Help

[Terry]

I'm trying to help a friend over the phone who cannot get on the internet. He was on the phone with Tech Microsoft who I think made matters worse.

My friend is running XP Home, but tech had him install on a slave drive XP Pro

Friend I call bob, cannot access his main hard drive at all, but can see the files via windows explorer but really cannot access the files.

On the slave drive under device manger Yellow Question Mark are under Ethernet, Bus controller, video controller and audio. When working with Bob and trying to update driver we kept getting a code 28. Bob doesn't have a disk with drivers. What to do?

 

[RadiomanATL]

Tell Bob that slavery has been outlawed. He better let his drives go.

 

[Terry]

Tell Bob that slavery has been outlawed. He better let his drives go.

seriously.

All I know his motherboard is an Asus A7nx82 AMD 1500+

I searched for drivers and not sure I downloaded the correct lan driver but cannot find the other stuff. Bob isn't sure which either.

 

[RadiomanATL]

Tell Bob that slavery has been outlawed. He better let his drives go.

seriously.

All I know his motherboard is an Asus A7nx82 AMD 1500+

I searched for drivers and not sure I downloaded the correct lan driver but cannot find the other stuff. Bob isn't sure which either.

Tell mother that its going to all end badly if she hides the true reason for setting down on that planet.

 

[Ringel05]

I'm trying to help a friend over the phone who cannot get on the internet. He was on the phone with Tech Microsoft who I think made matters worse.

My friend is running XP Home, but tech had him install on a slave drive XP Pro

Friend I call bob, cannot access his main hard drive at all, but can see the files via windows explorer but really cannot access the files.

On the slave drive under device manger Yellow Question Mark are under Ethernet, Bus controller, video controller and audio. When working with Bob and trying to update driver we kept getting a code 28. Bob doesn't have a disk with drivers. What to do?

You're saying he has two separate HDs, right?

 

[Terry]

I'm trying to help a friend over the phone who cannot get on the internet. He was on the phone with Tech Microsoft who I think made matters worse.

My friend is running XP Home, but tech had him install on a slave drive XP Pro

Friend I call bob, cannot access his main hard drive at all, but can see the files via windows explorer but really cannot access the files.

On the slave drive under device manger Yellow Question Mark are under Ethernet, Bus controller, video controller and audio. When working with Bob and trying to update driver we kept getting a code 28. Bob doesn't have a disk with drivers. What to do?

You're saying he has two separate HDs, right?

One hard drive, and partioned a drive to add the xp pro

 

[Ringel05]

I'm trying to help a friend over the phone who cannot get on the internet. He was on the phone with Tech Microsoft who I think made matters worse.

My friend is running XP Home, but tech had him install on a slave drive XP Pro

Friend I call bob, cannot access his main hard drive at all, but can see the files via windows explorer but really cannot access the files.

On the slave drive under device manger Yellow Question Mark are under Ethernet, Bus controller, video controller and audio. When working with Bob and trying to update driver we kept getting a code 28. Bob doesn't have a disk with drivers. What to do?

You're saying he has two separate HDs, right?

One hard drive, and partioned a drive to add the xp pro

I'm trying to understand but I'm not getting it. One non-partitioned HD plus one additional partitioned HD or one partitioned HD only?

If it is one HD only that was partitioned without back up then that is more than likely the problem. If he has two HDs he needs to check the jumper settings on the back of each one to make sure one is marked as Master and the other is maked as Slave or Cable Select.

 

[RadiomanATL]

You're saying he has two separate HDs, right?

One hard drive, and partioned a drive to add the xp pro

I'm trying to understand but I'm not getting it. One non-partitioned HD plus one additional partitioned HD or one partitioned HD only?

My HD is partitioned as well.

Garden department to the right, lumber to the left.

 

[Terry]

You're saying he has two separate HDs, right?

One hard drive, and partioned a drive to add the xp pro

I'm trying to understand but I'm not getting it. One non-partitioned HD plus one additional partitioned HD or one partitioned HD only?

If it is one HD only that was partitioned without back up then that is more than likely the problem. If he has two HDs he needs to check the jumper settings on the back of each one to make sure one is marked as Master and the other is maked as Slave or Cable Select.

I found his drivers I think.

