Technical help required

[IdiotRogue]

As I mentioned in my opening post, my (ex)girlfriend, through no malice, accidently did something to my system which makes it impossible to play any game.

All I have learned is that i have a bunch of missing/invalid "file application paths" and DLLs, whatever they are...

I know nothing, and I mean NOTHING, about computers, programming, etc. All I can do is install new hardware and let Windows do the rest.

The fixes that have been suggested, and tried (but not worked) are: getting Microsoft Updates, reinstalling Windows (I have ME, now), searching for updated drivers on the web (is that annoying, or what???) and tossing the 'puter out the window.

The symptoms: load a game... intros play, click "play," everything crashes back to desktop. Happens with every GAME I own. Can run all other programs, including Print Shop, with no problem. Intro movies run fine and animation previews at various web sites are fine. I do have all the latest patches, no extray fancy (or hacking) downloads and am generally frustrated and discouraged. Other than that, all is well

[slackerboy]

you may end up having to do what we in the tech support field call a DFFR, which is the ultimate windows reinstall.
it involves debugging the hard drive.
fdisking (partitioning) the hard drive
formating, and finaly,
reinstalling windows.
this would remove any possible software issue.
but of course you would need to do some back ups first

now i know that probably didn't mean much to you. but a more detailed explanation can be provided.

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*Lord of the Screen Shot*

[RudeDawg]

before you go to extremes...

Your sysmtoms are hardware related...

Rerun the hardware installs from their disks, (sounds like a video card mixup) and let them redo your video drivers. Your system may be runnning a generic driver and setting.

What kind of computer is it? Brand name, store bought , or pieced together?

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The RudeDawg
Known in these Forgotten Realms as Perin LightEyes

[Mouse]

You could try the System File Checker utility to restore missing DLL files. Try typing "sfc" (without quotes) From the Start==>Run menu.

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Regards



Mouse

[slackerboy]

system file checker doesnt work in winME.
microsoft decided to leave it out.

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*Lord of the Screen Shot*

[slackerboy]

although a simple system restore might fix the problem, hmm...
to do a system restore, follow these instructions:
click start
point to programs
point to accessories
point to system tools
click on system restore
choose the option to "restore my computer to an earlier time"
click on next
choose a date before the problem started.
(the date must be in bold
then choose a time and,
click on next
then just keep clicking next till it reboots.

this may fix your problem

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*Lord of the Screen Shot*

[Mouse]

According to the mag I have open at the moment, sfc was replaced by the System File Protection utility in Win ME. No idea how that works tho.....

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Regards



Mouse

[IdiotRogue]

Okay, thanks for the suggestions...

Someone who knows more than I had suggested I "upgrade" from Windows9SE) to WindowsME to solve the problem. This person claimed that the Wme install would overwrite/replace the DLLs and invalid applications. The stuff happened under Windows98 and there's no trace of it. I have Norton System Works, which was supposed to save me from such calamity, but he just says file cannot be found and shrugs his shoulders. The lying turnip brain is now sprawled in a gutter somewhere, trying to believe that all those intestines actually came from his abdomen... just kidding, by the way... I merely piddled in his gas tank... hehehe...

Anyhow, my system is rather antiquated, having been pieced together over time, a few years back. My mainboard is an Aopen AXB-6 (running a PentiumII 400), 192 MB of RAM (128/64 if that matters), 10.5 GB hard drive , 52Xmax CD Rom, Video Card is a Diamond Stealth S540(?) with 64 bit color and 32 mb of RAM(learned afterwards that the manufacturer wouldn't let Bill Gates' folk play with their stuff before release and they suffered Microsoft's wrath), Sound Card is a SoundBlaster PCI512 and that's about it - except for a monitor bearing "knuckle smudges" and a keyboard worn in by my forehead banging into it.

I have tried updating the video card driver and when I do, it puts in a bunch of crap that eats up memory and tries to use itself to control my computer. I am beginning to hate technology and may be forced to go back to my pre-Baldur's life of killing spare time in bars... hey... perhaps there IS an upside... hehehe...

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{Next time I send some damned fool, I'll go myself...}

[RudeDawg]

OK, now we're getting somewhere

Was it a "clean" install? Did you backup, format the hard drive, and then insatll ME? Sounds like you tried an "upgrade"

notta good thing...

did you leave a back door? can you go back to '98? did you back up, or anything?

We may need to do a fresh install....

ugh

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The RudeDawg
Known in these Forgotten Realms as Perin LightEyes

[IdiotRogue]

Yuppers, upgrade - again, on advice of an "expert"... rat bastard that he was...

Anyhow, when I installed the upgrade, it asked it I wanted to save the old Win98 on the hard drive so that ME could be uninstalled at a future date. Going against my first instinct, I clicked "YES."

What the hell do I do now??? I wanna KILL somethin'!!!

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{Next time I send some damned fool, I'll go myself...}