I had to factory reinstall...what a pain!

from WinCustomize Forums

I'm not quite sure what happened, but ever since I started my new job, I've been having occasional blue screens of death, and today it finally bit the big one, computer wouldn't recognize that I had a hard drive (WTH?) - anyway, I was totally panicking because I use my computer for work, and I get paid on production, so if I'm not cranking out reports because my computer is messed up, I might as well start learning to live homeless and eat out of dumpsters.  I have no safety net - my credit is destroyed due to the fact that automation has hit the Medical Transcription industry, and I don't get paid what I used to since automatic speech recognition took away about half of my income; so I have way too much debt load for my current down-sized income.  I would have loved to have just ran out and purchased a new computer, something a little more modern, perhaps with Vista on it -- but I don't even have enough money to buy a package of toilet paper right now, so the option of upgrading was completely not open to me.

Fortunately for me, I have a Dell with the factory restore function, but that means I lost all the data I had on my computer, plus, I've been sitting here, waiting for Microsoft update they've put out since 2006 to reinstall.  Basically I came here to post how much I appreciate Impulse, because all my OD files are all there, waiting for me to reinstall, without too much hassle and all I had to do was sign in.  Of course, I lost the skins I was working on -- months of my free time just flushed down the drain.X(     Maybe the fates didn't want me to finish those anyway.

Sooo....if you don't see me for a few days, you'll know its because I'm still trying to recover everything I lost, or recreate it in some shape or fashion.

2,405 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Sorry for your trouble, Karen... :'( . Our computers become terribly important, but especially in your circumstances.

After my recent disk failure, I've learned the hard way about the wisdom of making frequent backups...this can be done to an external or online storage device...which Impulse was for you this time. I'd strongly advise (not sure how you'll swing it) buying online storage or an external hardrive.

Nice to see you back, girl...hope my advice hasn't been "illuminating the obvious".   :sun:

*edit...if I find an old hard disk around, I'll send it to you...you can 'slave' it and backup to it.

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Ugh.. I know all about that stuff... It's sooo annoying. Hope you get things back in order without too much hassle.

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Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Neighbors are usually pretty good about a spare roll of toilet paper.. short of that, I feel your pain.. been there.. done that. X|

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I'm not quite sure what happened, but ever since I started my new job, I've been having occasional blue screens of death, and today it finally bit the big one, computer wouldn't recognize that I had a hard drive (WTH?)
End of quote

I hate being the Grim Reaper, but what exactly did the BSOD say? 

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Did you have to replace your harddrive or were you able to reinstall on it? The reason I ask is your drive may be on it's way out.

 

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

K10:

Sorry about your plight.

One hugh responsibility that most PC owners take lightly is being prepared for disaster.

Anything important to you, documents, skins, photos or music should be backed up twice. 

One to an external drive and the other to a DVD.

Make copies of all your software applications, drivers, peripherals, CD keys and Serial Numbers.

Recovery will be much easier for you if you keep these in a safe place.

:thumbsup:  

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Sorry to hear of your horror..... :(

I was there about 6 weeks ago.....took 3 days to get it back to the way it was :\

I was just happy i had backed every thing up on a 100Gig HDD,  And i have and the most important stuff backed up on a Mem/stick as well....

 

all i did was install some software, dident like it so uninstalled it and it when bad from there....

You have to be so carefull.

 

Hope your up and running and all good soon.... :)

Try to get your self a ext/HDD you realy do need one....

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting yrag, reply 4

I hate being the Grim Reaper, but what exactly did the BSOD say? 
End of yrag's quote


Something about physical memory and I forget what else because it said different things each time. "If this is the first time you've encountered this message, remove any new software," yada yada. 

Did you have to replace your harddrive or were you able to reinstall on it? The reason I ask is your drive may be on it's way out.
End of quote


I reinstalled.  I don't even like to think about what would happen if my hard drive is on the way out 8C ....I'm just totally screwed then - I will seriously be out of a job, with no cash, and nothing to pawn to get cash.  I suppose I would either end up in the Crisis Center or the local jail if that happens.

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Open Administrative Tools/ Event Viewer/ Window Logs. Any errors?

Note: look for WHEA errors/warnings in particular.

Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Oh man...I hope this doesn't mean anything I can't handle.  It says, for InteQRDT "Error calling OSB Method" and when I Googled that, some other clueless person like myself has described the blue screen of death thing I had been having with the same messeage - IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL.

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I thought you were running Vista….obviously you have XP. 

 
You have a driver ‘problem’ and my guess is it’s an OEM update (Dell). Go to their site and get any hardware updates they have for your computer. Pay particular attention to any bios and Intel updates. If the errors continue, go to the Intel site and get any newer updates for your hardware that Dell didn’t have. 

Having said that, this machine appears to be dated, so Dell should have everything you need. 

 
As an aside, heat could be compounding these problems. 

Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting yrag, reply 11
I thought you were running Vista….obviously you have XP. 
End of yrag's quote


Yes, I still live in the stone age -- I'd love to have Vista and be like all the cool people, but I'm actually grateful to have anything right now.

 
Having said that, this machine appears to be dated, so Dell should have everything you need. 
End of quote


Yeah, it's 3 years old, but it was pimpin' when it first came out and my kid bought it for his gaming addiction; he sold it to me when he was got deployed to Iraq and bought himself a slick laptop.

Thanks for the advice, yrag.  I'll get everything updated and see what happens from there.