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Think Twice before switching to Windows!

F

Frisco

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Sep 24, 2002
2,475
69
Utopia
My experience today using Win Xp Home Service Pack 2.

It has only been for about an hour, so I am sure there is more to come.

I startup a brand new eMachines with AMD 64 Athlon for the first time. I get a few CMOS errors. Finally it reboots a few times and loads XP. Everything is good.

Next: Internet Explorer freezes on some webpage: Control Alt Delete

I try to setup my gmail account through pop3. Outlook 2003 is unresponding.

McAfee antirus plays this obnoxious sound with an error message. I would tell you what it was, but I don't even want to remember.

I get some message box popping up that my registry is corrupted, to go to some website pachit or something to repair it. I knew it was obviously adware, but it pops up like every 5 minutes.

I setup 2 accounts on this new computer. I deleted a shortcut from my desktop, but it deleted a shortcut from my girlfriend's desktop too. Is that normal?

I uninstalled several programs, but they are still in the Add/Remove program list. Some are gone from there, but they are still in my startup menu. 2 other programs that I uninstalled are no longer in Add/Remove programs, nor the Startup Menu, but when I start up my computer THEY STARTUP.

I plug in my headphones to try to listen to some iTunes. This message pops up, "A Jack Has Been Plugged In". I am like thanks, but that is obvious! But it still plays through the external speakers. Some strange program opens "RealTek" asking me which device I want to plug in?'

Okay I am tired. I need a Macbook Pro 17"

Night all!
 
Mmmm, wow, that's quite a lot of problems to have, doing something that ought to be self-explanatory.... :(

I setup 2 accounts on this new computer. I deleted a shortcut from my desktop, but it deleted a shortcut from my girlfriend's desktop too. Is that normal?
Click to expand...

As far as this is concerned, there are two "desktops" that are combined, as I understand it, for any given user -- a default one, and then any modifications the individual user makes. I think that when you install apps as an administrator, the icon is placed on the desktop for all users. And if you delete such an icon from any account that has the capability, it disappears for everyone.

There are a few things like this in the Windows architecture that are designed in a surprising way. I just found out inadvertently that Trillian is designed so that all users are available regardless of who is logged into the Windows account. If your user is set to be the default login, then someone who logs into the same computer with a different Windows account will instantly have access to your IM contact lists and accounts without having to password into it. And maybe even your chat history.... Ugh. I'm glad I found it out while the someone else was logging into the computer and asking for my help. :eek:
 
How are you getting adware if you just turned it on for the first time? Either you quickly installed some programs (you mention McAfee as well as uninstalling programs?), or you have some very good questions for whoever imaged it... Your scenario sounds like a computer with viruses/spyware/adware?
 
DaveP said:
How are you getting adware if you just turned it on for the first time? Either you quickly installed some programs (you mention McAfee as well as uninstalling programs?), or you have some very good questions for whoever imaged it... Your scenario sounds like a computer with viruses/spyware/adware?
Click to expand...

I installed iTunes/Quicktime and then Firefox.

I uninstalled AOL and some other garbage.

This thing is junk, I stll can't get my music to play through the headphones.

Even though I unplug and replug the phone, "Information A jack has been plugged In," or "A Jack Has been Unplugged."
 
I hate how none of the major brands give you a full install disks for your machines. For the most part they partition your HD.

You know what gets to me about SP2 is the damn mouse scroll. Other than that Xp isn't that bad, but highly overpriced.
 
Frisco said:
I installed iTunes/Quicktime and then Firefox.

I uninstalled AOL and some other garbage.
Click to expand...

Well if I was you I would have a serious beef with whoever did the Windows install and software setup, as they obviously screwed something up. I would try a restore install of Windows (or a completely fresh install if you don't mind that hassle).
 
DaveP said:
Well if I was you I would have a serious beef with whoever did the Windows install and software setup, as they obviously screwed something up. I would try a restore install of Windows (or a completely fresh install if you don't mind that hassle).
Click to expand...

Good advice, but I don't think a fresh install is possible with the recovery CD? I mean a clean copy of XP, without all the 3rd party software.

I still regret not being on 5th Avenue last night :-(
 
On XP, sometimes icons disappear from both, or are added to both and sometimes not. It depends on if it is specifically for that user account or if the program affects all accounts. You shouldn't have that many problems. I'm using a 4.5ish year old XP without any of these problems. Of course, I have service pack 1.
 