Mainboard A7N8X2.0 ASUS Socket A

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.-Support-

oh select WinXP as os

 

[Terry]

I'll have to mail him the drivers and he lives out of state

He has two drives I learned. He has WinXP on one and when he turns his PC on he sees the bar and just before the Windows login screen his pc just goes black. When he tried to enter safe mode the same thing happens. I had him go into dos prompt to check disc and that didn't help.

Microsoft tech had him install xp pro on a different drive, on that there is no drivers for the list I listed in prior post. So he cannot access the internet to download the drivers.

He would like to get his other C drive working but I have no idea why his PC will not boot up to windows. It could be many things causing it.

 

[KittenKoder]

Shit ... XP crap. Um ... Windoze is horrible with partitions, the tech did make matters worse by recommending that. I can't remember how to mount in Windoze, but that's what they would have to do in order to gain access to the second partition.

Though that sounds like a minor issue at this time, accessing the internet with Windoze often requires access to the internet prior to getting the drivers (I know ... catch 22 bullshit) unless you have the drivers on a CD. However, if the network card is running (the manager should appear if it is) then likely it's just a setting that was altered, specifically the IP information. What service provider is he using? Qwest modems have a tendency to need reconfiguring once in a while, which just blocks your access to the internet until you do it. This I know how to do manually but not through their software, so if that's the case have them call their service provider's customer service once they get Windoze back up and running. As to getting Windoze back, they may have to do a full re-install at this point, if they have a secondary hard drive do so on that hard drive, using minimal install options, then back up all their personal files onto that hard drive and re-install the main hard drive (clean, as in wiping everything from the primary drive).

 

[alan1]

He should make a back up of all his porn, then wipe his hard drive.
Always save the porn.

 

[Terry]

Shit ... XP crap. Um ... Windoze is horrible with partitions, the tech did make matters worse by recommending that. I can't remember how to mount in Windoze, but that's what they would have to do in order to gain access to the second partition.

Though that sounds like a minor issue at this time, accessing the internet with Windoze often requires access to the internet prior to getting the drivers (I know ... catch 22 bullshit) unless you have the drivers on a CD. However, if the network card is running (the manager should appear if it is) then likely it's just a setting that was altered, specifically the IP information. What service provider is he using? Qwest modems have a tendency to need reconfiguring once in a while, which just blocks your access to the internet until you do it. This I know how to do manually but not through their software, so if that's the case have them call their service provider's customer service once they get Windoze back up and running. As to getting Windoze back, they may have to do a full re-install at this point, if they have a secondary hard drive do so on that hard drive, using minimal install options, then back up all their personal files onto that hard drive and re-install the main hard drive (clean, as in wiping everything from the primary drive).

Thanks KK for responding. One the one drive where all his files are on XP Home edition that OS won't boot up at all, gets to just were you see the welcome screen then it goes black. He cannot even enter via safe mode. I have no idea what is causing that. Prior to it going on the blink he was playing some game (Unknown to me). I'm think some system file is bad. He lost his WinXP disc so cannot use it to try and repair.

Now on the other drive that Microsoft had him install XP Pro that is fine except XP isn't finding the drivers for it. His PC is 6 years old and the Audio and Ethernet are attached to it. I'm sending him via MAIL a copy of my home CD, in hopes he can use it to repair, and drivers for his motherboard in hopes that works on the other drive. I just have no idea why his WinXP home isn't loading. While on the second drive the one with Pro on it he can see all his files on the XP Home drive but he cannot access them so the Drive isn't fried I would suspect. Any idea on what it could be besides a corrupt system file?

He went into Dos mode to do a scan disk check but that didn't do anything.

Oh I'm also sending him a bootable antivirus cd to scan his computer with. Of course it won't have any recent updates but if it is a virus causing it, maybe it will find it or at least give a name to it. And if he can get that PRO side working with the drivers, then he can go on the internet and find a removal tool for that virus. A hell of a lot of variables but I just cannot think of anything else for him to check.

 

[KittenKoder]

Shit ... XP crap. Um ... Windoze is horrible with partitions, the tech did make matters worse by recommending that. I can't remember how to mount in Windoze, but that's what they would have to do in order to gain access to the second partition.

