i had another kind of problem a dialog box from MS Widows appears prompting me to buy Windows genuine XP Pro when i contacted Customer service with proof of purchasing my OS the reply i received was that windowsXP sold in US is different from the one i had purchased from Singapore and directed me to contact Microsoft Singapore and DUMB customer service could never understand the issue i had posted and intimated me as long as the windows Up date site validates my system as genuine i need not worry well it appears windows team is a bunch of educated fools(needless to say a bunch of expert fools specialising in Half a dozen Computer languages who don't understand and speak simple English .My friend this is grate Microsoft.

crm

Hello Bondy,

If you have viruses get off the computer and go to bed

You are meaning 'protected mode'? Explain better?

The laptop doesn't have the identical O/S key, don't go there.

Go here download and save the file to documents don't run it yet. Go to start turn off computer, reboot to safe mode. Go to start right click computer and under the General tab locate the windows key code and write it down. Use any XP disc to repair your system, if prompted for key code use what you wrote down.

When repair is complete follow prompts then reboot to safe mode again, run the file get a sandwich, when complete your computer will be virus free...

I tried repairing the OS before, but it asked me which OS I would like to repair, when there is only one, and consiquently gave up

The part about it asking which O/S is not uncommon just pick the right one

Hello Bondy,

If you google 'Microsoft' then enter "protection System", you will see there are so many systems with these words in you can hardly count them.

If you have more than one computer keep the one which may have a virus isolated from the rest. That means no copying from keys or using external memory at all. Until you sort it out.

I think you must have more worser luck than what I av! Wiv all thease infecsions

Take care.

The firewall being turned off or antivirus program is a typical attack by a virus a Trojan a mixed threat package. I would try using any antivirus program and spyware program you can get access to. There are online scanners like Panda and Norton also free scans. Each program detects different threats. If you find out the name of the bad guy you can search the net and find tools to remove it. If all else fails you have to Format and reinstall your OS. Reinstalling your OS is a good thing to do and solves many problems it gets corrupt over time. I bought a new XP home and it works and no slowdown or any problems like my old XP. It only cost $165 on eBay and it is a Dell P4 2.8 GHz.

I can't re-install the OS, I don't have enough removeable storage to save all my files. I need to get a new hdd soon anyway, so I could do it then, but that may not be for a few months, so I need this sorted now.

I don't need a new pc, mine was a home build about half a year ago. It cost me £280, and is Phenom x4 2.3Ghz, 2 gigs ram, 512mb g card.

Okay then let's sort this out now.

Why can you not reinstall the O/S? But hold that thought and answer a few questions first, what is the size of your HDD and how many partitions; sizes etc. What is the size of you files in total but not including the O/S and softwares etc..

The hdd is 160gb, I am getting a 1tb one in a few months. 1 partition, which is XP pro - the full hdd. Total amount of files is 100gb.

Hi Bondy,

Just a thought.....................

If you get a Terabyte drive, and it screws up, you will lose up to a Terabyte of information! Is may be wiser to fit two or three smaller drives instead perhaps?

Actually, it is not a case of if................. But WHEN!!!

You can treat each drive as one complete drive with just a single partition, and therefore give yourself three different HDD's to fit three different kinds of files?

Take care.

True... What if I had 2 tb - replacing my 160gb current one?

Hi wire,

GA to you Sir.

Why do why don't you go away with all your bright ideas!

I really like the idea of the unformatted area. Never did think of that! When thought out Sir! Oh, and forgive the 'French', OK?

Take care.

PS. I had about 7 Giggs of memory on my first computer and thought I was in heaven. I think with ordinary computer use and saving, excluding any Videos, after 50 Giggs it starts to be a problem filling the disk. A completely blank unformatted area, which can be formatted in due course would give a substantial memory and in effect a virtual second disk.

Hi Bondy,

Tar for getting back to me on this.

2Tbs? It is completely up to you. But, whatever you have saved on any size HDD, should be on different 'makers' disks, with different software if not hardware.

