I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Since my system had to be restored, I am back to XP sp1 and guess what... I CANNOT UPDATE to sp2! Yup that is right, I am unable to update anything to do with windows XP because of this GD autoupdate x-control thing. Since my sp1 is sp1, and you need sp2 in order to install the updater, I am SOL.

F**KING MICROSOFT! On top of it, I cannot switch to classic view and I keep getting this damn error telling me to set my audio playback performance to FULL.. WELL IT IS SET TO GOD DAMN FULL YOUR F**KING POS!

SO I have to order the SP2 cd from MS, and that will take two weeks to get here and if as in the past, it won't work.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Did you do a huge single update going from SP1 to SP2? Or did you just do the latest update (which was the verification tool thingy)?

You can also undo a system restore IIRC.

On a side note, you should create a restore point every day.

On another side note, my computer crashed the first time I tried to install SP2, so what I ended up with was sp 1.5, where I had some sp2 features but couldn't install it. Eventually I was able to get it updated to sp2, but I forgot the route I took.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

I cannot update anything period! NOt a damn thing. You have to have access to this activeX control thing and well since I cannot update and am stuck with IE 6 I cannot install this activeX control thing. Hell I cannot even install it via a seperate download because you NEED XP SP 2 to install it. WTF!

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Search your Windows folder for "legitcontrolcheck.dll" to see if WGA is installed. If so, try going into IE's settings and disable the Windows Genuine Advantage activex control. If the DLL is there but you get nothing in this dialog for it, try deleting the DLL, then install the WGA again. If it does not exist, or the last step fails, remove all registry entries related to "legitcontrolcheck" and "windows genuine advantage," then try again.

You do not need SP 2 to install WGA; it is installable on all Windows (that are still supported by Windows Update, anyways).

Once you get your system updated, I'd recommend uninstalling WGA by deleting the DLLs and removing the registry entries, due to its periodic spyware phone home activities (which are independent of actually using Windows Update).

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Makes me (even more) glad that I use Win2k. I have no plans to change my OS until I absolutely have to. Especially considering the recommanded requirements of recent (ie Vista) OS's, not to mention that I have little faith in MS's ability to get anything right.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

What is WGA?

I am pretty much locked out of doing anything with windows. I might have to do a total restore on the system since NONE of my programs are working and keep giving me access violations when I try to get them to work.

I should be allowed to sue Microsoft and that GD Norton company for crashing my computer. I knew if I unistalled Norton this kind of thing was going to happen and it did. I [censored] hate Norton and God Damn Microsoft!

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

I think you should do what Fyron says. I highly doubt that Microsoft would make it so that you cannot update Microsoft software.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Actually even better:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/921914

MS has provided info on how to remove the "pilot" version of WGA.

Edit:

Actually, that seems to be something slightly different. Apply both procedures, as appropriate.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

I do not have the dll file that fyron listed. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif I am on the phone now with MS support... they have no clue as to why this is happening.

I knew I should have just done a restore rather than listening to the fuxker from HP tech support how had me do a recovery.

HP IS EVIL! I sware to GOD my next system will be custom built!

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

What about the registry entries?

Try what the knowledge base article says.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

On an off-topic note, when I saw the title of this thread (i.e. "I Don't F***ing Believe This"), and saw that it was AT who posted it, literally the first thing I thought was "Well, I do". Sorry, but I just had to say that http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif Good luck with your computer AT, here's hoping you haven't lost everything.....

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

I agree with Strategia. You have never ending problems with computers.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

at i'd offer to build you one BBuuuuttt ....

with your luck this longshot artist doesn't even want to chance it

i'd rather be in a 19 to 1 pbw game than chance that build

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/stupid.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/stupid.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/icon49.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Grenade.gif[/img] [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Poison.gif[/img]

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

MSSupport is handled overseas where english is not the main language... they follow scripts and instructions from manuals/KBs online, but if they don't find your issue in the manual/KB then you will have better luck winning the lottery compared with them fixing your issue.
Not sure about HP Support... I always build my machines from scratch.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Yup its my turn again for some bad luck. I must have upset someone up stairs to get hit with so much in so short a time.

