OK, I ran the quick scan on my disk which is 2 Hitachi's 250GB each. Set up as RAID 0. They both passed "Operation completed successfully. Disposition Code = 0X00.

Thanks,

Rich
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Please Go to

1: STARTand the click on RUN
2: Type in devmgmt.msc
3: Click Enter
4. Look for any entries with Yellow Exclamation ! marks or Red X's

In your next reply please include those results


* Go to Start and then to Run
* Type in firefox -safe-mode
* A window will popup asking things that you want to disable or reset (eg: reset/disable bookmarks/toolbars, etc.)
* Click Disable all add-ons and press Restart for the changes to take effect.


Let me know if Firefox runs now.

OK, I ran the devmgmt.msc and there are no red X's or yellow exclamation points.

After run firfox -safe-mode it runs and hooks up online!

I still have the other problems such as no drag and drop and miscellaneous .exe files not running and Internet explorer not running.

The next time I'll use my desktop (the culprit) to communicate since I can use firefox now.

You're definitely on the way and many thanks. Just let me know what you want me to do next.

Rich
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Have you tried running IE without Add-ons?


To disable add-ons in Internet Explorer 8

1. Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, and then clicking Internet Explorer.
2. Click the Tools button, and then click Manage Add-ons.
3. Under Show, click All add-ons.
4. Click the add-on you want to disable, and then click Disable.
5. Repeat step 4 for every add-on to disable. When you are finished, click Close.

Now restart IE and retry IE as before. Let us know if it still happens or not. If not then try enabling one add on at a time and trying IE again till you find the problem.
Most times the cause will be a toolbar add on.

Let me clear something up. I was not able to run to run firefox previously but it was giving me some kind of weird error message (partially loading, maybe) which you got rid of with the run firefox -safe-mode instructions.

It's different with Internet Explorer it's different. It won't load at all. So, the hour glass appears for a small second and then disappears. No matter how long you wait (1/2 hour) the program won't run. There are other progams that act the same as well.

Let me add something else!!! While poking around last night I saw that I can't populate the disk. In other words --- Start > My Computer > right click on C: > Properties > Hardware > Highlight main drive > Properties > Volumes > Populate ---

Gives error message "Volume Information for this disk cannot be found. This may happen if the disk is a 1394 or USB device on a Windows 2000 machine."

Also, something else --- Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Information doesn't run. Nothing loads.

Another thing --- I got a message when I tried to load something (I can't remember what the program was but it's a common one). The message said "The service isn't running do you want to load/run it?" When I clicked yes I was told " The service can't be loaded."

Last thing --- The taskbar won't allow me to click on anything in the tray. And if I click on minimize for the firefox window it doesn't appear in the taskbar it disappears. If I load the task manager it is there and if I double click on it, it restores and is displayed and working.

Thanks again, and I'm trying to give complete information. Hope I'm not jumping around too much.

Rich
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Go Start and then to Run ("Start Search" in Vista),
Type in: sfc /scannow
Click OK (Enter in Vista).
Have Windows CD/DVD handy.
If System File Checker (sfc) finds any errors, it may ask you for the CD/DVD.
If sfc does not find any errors in Windows XP, it will simply quit, without any message.
In Vista you will receive the following message: "Windows resource protection did not find any integrity violations".

For Vista users ONLY: Navigate to C:\Windows\Logs\CBS folder. You'll see CBS.log file.
Usually, it's pretty big file, so upload it to Flyupload, and post download link.


If you don't have Windows CD....
This applies mostly to Windows XP, since Vista rarely requires use of its DVD while running "sfc"
Note This method will not necessarily work as well, as when using Windows CD, because not always ALL system files are backed up on your hard drive. Also, backed up files may be corrupted as well.

Go Start and then Run
type in regedit and click OK


Navigate to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup

You will see various entries Values on the right hand side.