A HDD is used as a type of 'Insurance' against the loss of valuable/priceless Family Vids, and other stuff. It is relatively easy to sort and back-up say, a 100 Giggs. Multiply that by ten. Think of the organising headaches, and you would need, in my opinion, to have that backed up, not just in your computer because that will fail in a few years, but other HDD.

The size of the HDD is becoming a 'sales' pitch, when all any system needs is say, 100 Giggs for the system, then another couple of 100 or 200 Giggs for the stuff you save as a daily/weekly routine. For specific items like Family vids or Films you like dedicated HDD's but, whatever size and obviously amount of memories you save, you must be prepared to either lose--- when the HDD fails, and they all have a finite life, or be prepared to pay a recovery company to get your stuff from the broken disk.

The other thought is 'speed'. I have no idea how fast these HDD's are of 1Tb, but, I would imagine it would take a whole lot longer to find and sort or move your stuff to a back-up than say 100 Giggs, which is still enormous.

These are only my personal worries Bondy, and may not 'hold water' as hardware gets more reliable, but I just imagine what a headache a 1Tb failure would be.

When or if you do get some Tb disks, I would have at least 3 and preferably 4 or five partitions. That is just my silly thoughts Bondy, OK?

I am not telling you or anyone what they should or should not buy or use, but look past that to what you would do not, 'if', but 'when' it fails as it will for sure.

Perhaps another thing is the fact that in five years or so they may have a completely different method of system and external memory, and it could be you may not be able to recover your Tbs of memory you already have. And it means you are chasing you ass working on organising your saved stuff, rather than thinking about just turning the computer on and using it, You know?

It may be an interesting subject for a question or blog?

Take care my friend

Hi bb,

We use these TB disc routinely and they are fast. Not long ago RAID was extremely beneficial but the speeds available now surpass that.

You want to separate the system partition from files, so you put the system on the "C" partition and backup the new data often...

If you want to advise of them I'd suggest to anyone just hold off a short bit to get the 6.0GB/s coming to a store near you.

Generally I leave about half of a 1TB disc unformatted initially then adjust according to customer needs.

Go figure, people fill up lots of space somehow. Five hundred GB HDD including system and games leaves room for about 600 TV shows and movies

Its a 7200 RPM, 3GB/s disk, just as fast as my 160gb. So the benefit of having things across multiple partitions is if one gets infected, the others won't? I will back the really important stuff (family stuff) up onto cd and when I get the new hdd, I will have multiple partitions. I only have 16gb left on my current hdd, so there is little point doing anything with that. Then again, there is always partition magic or whatever it is called which can then change the partition sizes...

Thanks for the comments, and take care

With the OS on the different partition, if you screw it up you can re-install it with no data loss because all the data is on the other partitions? If you re-installed windows, would it recognise certain aspects of yoru data and import them in, or would you need to install everything again?

So you say 32gb for xp? How large for the software, and then the rest for the files (on the 160gb)? Then do the same, but leave half empty on the terrabyte hard drive?

Hi Bondy,

Not sure about this so will leave it mostly to wire, OK?

But, as a kind of double safe thing I would keep all or as much of your saved stuff on a completely different HDD, not a partition of a Tb HDD. But, I stand to be put right on that advice. Makes sence to (Hi I'm mr ignorant!).

take care.

With the OS on the different partition, if you screw it up you can re-install it with no data loss because all the data is on the other partitions? If you re-installed windows, would it recognise certain aspects of yoru data and import them in, or would you need to install everything again?

Hi Bondy,

Can you explain to a thicko like me, what you mean by "3GB/s disk, just as fast as my 160gb."??????????

And you say you have 16gb left on my current hdd............ That is quite a lot of Memory, and more than enough to have a very decent email and email file set up. Though of course it con be used to save anything at all.

I have heard that partition magic is good. But, does it actually do more than you can do yourself by using the BIOS and or whatever Microsoft has available?

There is a whole lot of these apps around but they often just duplicate what you already have as part of the OS?

