Windows XP nightmare

[viperpa33s]

I have Windows XP machine and was playing a online game the other day. When I logged off the game I quickly got a blue screen that said a hardware error. The blue screen closed out so fast I couldn't tell what the hardware error was.

The computer then proceded to reboot but only came up to the black screen saying my computer didn't shutdown properly and then gives you choices whether you want to start in safe mode or start normally.

I figured I would start the computer normally. The computer would boot up and then would go right back to that same black screen. I tried starting it in safe mode and again it would go back to the black screen. I tried using a boot up disc and still nothing.

So since it was a HP I tried using there system restore, not system format. It's suppose to restore the previous contents on the computer without deleting any new files you put on the hard drive. So I proceded to run that, it finished, and thats when the nightmares begun.

After the restore and I booted the computer. I got to the Windows XP banner screen and it proceeded to say it couldn't find a file, to search the computer for this file. Then after I foumd that one it asked me for another one. after about a half hour of doing that I finally got the computer booted to the desktop.

Then there were even more nightmares. It was asking me to install most of the drivers on the computer. Then after I got them installed, programs were showing up missing. Then when I clicked on a program it wouldn't open. I was going out of my mind.

I just gave up after about and hour and a half of this. I was able to transfer most of the important files that I needed to an external hard drive and I just reformatted the darn thing. Then proceeded to spend 5 hours reinstalling everything back onto the computer.

This concludes my Windows XP nightmare.

[ghost2003]

Must have remade the registry and all the programs lost enteries they needed when you restored.

[DragonNOA1]

Restore disks are no fun, especially when they aren't the "magic wand" that you were looking for to solve all of your problems.

I find on my machine that XP will randomly lose config settings. Usually its just custom window settings but like once a year it'll forget something is installed and reinstall it as new hardware. Case in point, last week it decided that my tv tuner card was new even though i had just been using it before the last shutdown. Anyways, I reinstall everything and it still doesn't work. I just don't feel like messing with it.

Anyway, sorry to hear that buddy. At least you got rid of all you spyware and loose files that took up space! Gotta look on the bright side.

[viperpa33s]

This is true ghost and that't what I was thinking. You have these newer programs rewriting over windows files and that's where you have the problem. When I seen some program icons missing from the desktop and the toolbar but they were in the program folder, I knew there was a problem.

I agree Dragon but the restore should of never deleted anything so says HP. On the newer HP's, it's not actually restore disks. HP sets aside a partition for the restore of your computer. You have a few choices, you can restore a particular program, you can restore all the 3rd party programs without deleting newer programs that were added, or you can restore Windows totally which is a total reformat.

The thing is, I don't even know what caused this problem in the first place. I wish Microsoft would make it to where those darn blue screens don't disappear so quickly.

Just to let you know, I always keep my computer clean of adware/spyware.

[ghost2003]

Theres a option but I have no idea where it is, ill go look for it.

EDIT: found it system>advanced tab>start up and recovery> uncheck automaticly restart