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Old 09-26-2015, 11:39 AM   #81
ivansc
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(grin) I will be back in the UK on October 16th, Max.
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Old 09-26-2015, 11:43 AM   #82
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OK, so on to checkdisk will I'll set running now. No idea how long it takes, but I want to watch the rugby so no problem if it is a long one! Should I just do it for the OS drive and leave the others?
Yes, only the OS disk, unless you have parts of the OS or user profile stored on the other disks (for example, via symbolic links). This will probably take a few hours, depending on how much data you have stored on the disk you check and on the nature of that data. Unless you actually have some hardware problem with the disks or SATA interface, in which case it will take significantly longer. But it looks like you don't have such problems.

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Also, just to satisfy my curiosity (and for future reference), what's the difference between checkdisk and HDTune's Error Scan?
hdtune etc work closer to the "hardware" level. They go through physical sectors on the HDD and measure time it takes for each sector to be read. When the HDD reports error, this sector is counted as "bad".

chkdsk can also perform a similar task when used with a specific switch, but we're not doing this since we already know hardware-wise your disks are OK. the main task of chkdsk is to check the filesystem. It goes through ntfs tables storing information about the filesystem and verifies that these tables correspond correctly to the files and directories stored on the disk. When it spots corruption, it fixes it automatically.

Crashes that you experienced might have caused filesystem corruption and for this reason it is important to fix the filesystem prior to attempting additional repairs. This step might or might not fix the crashes themselves.
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Old 09-26-2015, 11:45 AM   #83
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Also, just to satisfy my curiosity (and for future reference), what's the difference between checkdisk and HDTune's Error Scan?
After running through the instructions I think I can answer my own question there in as much as the HDTune scan works while Windows is still running and active and is therefore different to checkdisk from the start.

Anyways, the checkdisk wasn't quick at all, so here is the CSV:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5T...ew?usp=sharing

Cheers

(PS - ivansc, hope you're having fun where ever you are... France I presume?)
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Old 09-26-2015, 11:52 AM   #84
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When it spots corruption, it fixes it automatically.

Crashes that you experienced might have caused filesystem corruption and for this reason it is important to fix the filesystem prior to attempting additional repairs. This step might or might not fix the crashes themselves.
With that in mind should I see now if I get a crash after opening the offending webpage? Or should I wait while the CSV is being checked.

Thanks for explaining everything so clearly. I feel like I'm learning so much through this saga. At least by the end of it I'll have given my PC a thorough service/MOT in terms of its hardware. And whilst I really don't want to, I guess if it does ultimately result in me needing to re-install the OS it might force my hand in leaving XP behind and getting Win7 on here.

We shall see....

Just read through your post again before hitting "submit reply" and see that you say it should take a few hours. Did I do something wrong? It took no more than 5 minutes...

And yes, I have My Documents on a separate drive but that's all data I'm supposing. So I'm pretty sure all the OS stuff is on C:.
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Old 09-26-2015, 12:14 PM   #85
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With that in mind should I see now if I get a crash after opening the offending webpage? Or should I wait while the CSV is being checked.
Chances are chkdsk didn't fix the crash and it's better not to compromise your filesystem right now with an additional crash, so it's better to wait with that.

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whilst I really don't want to, I guess if it does ultimately result in me needing to re-install the OS it might force my hand in leaving XP behind and getting Win7 on here.
IMHO Win7 is a much better OS at this point of time than WinXP, but it's up to you of course.

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Just read through your post again before hitting "submit reply" and see that you say it should take a few hours. Did I do something wrong? It took no more than 5 minutes...
The "few hours" estimate was frankly rather speculative since I have no idea how much data you have stored on the OS partition. It can finish in minutes if you only have a few GBs and the filesystem is clean. Sometimes the OS will perform chkdsk automatically after a crash, so this might be the reason.