About 2 1/2 years ago my mum got a Dell laptop. I turned it on, went through the setup wizard, put in a DVD, and got a bluescreen. Tried to reboot, and it'd bluescreen on boot. I can't remember what I did, but it took me a good hour to get it to boot again. I was simply amazed that a brand-new computer couldn't play a DVD! :eek:
 
Thanks for all your replies!

This will be primarily my girlfriends computer. I will only be using it until I can afford a new Intel Mac.

Yes I care about my girlfriend and tried to "switch" her many times, but she views this as normal as is hooked on "solitaire!"
 
Frisco said:
Yes I care about my girlfriend and tried to "switch" her many times, but she views this as normal as is hooked on "solitaire!"
Click to expand...

She knows you can get solitaire for Macs, right?
 
Okay I finally got my headphones to work by playing with options in the 3rd party program "RealTek"
 
Well you do realize you guys are comparing Apples to Oranges right? (sorry had to go for it)

A "clean" install of Windows on a properly configured box with the correct drivers runs just fine. Also knowingly using Internet Explorer when there's Firefox is like passing out in a frat house wearing a wig and a dress.
 
JDOG_ said:
Well you do realize you guys are comparing Apples to Oranges right? (sorry had to go for it)

A "clean" install of Windows on a properly configured box with the correct drivers runs just fine. Also knowingly using Internet Explorer when there's Firefox is like passing out in a frat house wearing a wig and a dress.
Click to expand...

I agree, I find this thread slanderous. I have both pc's and a mac. If you know even a little you should not have any problem.

Try a fresh install. Use windows update to get all the updates.

Install newest versions of all the drivers.

Enjoy.
 
Bsresponsive1 said:
Try a fresh install. Use windows update to get all the updates.

Install newest versions of all the drivers.
Click to expand...

And therein lies a crucial difference. Apple systems are already a "fresh install" whereas Dell etc. throw in a mish-mash of critical components and absolute rubbish. The end-user shouldn't have to clean up after the OEM!
 
Bsresponsive1 said:
Try a fresh install. Use windows update to get all the updates.
Click to expand...

A small problem with that. Most PCs come with no restore CDs and the backup image that they put on a partition on the HD is an exact copy of what was installed on the computer from the factory image. You cannot pick and choose what to install. It is either all or nothing.

Now, it has been a while since I bought a PC. I build my own and install only the software I want on it. There very well might be a program like Pacifist that allows you to extract what you want from the restore CDs, but I do not know that for sure.
 
emaja said:
A small problem with that. Most PCs come with no restore CDs
Click to expand...

Still?! I remember several OEMs getting in trouble here in NZ for not including Windows CDs with their computers, that was a few years ago now. The Dell I mentioned before (2 1/2 years old) came with a proper XP CD.
 
Bsresponsive1 said:
I agree, I find this thread slanderous. I have both pc's and a mac. If you know even a little you should not have any problem.

Try a fresh install. Use windows update to get all the updates.

Install newest versions of all the drivers.

Enjoy.
Click to expand...
The problem is that the OEMs don't even give you the install disc for Windows anymore. They create a partition on your hard drive with Windows on it and they make you to burn a CD of it, with the crapware. Cutting corners :rolleyes:
 
Frisco said:
Good advice, but I don't think a fresh install is possible with the recovery CD? I mean a clean copy of XP, without all the 3rd party software.

I still regret not being on 5th Avenue last night :-(
Click to expand...
Hmm, if you can get your PC up long enough, can you make a disk image of the recovery CD and use something like use http://www.nliteos.com/nlite.html to slipstream a clean SP2 disk?

I did that with the reinstall CD I got with my last Dell, but that was from four years ago and things have maybe changed since then.

Anyway, you did get an emachines after all. You get what you pay for.

Edit:
emaja said:
A small problem with that. Most PCs come with no restore CDs and the backup image that they put on a partition on the HD is an exact copy of what was installed on the computer from the factory image. You cannot pick and choose what to install. It is either all or nothing.
Click to expand...
If you have access to a copy of the XP install, you can do what I suggested above.
 
well a lot of your problems look hardware related. The CMOS problems you had raise a lot of red flags that something hardware wise is wrong so not all the problems are windows fault. Yeah windows is bad but it looks very hardware related and maybe just a bad install
 
FF_productions said:
I love Windows Xp...only if Bill Gates gave me a billion dollars.
Click to expand...

you love winblows XP? GET OUT

j/k, you can stay, I am just screwing around with ya!
 
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