Though that sounds like a minor issue at this time, accessing the internet with Windoze often requires access to the internet prior to getting the drivers (I know ... catch 22 bullshit) unless you have the drivers on a CD. However, if the network card is running (the manager should appear if it is) then likely it's just a setting that was altered, specifically the IP information. What service provider is he using? Qwest modems have a tendency to need reconfiguring once in a while, which just blocks your access to the internet until you do it. This I know how to do manually but not through their software, so if that's the case have them call their service provider's customer service once they get Windoze back up and running. As to getting Windoze back, they may have to do a full re-install at this point, if they have a secondary hard drive do so on that hard drive, using minimal install options, then back up all their personal files onto that hard drive and re-install the main hard drive (clean, as in wiping everything from the primary drive).

Thanks KK for responding. One the one drive where all his files are on XP Home edition that OS won't boot up at all, gets to just were you see the welcome screen then it goes black. He cannot even enter via safe mode. I have no idea what is causing that. Prior to it going on the blink he was playing some game (Unknown to me). I'm think some system file is bad. He lost his WinXP disc so cannot use it to try and repair.

Now on the other drive that Microsoft had him install XP Pro that is fine except XP isn't finding the drivers for it. His PC is 6 years old and the Audio and Ethernet are attached to it. I'm sending him via MAIL a copy of my home CD, in hopes he can use it to repair, and drivers for his motherboard in hopes that works on the other drive. I just have no idea why his WinXP home isn't loading. While on the second drive the one with Pro on it he can see all his files on the XP Home drive but he cannot access them so the Drive isn't fried I would suspect. Any idea on what it could be besides a corrupt system file?

He went into Dos mode to do a scan disk check but that didn't do anything.

Oh I'm also sending him a bootable antivirus cd to scan his computer with. Of course it won't have any recent updates but if it is a virus causing it, maybe it will find it or at least give a name to it. And if he can get that PRO side working with the drivers, then he can go on the internet and find a removal tool for that virus. A hell of a lot of variables but I just cannot think of anything else for him to check.

Ooh ... if he understand MS-DOS well enough then he may be able to copy all his files through that, it will take time, but it sounds like the original hard drive file system is messed up, one of the problems with any program being able to modify the system files in the first place. As to why the secondary drive isn't getting the drivers right ... they may no longer be available through Microsoft at all, they drop old tech supporting drivers frequently now. My ultimate fix-all recommendation at this point is to install Ubuntu ... which never drops the drivers for older machines ... ever. Now, as I said, Windoze does not like partitions, or multiboots at all, it chews up a lot of hard drives when people try that route, so the tech support was an idiot for recommending it.

If he can, copy all the personal files through DOS onto a secondary hard drive or storage device, then wipe the primary drive and re-install there, if that doesn't work sue Microsucks for dropping support of the computer. JK ... but if that doesn't work install Linux ... Ubuntu being the recommended one. With Linux I could walk you through almost anything.

 

[Terry]

Shit ... XP crap. Um ... Windoze is horrible with partitions, the tech did make matters worse by recommending that. I can't remember how to mount in Windoze, but that's what they would have to do in order to gain access to the second partition.

Though that sounds like a minor issue at this time, accessing the internet with Windoze often requires access to the internet prior to getting the drivers (I know ... catch 22 bullshit) unless you have the drivers on a CD. However, if the network card is running (the manager should appear if it is) then likely it's just a setting that was altered, specifically the IP information. What service provider is he using? Qwest modems have a tendency to need reconfiguring once in a while, which just blocks your access to the internet until you do it. This I know how to do manually but not through their software, so if that's the case have them call their service provider's customer service once they get Windoze back up and running. As to getting Windoze back, they may have to do a full re-install at this point, if they have a secondary hard drive do so on that hard drive, using minimal install options, then back up all their personal files onto that hard drive and re-install the main hard drive (clean, as in wiping everything from the primary drive).

Thanks KK for responding. One the one drive where all his files are on XP Home edition that OS won't boot up at all, gets to just were you see the welcome screen then it goes black. He cannot even enter via safe mode. I have no idea what is causing that. Prior to it going on the blink he was playing some game (Unknown to me). I'm think some system file is bad. He lost his WinXP disc so cannot use it to try and repair.