Just a though (again!) It may pay you to upgrade any Family pictures and videos. And really any other stuff to whaatever 'new' OS you have. You should be able to set up a block of videos for instance to work away in the background changing from one OS to the next. Though I would have to look into this if you wanted more info.

I can see that you could end up with several HDD's onboard and external, and all working in a different OS? It mifgt help if part of your plan is to use only computer/s which are not connected to the Internet, so you can reply your films etc, without the possible bugs reaping havoc? Again that was one of my thoughts! I will have to list them...... Oh there was another.! LOL

Sorry but it is just not sinking in........

Take care.

3GB/s is the transfer rate - 3 gigabytes per second. I don't know about adjusting the partitions in BIOS, I used partition magic when I was reducing the size of the partition on my lappy hard drive to install another OS. I only really want 2 internal hard drives - so I will get a nice big one for my next one.

Breakthrough on the virus front though, I am borrowing an external hard drive over the weekend and so can save all my files that I fundimentally need, then I will re-install the OS. The viruses are all in system 32, so I don't think I will take any with me.

On the partition front, what would everyone reccomend I make the sizes of the partition on my 160gb one? Should I have one for movies, one for photos, one for other data and one for windows?

Thanks for all the replies so far...

Hi Bondy,

Well hurray! At last something is going right for you?

I see what you mean about the transfer rate, and it just shows how I am really out of it lately, because that still sounds rather fast, but, hey, I have not looked at my HDD for some time.

Actually copying over the virus with your transfered stuff is a real danger. You can never know what could be laying dormant. I hope you do not carry any nasty stuff, but chances are you will, I am sorry to say. Just make sure you run a scan on every lot you transfer from your computer to the 'external' HDD. The problem will always be and always is, if there is a dormant virus, key logger or Trojan......... (Oh, sorry to cheer you up Bondy!), that the system has not found because it is a new infection, it will be carried over.

1) What you could do is forget about your old anti virus and anti-anything, as they either did not find or, allowed the virus onto your system in the first place.

2) Transfer your stuff in as safe and methodical way as you can.

3) Reformat your HDD with say 30Gb for the OS and leave the rest as one.

4) Then put your OS on the now clean HDD.

5) Get a known good anti virus, AVG or others you have heard are good but you have not tried before. update the anti virus if you have to put it onto your HDD

6) Once your OS is on, either run the anti virus from a CD or load it onto the larger of the partitions. Scan your OS

7) And, if you have any other anti virus on CD disable the AVG or what ever you may have copied to your HDD. And or remove the anti virus altogether. Then use whatever good anti virus you have on CD, working from the CD if possible without loading it to the HDD.

8) Then put the CD in or copy the AVG back to your 'clean' machine's HDD and run the same scans again on the OS and a separate one on the saved stuff other than the OS.

9) Now is the time to use any up to date, perhaps free anti piracy, key-logging, and every other type of anti you have before you look at anything off the stuff you saved.

10) If nothing turns up then you probably have a clean machine.

11) Still do not open your newly saved stuff, or save any apps yet.

12) Copy the updates for 1,2,and 3 service packs and run another anti virus.

13) Bolt down window as tight as is practical.

14) That means a OS update, then another anti virus run.

15) The service packs 1, 2, and 3, will give added protection.

16) Then run the anti virus.

17) Set you firewall up as tight as you can and are still able to reach the web.

18) Reload your email, but do not turn the email firewall on.

19) Scan you email with each of your anti this and that. Reboot the computer after each scan to kind of reset everything, to put all the books back in the right order and replace any which 'fell of the bookcase'. So as to speak.

20) With regard to your mail, actually save it to the external HDD with the 'preview pane closed.'

21) Now you can look at any mail you have saved if you want but, do not ever open your preview pane. This is the pane which allows you to read the bottom half of the screen while still listing any in-mail at the top half of the screen. You simply do not need to use the preview pane at all. It is one way any virus could filter through.

22) Set you mail to suit your firewall and the fire wall to suite the mail.

23) BTW, each time you have to update anything, update then remove the connection to the web. Run whatever scan you have just updated and, if all is clear move onto the next app.

