[altair9]

Hey here I am again!
I'd like to let you know the last developments of the situation...

I uninstalled SP3, and the resolution got down to VGA 16 colors! In the first time I was able to set it to 800x600, but after it got always locked... as usual.

Further more, talking about deleterious things.... uninstalling SP3 I got an alert in which Windows wrote me about this: The uninstallation of SP3 could cause malfunctions to these applications:

a
b
c
..
...
....

there was the whole list of all the applications installed!!!

Windows was seeming to flip its lid... so I decided:

I FORMATTED IT AGAIN!!!

This time I installed windows using a slipstreamed SP2 + installation disk... but I will never install the SP3 here! (I got other problems too, not only with VGA card...).

This computer is too obsolete for the SP3.

About "deleterious".... do you like it?
It's due to my Italian native language: while translating in English... may happen that words that here are quite often used, or at least not so "rare", literally translated in English may result.... like the Data's poetry on his cat...:

YouTube - Ode to Spot



bye...

[Gunner]

This time I installed windows using a slipstreamed SP2 + installation disk...

Good idea. My installing Sp3 on my XP Pro lappy made me notice nothing different.
Whatever difference it may have had was totally transparent to me. Made me
wonder why bother at all. I do try to keep M$ updates current.
Installing any app, big or small, may or may not cause probs with different systems.
It still surprises me when so many different configurations of systems actually do
work properly with all the different apps available. Amazing, but i'm easily impressed.

Anyway, hoping things are looking up for you. Sometimes erasing and erasing
errors actually warrants starting over with a new sheet of paper.
Good luck.

[altair9]

I'm not able to fully catch the meanings/sense of your words, expecially the second part of your reply...
sorry!

[Blackmirror]

Lets try something else
what is the exact make and model od your pc?
Did you add the video card yourself or was it already installed ?

[Gunner]

Originally Posted by altair9

I'm not able to fully catch the meanings/sense of your words,
expecially the second part of your reply...
sorry!

No need for "sorry" as I don't understand myself at times.
Just trying to relate to trying and trying to fix something like your problem when
the best approach may be to just start over from scratch. If a system is working
and a new program or hardware is installed and now system does not work,
trying to fix around the problem is more hectic than merely uninstalling the
new app or hardware and get the system back to square one and begin again.
Hope this makes more sense.

[altair9]

Oh yes, I understood...
But "Total Uninstall" is my favourite friend in the hard disk here... I think it is a lot better than System Restore... I use the older 2.35 version (FREEWARE!!!)...

It controls the whole system (registry and hard disk C before and after an installation (single or group... but I always use with single installations...)... and saves all the differences in a file.
If you need to remove an application or action, just let it open the file and undo all the changes.

For example, I always make this system image before letting some primitive/barbaric/rudimental friend use the computer... In case of system damage... I restore all...

A few weeks ago I left from here for some days, and once come back the wi-fi antenna was unable to work: no surfing!

I found installed 2 applications... (some video players and codec packs...)... (some friends used the PC in my absence): I removed the apps and it immediately recognized again the antenna!


X BLACKMIRROR:
Thank you too! But I didn't make any change in the hardware... I re-formatted the hard disk and re-installed Windows from a SP2 slipstreamed disc... it goes great!

If you are interested anyway this is the hardware:
Athlon XP 2000+ (1250 MHz)
MB SIS K7S6A
1 GB RAM (512 MB 266 MHz + 256 MB 333 MHz + 256 MB 333 MHz)
Svga AGP GeForce4 MX 440 - vram 64 MB

Controller:

Primary Master:
HD 1: Maxtor 80 GB PATA133
(part. 1 = 20 GB: WinXP + apps / part. 2 = 4 GB: OS and browsers TEMP folders / part. 3 = 56 GB: free)

Primary Slave: Pioneer DVD-RW

Secondary Master:
HD 2: Maxtor 320 GB PATA133 (write cache disabled)
(part. 1 = 10 GB: Windows SWAP file / part. 2 = ~ 300 GB: DATA)

Secondary Slave:
HD 3: Maxtor 60 GB PATA133 (or 100, I don't remember):
(older Windows installation... but sometimes it made some "clicks" and system blocked... so I disabled it in System preferences...).

Monitor: Waitec Shining 15t LCD 15".

Thank you!

[Gunner]

Glad you are sorted.
Keeping current system images is necessary protection and everyone should have them.
Backup is your friend. One is only out as far as their latest full backup or system image
should a system failure occur. System Restore is great and does what it's supposed to do
but is not a replacement for, but a compliment to, full backups.