Brutal Windows XP Breakdown

[tmunited99]

A little note is the PC thinks the copy isnt genuine, in like, the way where you did put in the product key but it still isnt genuine. I have since gotten rid of the warnings by deleting the registry key responsible for the pop-up on startup, and the program that's responsible for removing your desktop background and showing the pop up in the bottom right corner.

 

So, yesterday I got myself an old XP machine with Professional SP3. Everything worked beatiful.

This morning, I decide to customize it some more and stuff. I install AVG, and perform a scan. It tells me some performance things that could be improved, so I let it do the trick. It did some fixing registry and stuff. I also created another user profile. After switching to it, I noticed I was locked into Windows Classic theme. I think whatever.

 

Well, I rebooted, and the computer now boots up for 5 minutes before even getting to the user selection screen. After I choose a user, it takes at least a minute to get into the desktop, and then another 30 secs to load explorer. And now the chaos begins. The taskbar basically stopped working altogether, no longer displaying active tasks at all. Some programs cannot be run whatsoever, as after opening, nothing happens. This applies to browsers as well. I am using a TP-LINK wireless network adapter, which worked fine before this, but now it screwed up. After more testing, the taskbar disappeared altogether! Desperate, I tried going into safe mode, which didnt work at first but it worked later. Viola! Everything works like normal. I go back to normal mode, the taskbar is back, but everything is still slow and broken. I think "Maybe, the new user is the problem!". So, off to User Manager I go. Except... it's just a blank screen with the Back and Home buttons that do nothing! I'm freaking out what happened at this point. I don't at the moment have a cd big enough to fit an XP install. It managed to install drivers for my flash drive, and that is my only way of accessing this PC from elsewhere right now. Oh yeah, and also a 500MB CD.

 

So uhh... I was trying to fix this all day and still have no freaking clue what to do. Can anyone please tell me if there is anything I can do besides literally reinstall the OS? I have tried chkdsk, it returned fine results. sfc /scannow doesn't want to work at all because it can't connect or something.

[tmunited99]

1 minute ago, yaboistar said:

wellthereitis.gif

I since uninstalled it. Nothing has changed.

[Windows7ge]

My first question is why XP? If I'm not mistaken both security & features updates have ended. IMO I'd drop the computer and find one that can run Windows 10.

[tmunited99]

2 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

My first question is why XP? If I'm not mistaken both security & features updates have ended. IMO I'd drop the computer and find one that can run Windows 10.

I am writing this off of my primary Workstation. Obviously I don't only have the XP machine.

 

Why? I like XP. I like retro stuff.. so like, why not?

 

Also, can people stop questioning other stuff, and rather just try and help me? Thanks...

Edited June 29, 2020 by tmunited99

[Windows7ge]

Just now, yaboistar said:

sometimes you just gotta load up space cadet pinball and do it to 'em

Ah, ye ol classic solitaire. Modern versions just don't compare.

 

Cool tidbit. If you copy the program files off the XP machine onto a Windows 10 machine the game will still run.

[Windows7ge]

2 minutes ago, tmunited99 said:

I am writing this off of my primary Workstation. Obviously I don't only have the XP machine.

 

Why? I like XP. I like retro stuff.. so like, why not?

 

Also, can people stop questioning other stuff, and rather just try and help me? Thanks...

If the XP install was a part of someone's existing system before you got it it's entirely possible it's having problems just from a buildup of old applications and small changes to the OS. If it has sat for a long time bit rot could also be a factor.

 

Personally I'd put a new HDD in it if the current one is IDE (if the motherboard has SATA) and install a fresh copy of XP 64-bit if the motherboard has the capacity to go over 3.5GB of RAM. If not 32-bit will be fine.

[tmunited99]

1 minute ago, Windows7ge said:

If the XP install was a part of someone's existing system before you got it it's entirely possible it's having problems just from a buildup of old applications and small changes to the OS. If it has sat for a long time bit rot could also be a factor.

 

Personally I'd put a new HDD in it if the current one is IDE (if the motherboard has SATA) and install a fresh copy of XP 64-bit if the motherboard has the capacity to go over 3.5GB of RAM. If not 32-bit will be fine.

