XP has gone out of conrol!!!!!!

[smol0028]

I have no idea what happened but it looks like XP either did an update or an upgrade but for some reason it has caused craziness on my computer! It made copies of all my folders (like program, my documents etc) The old folders are now labeled "program file .000"..and so on (all old folders have a .000 added to the name). I can't access any of them...it tells me that I might need to reinstall the program. My biggest concern is that it seems to have done somethign to my drives.....my dvd burner is not being recognized, my network or modem is not being recognized....and so on. I tried to go online to get help from windows website and it says that it can't find my modem or card.....it gave me some message about setting up my network or card but when I tried to do that it won't let me....something about it can't find certain files/folders and something about an interrupt??

I'm not as concerned about my programs because the important ones I have backups of....my concern is with the internet and with saving some of my important documents ( I tried burning them on a disc but it will only let me do a image write...like I have no burner)

I have talked with some people who told me to find my disc for my network card but I never got one.....my computer is a few years old so I was thinking about just getting a new one. If I just get a new card, would that fix my internet problem??
Internet is my main concern right now as I am on it everyday and I can fix some of my other problems if I can just get online!!!

Please help me before I throw my computer out the window!!!!!!

[macko72]

Are you sure that it was XP that causes all that trouble, can you be more specific about your problem not so eratic, tell exacly what is happening so we can help you corectly!!!
NOTE:
First of all run any antivirus and antspyware software that you may have, and check that you maybe have hardware failure !!!

[Klutz_atlantis]

Hello smol0028:

I doubt an XP update would be so malicious, but I've seen stranger things happen. It is more likely these ailments are caused by a virus, and it sounds like your on the net frequently which is probably where it migrated from. It is very suspicious that both means of help would be locked out: CD-ROM and Internet. Another thing I was thinking of: If this were an XP update many more people would be having this problem, and that would probably make national news or atleast would be on PC-Mech. Do you currently have an updated anit-virus? If so try to run it to see what it comes up with.

As for backing up files dry a USB flash drive, floppy drive, or removable HDD. Those are probably the only options left to someone in your situation.

Hope these suggestions help some.

Klutz

[smol0028]

Ok...from what I can tell it's like something wiped out my drives...thats what someone at geek squad said. I tried to reinstall windows and my ethernet card but it doesn't seem to be working. It recognizes that I have a ethernet card installed but I can't get it to connect for some reason.

I'm not really sure how to fix this because I can't even run any virus or spam control programs because I can't open any of them. I have tried to do a restore but I can't load that either...I see the icon but when I double click it, nothing happens.

I keep getting error messages saying it can't find certain files or folders.....which I think is because all of my files and folders are in the "new" program .000 folder that the computer created. I can't open anything in that folder though....I get an error message when I try saying I might need to reinstall whatever software I am trying to open.

My thoughts are that whatever I got in my computer has pretty much screwed it up so bad that I might have to get rid of everything and reinstall windows like it was a new system.

What is the best or easiest way to clean my harddrives and reload windows.....it's the only thing I can think to do since I can't open any programs or files!!
Also if I wipe off my harddrives and start fresh, will it regognize my drives (like my burner)?? I wasn't the one who installed my burner and I'm not sure if it came with an install cd....do they normally come with one???

[Marke522]

What is the best or easiest way to clean my harddrives and reload windows

If you boot the computer with the XP disc in the master cd rom, the pc should ask you during boot if you want to start with cd support, that is if you have allready set your boot sequence to cd rom first, then to harddrive.

After you start with cd support, simply follow the instructions for installing windows, when it tells you it has allready found a copy of windows, then tell it to install over the current copy and to format the drive.

After you're done, if your XP disc doesn't have SP 2, be sure to install that now. Either from another cd, or download it from the internet.

if I wipe off my harddrives and start fresh, will it regognize my drive

XP has the drivers you will need for almost all your hardware. The only thing you will need, would be a driver for a video card or the drivers for your chipset on your motherboard, but if you don't have those cd's then you can download those drivers from the website of the manufacturer.

[macko72]

This is interactive guide to XP clean install: http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase...p_sg_clean.asp

[smol0028]

Thanks everyone for your advice and help....I'll let you know how if I get my system working.

Thanks again