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

What hurts is that the GD back up cd's cannot be read. Even after a complete restore and update they still won't read. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

So much for having back ups.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Hey AT, not sure if you got anyone that could at least fake intelligence on Microsoft's first tier support lines, but try this link:
Windows XP Service Pack 2 Stand-alone

This should update you to SP2. Then, if I remember correctly, you will have to do Windows Update three times; once to update the Windows Update ActiveX control, once again to update the Windows Update ActiveX control, and then one final time to actually update Windows. I have no idea why they make you do it that many times, I think someone just screwed up and didn't combine the updates to the Windows Update software.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Well some good news finally. We have all had system failures that have just hurt us immeasurably, so we learned to make back ups. However I don't believe any of use ever expected out back ups to fail. Thank GOD for redundant back ups. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Evidently at some point last monthy I copied all of my DOGA files to my second drive. I also found some important docs and even some of my music. My emails are toast, so I must beg Eniki to send me copies of my login info for ASTempire.net and what not, I have no hope that they will so I might have to find a new host.

I lost my SE V beta files so I am effectively out of that unless Aaron can help. And I lost links to important sites but nothing I hope that I cannot find again.

All in all it was my time, and I have to say that as much as I now hate Norton and MS, I hate HP more. IT was there stupid tech support that had me do a system recovery when a system restore would have worked. MS Support was helpful but very hard to understand as they too are based in India and despite the $35.00 fee to help me, I still ended up fixing the problem on my own. SP 2 is now installing and with any luck I will figure out Thunderbird and get it too work as well. Damn Qwest/MSN uses http instead of POP so that might be a problem. Plus I cannot remember any of my passwords for astempire mail so that is a real pain. Oh well, live and learn I guess.

Any who, my heart goes out to any one who ever has to deal with a nightmare situation like this. Your otherwise reliable PC crashes do to a standard XP update following the removal of Norton PC killer, and your back up CD's won't read, call me, we can co-miserate. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Perhaps I'm being a little dense here, but if you've backed up your data on CD, but your computer can't read that data...why not just go to another computer and try there?? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Happy to hear things are starting to look up for you again. I know what losing everything is like. Lost ALL my files last year, had to buy a new PC, and to date still haven't fully recovered all the things I lost. I feel for ya, Bud.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Well the worst I hope is over now. Most of the PC is back to operating normally. I still haven't unistalled the crappy 2003 norton that came with it, but I will very soon. Then I update the nvidia drivers and roll the dice.

Any one think PC CHillin is an ok AV?

The PC can now read a few of the back up disks. The most important one it has allowed me to copy files from to the desk top but has not allowed me to access other files such as my SEIV back ups.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

AVG AT, AVG... or failing that, Avast. But AVG first.

I expect backup CDs to fail. CD-Rs are a fickle medium, prone to failure after 2-5 years, depending on brand and environmental conditions. Its best to replace backup CDs once a year or so... Of course, even better is a backup USB hard drive (really an IDE drive placed into a $20 (check deal listing sites periodically) aluminum enclosure since "external" drives are ridiculously overpriced) that is only on when you copy backups to it, then you put it in static shielding for storage. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

That was way too many nested remarks... oh well.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Here is how to access them at this link .

