OT: Computer Problem

[Roger]

I have a Dell computer running Windows XP. A machine which came without a system disc and allegedly no need for one but ...

A friend noticed I didn't have Service Pack 3 installed so sent me a copy before he went on holiday. The installation went all right until the restart when the machine refused to boot up. The exact message on the screen was:

"Stop: c0000139 {Entry Point not Found} The procedure entry point GdiGetBitmapsSize could not be located in the dynamic link library GDI32.dll."

The bloody machine made a restore point during the process but as I can't run windows I can't turn the clock back. Is there any way I can get round this on my own and, if not, is there any point in asking Dell for help.

I ran the diagnostics utility that is accessible on start-up but that, predictably, told me everything was in order.

This message is coming via my previous computer that is itself not in the best of health and via dial-up as I can't get the broadband connection to work with it. The Dell website was a pain on broadband, on dial-up I can't seem to get anywhere.

Failing all else where can I get a cheap computer running XP, complete with XP on disc. I presume I can salvage the hard drive from the Dell and install it as a slave in order to recover all of my files. I have the more important backed up but by no means everything.

[david.cawkwell]

Hi Roger,

It never ceases to amaze me with people and companies who want to fix things that aren't broken. :-) Keeps me in a job.

Things to try.

1. Boot the computer and press F8 repeatly just before the picture screen comes up. You should get a menu come up that will give you the option to boot in safe mode. You might then get the option to uninstall service pack 3 once booted.
2. There might be a repair XP option try this.
3. Failing that if the data that on the hard disk is important. Get a new hard disc from pc world or other. Whatever is cheapest. Remove the old hard disk and replace with the new one. Stick your XP boot CD in the drive and install XP on the new hard disk. With a working copy of XP on your machine now add the old hard disk into the second IDE cable probably connect to the CD rom. Not there is a jumper on the drive of the CD rom you will need to change to slave setting.

Well that's the best I can offer without seeing the machine.

PS. I still use W> I have a Dell computer running Windows XP. A machine which came without

[bardirect]

I had the same issue - which I assumed was due to the new gdi32.dll file being written to a bad sector or being corrupt.

Couldn't start in safe mode either.

My workaround was to use a piggyback drive from another PC, which I could then boot from, in safe mode, copy the "new" file from the new service pack directory on the original c: drive and copy and replace the bad file in c:windows\system32\ (if thats where it should be). You need access to another pc hard drive ability to open the case and find the right connectors.

It worked on one of my machines which now shows sp3 installed, didn't on another but got over the blue screen but still showing sp2 but working.

Good luck

[Andy Burns]

Given that SP3 isn't officially released yet (it is expected on the 29th April) you'd better hope he didn't get it via too dodgy a route.

[Tanner-'op]

Nor should it be installed then, I will generally give it around 6 months before I download it. By then, most (if not all) of the serious 'bugs' should have been eradicated - I have yet to download Internet Explorer 7! :-)

Tanner-'op

[andrew]

Why not try Ubuntu as a live disc, it should at least give access to the internet for a search?

AJH

[Colin Wilson]

Depending on the age of the machine (possibly June 2004/2005 onwards is OK) you can press CTRL-F11 during the initial boot / bios period, and it will allow you to completely rewrite an "out of the box" installation of XP.

You will, of course, lose all your data in the process, but if you can get that off first, you can be back up and running in about 10-15 mins with a "new" (**UNPATCHED**) machine.

Then refuse to install SP3 :-)

[Stephen Howard]

Have you tried the F8 at boot, select 'Last known working' boot option?

Regards,

[Colin Wilson]

It does more than that, it'll give the OP access to the drive to recover anything essential.

I'm running 8.04 under wubi atm, and can recommend it highly for dipping your feet in the linux water !

(middle option if you want to try it, "install in windows")

[Stephen Howard]

Another option is to knock up a Bart disk and use a usb key.

use these things all the time to get data off disks when the OS has thrown a wobbly.

Regards,

[andrew]

softlee softlee catchee monkee :-)

AJH

[Graham.]

It's on the Microsoft site now with a publication date of the first of this month. Is it worth applying? It appears that it is merely SP2 with all the subsequent hotfixes, so if your machine has auto updates on and has an internet connection is there anything to be gained except the words "Service Pack 3" in "System"?

[Colin Wilson]

As soon as I get Half-Life running reliably, i'm outta windoze, hopefully forever !

[Andy Burns]

I think you're looking the overview document of what *will* be in it, rather than the service pack itself which is *not* availale for download by Joe Public yet.

Is it worth applying? It appears that it is merely SP2 with all

That's more or less what it is, there are one or two other features, but it's far less significzant then SP2

[Rob]

Mainly because there is a severe lack of drivers with ubuntu -it's useless unless you have certain makes of cards or boards. I used it for a while and found there were no virus killers or firewalls. Don't say you don't need them or i will know you know nothing about computers!

[Clive George]

Ubuntu behind a NAT router? You don't need a virus killer or firewall, but it'll come with the latter anyway. If you failed to find it I'd say your advice is worth rather less than I've paid for it. And I bet it'll work with the OPs hardware.

clive

[John Rumm]

BartPE will let you copy files about on a machine with a hosed OS if you can boot it from CD.

[Andy Hall]

Clearly that's bollocks.

Of course there are firewalls - iptables, ipfw, pf and so on, and even more generic Linux ones, plus assorted front end configuration tools for those unable to write the rules.

In terms of driver support, this is an issue with any environment, be it an operating system such as Linux or BSD or mere monitor/file systems such as Microsoft products.

As far as application vulnerability is concerned, this is really dependent on appllications, their underlying libraries and the motivation of attackers to do exploit vulnerabilities.

[Colin Wilson]

Hmmm as a user of ubuntu, i'm starting to form the opinion you're not particularly clued up either...

Time to get down and dirty I suppose :-}

- what specific hardware are you having issues with ?*

- how many viruses have you had on a linux machine ? as root ?

- how many non-standard services are you running that might allow access remotely ?

- when was the last time you tried a linux distrib (8.04 is out now)

• as a bonus for the hardware question, do the same problems exist with Vista either not recognising it, or breaking the software ? :-p

[Andy Hall]

Not as long as you load it into the appropriate drive.....