Hardly Anything Works...

Okay so my laptop is finally runnig, but I got a few problems...

Most of the programs like Windows Media Player and Sonic Record Now and HP Imaging Zone aren't working properly. Some wont even open.

I tried downloading ExtractNow, so I could unzip something & it wouldn't install it because it said it was corrupt. Almost everything I try to download it says is corrupt.

I put in the memory stick to my camera the other day, and it started reading it. Showed the pictures, said it was about 80 percent loaded, then popped up an error. I hit skip, and it did it again to the next picture (and so on and so on)

Everytime I try to do something, it says I need to download something... so obviously not everything was put back on with the system restore. I had to download adobe flash player the other day, but its still not loadin videos.

Also everytime I got to a webpage (including yours) it pops up a security warning, like I'm going on a secure website. I just close out the box though....

Sorry if this is too many problems for one post, but I have a lot of problems. & I JUST got this computer to work again. It's been down for a long time.

 

Have you tried re-installing OS, instead of system restore?
It seems your OS is corrupted.

 

Okay my mom did re-install it, because the system restore didn't work. And when my mom took it to circuit city they refused to fix it because it sounded like a software problem & they can't fix software problems on HP computers. It's illegal, I guess. Then my mom was calling the number they gave her, and the guy said my laptop is supposed to be hot, I need a cooling pad & stuff. And told her to talk to HP. HP wanted her to buy 80 dollars for a new drivers & applications dvd.

However, she re-installed it this time & no errors popped up. And it let AOL & the Sims 2 work. So I thought it was working.. now that I started doing more stuff, I realized pretty much nothing works. HP wont repair it cause our warranty has ran out with them & like I said circuit city wont.

 

+Do you have any problems booting up? Does it go into OS normally without any errors?
+Can you open ANY other programs and run it witout any problem? (like simple "notepad").
+Can you leave your laptop on for long time and use it?
-then try "CLEAN INSTALL", instead of repair.
Does your laptop ever shuts itself down or not turn-on? - if yes, you may very well have heat problem.

 

well according to the ppl at circuit city the fan doesnt run all the time in this laptop & its not supposed to?

 

Well, i do not know your laptop model, but yes, some models have that feature - to save energy and such...

 

Put a disk in the CD/DVD drive, the fan should start running.

Steve

 

+Do you have any problems booting up? No. Does it go into OS normally without any errors? Yes.
+Can you open ANY other programs and run it witout any problem? (like simple "notepad"). Yes, things like that.. solitare & stuff run just fine. But windows media player and stuff don't.
+Can you leave your laptop on for long time and use it? Well I haven't had that long of a change to do so, but I've been on since 9 this morning (now its 12)

Does your laptop ever shuts itself down or not turn-on? no

 

Yea, thats the ONLY time I hear it run....I didn't think of doing that to get it running tho.

 

Doesn't seem to be heat problem...
Like Tim asked, what STUFF doesn't work?

 

Windows Media Player, Sonic Record Now, QuickTime, Windows Messenger. And that's all I've really used or tried to. Then most of the time when I try to download something it says the file is corrupt...it wont unzip anything cause it says the folder is empty. And I still can't watch videos even though I downloaded flash. Almost forgot the camera wizard thing doesn't work either.

 

wow...
when your mom reinstalled OS, what CD did she use? Did she use the system restore CD from HP that came with laptop? Do you have a fresh copy of Windows XP?
Oh, and did you install sp2 and all the updates?
I'm asking, because I'm almost certain it's OS problem...

 

She used the CD that came with this... it took forever when she did it. And my mom was going to buy a new Windows XP CD just to see if that'd work, but I guess you can't because you can only use HPs software (especially with this laptop?? cuz it has old parts from desktops? idk i dont understand) or it wont work.

And I dont know what sp2, and I haven't installed all the updates yet no. My mom was harrassing me to, but I don't know how to access them.

 

install all the updates first, if you can.
very important.

 

Okay i found the windows update part, and clicked the express thing.. and this is what it said

"The website has encountered a problem and cannot display the page you are trying to view. The options provided below might help you solve the problem."

 

It should give you an error number, something like this (0x800A138F).

In the meantime, try the steps below:

Go to Start > Run and type in each of these commands, one at a time, clicking on OK or hitting ENTER after each command and then clicking on OK

regsvr32 softpub.dll
regsvr32 mssip32.dll
regsvr32 initpki.dll
regsvr32 wintrust.dll

Now see if you can successfully use Windows Update site.

Steve

 

Okay I'll try that once I can like get connected to the internet again (back on the desktop now). AOL decided to stop working, or well not connect. Which is common for it... I'll try in an hour to get on it though.. usually if I leave it alone for awhile it'll do its 'updating aol database' then connect me.

