my WinXP computer is permanently f***ed

[Chooco]

i kept getting message about cannot read memory and cannot write memory. i asked the really smart guy where i bought the computer and he said it's most likely not a memory problem but a Windows problem and possibly a virus so i should just re-install Windows. i put the Windows CD in the drive and i get into the install procedure. it says that i cannot just "re-install" windows by overwriting windows but i would have to do a fresh install then it tells me i can't run 2 operating systems on the same partition so i would have to format the partion which is the entire hard drive.

some of the stuff i have on this computer works and i have no clue how so i basically CANNOT format. things like MySQL, it has no users yet my forum can still log in and write it.....no problems there (yet). PHP is installed somehow and i don't remember how i did it.

so now my computer has memory errors ever few hours which causes my game server to crash and not restart because the error message is still up and i can't fix the problem because it will make my website all f***ed up.

well isn't this just great.

[Calum]

yup,

i'm afraid the people here are unlikely to be able to help you, which is unfortunate, maybe you could use a dynamic resizing tool to make your existing partition smaller, then install something else on the free space you just made at the end of the drive, then dual boot? this way, you can work out how to do all the stuff you need to do, while still leaving XP on your machine, set up the way it is in the meantime...

By the sounds of it though, that's not going to be much help either...

[lazygamer]

I must confirm something. Is this Windows XP fault in your opinion?

Im just curious what everyone has to say here. Can any form of software cause permanant irrepairable damage to the hardware aspect of the computer?

[Ice-9]

I don't know for sure if it's the os's fault but from all I hear XP definitely has a tendency of running fine in the beginning and screwing up after a few months        

Almost everyone I know of that had XPee installed either installed Linux or Win2K over it.
Only a few of them claim that Xpee runs games better than Win2K, although Quake 2,3, and Jedi Knight run perfectly on my win2K box.
I still didn't manage to get Quake 3 running with sound in Linux      

Couldn't you install a dual boot system with RedHat, let it resize your Windows partition and write your data away on a spare partition before you re-install XPee (if you really have to)?

[ July 04, 2002: Message edited by: Ice9 ] f**cking typos  

[ July 04, 2002: Message edited by: Ice9 ]

[TheQuirk]

I have a slighty different solutions.

Download a floppy based linux from another computer. Write it onto a floppy. Put it in the XP computer and reboot. Mount the harddrive, and upload the contents you need to a webserver. Reinstall windows and download your files from the webserver.

[HPC GUY]

if xp doesnt have the right up dates or newer drivers (the ones that come with it suck) you will have problems with certain hardware. look for driver updates for your configuration and if possible do a windows up date. I hate windows problems....

[Chooco]

the computer techie (who is very smart) said that the problem will probably go away if you re-install Windows. my original intention was to buy more ram (already got 512) but he said it wouldn't fix the problem. the problem keeps getting worse and worse and worse. i think i'm gonna put a blank hard drive into this thing and test Linux for a bit to see if Linux has the same problem, then i will DEFINATELY knwo it's Windows.

btw is Linux faster on Intel things than AMD things?

[Calum]

quite frankly, you should tell this guy who supposedly knows his stuff that installing linux will probably make the problem 'go away'. I'd be suspicious of anybody that trusts 'probably' as a serious concept in any kind of engineering.

Good luck with linux, btw, re: AMD/intel, i gather that nowadays, many apps run faster on AMD than intel, due to the AMD chips' better efficiency when it comes to floating point calculations. This effect depends of course on whether your programs want to do mainly floating point or integer calculations.

As always, correct me if i am wrong somebody!

[lazygamer]

Hey, I've noticed the shit too. Windows XP starts out great, then goes sour.

Oh and beware of techies, there are so many incompetent 'mofo's out there. Still, when your a n00b you don't got a choice(not saying you are).

It's like people being told to see their doctor constantly. Read up on health shit, eventually you can be your own doctor for much longer periods of time.

The same goes for mechanics. It all works out to the same thing, 'pay us money plz'. Mechanics, doctors and techies are there for SERIOUS PROBLEMS ONLY. They only seem common because they mainly cater to stupid newbies who don't know shit and don't know how to fix or maintain anything.

IMO techies are probably the least cruical of the three "Fixers". There is lots of mechanical problems with your car that are tough to tackle, and sometimes you don't know everything about your body. Although if you happen to be l33t, then the mechanic should be the only person that really is crucial to the "fixer" group.

[Ctrl Alt Del 123]

Specifically what errors do you get? Usually a jumbled mess of numbers, which when you plug into the MS Help Search box, you might get some answers.

You so far out of everyone I have talked to, have been getting the worst results with XP. Anything you added to the computer? Or did it just start one day with crashin?

[HPC GUY]

Choco just to let you know with some systems, once you go past 512mb of ram you need to have "Registered" memory or your system will produce errors left and right and the system will say low system resources. OH and i am a techie guys, and for the most part your right some dont know shit. At least the besy buy and microcenter techies, they dont know what the fuck they are doing...

[WaWAR_FA]

if yoiu can use it in your box and if you can find it get about 1gig of 800mhzRambus ecc ram.  but it has to be ecc ram.

[sporkme]

try taking a memory board out, then the other.

boot to a dos disk from a windows 98 pc then repartition and format.  leave room for linux!

[ July 06, 2002: Message edited by: sporkme / bob ]

[Chooco]

yo here is an update, i formatted the extra hard drive my Celeron 500 had in it and put Linux on it. Linux did not experience any memory problems. then i formatted Linux and put Windows XP on it, Windows no longer experiences memory errors. that techie guy is too damn smart i tell you what man.

sorta neat how he gave me the real answer instead of some stupid BS song and dance to make a sale. his job is to sell shit and he chose to give me the REAL answer, i'll give him a tip next time i buy something , he deserves it   .

[HPC GUY]

hell i do the same shit, if ya dont need it dont buy it. We sell hardware too as well as fix stuff. if the customer appreciates the effort you may see them again when they make their next major upgrade!!