Windows Weirdness

No but just as a precaution I'd suggest doing a full disk scan.

=A0 =A0 ...Jim Thompson

=A0 =A0| =A0 =A0mens =A0 =A0 |

=A0 | =A0 =A0 et =A0 =A0 =A0|

=A0|

=A0 =A0 =A0 |

Any clues in the Event Log? Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Event Log. Poke around. There are several logs. Most are cryptic, but you might get lucky.

Also, check for hardware driver issues, etc... Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, System, Hardware tab, Device Manager.

If you recently installed something, you might need to roll back to a former restore point (verify correct operation), and try the install again.

Good luck.,

-mpm

I stopped having odd Windows problems when I started using Linux.

Now I just have odd Linux problems. But I'm still cooler than you.

Neener.

No, wait -- let me channel all the Linux nerds in Portland; we'll abuse you in one voice: NEENER!!!

What we need is someone to write a Windows-like OS, so I can use all my software without the pain of Micro$hit's continual tampering. ...Jim Thompson

Which tool is safest? ...Jim Thompson

Apparently someone is doing that, it's only real drawback is that it doesn't work! Windows is so full of undocumented interfaces and 'features' that it's exceedingly difficult to replicate -- and if you did, there's a good chance that half the bugs you're trying to dodge are created by the interface itself, and not the underlying software.

I use Linux for most things, but I have a virtual machine with XP on it for those times when Linux Just Won't Do.

Just right click on the drive, select properties, go to the tools tab and "check now." Check both boxes and push START. It'll complain the disk is in use and ask if you want to schedule a scan for the next reboot. Say yes and reboot.

It'll take quite a while depending on drive size and speed of the machine.

Something akin to this has already been done - it's called WINE (think "Windows Emulator"). It's an application which provides an implementation of many of the Windows APIs, and translates them to the native APIs of a different operationg/windowing system (typically, Linux or Unix or a similar OS, and the X Window system).

Unfortunately, even this isn't immune to M$'s "continual tampering"... Microsoft keeps adding new APIs (and changing the expected behavior of old ones), application developers keep upgrading their apps to use these new APIs, and so WINE is always playing catch-up.

It has even been necessary for WINE to provide support for known bugs/inconsistencies in the Microsoft APIs... a surprising number of apps require a "bug-for-bug compatible" implementation to work in the expected manner.

"Jim Thompson" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

I've had a similar problem before. It seems windows settings for power management gets corrupted. Resetting to the default and clicking OK cleared it for me. Might be a registry corruption problem, but I never seen it since.

Cheers

You mean Linux doesn't do everything? Write a program.

Cheers

Jim, This isn't meant as a criticism or put down of any sort. Many people are *forced* to use Windows because of one reason or another. Some applications may be only available in that format.

If you get a chance, perhaps it's time to try something else.

mike

======================================================

The package said "Requires Windows 98 or Better"

So I installed Linux..

If a car maker made a product like that of Gates and Co, they'd be bankrupt in a month. A long time female acquaintance Recently bought a new computer with Vista installed. Within a month she bought a Mac. Vista was the software equivalent of the Tar ponds. Did Microshaft apologize? No.

mike

Tim Wescott Inscribed thus:

WINE is a reasonable substitute for running the odd program, but I agree a Virtual Machine beats it hands down.

Surface scan and choose both options: Automatically fix file system errors Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors Click Start. It will schedule the surface scan for the next reboot of the computer. May the force be with you - Oppie

Step 1 is to reduce to the minimum configuration and see if it fails. Be certain to unplug whatever USB ports are not essential.

Assuming that it still fails, install a bigger power supply and test. Every time this crashes it put your hard drive at risk for content damage so get aggressive with quality compoent replacement.

John Ferrell W8CCW

How about the BIOS battery? This machine is quite old. ...Jim Thompson

What you described is inconsistent with a power supply problem because you didn't say it 'crashed' but simply shut down, and at 'idle', I.E. lowest load, to boot. Plus, it's unlikely a software setting would be able to 'fix' it as you say it seems to have.

A qualified unlikely. Symptoms of a low BIOS battery is usually time stops running when power is off and/or a 'reset' to default values on a cold boot because the settings were lost but you generally wouldn't notice it for a while because, these days, standby power runs the CMOS (and clock) as long as AC is present. You'd only notice it after a house power failure or something else removing AC, like unplugging it (or the rear hard switch) because you're working being inside the box.

The qualification is maybe you missed the defaults loaded notice and the BIOS can generally be set for power off timing. They usually default to no active power down timer but maybe yours is different.

I suggested a disk scan because data corruption can cause almost any symptom and it's a good idea to periodically check anyway.

If you find the hard drive is beginning to pick up bad blocks you'd probably be better off replacing it before a total failure.

WINE stands for Wine Is Not an Emulator. It's actually a windows-like API that converts calls from windows programs into calls to Linux. It looks like Windows to the program, so well-behaved programs run ok. Programs that use undocumented calls and "features" have problems!

Hopefully ReactOS won't be dropped as an XP alternative...

Jim, there is a timer in your BIOS that can turn the system on or off. Insure this isn't set and that no BIOS related power management is active.

Jon

"Jim Thompson" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: snipped-for-privacy@netfront.net ---

I found a helper script for Wine. It installs a lot more real Windows components. Load the following page. Then select All and copy. Paste into a word processor to save it as a normal Ascii file on your drive. Set the properties on the file to make it executable from the command line shell. Run it by doing a ./winestuff in the same directory you stored it in.

There is information at the start of the script that should be looked at before running. This script helped to get some Windows programs working but is by no means magic.

I am not responsible if your computer has a meltdown. It is not my script. It has worked for me and has not caused any problems.

A web search is recommended. You may turn up a newer version, I don't know.

mike