24) Again, load it, plug into the web to update it and remove the web connection and check that app is working. Do this with all the apps you have. Only when your machine is how you want it or how it needs to be for you to manage it, connect to the web.

25) Personally I would only use a web-mail set-up like google or anything else. You can always scan any single letters or files you have on-line and if they are clean copy or import them only. Alway make sure anything is scanned before you allow any download or import or export.

26) Now, to be honest, most people could not give a damn about carrying all this out as a step by step procedure. But it it the only way to stay as safe as you possibly can.

27) I am not setting myself up as any kind of expert here, but I know some of what works for me.

28) The only other advice is to keep all anti virus and ALL other safety apps separate, perhaps in their own little disk division. And do not tick any square to allow the anti virus and other stuff to mix and become part of the OS. Only use one anti virus at any one time. Remove every single file of any anti virus before downloading a different one of a different name. This might take a lot of searching, but now you can see why I said you should keep each separate from each other, as far as I can tell this will help prevent the system freezing when you are trying to un-load an anti virus ready to download a new one. Norton in any form does not seem to like AVG or just about any other anti virus, so that would be a reason for me to not use Norton at all.

I hope you can make sense of this. It does sound a little extreme, but no more so than having to completely strip your machine and start again just because some arse thinks its 'fun' to screw every other computer in the world!

Take care. And most definitely good luck.

Thanks, and GA for that. I will try it as soon as the portable hard drive has been blanked (they are still using it atm and I don't wanna corrupt their data)

I don't know about adjusting the partitions in BIOS, I used partition magic when I was reducing the size of the partition on my lappy hard drive to install another OS.

Use the "Partition Magic" you're familiar with it, there's no point in doing it otherwise.

On the partition front, what would everyone recommend I make the sizes of the partition on my 160GB one? Should I have one for movies, one for photos, one for other data and one for windows?

Partition "C" at about 35GB for the O/S and all softwares. Doing so effectively places the system on the edge of the drive ensuring rapid access. Format FAT32 Partition "D" at about 15GB for System Recovery Console, Partition "E" at about 90GB for files, partition "F" leave unformatted.

These sizes should be ditto on the big drive when you get it except you reinstall the O/S to partition "C" 35GB on the big drive and reformat the area used for the O/S on the 160GB, then on the big drive increase the files partition to about 190GB each and try to leave between 300GB & 500GB unformatted space. You can grow into these unformatted spaces as needed, this eliminates the growth of slack space on the drive making it more stable and effective.

I only really want 2 internal hard drives - so I will get a nice big one for my next one.

The big one will be much faster than the one you're currently using due to greater transfer rate and a doubling of the bandwidth so use the 160GB for storage and essential backup thereby eliminating data bottlenecks caused by unequal transfer rates. All gaming should remain on the big drive.

"The big one will be much faster than the one you're currently using due to greater transfer rate and a doubling of the bandwidth so use the 160GB for storage and essential backup thereby eliminating data bottlenecks caused by unequal transfer rates."

The 160gb is also 3gb/s and 7200 RPM. My current drive is formatted in NFTS, how would FAT32 be beneficial for the system recovery console? Should I have a seperate partition just for pictures?

Cheers

Should I have a seperate partition just for pictures?

Could make losing them harder

Hi Bondy,

Great advice by wire!

Bear in mind that most if not all small external 'disc' pen type drives use FAT32 only. Not NTFS. OK?

This is just in case you try to copy any files, pics or text or both) to a memory stick. The ones I have used allow FAT32 formatting only.

Take care.

Thanks for all the replies as usual. I am still waiting for the hard drive to be blanked, they didn't want to do it yesterday, as they were having power problems. I will hopefully get it tomorrow in time for the weekend.

I have re-installed my OS, scanned and created 6 different partitions. System, Recovery Console, Music, Pictures, Videos and Other documents. On the start menu, can you change the destination of the shortcuts such as my music etc to direct it to the correct partition? Also, for the recovery console, how do you get it up to change it to run from the recovery console partition?