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And yes, I have My Documents on a separate drive but that's all data I'm supposing. So I'm pretty sure all the OS stuff is on C:.
In this case I would suggest to do chkdsk on that drive, too. After the additional chkdsk, please post the CSV of Applications. Looks like XP stores the Wininit event in Applications rather than in System events as it goes in Win7.
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Old 09-26-2015, 01:08 PM   #86
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My neighbor had the same issue of spontaneous rebooting with her XP machine. I tried many of things suggested here but the solution, as odd as it seems, was to uninstall Chrome including the user settings.

I don't know that this would solve your problem but it may be worth a shot given all of the effort you have put forth so far.
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Old 09-26-2015, 01:18 PM   #87
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dilettante View Post
My neighbor had the same issue of spontaneous rebooting with her XP machine. I tried many of things suggested here but the solution, as odd as it seems, was to uninstall Chrome including the user settings.
This is in my list, too :-)
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Old 09-26-2015, 04:11 PM   #88
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This is in my list, too :-)
Yep, and it was on mine... But it is something I already tried a day or three back and it brought no fix. Thanks all the same for sharing the idea Dilettante.
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Old 09-26-2015, 04:16 PM   #89
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In this case I would suggest to do chkdsk on that drive, too. After the additional chkdsk, please post the CSV of Applications. Looks like XP stores the Wininit event in Applications rather than in System events as it goes in Win7.
Sorry, did not read properly and took the CSV for Applications BEFORE running chkdsk on the My Docs partition. Here's the link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5T...ew?usp=sharing

I'll run chkdsk now on the My Docs partition. Should I upload CSVs for both System and Applications afterwards? And does it matter that it is only scanning partitions rather than whole discs (in both cases)?

UPDATE: here's the System CSV after having run chkdsk on the i partition (My Docs):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5T...ew?usp=sharing

I can upload Applications if you like, but having just looked at it there is no new entry in there. The last entry was several hours ago.

Last edited by Bob Headroom; 09-26-2015 at 04:22 PM.
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Old 09-26-2015, 04:36 PM   #90
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And the next step is to run the following in the command prompt:
Code:
sfc /scannow
It should then ask you to insert a CD disk containing your Windows XP installation. Unfortunately, it is impossible to perform this fix without the CD.
When sfc completes, please copy and post here all the output from the command prompt.
I've just done this. It ran the scan but finished with nothing in the command prompt. Here's a copy and paste in any case:

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>sfc /scannow

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>

I forgot to close Chrome whilst the test ran. I didn't use it, but it was open. Would that make any kind of difference?
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Old 09-26-2015, 05:35 PM   #91
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Scannow is not meant to run from inside Windows.

You type in "sfc /scannow" at the cmd prompt... Start Menu, Run, type in "cmd" (without the quotes), then hit enter.

Now type "sfc /scannow" at the cmd prompt (without the quotes), hit enter. Exit out of the cmd window (type "Exit" (without the quotes) hit enter. Then re-boot the computer. Scannow will run during the Windows boot process.

Hope this helps.


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Old 09-26-2015, 11:55 PM   #92
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Scannow is not meant to run from inside Windows.

You type in "sfc /scannow" at the cmd prompt... Start Menu, Run, type in "cmd" (without the quotes), then hit enter.

Now type "sfc /scannow" at the cmd prompt (without the quotes), hit enter. Exit out of the cmd window (type "Exit" (without the quotes) hit enter. Then re-boot the computer. Scannow will run during the Windows boot process.

Hope this helps.


I have not done any of the above yet as I've just got up.... However, I have booted my PC for the first time this morning and it has loaded with no GC drivers. It has reverted to the Windows drivers for the GC.

If we go back a few days to the day when everything went all fuzzy for me, this happened then as well. If I remember correctly I had ran sfc /scannow then as well. So it would seem that running that causes the OS to lose the GC drivers and default to the Windows drivers.

A couple of things to mention. Firstly, I have an n-lited installation disc with SP3 slipstreamed into the installation. I used this disc when prompted in sfc /scannow. Was that the right disc to use? Secondly, I did not want any of the Catalyst Control Center software for the GC, JUST the drivers. So when installing the drivers I follow this method:

http://www.sysnative.com/forums/wind...procedure.html

Thought I'd best mention both of those things in case they are significant in any way.

