[magusbuckley]

Hello:

My mom lives three hours north of me. She picked up an old Compaq from a friend at work and asked me to beef it up. We wound up buying XP Home with SP2 and performed a clean install. The system, though old, ran great. I downloaded all of the latest updates and headed home. Several weeks later, she complained that the computer kept rebooting over and over and over again. On my next available free weekend, I drove back to her place to check it out. A "Blue Screen of Death" was appearing but the system rebooted so fast I couldn't read the error message. I assumed it was a hardware issue so removed everything but her video card. When we booted, the same problem existed. I didn't have a spare video card on hand so just reinstalled Windows. When I drove off, everything was running great again.

Just a week or two ago, she complained her computer was at it again. She dropped the system off here last week, but I wasn't able to look at it until last night. I rounded up a spare video card and swapped the two out. I just knew this would be a 10 minute job. Unfortunately, that didn't fix the problem. I asked the Compaq not to reboot on system failure (what I should have done weeks ago), and read the message: "The Session Manager Initialization System Process terminated unexpectedly with a status of....". I googled that message and found a lot of fluff online. People blamed everything from hotfixes to spyware (ha). I used recovery console to remove the hotfixes that were installed on the latest date - 9-10-07. There were five of them installed on that day and I erased them all. I still can't get her computer to boot.

I can't take it any more. I've been working on this computer since last night. I'm ready to wrap up this project. I really just wanted to fix the problem because I'm afraid that if I reinstall Windows, the same problem will arrise again a few weeks from now. Unfortunately, though, no one is able to assist me with that problem.

So now I ask you this - Can I use my Windows XP Home (no service packs on CD) cd and her XP Home (with SP2) cd key to reinstall windows on her machine? This would keep one of us from making another 3 hour drive. I don't wan't to format before I know for sure just in case I find a fix for the Session Manager error message.

Obviously, I'd rather fix the Session Manager, but if I can't reinstalling windows will be my only choice. If it comes to that, it would be much quicker for me to use my cd with her key than to wait for her to find time to make the 3 hour drive (or wait for it to come via mail).

Any and all information will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Magus

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Hey, magus:

You actually only purchase the license to the software, so, if worse comes to worse, you can use your CD and her Product Key.

Here's some links you might want to check out:
How to fix a computer that won't start
Windows XP Crashed? Here's Help

A lot of these problems were generated by Micro$oft itself because of the changes in the WGA software and updates issued: Windows Update's Sneaky Updates

Ron

Edited by Major Payne, 31 October 2007 - 02:46 PM.

[Major Payne]

Hey, magus:

You actually only purchase the license to the software, so, if worse comes to worse, you can use your CD and her Product Key.

Here's some links you might want to check out:
How to fix a computer that won't start
Windows XP Crashed? Here's Help

A lot of these problems were generated by Micro$oft itself because of the changes in the WGA software and updates issued: Windows Update's Sneaky Updates

Ron

Edited by Major Payne, 31 October 2007 - 02:46 PM.

[magusbuckley]

Hey Ron:

I guess the new bridge opens tomorrow. I can't wait. Sure hope it helps ease off the traffic our way, right? The drive from Boomtown in the afternoon is bumper to bumper from Back Bay Blvd all the way to Hwy 90. On the downside, the opening of the bridge will hurt our business. Oh well. Pros and cons to everthing I suppose.

Well, thanks for the information. I suppose I'll start reinstalling Windows then. I found a site with a detailed description of my problem, but the two resolutions they mention don't apply to me. One of them was for Windows XP Pro and the other was for GoBack software which she didn't run.

For now, we'll call this topic closed, but if her PC crashes again a few weeks from now, rest assured I'll make another post.

Thanks,

Magus

[magusbuckley]

Hello To All:

We should all be aware that her CD key did not work with my XP CD. I had already formatted the drive so now I await her CD via mail.

Thanks,

Magus

[Major Payne]

Since I don't drive anymore, the opening of the new bridge will only be something to watch on TV tomorrow.

If you both have full Win XP installs, it should have been a matter of entering her key on her computer using your CD. If it was a manufacturer's CD, then it will not work. Academic now that it's formatted. Good luck.

Ron