Unfortunately it is an old board. Only ATA.

 

No money at the moment to get a new HDD. Any solutions that don't require me to buy something?

[Windows7ge]

1 minute ago, tmunited99 said:

Unfortunately it is an old board. Only ATA.

 

No money at the moment to get a new HDD. Any solutions that don't require me to buy something?

You said safe mode worked. Did you try going to control panel in safe mode and uninstalling anything that starts at system startup? Same blank page with unclickable icons?

 

Did you try disabling applications that start at startup?

[tmunited99]

I completely emptied the startup folder. Did not change anything.

 

Also, forgot to mention but it's probably not important... seemingly all folders get constantly set to Read Only.... so I couldnt even move icons from the desktop to a folder.

[Windows7ge]

18 minutes ago, tmunited99 said:

I completely emptied the startup folder. Did not change anything.

 

Also, forgot to mention but it's probably not important... seemingly all folders get constantly set to Read Only.... so I couldnt even move icons from the desktop to a folder.

Did you try logging in under the original administrator account?

[tmunited99]

2 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

Did you try logging in under the original administrator account?

Yes

[Windows7ge]

53 minutes ago, tmunited99 said:

Yes

Outside of uninstalling 3rd party applications that start at startup I can only assume either AVG or something else may have somehow corrupted one or multiple programs causing the problems you're seeing. Outside of a system restore which I don't know if is a function in XP I don't see another option outside of an OS reinstall.

 

If you happen to have a spare old HDD I'd try installing fresh to that and seeing if the same steps you took to get where you are now reproduces the error. Then we'd at least know what the cause was if it was caused by any of the 3rd party applications.

[tmunited99]

On 6/29/2020 at 9:38 PM, Windows7ge said:

Outside of uninstalling 3rd party applications that start at startup I can only assume either AVG or something else may have somehow corrupted one or multiple programs causing the problems you're seeing. Outside of a system restore which I don't know if is a function in XP I don't see another option outside of an OS reinstall.

 

If you happen to have a spare old HDD I'd try installing fresh to that and seeing if the same steps you took to get where you are now reproduces the error. Then we'd at least know what the cause was if it was caused by any of the 3rd party applications.

That is impossible unfortunately. The PC Was in use for at least a decade, so.. XP does have recovery, but again, it either doesn't open at all, or when it does, it's just a blank window. Thanks for the tips, though.

[Windows7ge]

1 hour ago, tmunited99 said:

That is impossible unfortunately. The PC Was in use for at least a decade, so.. XP does have recovery, but again, it either doesn't open at all, or when it does, it's just a blank window. Thanks for the tips, though.

What's the size of the HDD? If you can shrink the XP partition you may be able to install a fresh copy next to it.

 

Assuming the disk is fine.

[tmunited99]

5 hours ago, Windows7ge said:

What's the size of the HDD? If you can shrink the XP partition you may be able to install a fresh copy next to it.

 

Assuming the disk is fine.

It's 40 Gigs. That is probably enough but there is only like 14 available.

[Windows7ge]

2 minutes ago, tmunited99 said:

It's 40 Gigs. That is probably enough but there is only like 14 available.

Then I'm out of ideas for you. Sorry.

[tmunited99]

1 minute ago, Windows7ge said:

Then I'm out of ideas for you. Sorry.

It's alright, I'll just wait till I get my hands on a DVD.

 

Is it hard to burn a bootable DVD?

[Windows7ge]

2 minutes ago, tmunited99 said:

It's alright, I'll just wait till I get my hands on a DVD.

 

Is it hard to burn a bootable DVD?

A bootable installer no. A bootable complete OS. We're going a little further back than when I got into computers. I'd have to research that.

[tmunited99]

Just now, Windows7ge said:

A bootable installer no. A bootable complete OS. We're going a little further back than when I got into computers. I'd have to research that.

Is fine. Thanks for the help.

[tmunited99]

Alright, solved. Finally got my hands on a DVD with that I burned XP onto. Everything is fine now.