I'll hold fire (I won't re-install GC drivers and won't do any more testing) for now before doing anything else in case you guys need to see something from these recent events. I'm presuming that sfc /scannow worked seeing as it left me without the drivers, but I cannot be sure and am happy to run it again using bluzkat's instructions if you guys feel I need to.

Cheers
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Old 09-27-2015, 01:13 AM   #93
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Yep, I've just got up too and I have to go to work, so just a short comment at this time.
- sfc can run from within windows, so if you saw it actually running then it did. No need to run it again. I forgot that in XP the output goes into the GUI and not into the terminal.
what is GC again? OH, GC = graphics card. What model is it BTW?
- yes, best to currently leave the drivers as they are. Maybe you can increase the resolution if that is bothering you.
- sfc /scannow is not supposed to be messing with drivers or performing any deliberate system changes. It simply scans for corrupted OS files and attempts to fix the corruption.
- please reboot and then upload the System and Applications CSVs again
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Old 09-27-2015, 01:23 AM   #94
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Also please verify that you have System Restore enabled and active for the OS drive, then create a restore point.
After that, please check in Chrome whether there is a crash.
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Old 09-27-2015, 01:28 AM   #95
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What is the exact model of your motherboard? And in case your computer is branded, what is its brand and exact model number?
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Old 09-27-2015, 01:34 AM   #96
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- sfc can run from within windows, so if you saw it actually running then it did. No need to run it again. I forgot that in XP the output goes into the GUI and not into the terminal.
Yes, I think I saw it running. A grey box came up and a blue progress bar slowly worked its way across. It took probably 5-10 minutes to complete.

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Originally Posted by innuendo View Post
what is GC again? OH, GC = graphics card. What model is it BTW?
It's an ATI/AMD HD5450. Cannot remember the brand but can find out if necessary.

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Originally Posted by innuendo View Post
- yes, best to currently leave the drivers as they are. Maybe you can increase the resolution if that is bothering you.
Will do. Resolution is fine. Everything is very laggy in the graphics and there's no dual monitors. Both to be expected though and no problem living with that while we diagnose.

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- sfc /scannow is not supposed to be messing with drivers or performing any deliberate system changes. It simply scans for corrupted OS files and attempts to fix the corruption.
I don't really know anything about any of that, but running sfc /scannow last night was the last thing I did before bed. And then when I switched the PC on for the next time this morning, the GC drivers were capput. I'm 98% certain that it was sfc /scannow which also made the GC drivers disappear last time.

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- please reboot and then upload the System and Applications CSVs again
OK, will reboot when I've finished replying and do that right away.

Quote:
Originally Posted by innuendo View Post
Also please verify that you have System Restore enabled and active for the OS drive, then create a restore point.
After that, please check in Chrome whether there is a crash.
I've never used System Restore. I'll get those CSVs done as above. Then I'll activate System Restore and follow those latest instructions.

Many thanks
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Old 09-27-2015, 01:36 AM   #97
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What is the exact model of your motherboard? And in case your computer is branded, what is its brand and exact model number?
The computer is a self build.

The mobo is an Intel DP35DP.
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Old 09-27-2015, 01:40 AM   #98
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How to create a restore point:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/948247
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Old 09-27-2015, 01:42 AM   #99
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Here are those CSVs following a reboot:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5T...ew?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5T...ew?usp=sharing
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Old 09-27-2015, 01:57 AM   #100
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Also please verify that you have System Restore enabled and active for the OS drive, then create a restore point.
After that, please check in Chrome whether there is a crash.
Just done this and yes - the webpage still crashes the PC and causes a reboot....
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Old 09-27-2015, 02:04 AM   #101
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Just for the record, I cannot remember if I slipstreamed the graphics card drivers into my XP SP3 installation disc. I don't think I did but it was so long ago now that I cannot remember for sure. What I do know though is that back then I had an nVidia card and I now have an ATI/AMD. I thought I'd just mention this in case this has anything to do with why my current drivers disappear after running sfc /scannow (with my slipstreamed disc in the drive).