.

Hi Bondy,

So you now have"

System "C"

Recovery console "D"

Music "E"

Pictures "F"

Videos "G"

Other Ducuments "H"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just so I know where I am working from, do you get the same shortcut choices in whatever partition you are in? Or do you get a shortcut choice to all apart from the partition you are in?

Hi Bondy,

Have you got the whole of your OS loaded and complete with the three major safety packs, or four if there is more? Plus have you updated the OS from Microsoft yet? Do that. Do you have Partition Magic, because although I have not seen it, this may have parts in it to help you set up each partition. I think even though they are separate partitions they still have to talk to each other. I have never done what you have so it is a bit of suck it and see, you know?

If you want any exact microsoft site address' let me know.

If you know the address go directly to the Microsoft site to get all OS updates then work off-line if possible, if you have another computer to work on. That way you can sort your partitions out, then do all that you need before going on-line for Anti virus and stuff. You will almost certainly have a CD with a free copy of something you like to use. I personally would not use Norton 360, but if you like it, if possible do not let it mix with the windows OS. I have done that the first time I rebuilt and it was a huge PITA trying to remove it, in fact I could not. And had to start afresh.

However, I am on the Microsoft help thing so let me know if you are up and I will help you, otherwise I will leave it until tomorrow.

I think what appear to be complicated questions will be pretty straight forward, but I am just racking my brain to see at the moment!

Take care

All the partitions are set up, and I have all my data back on my pc. It almost is identical to how it was a few weeks - only difference is it now works fine.

I have updated to SP3, but it still has something like 45 updates to do. I have scanned with malwarebytes, and have also installed AVG 9 and spybot.

Cheers, and take care

Hi Bondy,

Congates!

Good choice with the AVG. All you have to do is keep all those nasties away!

Did you get your shortcuts sorted. I presume you wanted a shortcut from the Partition/s to your Desktop?

Sounds like good advice from wire!

Take care

I got my documents to the H: documents partition, but then it has it's own my music and videos, and I cannot change the path to the F and G partitions Take care.

Hi Bondy,

I have been reading about moving the Documents and the sub-folders music and pictures.

There is a Knowledge Base article which I will post here, because I am not sure if it applies if the Documents etc if they are on a different partition?

Here is the KB: It is possible --- but not advisable --- to move the entire Documents And Settings folder. For details see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 236621. "Cannot Move or Rename the Documents and Settings Folder."

This may or may not apply to you. But it is possible to move the folders you want to, but suggest you read the KB article first as it may help. Of course wire may know this off the top of his head but if you want to try it anyway after reading the KB get back OK?

Take care.

Hi Bondy,

I have to say I am so proud of you having sorted out a complete and pretty large completely new set up! Well done my friend.

I have not had a chance to check out the KB article as I am watching the FI Grand Prix! But will check it out latter.

My guess and thoughts are, that the KB will not apply in your situation as what you are trying to do with Documents, and the sub-folders, Music and Pictures, is still on the same HDD. Virtual drives but all on one single HDD?

Sorry for the complex mix up of a post but I am wondering what will be best and easiest to use in practice, and what you are able to do with partitions already set up that, potentially, you will not be using.

Perhaps you can set the H Document partition to link with a short-cut from partitions F and G?

I am assuming you have windows XP of course!!!!!!!!

Let me/us know when you reach a set up you are happy with please?

Take care

GA...impresive

Cheers. GA for that. I have done the my documents by right clicking on the start menu, and clicking properties, and then changing the target location - It then moved everything onto the documents partition, but if you go on properties for my pictures etc but you don't get the option to change target folder

Hi Bondy and though you to wire,

Your GA's are appreciated, thank you.

So you are using the start menu as the target for Documents? You can also do the same from the start menu and put a short cut on the desktop if you want? Easier to get at.

You may not get the option for a target with Music and picture because they are already in the target folder?

I am still looking to check on the move. But let me know if you do not want to move, and also if you are able to change or wipe the partitions --- music and pictures, OK?

