I'm baaack!!

[burbdood]

Hey all! After a short time off with work, a dead computer and family life, I'm finally back! My computer wouldn't let me sign on a few sites, (this one included), so the Mrs. and I just bought a brand new one last weekend with our tax money.

She also let me but my 4" Rough Country, (all spring) lift yesterday. It should be here by Wednesday. :Rock on: So I hope y'all are looking forward to a build thread in a couple of months. I have much work to do.

 

[crazy4offroad]

Welcome back! Sounds kind of extreme measures to take for not being able to log in- going and buying a new computer- but hey, whatever gets the job done! Glad to hear you're accumulating some parts, too. I don't feel so bad now lol.

 

[89Suburban]

 

[davbell22602]

Welcome back sounds good. When ya do that build thread dont forget the pictures.

 

[animal]

Welcome back

 

[burbdood]

Welcome back! Sounds kind of extreme measures to take for not being able to log in- going and buying a new computer- but hey, whatever gets the job done! Glad to hear you're accumulating some parts, too. I don't feel so bad now lol.

LOL....it wasn't just the fact that I couldn't sign in, it was the 1248 viruses and 38 spyware and malware programs that gave my poor ole' Dell the dreaded "BLUE SCREEN of DEATH!!!". I'm going to install some 230 grain FMJ .45ACP rounds to help it along to the happy computer grounds in the sky.

 

[crazy4offroad]

That's a shame, to shoot it just because it has some viruses. Sometimes you can get malware that just says you have all those viruses, trojans and malware, and tries to get you to buy some kind of ******** virus scan software, and usually Malwarebyte's Anti Malware will remove it. If it is an XP machine I have image files of several different kinds of Dell OEM install CDs you can use on any Dell machine to re-install Windows. All you have to do is look at the product key sticker on the tower and match it to whatever you need, XP Home, XP Pro, etc and install that version. Sometimes they have a recovery partition made on the hard drive so you can re-install without the disk, using a keystroke shortcut during startup to get to the boot menu, which allows you to begin the recovery process. If nothing else, consider donating it to a school or Habitat For Humanity, instead of destroying it.

 

[HotRodPC]

Yep, It sounds like a salvagable computer to me too. Also as C4 suggested, in the XP Home, Pro, media edition whatever you have, you also have to match of the beggining Service Pack with that COA # on the sticker on the case. I'm not sure if the sticker says, but if its XP Home SP2 for example, then you need to use Dell XP Home SP2 install disk. You can't skip and install SP3 or start with SP1. The COA # knows which service pack version you have also.

Welcome Back, but It sounds to me you can have a back up computer. Even if its not used for internet, use it in the garage, for your truck pics, schematics, notes, articles, write ups, maintenance records, etc etc.

 

[crazy4offroad]

I've been able to install, for example, XP Home SP3 onto a computer with an XP Home SP2 or 1 product key. Usually it just installs and doesn't even need the product key entered, and once it's on the internet it activates no problem!

 

[HotRodPC]

I've been able to install, for example, XP Home SP3 onto a computer with an XP Home SP2 or 1 product key. Usually it just installs and doesn't even need the product key entered, and once it's on the internet it activates no problem!

I guess its possible, just SP1 is that way, but when I tried to do a SP2 install on a SP1 system, when it come time to enter the COA, it failed and had to abort install, then start over with a SP1 OEM disk. Is that what you use? I am talking about the colored Dell OEM install disks.

Doesn't matter though, I am sure if you don't have it, I probbably do. All of my propeietary systems are Dell and the rest of them I built. I only have 5 computers in my home up and running. 1 of them is still runnning Win 98 SE though. Cuz that is the one I run Pico 2000 security software for my my 8 video cams. Pretty much a dedicted security computer. All its used for is recording cams.

 

[crazy4offroad]

I could see that being a problem on a repair install but not on a full format. Once the drive is zeroed out it just installs whatever is in the drive. Then if you run into a problem with the key you click "change product key" and re-enter it, then it may not want to internet activate and you just call it in on the toll-free number and when they ask if you changed hardware just say yes.

I ripped install CDs from computers people gave me over the years, I have a Dell XP Home SP2 OEM iso, Dell XP Pro SP3 iso, Dell XP Pro 64-bit iso (which I hardly use) and a Media Edition version which I hate. Most computers that started coming out with Vista started using the recovery partition on the hard drive. But I do have an image for Vista Home Premium as well that works with Dell Vista COAs.

 

[crazy4offroad]

1 of them is still runnning Win 98 SE though. Cuz that is the one I run Pico 2000 security software for my my 8 video cams. Pretty much a dedicted security computer. All its used for is recording cams.

If you've ever fiddled with Linux you should try installing Ubuntu and run Zoneminder, it's free. I have an expansive (in my opinion lol) security software that runs under Windows, called Luxriot. $260 for 4 cams.

 

[HotRodPC]

I know the software is expensive, that's why I run that old version of Pico 2000 that won't run on XP.

 

[burbdood]

That's a shame, to shoot it just because it has some viruses.

Normally I would agree with ya, but the old computer is 7 years old and I can't even get the darn thing to start. It gives me the blue screen of death and tells me that windows can't start and it automatically shuts off. It won't even let me start it in safe mode to try and clear it. The other problem I have with it is the fact that I just had it swept and re-booted and re-done about 6 months ago and it still took a poo on us.

We don't have anything important stored on it like pics or anything like that so getting a new one wasn't a problem since we got our taxes back and had some extra $$ after paying bills off.

 

[crazy4offroad]

2001-2005 was a period of time when computer mainboard manufacturers tried to cut corners and built their boards with Chinese capacitors, which resulted in premature computer failure due to blown caps. See this link for examples of blown capacitors:

http://www.google.com/search?q=bad+...ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBMQ_AUoAQ&biw=1150&bih=642

If I were you I would take the cover off the side and inspect the caps, particularly the ones around the CPU socket. Sometimes a virus/trojan/malware will cause the CPU to run at 100% utilization and if the board is already susceptible, it will blow the caps. Otherwise it could just be a failed hard drive, which are getting cheaper every day.

You still might have some salvageable parts there that someone may be interested in, optical drive, hard drive, memory, gpu, hell I usually strip them of all the case screws and switches as well.