Didn't want that to cause any kind of red herring...
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Old 09-27-2015, 02:14 AM   #102
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OK, last thing before I have to run:
- Please uninstall everything that has AVG in it
- Please download and run the following tools:
download.avg.com/filedir/util/support/avg_remover_stf_x86_2015_5501.exe
download.avg.com/filedir/util/avg_idr_sup_____.dir/AVGIDPUninstaller.exe

Reboot every time you are asked to.

- Please download Malwarebytes anti-malware:
https://www.malwarebytes.org/mwb-download/
- Install it (you can opt out of the "premium" trial license)
- Run it on your OS and docs partitions. 99.9% of the time it does not generate false positives, so it's safe to remove everything it finds. I do not remember how to generate a log in it, so if you see the option, please generate a log and upload it. If not, we will figure it later.

Edit: there is a button to export log when it finishes scanning (the scan might take an hour or two).
Reboot if prompted to. Then please Download and run AdwCleaner from the following link:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/down...leaner/dl/125/

Click "Scan" (this usually takes only a minute or two) and then "Clean". If adwcleaner finds anything, it will ask to close all the running programs and then to reboot. Upon reboot, you will be presented with a log - please post it here.

Last edited by innuendo; 09-27-2015 at 08:47 AM.
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Old 09-27-2015, 07:32 AM   #103
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Ok, going through the post-sfc logs, I can tell that sfc is not functioning as designed on your system. Looks like this is caused by nlite:
http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/9830...om-monitoring/

That's a shame because without sfc, we effectively can not evaluate or repair system files corruption.
I can think of 3 more things we can try prior to the "reinstall" verdict:
- anti-malware treatment. We are already there.
- Drivers treatment
- Complete wipe and reinstallation of Chrome (I know that you have already attempted to reinstall it, but here is more than that)

Edit: we can also look into recent Windows Updates and attempt to find an update that possibly caused the situation

Last edited by innuendo; 09-27-2015 at 08:16 AM.
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Old 09-27-2015, 07:39 AM   #104
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To the OP: I have the exact same issue and I'm baffled.

My system just shuts off, for no apparent reason. I initially thought it might be the fans failing, that it was overheating and shutting off, but it's not that. I tried almost everything including removing all of my PCI cards, no luck. Someone suggested the BIOS battery or something might be dying. No idea.

I even wiped and re-installed OS with no relief. Curiously enough, it ran longer (without stopping) while re-installing the OS than it will otherwise.

I'm watching this thread closely since whatever you find might help me also... as opposed to me spending money on another system or repair.

Last edited by Lawrence; 09-27-2015 at 07:43 AM. Reason: my
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Old 09-27-2015, 08:05 AM   #105
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@Lawrence:
Every case is different and it is unlikely your problem is the same as Max's. We are trying to tailor the diagnostics to his specific system and errors. That said, since some of the diagnostics is generic, maybe you can figure something out by using some of the tools mentioned in this thread. If you need assistance, perhaps the best way to go would be to open a new thread.
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Old 09-27-2015, 08:29 AM   #106
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@Max: Actually in case you have a "vanilla" (untouched) WinXP SP3 disk lying around, we could try another sfc scan with it. Frankly I can not predict the effect this will have, but hopefully it might fix sfc file repository which is currently corrupted/unusable. If you do this, please attempt to gather as much details as possible from the GUI when it finishes. Unfortunately, on WinXP sfc does not generate a detailed log, so it's not easy to figure out what it had been doing.

Last edited by innuendo; 09-27-2015 at 08:38 AM.
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Old 09-27-2015, 09:44 AM   #107
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after a little more thinking:
Considering what happened to your Radeon drivers after sfc scan, and that you have additional driver errors registered in logs, it is safe to assume that drivers on your system are a mess now. In case we go on with troubleshooting, in one of the following steps I will ask you to uninstall some software that comes with drivers, then clean up AMD drivers, then reinstall all drivers for all your non-generic devices, and for the chipset. That is not much unlike performing a fresh installation but with lower chances of defeating the problem. Moreover, chances are that even with a vanilla WinXP disk, we won't be able to restore sfc function - which means that your OS will remain lacking the self-repairing facility which is the sfc.

