PC Doc found 89 probs on my PC! NEED HELP PLEASE!

[Liriell]

I'm not even sure if I'm posting this in the correct forum.

After DLing the free scanner, installing and running, I find out that it's $120 for the actual program! Since I'm VERY unwilling to pay that much, I would be open to any suggestions for a (hopefully) free online service that does the same thing.

Here's a short summary of what it found:

Invalid ActiveX\COM File (26 problems)
Invalid ActiveX\COM Subsection File (26 problems)
Invalid Application Path (2 problems)
Invalid Help File (2 problems)
Invalid Microsoft Shared File (1 problem)
Invalid Windows Startup File (1 problem)
Invalid Uninstall Information (10 problems)
Invalid Shortcut (21 problems)

I know what the Windows Startup thing is (kinda). For some strange reason, when Windows starts, it accesses the A: drive, and says "The following file is corrupted or missing" and the file name is A:\ATAPICD.SYS. We have to keep a disk in the A: drive just to start Windows! We have NO idea how to correct the problem. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! TIA!

[HAL9000]

Here's the way I look at it. Was the system running fine BEFORE you ran this program and discovered the "problems". If so, don't sweat it. These programs tend to find these so called problems so you buy it to fix them. I've never felt that they do any good. For example, do a clean install on a known good system, run one of these programs and look... finds all kinds of issues.

[doubledragon5]

I found the best way to solve a problem like this is just to re-install windows over it self. Then try running the program again. I agree $120 is ways to much. If it runs good after that than file the program in file 13 (Trash). You can also try the system file checker which believe you will find in Start>Programs>Accessories> System tools. It will scan windows and tell you which files are corrupt or missing an prompt you to install you windows CD in th drive so it can retreive the file. A good bench mark program is sissandra.

[Liriell]

Thank you for the info!

HAL9000--Yes, we've been having some probs with this system, one of them being the A: drive bootup. Might not be important, but it's darned irritating, lol! Another prob is we keep getting the blue screen with white text (I've heard it referred to as the "blue screen of death") warning of different OEM Errors. One that I got today had something to do with Rundll32.

[Confused]

Sounds like that BIOS is set to boot from "A" first. Go into BIOS and change boot sequence to boot from "C" first.
Chas

[Computer Hobbyist]

For grins I ran one of those "free" internet diagnostic prgrams on my Linux machine. It couldn't even tell I was running Linux. Instead it gave me a whole pile of known Windows problems. I came to the conclusion that it would have found the same defects had I been running Windows or FreeBSD or Unix or OSX or coffee grounds. I doubt whether the one I ran was a real program at all.

[Force Flow]

I never use obscure progs to diagose probs. I don't know why some of those progs are even released

[Liriell]

Computer Hobbyist--Coffee grounds? ROFL!

Confused--Changing the BIOS so that it boots the C: drive is what I want to do, but I have no idea how to do that.

[Kubie]

Liriell,
Can you tell us alittle about your pc? Home built or brand name? We will beable to tell you how to get into the BIOS with that info.
Normally, when your first dis[play appears on bootup is your BIOS screen and you can click Delete or F10, or F2, or F8 depending on the type of pc you have.
Carl

[GaryRouth]

Hi all

I second Kubie's vote for more info. It does sound like the blue screen issues need some attention. Post a few specs if you have the time, and especially the full error messages you see. If the error messages are in Windows, and have a "Details" box you can click on, do: That will help as well.

I imagine we might do a little better than the download, and we won't cost anything. (might want to uninstall that, too, just so that it doesn't cause more problems than it helps)

. . . Gary

[Doobie]

Originally posted by Liriell I'm not even sure if I'm posting this in the correct forum. After DLing the free scanner, installing and running, I find out that it's $120 for the actual program! Since I'm VERY unwilling to pay that much, I would be open to any suggestions for a (hopefully) free online service that does the same thing. Here's a short summary of what it found: Invalid ActiveX\COM File (26 problems) Invalid ActiveX\COM Subsection File (26 problems) Invalid Application Path (2 problems) Invalid Help File (2 problems) Invalid Microsoft Shared File (1 problem) Invalid Windows Startup File (1 problem) Invalid Uninstall Information (10 problems) Invalid Shortcut (21 problems) I know what the Windows Startup thing is (kinda). For some strange reason, when Windows starts, it accesses the A: drive, and says "The following file is corrupted or missing" and the file name is A:\ATAPICD.SYS. We have to keep a disk in the A: drive just to start Windows! We have NO idea how to correct the problem. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! TIA!

