Windows,Corel and computer problems all weekend

[Larry Bratton]

All:
Don't know if any of this will be of benefit, but I'll share it anyway.
On Friday, I started having a problem with Corel X3. It would not load and reported a couple of messages (don't recall the exacts) but anyhow I decided to just uninstall/reinstall. OK..do that and then I get an Error 1606 upon attempting to install. I troubleshoot this via the Corel website and it has some registry fixes. The first one looks pretty simple, so I go and do what it says. See nothing amiss on drive errors as suggested. Didn't fix it.

I then decided that what I needed to do, was restore Windows back to an earlier date, as I am thinking now their's something weird in the registry. Sooo, did the restore and Windows would not complete it and the whole thing froze. Shut it down, reboot, screen comes up but NO WINDOWS!
After getting an error message that the Config Sys file is either missing or corrupt, I know I got a pretty big problem. So, I begin to search for solutions. I tried several things from Microsoft etc. I finally read where some guy had the same problem and out of desparation, he goes and buys an upgrade to Windows XP Professional from Home and runs that. Well, guess what, if the Config Sys file is not there the upgrade won't work. (I know, cuz I went and bought one, as I wanted to upgrade anyway). OK, so I use the Recovery Console on the disk. I found another solution online that is a pretty involved procedure with a lot's of DOS commands. Actually what that does, is to give you access to the Windows set points (assuming you have restore turned on) and allows you to copy the file back to Windows. I did it..it worked! About 10:00pm last night, I got this machine back up. (I was getting online with a working pc in case someone is wordering) I was very happy to get it back up.

Today, I installed my new XP upgrade. Next thing that happens is that Internet Explorer loads 52 times when you start it! OK, so I go and downlaod a new copy from Microsoft and install it on this machine. Fixed that, it worked!

OK, now time to try Corel. Everything is going OK then up jumps ERROR 1606 again. Moan! So, back to Corel, print off the details for all the suggested fixes. The first one, I had already done, the second one didn't fit, and the 3rd one was pretty involved with making registry changes etc etc. But, to make a long story short, the 3rd fix worked, and Corel X3 is now functioning again.

So, the point is, that if you start having problems like these, either seek professional help or be prepared to spend time looking for the solutions. If you happen to get that 1606 error, PM me and I'll point you to the fix.
I'm exhausted but I am happy that I got it repaired on my own and didn't lose any data in the process.:)

[Frank Corker]

Firstly Larry I think you need a good pat on the back for a job well done. I'm quite good with PC's and I have been fortunate enough to have few problems, however I have been down the road of frustration the way you have, so I appreciate the satisfaction you must be feeling.

Quite often the problem stems from installing a new program, not necessarily anything to do with Corel, but something that over-writes a DLL (Dynamic Link Library file) but won't allow you to get it back. Uninstalling a program can cause similar problems.

Anyway, well done to you! :cool:

[Anthony Scira]

Hmmmm have you tried Vista ???


<runs away>

[Frank Corker]

I'm afraid a friend of mine who makes computer systems has told me all I need to know about vista. Better off with a pen and paper, but I suppose it's different strokes for different folks.

[Larry Bratton]

Hmmmm have you tried Vista ???


<runs away>
Yes, I have a computer with Vista on it. I prefer XP. Have tried em both. And furthermore I am thinking of downgrading (or maybe in Vista's case UPGRADING) to XP.

[Anthony Scira]

Yeah that was a sarcastic comment. If you are using any old hardware or software I would stay away from Vista.

But on the other hand if you have all new stuff Vista is not that bad.

When a CompUSA closed down I got full install copies of Vista Ultimate for 70 dollars. So I had to get them !

And I had to replace and upgrade EVERY peice of hardware and software I own. But I needed a whole system upgrade anyway. :)

[Scott Shepherd]

I'm with you Larry. Good job on going through the pain you went through. I went through it on Thursday with a power spike coming through as I was rebooting. All I could get to after that was the BIOS bootup. No windows, no hard drive, no nothing. Called Dell and they told me my drive was messed up and I'll have to format it and start going through the process. I tell them "Thanks, but no thanks".

I call a computer tech and she tells me to bring it over, she's on the way out the door, but she'll wait and look at it. I yank everything out the back of it, put it in the truck, race to her shop. Dash in, plop it on the table, she plugs it in, turns it on and it boots up fine.

I decide that my computer thinks it's a dog and wanted to go for a ride in the truck. I take it back to the office, plug it in, same thing, no hard drive. I think the battery backup got fried and it's not getting enough power to spin the drive. Plug it directly into the wall. Same thing. Call in the electrician (if you haven't sensed the panic yet, believe me, it's there), and he tests all the outlets. Everything checks fine.

Call the tech girl again, she comes right over, pulls all my USB plugs out the back and starts starting the machine. She puts the printer one in and it hangs up the computer. Look over, and the lightbulb comes on as I see the Compact Flash card stuck in the printer. It was apparently trying to boot up off that card, and it couldn't, so it quit. I pulled it out, booted it up and everything is fine.

Good thing I didn't listen to the Dell tech who had me formatting the hard drive.

Not sure why it did that as I'd rebooted many times with cards stuck all in every reader on the machine. They sure can be a pain in the butt. I guess that's why they sell beer :)

[Kim Haubert]

I have often formatted at the spur of the moment. Take 15 min. to back up and off I go.

Kim

[Larry Bratton]

Kim,
That may be...but you must not have the multitude of programs and other things I have on this machine. I gotta do a better job of backing up!!! That was the whole problem..I couldn't back up. I couldn't boot to anything other than the D: with a Windows upgrade disk in it. The recovery console saved me, as it let me get to a command prompt. Had I had a boot disk on hand that might have gotten me there. I'm doing backups today!

I have decided that it is useless to try and get support from folks that really don't have an interest in your problem. I called Toshiba with this problem, like Scott called Dell. That a..hole told me that their wasn't much of a solution but I could send them the hard drive and let them recover the data. (for a fee of course)

Firstly, I don't have the time to go through that process even if I had wanted to. So, I begin a search for another solution. Fortunately for all of us, many of our problems have occured before and their are solutions offered on the web. Thank goodness for the internet.