 

Are you using Dial-up for this laptop?

 

Sadly yes... I can't get broadband where I live. I want wireless, but only Hughes/Direcway offers it where I live, which my mom says is 'too expensive'. Anyways, sorry for not responding sooner like I said I would. It still wasn't connecting & even later the phone lines all together stopped working so I wasn't able to go online at all.

Anyways, I ran what you said to run.. and I went to get the updates and here is what it said.

Error number: 0x80072EE2

The website has encountered a problem and cannot display the page you are trying to view. The options provided below might help you solve the problem.

This time it didn't even give me the option to select express or custom.

My mom was talking to a guy at her work who works on computer.. He told her to buy a fan for this computer (he has the same laptop as me), and replace it... He explained to her how the fan works in there, and that even though it's 'supposed' to get hot, its not good. So I'm guessing that's something she'll be doing in a few weeks.

 

OKay I kept refreshing the site & it finally let me go to the download page and it started downloading the updates but then it said it wasn't succesful.. and here's what it said didn't download succesfully:

Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool (KB892130)

 

First, here is a link about that error. Check for your reference.
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;836941

Second, like I said before, I don't think this is a fan/heat issue. Your mom can go out and buy this fan, but I assure you this will not solve the problem. Your mom's IT guy is just throwing suggestions so he/she can get rid of your mom... I know this because I do this too...

OK, back to problem solving. I did not know you're using dial-up (AOL) on this laptop. Try connecting to internet with AOL. When you have a connection, instead of browsing with AOL, try using Internet Explorer (big e icon). Go to different sites and see what you get.
Try reinstalling AOL.

 

I hope I haven't repeated anyone elses suggestion. Do you know if you have all the drivers installed on this computer?

If it is a heat issue, sometime using a can of air to clear out any dust within the fans or air ducts on the laptop could help.

You stated your Mom did a re-install of XP. Was this a clean install or a repair install.

Once again, forgive me if I asked a question that was already asked. I'm a wee bit late in this thread.

 

Ok sites work with IE, reinstalled AOL, downloaded service pack 2 thing from hp's site which took forever... I got a port magic error after restarting which said:

PortMagic experienced a fatal error and must be restarted

Codes: The instruction "0x000202a8" referred memory at "0x00000000". The memory could not me "read". Press [OK] to restart Port Magic, or [CANCEL] to exit.


I clicked okay. I'm going to try to get the rest of the updates now.

And Fool, I do believe all the drivers are installed on here. And I'll tell my mom about the air can thing... If I'm correct it was a clean install, but I will ask her when she gets home which should be soon.

 

Nice, we're getting somewhere now. right? Now you see that this is got very little to do with heat, agreed? (not saying it is non-factor)
Service Pack 2 will (in your case, more) take looong time, because it is relatively large size. Even on a cable modem it takes 30-40 min.
If you can get all your updates (which will take long time again...), I'd say your problems were related to AOL more than anything.
Oh, and also, if you have "Port Magic" on your laptop, I'm very sure your mom did "repair" mode. I don't think HP distributes their laptop with this software.
Which means, again, your problems may come from OS itself or other programs.
If I were you, I'd uninstall "port magic". That thing's useless in dial-up enviornment. And your Windows XP has intergrated firewall.
Now, let's get back to work!

 

Okay I got the windows update done (I was clapping my hands when it said it was succesful) Right now I'm on HP's site downloading updates for drivers and it said there were two critical errors. So I downloaded the one thing, the other thing involves Norton.. And that's what is confusing I don't have Norton on here.. there was a Norton update on my add/remove programs. But the HP cd automatically installs norton, or thats what my mom was saying cause when she first did the repair she got errors with norton. Anyways...

The only things that are downloading are the updates right now. After I got the windows update I was going to download ad-aware se, but it what it does is downloads the files and then like half way through then it like zooms through the rest of it.. and says its corrupt or some other error.

 

i wouldn't install any new programs for now.
Don't you think we should make your laptop work properly first?
Did you uninstall port magic?
Do you see any Norton product in your "add or remove program" list?
When you reinstalled AOL, did you uninstall first? or just reinstall?
For now, try using IE for all your surfing and downloading.

 

Okay well its too late Ad-Aware is already installed and I already did a scan with it. I wanted it on here mostly because I have zero protection and I know when I get loads of spyware this computer only runs worse. And one of the sites I've been going on here I know gives me loads of spyware...

And yes I uninstalled Port Magic.

No, all I saw was an update for it.. I didn't see the actual program on there.

When I reinstalled AOL, I uninstalled it. Used a different CD, because I think that one was the glitched CD.. and it works just fine now.

 

so... everything is back to "ok" now?
I hope so. Sorry for the late reply.

 

Yea actually. Everything seems to be running to fine