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Personally I wouldn't reccomend AVG, it lets too many things slip through. A few years ago I used to use AVG, I suspected that I had a virus and ran a full scan, which came up completely clean. I still suspected I had a virus and did the online scan from TrendMicro. My 'clean' system turned out to be dirtier than I thought, I had about 6-10 different infections that AVG didn't even see. For anti-virus I always reccomend norton, ONLY for anti-virus though. I don't allow any other norton software on my system.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

I work as a computer technician and get infected PC's on daily bases. Once I had a PC that had 6 different viruses on him and Norton with latest updates didn't see any of them. Not a single one. On another occasion he detected about 3 viruses but couldn't remove any of them. I have loads of experiences as this. Not to mention major slowdowns (Microsoft Word sometimes takes whole minute to open up with this 'Antivirus') and lots of conflicts with other programs I saw. Generally I reccomend Norton only to those I really hate.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Recommending Norton is like recommending a punch in the face. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/stupid.gif

All AV programs have viruses they do not detect (right now, anyways). Same with anti-spyware software... Such is the way of the malware war. For the truly paranoid, there are several good online AV scanners offered, which you can run periodically. Panda Software's, Trend Micro's, etc. Definitely a bad idea to install multiple AV programs due to definition interference (especially Norton and anything else).

Norton is far, far worse because Symantec does not provide any scanning engine updates with the subscriptions, rendering you vulnerable to every new class of virus. They only provide definition updates to detect the classes of viruses the engine knew how to detect when you bought it. You have to keep rebuying the software every year, which is usually pricier than a subscription...

"Once I had a PC that had 6 different viruses on him and Norton with latest updates didn't see any of them. Not a single one. "

My guess is that it was not the latest Norton AV. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Don't recall. A guy had it installed on his PC and I simply updated it and run scan. It's quite possible it was older one.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

I know it's after-the-fact but IMO Norton hasn't been a good product since Symantec bought it out and tried to port it to the Mac in the late '80's. From then on nothing quality has come out of the Norton brand product line.

Symantec has never produced a good product on it's own (IMO anyways) and has always acquired marketshare by buying up other companies and products to add to their line. IMO their (Symantec's) primary mission is in mergers and acquisitions and not in developing quality software.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Thanks for the feed back. Fyron am a bit gun shy of AVG after what has happened. I don't want to go through that again. Perhaps it was just a unique conflict or something related to a greater problem. I don't know. I am willing to try them again, but if my system crashes again...... I will not be happy and will most likely have to fly down to AVG HQ and severely punish all that I come into contact with. My phased poloron guns are quite powerful and they skip shields too.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Well I think I know what the problem is. There is a direct conflict between the latest Nvidia drivers and the latest XP security update. Between my last post and this one, XP updated and then restarted. When the computer rebooted the screen went wild with bizzar colors and the PC crashed. I tried to restart in safemod and that too crashed. One final restart set the computer to restore to last known good configuration and she started. I will bet money that once I reboot again, she will crash and I will have to do a complete system recovery again. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif

Leave it to Microsoft to screw everything up.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Why is it MS's fault if Nvidia's drivers are bad? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif

Also, why not just rollback your Nvidia driver and wait for a more stable release?

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

The drivers were stable for a day then XP updated and thus the conflict occured. Honestly I think its just that for some reason HP designed comps don't like addon video cards. I disabled my on board video card years ago when I installed my GeForce card. Occationally the computer would crash after waking up from hybernation... the screen would get all funky looking. However the PC never had a failure to boot until two days ago when all sorts of hell broke loose. Honestly I don't really know the specific cause. I can only report what I have seen and speculate as to causes.

However if the problem does occur again, I will most assuredly go back to the old 8X.XX driver.

Thanks for all the insight and help guys. You people make being a member on this site a very valuable thing.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Hmm AT may not be completelty jumping gun on MS update creating problom with Vidoe drvs. for my lapt thees easliy a a half dozen patches issued by the manufacture to address issues caused by various MS updates, one of which would cause the system to freeze up.

For Example Anyone familiar with the Battery drain bug? It was the direct result of fix by MS and after about 6 to 9 monthes they finally fixed it.
The one thing the Comes to mind was the newer Nvidia drv using some undocumanted WXP feature that MS fixed. That is a problem that has cropped up in the past.

Re: I Don\'t F***ing Believe This
 

Here is a response I got from Nvidia regarding the latest driver conflict with XP.