Now on the other drive that Microsoft had him install XP Pro that is fine except XP isn't finding the drivers for it. His PC is 6 years old and the Audio and Ethernet are attached to it. I'm sending him via MAIL a copy of my home CD, in hopes he can use it to repair, and drivers for his motherboard in hopes that works on the other drive. I just have no idea why his WinXP home isn't loading. While on the second drive the one with Pro on it he can see all his files on the XP Home drive but he cannot access them so the Drive isn't fried I would suspect. Any idea on what it could be besides a corrupt system file?

He went into Dos mode to do a scan disk check but that didn't do anything.

Oh I'm also sending him a bootable antivirus cd to scan his computer with. Of course it won't have any recent updates but if it is a virus causing it, maybe it will find it or at least give a name to it. And if he can get that PRO side working with the drivers, then he can go on the internet and find a removal tool for that virus. A hell of a lot of variables but I just cannot think of anything else for him to check.

Ooh ... if he understand MS-DOS well enough then he may be able to copy all his files through that, it will take time, but it sounds like the original hard drive file system is messed up, one of the problems with any program being able to modify the system files in the first place. As to why the secondary drive isn't getting the drivers right ... they may no longer be available through Microsoft at all, they drop old tech supporting drivers frequently now. My ultimate fix-all recommendation at this point is to install Ubuntu ... which never drops the drivers for older machines ... ever. Now, as I said, Windoze does not like partitions, or multiboots at all, it chews up a lot of hard drives when people try that route, so the tech support was an idiot for recommending it.

If he can, copy all the personal files through DOS onto a secondary hard drive or storage device, then wipe the primary drive and re-install there, if that doesn't work sue Microsucks for dropping support of the computer. JK ... but if that doesn't work install Linux ... Ubuntu being the recommended one. With Linux I could walk you through almost anything.

Forget the Dos idea. *lol* he doesn't and I forgot it all. I can look it up on the internet but walking him through it will be a nightmare to say the least.

He has two drives, I was mistaken in a previous post. He had added another hard drive a few years ago. That he basically just used as storage. The tech had him install the WinXP Pro on that drive. His original Drive C has the XP Home on it. He had the XP pro cd but not the Home CD. Tried inserting the Pro CD on the boot up for C to repair but nope that didn't work.

 

[KittenKoder]

Thanks KK for responding. One the one drive where all his files are on XP Home edition that OS won't boot up at all, gets to just were you see the welcome screen then it goes black. He cannot even enter via safe mode. I have no idea what is causing that. Prior to it going on the blink he was playing some game (Unknown to me). I'm think some system file is bad. He lost his WinXP disc so cannot use it to try and repair.

Now on the other drive that Microsoft had him install XP Pro that is fine except XP isn't finding the drivers for it. His PC is 6 years old and the Audio and Ethernet are attached to it. I'm sending him via MAIL a copy of my home CD, in hopes he can use it to repair, and drivers for his motherboard in hopes that works on the other drive. I just have no idea why his WinXP home isn't loading. While on the second drive the one with Pro on it he can see all his files on the XP Home drive but he cannot access them so the Drive isn't fried I would suspect. Any idea on what it could be besides a corrupt system file?

He went into Dos mode to do a scan disk check but that didn't do anything.

Oh I'm also sending him a bootable antivirus cd to scan his computer with. Of course it won't have any recent updates but if it is a virus causing it, maybe it will find it or at least give a name to it. And if he can get that PRO side working with the drivers, then he can go on the internet and find a removal tool for that virus. A hell of a lot of variables but I just cannot think of anything else for him to check.

Ooh ... if he understand MS-DOS well enough then he may be able to copy all his files through that, it will take time, but it sounds like the original hard drive file system is messed up, one of the problems with any program being able to modify the system files in the first place. As to why the secondary drive isn't getting the drivers right ... they may no longer be available through Microsoft at all, they drop old tech supporting drivers frequently now. My ultimate fix-all recommendation at this point is to install Ubuntu ... which never drops the drivers for older machines ... ever. Now, as I said, Windoze does not like partitions, or multiboots at all, it chews up a lot of hard drives when people try that route, so the tech support was an idiot for recommending it.

If he can, copy all the personal files through DOS onto a secondary hard drive or storage device, then wipe the primary drive and re-install there, if that doesn't work sue Microsucks for dropping support of the computer. JK ... but if that doesn't work install Linux ... Ubuntu being the recommended one. With Linux I could walk you through almost anything.

Forget the Dos idea. *lol* he doesn't and I forgot it all. I can look it up on the internet but walking him through it will be a nightmare to say the least.