With that in mind, my best advice would be to stop here, get an untouched WinXP or Win7 disk, back up your data, reformat the OS drive and install from scratch. If you are going to install Win7, I have a few tips for you.
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Old 09-27-2015, 12:23 PM   #108
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Hi innuendo

I have been following the instructions below bit by bit today as and when I could pop into the music room, so that's all done now and the reports from Malwarbytes and AdwCleaner (C1) can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5T...ew?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5T...ew?usp=sharing

There was another text document in the AdwCleaner program folder (S1) and I've uploaded that as well:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5T...ew?usp=sharing


Quote:
Originally Posted by innuendo View Post
OK, last thing before I have to run:
- Please uninstall everything that has AVG in it
- Please download and run the following tools:
download.avg.com/filedir/util/support/avg_remover_stf_x86_2015_5501.exe
download.avg.com/filedir/util/avg_idr_sup_____.dir/AVGIDPUninstaller.exe

Reboot every time you are asked to.

- Please download Malwarebytes anti-malware:
https://www.malwarebytes.org/mwb-download/
- Install it (you can opt out of the "premium" trial license)
- Run it on your OS and docs partitions. 99.9% of the time it does not generate false positives, so it's safe to remove everything it finds. I do not remember how to generate a log in it, so if you see the option, please generate a log and upload it. If not, we will figure it later.

Edit: there is a button to export log when it finishes scanning (the scan might take an hour or two).
Reboot if prompted to. Then please Download and run AdwCleaner from the following link:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/down...leaner/dl/125/

Click "Scan" (this usually takes only a minute or two) and then "Clean". If adwcleaner finds anything, it will ask to close all the running programs and then to reboot. Upon reboot, you will be presented with a log - please post it here.

That being said, I can see where you are coming from in your final post with regard forgetting all this and doing a fresh install. I would personally prefer to persevere and look into a Win7 upgrade in a few months time or next year some time. But I totally and utterly appreciate if you see the futility in that and need to step aside at this point. You've gone way above and beyond already. So do feel free to ignore those above links if you wish. And whatever you decide, thank you so much for the time and effort you have put it into this.

If you do wish to continue with it, then I'll carry on with your instruction from post #103 onward.

Of course if anyone else has any further ideas etc please feel free to join in!

One thing that would be handy to know now though is whether I am ok to go ahead and re-install AVG and re-load my GC drivers. It's quite tough doing this without getting on the internet. And not having my dual screens feels like only having one arm.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Lawrence View Post
To the OP: I have the exact same issue and I'm baffled.

My system just shuts off, for no apparent reason.
Hi Lawrence

In addition to what innuendo said, it doesn't sound like your problem is exactly like mine from what you've described. It is not randomly rebooting. It is rebooting when I try to load two specific web pages. I have been able to stress test my PC, surf and do other stuff on it, and do all of this for days without issue. Try to open that web page though and its straight into a reboot. So there's a definite pattern and effect. We just cannot find the cause!

Thanks for joining in though and best of luck solving your problem.

Cheers
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Old 09-27-2015, 12:54 PM   #109
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... I'm presuming that sfc /scannow worked seeing as it left me without the drivers, but I cannot be sure and am happy to run it again using bluzkat's instructions if you guys feel I need to.
Not my instructions (for scannow) those are Microsoft's instructions, see here:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/929833.

Scannow will not touch your files only the operating system (that's why you need to reboot). It shouldn't touch any of your drivers.

I would not use the nlite disc for scannow. nLite removes files from the operating system, so you may not have all necessary files to run scannow properly. I don't think this is your problem anyway.