You could download system Mechanic and fix most of those problems that you have listed with the 30 day demo. I use it and I have never had any problems with it. I dont think it will fix your blue screen but you never know.

click me.... NOW

[Plasma]

Try this site out it is free. It might help you out.
Click on link below

Pc Pitstop

[Liriell]

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you guys on this. Been so busy with the holidays, school, and work....

Haven't gotten the "blue screen of death" for a while, don't know what we did different.

On an unrelated issue, I called my ISP to find out how to get rid of something, and while following their instructions, I found a problem in the Autoexec.bat file. There is a check box that has been checked next to 3 lines that say:

REM======== ATAPI CD-ROM Install Modification - Begin ========
A:\MSCDEX /V /D:CD003 /M: 10
REM========ATAPI CD-ROM Install Modification - End ========

The CONFIG.SYS file has something similar:

REM======== ATAPI CD-ROM Install Modification - Begin ========
DEVICE=A:\ATAPICD.SYS /D:CD003
REM========ATAPI CD-ROM Install Modification - End ========

Any ideas? I will leave it alone until I hear from someone about it. You can IM me on AIM, username CynfulLiriell, or email me at CynfulLiriell@wmconnect.com. Thank you so much!

[Computer Hobbyist]

What makes you think that the language in you autoexec. bat and config.sys concerning your system looking for and loading cd rom drivers from the A drive on boot constitute a problem? They don't. The lines have no impact at all on Windows.

Anyway, don't you think you should start a new thread if you have a new topic?


CH

[GaryRouth]

Hi again

Don't worry about the lines marked "REM". Those stand for "REMARK". They are just to help you see at a glance what the next section is up to. The lines look OK, they are for your Cd-drive, so that it can be used in DOS and in a DOS box from within Windows.

Hope the Blue Screens of Death are a distant memory.
. . . Gary

[Liriell]

CH -- I didn't think to start another thread because this is basically an update. Sorry if I went against protocol. I'll remember next time, but for now, I'll just keep it in this thread.

GaryRouth -- When the PC boots up, it goes to a screen that says there is a corrupted or missing file (see above) and the file in question has that same line of info:
A:\MSCDEX /V /D:CD003 /M: 10 and it also says something about a bad command or file name.

[Computer Hobbyist]

What the screen is telling you is that it can't find the cd-rom driver, probably because you don't have a boot disk in your floppy drive. You can do a couple of things. One might be to merely REM out the middle lines in both your autoexec.bat and config.sys files instead of removing them. I'll bet you that the problem stops. I suggest you use REM instead of erasing the lines because you might need the data someday if Windows ever fails.

The other, and the one I like, would be for you to find the location of the driver files on your hard drive and substitute the path to the files for A:\ in both lines in your autoexec.bat and config.sys files. In that way you would be able to use your CD-Rom when you are in DOS. That would require a little more experience and frankly I doubt if I am doing a really good job of explaining myself.

CH

[GaryRouth]

Yes, as Computer Hobbyist points out, simply putting the REM letters in front of those lines will stop the message from showing up at boot: you'd be "REMarking out the line" - and the system would ignore it.

If you don't use your Cd-drive in Dos, then no problem. If for whatever reason you want to use your Cd-drive in DOS,you can try editing the path [like CH mentioned], or go to the manufacturer's website & download the driver for it. If you rarely need the Cd-rom in DOS, you could just stick it on a boot floppy and boot from the floppy when you want to run DOS. (In fact, the Win98 floppy bootdisk has generic cd-drivers already on it [provided by OakSys, I think] so you might not have to download anything).

The nice thing about an error message like you are receiving is that it's not much of a problem. There's a world of error messages that make that one look like good news. . .

Hm: it's that time of year again: Happy Holidays
. . . Gary