. > Then, follow the repair install recipe. > > For the owner of a Dell/HP/Acer/Gateway, what is the best way to > manage the software ? Keep a folder, where all your program > installers are located. The folder should be backed up regularly > (in case the hard drive dies, taking all the installers with it). > If you keep a folder full of program installers like that, it makes it > easier to reinstall them later. > > A good question would be, "why doesn't HP support repair install", > and I don't have an answer for that. If they wanted to check that > the existing installed image was one of theirs, I would think that > would be easy enough to arrange. I don't really understand the > "recovery partition" philosophy, of having to reinstall all > the user's software over again. > > Another tool you won't get to use, is SFC (System File Checker). > In principle, SFC allows Windows to check all the system files. > In my case, I keep the i386 folder on my D: drive, and I needed > to make two registry changes, to get SFC to use the D:\i386 folder, > to do the system file checking. Using the Performance Monitor, it > almost seemed to me, that Windows was actually just copying all > the files over again. In any case, I don't expect you have an > actual i386 folder with 5000 files inside it, so SFC probably > won't work for you either. SFC is not a solution for viruses, > but it is another example of a tool that may not be supported > by Dell/HP/Acer/Gateway. > > I did manage to buy a computer for a relative, where the computer > came with a real Windows CD. It was a build option, for the product > I purchased (as the company has limited build-to-order capability). > So if you look around, at a smaller computer company, some of them > offer the option to get a real Windows CD. Or, you can always > buy a Dell, then buy a retail OS separately, which gives you > more options, and less cruft (pre-installed software you don't want). > > * * Paul I beleive i have a dvd of the OS partition D of 8 or so GB that i made from the partition D. Is this a real windows CD? that i can use for a repair or only for a format? Roky |
Re: Media Center Making PC Crash
Roky wrote:
> On Sep 8, 12:05 am, Paul <nos...@needed.com> wrote: >> Roky wrote: >>> My media center is causing my pc to crash after it has been running >>> for say an hour. >>> I have a 3 year old HP athlon 4600 dual core ,2 gb ram, with media >>> center. >>> is there anyway to refresh the media center software without >>> formatting the hard drive and reinstalling the OS. I dont want to lose >>> all my software that is installed. >>> thanks. >> There would have been a method, if you built the PC yourself. >> >> There is a difference, between the approach used by Dell/HP/Acer/Gateway >> and the home builder. The HP box probably uses a "recovery partition", which >> returns the computer to factory state. Which means all your installed >> software, has to be reinstalled. >> >> If you had a real Windows CD in your hand, you can do a "repair install". >> If you start up, from a real Windows CD, there are two options. One is >> the "Recovery Console", a miniature OS for making repairs to the OS. >> The other option is for a "repair install". The repair install, returns >> the OS to its original state, but the installed programs are preserved. >> You have to go to Windows Update, and do all your security updates >> again, reinstall newer versions of Internet Explorer, perhaps >> reinstall Windows Media Player, but the other software you installed, >> your preferences, your email database, should remain untouched. >> >> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm >> >> For best results, the installer CD should be slipstreamed to the >> same Service Pack you're currently running. So if there was such a >> thing as a Media Center installer CD, you'd start with that, >> and use NLite from nliteos.com, to build a slipstreamed CD. >> Then, follow the repair install recipe. >> >> For the owner of a Dell/HP/Acer/Gateway, what is the best way to >> manage the software ? Keep a folder, where all your program >> installers are located. The folder should be backed up regularly >> (in case the hard drive dies, taking all the installers with it). >> If you keep a folder full of program installers like that, it makes it >> easier to reinstall them later. >> >> A good question would be, "why doesn't HP support repair install", >> and I don't have an answer for that. If they wanted to check that >> the existing installed image was one of theirs, I would think that >> would be easy enough to arrange. I don't really understand the >> "recovery partition" philosophy, of having to reinstall all >> the user's software over again. >> >> Another tool you won't get to use, is SFC (System File Checker). >> In principle, SFC allows Windows to check all the system files. >> In my case, I keep the i386 folder on my D: drive, and I needed >> to make two registry changes, to get SFC to use the D:\i386 folder, >> to do the system file checking. Using the Performance Monitor, it >> almost seemed to me, that Windows was actually just copying all >> the files over again. In any case, I don't expect you have an >> actual i386 folder with 5000 files inside it, so SFC probably >> won't work for you either. SFC is not a solution for viruses, >> but it is another example of a tool that may not be supported >> by Dell/HP/Acer/Gateway. >> >> I did manage to buy a computer for a relative, where the computer >> came with a real Windows CD. It was a build option, for the product >> I purchased (as the company has limited build-to-order capability). >> So if you look around, at a smaller computer company, some of them >> offer the option to get a real Windows CD. Or, you can always >> buy a Dell, then buy a retail OS separately, which gives you >> more options, and less cruft (pre-installed software you don't want). >> >> Paul > > I beleive i have a dvd of the OS partition D of 8 or so GB that i made > from the partition D. Is this a real windows CD? that i can use for a > repair or only for a format? > Roky I don't think that is a real windows CD/DVD. Can you examine the contents with the file explorer ? A Windows CD would have an i386 folder with 5000 files in it, most of them compressed and the file names ending in an underscore character. There are two installer programs in the i386 folder, WINNT.EXE and WINNT32.EXE . One is used to start an install while a Windows OS is running, while the other is used while you're booted with a DOS floppy. Your DVD could simply be a copy of the C: drive, as shipped from the factory, and that is not an installer disk as such. There wouldn't be a good reason to have a WINNT.EXE or WINNT32.EXE file in it. ******* Based on the problem description you've given "Bobb", it sounds like perhaps the video card thinks it is driving two video outputs. If you go to Control Panels, and bring up the Display control panel, what do you see in the Settings tab ? Do you see two screens enabled, or is one screen grayed out ? If you click the Identify button, is the current screen #1 or not ? Perhaps when you go full screen, the other video display is getting the icons ? (An example, if they haven't blocked the image...) http://www.tweakguides.com/images/ATICAT_5.jpg (Same thing, only for an Intel graphics device...) http://www.intel.com/support/graphic...mg/Display.jpg In that case, there is a second video output, which is not being used. Paul |
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