It sounds to me like your video card is acting up, the drivers should not just disappear like that. Do you have another video card you can try?
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Old 09-27-2015, 01:19 PM   #110
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That being said, I can see where you are coming from in your final post with regard forgetting all this and doing a fresh install. I would personally prefer to persevere and look into a Win7 upgrade in a few months time or next year some time.
Cool, I just wanted you to know that one specific part in your Windows installation is broken, and it happens to be the part that is responsible for self-repair. Worse, it is misbehaving, akin to an immune system that is attacking the body instead of helping it cope with illness. We do have some external tools, but at large, troubleshooting depends on this framework. Probably it had been broken since the installation and you didn't notice that because it does not come into play until there is OS corruption and a repair attempt.
That's why I think that reinstalling will make a faster and more time-proof solution, and will have much higher chances to resolve the problem.
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If you do wish to continue with it, then I'll carry on with your instruction from post #103 onward.
Yeah, why not if you are so inclined! I'm actually curious if we can get this sorted out. I would suggest to try getting sfc in control first using an untouched WinXP SP3 CD, as per post #106.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Max Dread View Post
One thing that would be handy to know now though is whether I am ok to go ahead and re-install AVG and re-load my GC drivers. It's quite tough doing this without getting on the internet. And not having my dual screens feels like only having one arm.
Yeah. Reg. AVG, I think it's best to leave it out of equation until we finish troubleshooting. AV software complicates things and gets in the way of troubleshooting. If I understand correctly, you prefer not to get on the internet without it? If that's the case, I'd say let it go for now. Best protection for your computer on the internet is your own awareness, and no antivirus can replace it.

Reg. graphics drivers, it's better to hold on with them right now. One reason is hopefully for the next step, you can put your hand on an untouched WinXP CD and attempt sfc scan with it. However that may cripple AMD drivers again. The other reason is that there are considerable chances that graphics drivers are responsible for the crashes, and that in the mess that's going on with the drivers, there is a mix of incompatible components. So I think you should first perform a ocmplete cleanup of the AMD drivers and software (hold on, I'm looking into how to do this), then figure out what's going driver-wise on your system (will take me some research to do this remotely), then choose the most compatible drivers version and install that one.

BTW please look up the brand of your graphics card and if it has some model name/number when referenced by the brand.
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Old 09-27-2015, 01:57 PM   #111
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Ok, since we are going to do some things that could potentially render your system unbootable, please take a look at the following article:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/304449

... and maybe print or take written notes. That's in case you are stuck with a system that won't get to the desktop or something major got broken.

- Next, please download the following utility:
http://www2.ati.com/drivers/amdcleanuputility.exe
Edit: hold on, just noticed XP is not on the list of supported systems.
Edit2: let's try this utility instead:
http://www.guru3d.com/files-get/disp...wnload,20.html
Don't run it yet.

Please note/write down the following:
Code:
To solve the infinite boot loop issue that some users are having, you must boot with the DVD/USB (Windows installation disk) in recovery with Command prompt and type :

Option 1 (recommended) : bcdedit /deletevalue {default} safeboot

If option 1 is not working,

Option 2 : bootrec /rebuildbcd
(I'm copy-pasting this advice as is, but in this case IMHO it's better to go with Option 2)

- Next, in the usual "Programs and Features" window please uninstall everything that has "ATI", "AMD", "Catalyst" in it.
- Reboot.
- Run the utility, and upon completion click on "View report", save the file to desktop, and best upload it while you're on it.
- Reboot.

- Reboot into safe mode (press and release F8 multiple times during the startup and then select Safe Mode)
- Run the utility, select AMD in the selection box, verify that the "Save log..." is checked, then click on "Clean and Restart"
- Hopefully nothing will get drastically broken, so you will be able to come back and say hello:-)
- Upload the log which should be probably either in the root of your OS partition or inside the folder where you put the utility

Last edited by innuendo; 09-27-2015 at 02:34 PM.
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Old 09-27-2015, 03:10 PM   #112
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Some additional questions:
- Do you have integrated graphics in your machine? You shouldn't, judging by the model number, but just in case. If so, exactly what model? Is it enabled in BIOS?
- Do you have any additional PCI/PCIe cards currently installed, besides the graphics card? If so, exactly which?
- What is your WinXP edition? I need to know this because some system tools only exist in Pro.
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Old 09-27-2015, 03:15 PM   #113
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Thanks for all that innuendo.