He has two drives, I was mistaken in a previous post. He had added another hard drive a few years ago. That he basically just used as storage. The tech had him install the WinXP Pro on that drive. His original Drive C has the XP Home on it. He had the XP pro cd but not the Home CD. Tried inserting the Pro CD on the boot up for C to repair but nope that didn't work.

Aaah ... brain fart! I just remembered something. He may have to relocate the drives, so that the secondary one is C and the primary one is something else. I think Windoze only uses the one labeled C as the boot drive. Since he added the drive after he got the computer he should be able to know how to do this using the hard ware. Just swap their physical locations, that may help.

 

[Terry]

Ooh ... if he understand MS-DOS well enough then he may be able to copy all his files through that, it will take time, but it sounds like the original hard drive file system is messed up, one of the problems with any program being able to modify the system files in the first place. As to why the secondary drive isn't getting the drivers right ... they may no longer be available through Microsoft at all, they drop old tech supporting drivers frequently now. My ultimate fix-all recommendation at this point is to install Ubuntu ... which never drops the drivers for older machines ... ever. Now, as I said, Windoze does not like partitions, or multiboots at all, it chews up a lot of hard drives when people try that route, so the tech support was an idiot for recommending it.

If he can, copy all the personal files through DOS onto a secondary hard drive or storage device, then wipe the primary drive and re-install there, if that doesn't work sue Microsucks for dropping support of the computer. JK ... but if that doesn't work install Linux ... Ubuntu being the recommended one. With Linux I could walk you through almost anything.

Forget the Dos idea. *lol* he doesn't and I forgot it all. I can look it up on the internet but walking him through it will be a nightmare to say the least.

He has two drives, I was mistaken in a previous post. He had added another hard drive a few years ago. That he basically just used as storage. The tech had him install the WinXP Pro on that drive. His original Drive C has the XP Home on it. He had the XP pro cd but not the Home CD. Tried inserting the Pro CD on the boot up for C to repair but nope that didn't work.

Aaah ... brain fart! I just remembered something. He may have to relocate the drives, so that the secondary one is C and the primary one is something else. I think Windoze only uses the one labeled C as the boot drive. Since he added the drive after he got the computer he should be able to know how to do this using the hard ware. Just swap their physical locations, that may help.

I'll mention this to Him tomorrow morning when I talk to him. What will this do actually?

 

[KittenKoder]

Forget the Dos idea. *lol* he doesn't and I forgot it all. I can look it up on the internet but walking him through it will be a nightmare to say the least.

He has two drives, I was mistaken in a previous post. He had added another hard drive a few years ago. That he basically just used as storage. The tech had him install the WinXP Pro on that drive. His original Drive C has the XP Home on it. He had the XP pro cd but not the Home CD. Tried inserting the Pro CD on the boot up for C to repair but nope that didn't work.

Aaah ... brain fart! I just remembered something. He may have to relocate the drives, so that the secondary one is C and the primary one is something else. I think Windoze only uses the one labeled C as the boot drive. Since he added the drive after he got the computer he should be able to know how to do this using the hard ware. Just swap their physical locations, that may help.

I'll mention this to Him tomorrow morning when I talk to him. What will this do actually?

The computer bios settings have one drive named "C" ... which is always the primary hard drive now (A was the first floppy, B was the first SSD) so when they wrote Windoze they coded it to recognize and search for that drive specifically, all others were considered "secondary" or slave drives. It's a mistake they never bothered to correct because those of us who actually tinker with computers a lot tend to use Linux/Unix anyway. When it boots from another drive letter it would still try to save data and even the registry onto the primary drive (C according to DOS) ... if the drive there is messed up then it can lock up the system, the only time it would not try to access that specific drive letter is if it was taken out completely. Since Windoze is not by default a partioning OS it's not written to access multiple drives as well as others, even Mac is better at it than Windoze. MS expected everyone to just buy new hard drives and have a techie replace them each time ... they didn't account for the fact that people would get smart enough to do it themselves for half the cost or just add more drives for even bigger savings.

 

[Terry]

I'll mention that but he might have already done that. *shrug*

 

[KittenKoder]

I'll mention that but he might have already done that. *shrug*

If that's the case then he may be screwed. There may be something wrong in his Bios and I don't want to walk someone through that third party style.