The one we want is called: SourcePath

It probably has an entry pointing to your CD-ROM drive, usually D and that is why it is asking for the XP CD.
All we need to do is change it to: C:
Now, double click the SourcePatch setting and a new box will pop up.
Change the drive letter from your CD drive to your root drive, usually C:
Close Registry Editor.

Now restart your computer and try sfc /scannow again!


Thanks to Broni for the instructions

Ran sfc /scannow --- no errors. It quit with no message like you mentioned. What's next?

Sorry for the downtime in responding. I've had trouble with my phone line and ATT fixed it just now.

Thanks,

Rich
-----------

No problem Real Life takes priority anytime.
Question are we running off a second drive or the main drive?
Do you have a Genuine Microsoft XP disk?

I don't have a genuine microsoft disk. I have a Gateway desktop and it didn't come with one.

Here are the way the disks are set up:

XP --- (2ea.) 250GB drives setup as RAID 0.

Windows 7 500GB drive.

Then when I want to boot ot a different system I restart and use F10 to select which disk.

But let me tell you when this happened. I've had the 500GB drive installed for awhile and have been using the above technique for about 6 months while using Windows 7 pre-release. Then when Windows 7 professional came out, I bought it (last week) and installed it on the Windows 7 pre-release disk. I ran it for a couple of days, tweaking to my preferences. Then when I went back to XP I encountered the stuff I have now. I checked the disk voltages and they're good 5.13V, 12.1V, 3.38V.

I do have to use Virtual PC in XP mode in Windows 7 to run some older stock financial streaming software but again it's on the Windows 7 disk.

One question... I don't know anything about RAID, but does one of the disks have to be master and the other slave. FYI on this RAID drive I just ran the disk test from CD that I ran yesterday and it tells me that both disks are master.

It looks like this.
No. Device Address Device Name Capacity
00 ATA PCI IDE 0 Master HDT722525DLA380 (Mdl) 250.06GB
01 ATA PCI IDE 1 Master HDT722525DLA380 (Mdl) 250.06GB

Thanks,

Rich

This post has been edited by horizonatdawn: Nov 2 2009, 07:06 PM

Wait you are running a dual boot so that XP is on one disk and Windows 7 is on the other HD?

Yeah, that's correct. I did mention that in my first post. Probably not clear enough. I hope I didn't send us in the wrong direction...

Rich
------

OK, I got confused with the raid then.
No you didn't send us in the wrong direction. The problem still is with the OS system.
This is really starting to look like we may need to try a Repair Installation on the XP side.
Do you have a Genuine XP disk?

I don't have a genuine xp disk. My gateway desktop came with just a restore disk.

Thanks,

Rich
----

Hmmm ok let me see if I can bounce this off some of the other Techs.
Have you tried to run IE or FF without any add ons?
Try this

To disable add-ons in Internet Explorer 8

1. Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, and then clicking Internet Explorer.
2. Click the Tools button, and then click Manage Add-ons.
3. Under Show, click All add-ons.
4. Click the add-on you want to disable, and then click Disable.
5. Repeat step 4 for every add-on to disable. When you are finished, click Close.

Now restart IE and retry IE as before. Let us know if it still happens or not. If not then try enabling one add on at a time and trying IE again till you find the problem.
Most times the cause will be a toolbar add on.

Yeah I tried Internet Explorer. We covered that at 5:29 AM. Sounds like a long time ago. But when I run Internet Explorer it flat doesn't run and I believe it's important to know that some services aren't running. I don't know how but is there a way we can access them and turn them on. The basic ones would be the ones for the task bar and tray, copy and paste and stuff like that. There's gotta be a service or maybe a couple that cover a lot of the functions.

Should I go back and give you the otl.txt if I can get it since now I can run it on the bad machine and don't have to copy it back to my laptop which I couldn't do because of the problems.

P.S. I'm signing up for the U after we resolve this problem. I'll be able to give back also...

Rich
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