I'm wondering if I should leave carrying on until tomorrow when I have a clearer head. And perhaps I should prioritise making sure I have everything backed up properly before continuing. I think I pretty much have other than the last few days, but I'd like to double check for sure.

One thing I did want to ask... Is there a chance these problems could lead to data corruption? What I mean is that I have a few CDs I need to rip to FLAC. If I do this is there any chance that the FLAC files might be dodgy in any way without me knowing?

BTW (and a bit off topic), AdwCleaner seems to have sped things up on my system. The internet feels a bit faster. Boot up is a bit faster too. Should I add this to my arsenal of regular use tools? I usually use AVG, Malwarebytes, SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition and CCleaner. When I run those should I start running AdwCleaner? Is it ok to use regularly?
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Old 09-27-2015, 03:23 PM   #114
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Quote:
Originally Posted by innuendo View Post
Some additional questions:
- Do you have integrated graphics in your machine? You shouldn't, judging by the model number, but just in case. If so, exactly what model? Is it enabled in BIOS?
- Do you have any additional PCI/PCIe cards currently installed, besides the graphics card? If so, exactly which?
- What is your WinXP edition? I need to know this because some system tools only exist in Pro.
- No integrated graphics.
- My soundcard is a PCI card - EMU 1820M. No other PCI cards in the machine.
- My XP is professional.
- As for my GC, the manufacturer is XFX. I think the model number is HD-545X-YRH2.

Cheers
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Old 09-27-2015, 03:37 PM   #115
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Max Dread View Post
I'm wondering if I should leave carrying on until tomorrow when I have a clearer head. And perhaps I should prioritise making sure I have everything backed up properly before continuing. I think I pretty much have other than the last few days, but I'd like to double check for sure.
I think both ideas are great. I believe we won't get to the state where you will need your backups, but who knows? Also I would advise to get a hold of an "untouched" installation CD, just in case.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Max Dread View Post
One thing I did want to ask... Is there a chance these problems could lead to data corruption? What I mean is that I have a few CDs I need to rip to FLAC. If I do this is there any chance that the FLAC files might be dodgy in any way without me knowing?
I don't fully understand the situation with drivers on your system right now. Possibly drivers for some or even all devices got reset a few times to some previous version. Still researching how to dump this information. Theoretically, it might affect your CD-rom drivers. Practically, for the CD-rom this probably doesn't matter at all. So my best guess would be "no, this should not affect ripping CDs".



Quote:
Originally Posted by Max Dread View Post
BTW (and a bit off topic), AdwCleaner seems to have sped things up on my system. The internet feels a bit faster. Boot up is a bit faster too. Should I add this to my arsenal of regular use tools? I usually use AVG, Malwarebytes, SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition and CCleaner. When I run those should I start running AdwCleaner? Is it ok to use regularly?
I think it only/mostly removed some leftovers or inactive stuff. It probably had no effect. I bet what you are experiencing is the absence of AVG :-)
That said, AdwCleaner is as safe as it gets. Safer than CCleaner and SAS.At least at my experience.

Generally if you are into periodic scanning of your computer for malware, AdwCleaner, MalwareBytes and once in a while Eset online scanner should get you covered. Keep in mind that Eset, while extremely thorough, tends to generate false positives more than others, and it doesn't like anything resembling a crack. Permanent resident AV cause a huge slowdown, especially the free editions, so personally I never use them. But then I am cautious and I research on everything I intend to run. I block ads and malicious URLs with adblocker and also use the Flashblock extension which blocks flash by default. For questionable software I use virustotal.com.

Last edited by innuendo; 09-27-2015 at 04:25 PM.
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Old 09-27-2015, 03:44 PM   #116
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Please open the command prompt and enter following:
Code:
wmic qfe list brief /format:htable > "%USERPROFILE%\hotfix.html"
This might take a few minutes or more to run.
Then please upload hotfix.html
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Old 09-28-2015, 02:39 AM   #117
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Hi

A quick confession and apology first of all.... As irony would have it, I've got a fortnight off work now. But the time was taken off because we need to do some major groundwork and renovation in the garden. As a result, I'm only going to have snippets of time to keep coming back to this. They will be daily snippets though. But my apologies if there are sometimes quite a few hours between responses. I will however do my best to keep things moving along as swiftly as possible.