What do you get by way of choices on the right click menu in Documents, .......... And are the right click menus in F and G different?

Take care

Hi Bondy,

Below is a piece from my book. You will have to decide if this applies to you though, OK? But, I think the references made in the description of the possible changes might assume (fairly) that you have just a single partition. Though it does not say that.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moving Folders from the Standard Profile Locations.

You can easily change the location of the My Documents folder and its sub-folders, My Music and My Pictures. You might want to do this if the drive where your profile is stored becomes full, for example. As an alternative to using a different location on your computer, you might consider moving these document folders to a shared folder elsewhere on the network. Storing such data on a network server apart from the user profile offers two important benefits:

* Storing user data in a central location can make backup easier.

* Separating user data from the user profile speeds up the login and logoff process for users with roaming profiles. (If a user's documents are stored within the profile, they are copied from the network server to the local computer at each logon, and then copied back at each logoff. By storing them apart from the profile, each file is fetched only as it is needed.)

To move My Documents, follow these steps:

1, Right click My Documents and choose Properties. On the Target tab, click Move.

2, Select the path of the folder where you want to keep My Documents, either on your own computer or in a shared network folder. Here the data folder is selected on a network server.

3, Click OK on each screen. Click Yes if you want to move the existing documents to the new target location.

-------------- ---------------- --------------

Note It is possible but not at all advisable to move the entire Documents And Settings folder. For details, see Microsoft's KB 236621. Cannot Move or Rename the Documents and Settings folder"

-------------- ---------------- --------------

To move My Music or My Pictures, simply use Windows Explorer to move the folder to the desired location. Windows XP automatically updates all references to the folder, including on the start menu.

This is typed directly from the XP Windows Inside Out Publication. It may help now or in the future.

Take care

Sorry for the delay. The options are as follows:

Hi Bondy,

Should not these be on your 'new' thread?

# 46 In reply to #45 Re: Protection System In reply........ 10/20/2009 5:12 PM

Sorry for the delay. The options are as follows: __________________ bondy111

No, it was the options for changing the destination of the files.

For Bwire, here is the properties of the my pictures shortcut on the start menu

Hi Bondy,

Ok, so you say you have done it now?

Take care

Open My Documents and right click on the Pictures folder, in the left side pane highlight or click Move, select the location to move to in the drop down list and create a new Pictures folder in that location and apply.

Hi wire,

And you can also choose a different partition for your pics?

Just wondered thats all.

Take care

Yeper.

That is great information you provided on that topic

I wonder, wonder, wonder who the book of.....don't get stuck

Hi wire,

The fact that you confirmed about being able to use the short in another partition is worth remembering for sure! I can see someone like Bondy who has 1 HDD but many partitions will want to do that sometime or other.

If I can post something which may not mean I did a lot of work but nevertheless is a good reference point, its about all I can achieve. That has not been the case for sometime and I find I am working and searching more concentrating on just a couple of threads. Been kept busy worrying about other stuff, nothing to do with CR4 over the last two months, so have not been able to focus on nearly so many posts that I would have liked to. Life's like that sometimes............

Take care my friend and many thanks for your kind reply post.

can you change the destination of the shortcuts such as my music etc to direct it to the correct partition?

Right click on them and design the path

Also, for the recovery console, how do you get it up to change it to run from the recovery console partition?

Don't go there except to recover the system, go to start then computer then choose the drive you want.

Now is a good time to back to disc or flash drive a registry backup, all your login and password info and also put on it an antivirus rescue program and a root-kit killer.

Plus use this tiny program it won't interfere with anything you've got but it will stop many malwares dead.

can you change the destination of the shortcuts such as my music etc to direct it to the correct partition?

Right click on them and design the path.

When you right click, and press properties, you cannot change the path.

When you right click, and press properties, you cannot change the path.

If you right click and press send to? Or as bb suggests right click on the open partition in computer and create a desktop shortcut.

Thanks. It's perfect now. Such a simple thing as just moving the folder to the partition. Thanks everyone.