I think I am a bit similar in terms of the "bit between my teeth". We've come this far and I really would like to keep going and see if we can get things fixed. That being said, I really took on board what you said about a fresh installation. This OS has been running for 7 years now on my PC! And Xp - as we all now - is well passed it. I really struggle with change and the idea of moving onto Win7 fills me with stress and dread. I'm not the kind of guy that just gets on with this sort of thing. I'm more the kind of guy that researches it to death so that I have every single possible potential problem thought through before going ahead. I know, I know! I'm working on it.

Anyhow, we're here for IT support not therapy. I just wanted to say that I think in the next few months I will prepare the migration onto Win7. Amongst all the other reasons for this, I just found out that Chrome will stop support for XP in 2016. I made the change from Opera to Chrome earlier this year and do not fancy the idea of changing browser again. That's the tip of a huge iceberg, but it still adds to the many reasons to change. Watch this space for future questions I'll no doubt have about the Win7 move!
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Old 09-28-2015, 02:44 AM   #118
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So I'm going to continue working through methodically from where I left off (post #103).... (let me know if you want me to jump ahead to any of the later steps right away)

Quote:
Originally Posted by innuendo View Post
Edit: we can also look into recent Windows Updates and attempt to find an update that possibly caused the situation
I've always kept Windows Update off. I don't think I've had a single Windows update sine I built the thing in 2008. And just for the record, the PC has been rock solid up until now....

Quote:
Originally Posted by innuendo View Post
@Max: Actually in case you have a "vanilla" (untouched) WinXP SP3 disk lying around, we could try another sfc scan with it. Frankly I can not predict the effect this will have, but hopefully it might fix sfc file repository which is currently corrupted/unusable. If you do this, please attempt to gather as much details as possible from the GUI when it finishes. Unfortunately, on WinXP sfc does not generate a detailed log, so it's not easy to figure out what it had been doing.
I have the vanilla Windows XP disc which will be *JUST* XP; no service packs. I can try sfc with that? I'll wait for your verdict there and go ahead with it if you say it's worth a try.

I also have a disc which has JUST Service Pack 3 on it but I presume that's no help here.
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Old 09-28-2015, 04:11 AM   #119
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Quote:
Originally Posted by innuendo View Post
- Next, in the usual "Programs and Features" window please uninstall everything that has "ATI", "AMD", "Catalyst" in it.
- Reboot.
- Run the utility, and upon completion click on "View report", save the file to desktop, and best upload it while you're on it.
- Reboot.

- Reboot into safe mode (press and release F8 multiple times during the startup and then select Safe Mode)
- Run the utility, select AMD in the selection box, verify that the "Save log..." is checked, then click on "Clean and Restart"
- Hopefully nothing will get drastically broken, so you will be able to come back and say hello:-)
- Upload the log which should be probably either in the root of your OS partition or inside the folder where you put the utility
This I had already done a few days ago and again when the drivers disappeared for the second time yesterday. I did it before you posted the above. The DDU version I have is 13.6.4.1. I see the latest version is 15.5.0.0. I'm happy to install the latest version and run it again but I'm guessing the "deed has already been done" from the previous time I ran it.

Here are the logs from when I ran it yesterday... It seems the app makes two logs: one when I first opened it (in normal windows) and one when I opened it for the second time (in safe mode). I'll upload both logs.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5T...ew?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5T...ew?usp=sharing
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Old 09-28-2015, 04:29 AM   #120
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A quick aside (but could be relevant).

I just tried to copy a CD and it failed. It read fine but when it went to write the CD the operation failed at the start. No re-boots or crahses or anything like that. It just aborted the operation. I have not had this happen before as far as I can remember....

Straight after, I closed the application, re-opened and tried again with the same CD and it all worked fine.

Could be co-incidental... Or could be indicative or further driver/system corruption as previously mentioned.
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