Computer Help

[longknife]

I have a »Compaq Presario SR5350F Desktop PC with a Vista Operating System that I bought about 7 or 8 years ago.


Up until now, it's been working fine. But, I've recently encountered frequent system crashes. In some cases, when I try to reboot it tell me to select System Recovery and it goes through supposedly fixing bad files.


I've tried the backup and restore task five of six time and it continues to happen.


Once, I was given a message that said to create a recovery disk.


I did a bit of digging and found 3 disks I made when I first booted the system - have no idea where the original program disk is at the moment but it's around somewhere.


I put Disk #1 in my Drive{E} the only one I have and it didn't do anything.


So, give me some help here. What should I do? And please give step-by-step because I'm really a PC dummy.

 

[Bleipriester]

You HDD might be damaged. If your HDD is damaged, you must exclude the bad sectors from the the partition you want to be the system partition.
At first download Parted Magic, burn it onto a CD and boot from it. Then run a health check.
Download Parted Magic - MajorGeeks

That´s a Linux OS that was made to handle HDDs. If your Drive is OK, that´s a bad news cause the error could affect a more critical hardware. You must determine, where your HDD is damaged and exclude this part from the new partition you will create
I will give you a short How to without info about where it is damaged, assuming it is the first part of the HDD.

But now to your Vista DVD. If you cannot boot from your DVD, it is an upgrade DVD that requires XP to be installed in order to install Vista. You have some options now.
1. Create a bootable Vista DVD.
2. Install XP and then Vista.
3. Purchase Windows 7/8

Lets try the fist options.
Now you´d save all important files somewhere as you will delete everything from the HDD!

Lets begin:

1. Download the bootable image and burnt it onto a DVD (I did not test these images, but they promise they are bootable).
Windows Vista Home Premium Download ISO 32 Bit 64 Bit

2. Boot from the DVD. Once you have the option to create partitions, delete all of them. If you have an additional partition at the end of the HDD, you can keep it, but you should re-create it.

3. Create a new partition. The size should be 20 - 100 GB, depending on your HDD´s size.
4. Create another partition. This will be the systempartition for Windows. If you want another partition, create a third one.
5. Delete the first partition.
6. Install Vista on the second partition.

If it is not your HDD that is damaged, dow´t do this steps right now.

 

[longknife]

If it is not your HDD that is damaged, dow´t do this steps right now.

Thanks for the info and link. I first downloaded the Reimage Repair and it went through the whole thing before telling me I had problems but would have to pay to have them fixed.

I then went about uninstalling it and suddenly found it reinstalling Reimage Express which is supposed to be free. Well, it's scanning the system now and telling me of all the horrible problems I have - and I'll wait to see if it is too a $$$$$ before doing anything.

I'll keep a copy of your post where I can refer to it.

Thanks for the effort.

 

[longknife]

Oh yeah, as far as the 3 DVDs go, they were copied years ago when I first booted the computer and was instructed to make the DVDs. Never even looked at them since.

 

[Iceweasel]

I think Windows is basically a virus anyway. I have fixed things with some of the registry fixers out there, a demo might be available.

It could be a hardware problem, if it isn't the hard drive it could be the power supply. They can get flakey over time. Checking voltage can tip you off. Most stuff runs off of 5v as far as I know. Also, your mobo battery should be a good 3v.

 

[Bleipriester]

If it is not your HDD that is damaged, dow´t do this steps right now.

Thanks for the info and link. I first downloaded the Reimage Repair and it went through the whole thing before telling me I had problems but would have to pay to have them fixed.

I then went about uninstalling it and suddenly found it reinstalling Reimage Express which is supposed to be free. Well, it's scanning the system now and telling me of all the horrible problems I have - and I'll wait to see if it is too a $$$$$ before doing anything.

I'll keep a copy of your post where I can refer to it.

Thanks for the effort.

No problem. Such programs cannot solve your problem: You have re-applied your Windows-Backup several times, but the error remains.

 

[longknife]

It appears my problem right now is my browsers freezing - causing everything to come to a total halt. I've uninstalled and re-installed all three of them but the problem continues.

Let's face it! I think it's simply time to get a new PC. Not sure which or what but am not particularly looking for one with Windows 8. Will have to think about it a lot.

 

[Iceweasel]

I've heard that 8.1 is better but I think it just adds the familiar start bar.
If you have install disks you might be better just formatting the hard drive and doing a fresh install. If it's the same as I remember you don't need to install XP first, you can just put it in the drive when it calls for it if Vista was an upgrade. Or, maybe you can buy 8.1 and start fresh that way.

 

[Bleipriester]

It appears my problem right now is my browsers freezing - causing everything to come to a total halt. I've uninstalled and re-installed all three of them but the problem continues.

Let's face it! I think it's simply time to get a new PC. Not sure which or what but am not particularly looking for one with Windows 8. Will have to think about it a lot.

If you have to buy one with Windows 8.1, look in the Windows 8 support thread for my tools that fully restore the old way to use a computer (without eliminating the the new features, if user don´t want to).
I know, some envy/hatred-driven suckers may warn you about it, but it is the best you can get in the whole wide web.

 

[longknife]

I just wish I could figure out how to make the computer run and accept the 3 backup DVDs I made when I first booted the compurer.

 

[Bleipriester]

Maybe you must make your Computer boot from DVD in the Bios at first.

 

[longknife]

Maybe you must make your Computer boot from DVD in the Bios at first.

How do I do that?

I know that when the initial screen comes up, if I continually hit the escape button, it gives me a number of choices. Is that where I do it?

 

[Bleipriester]

Maybe you must make your Computer boot from DVD in the Bios at first.

How do I do that?

I know that when the initial screen comes up, if I continually hit the escape button, it gives me a number of choices. Is that where I do it?

Normally it is the DEL key. When the Bios menu appears you must search for something like "boot sequence" or similar and prioritize DVD drive. Normally, you need to boot from the DVD only once and can use the boot menu that is available mostly with F8 or F11 during the initial screen. If you use this screen the choice will only be overtaken for one time.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

One of the dumbest things computer makers do is alter the way you enter the BIOS.
Some are F10, some F5, some F7, some DEL key and others the Esc key.
The best thing to do Longknife is google "boot from cd with Compaq Presario CQ56" (or whatever your model# is.
Here is a simple demo on the BIOS....

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Next, it may just be your computer is simply wore-out from whatever hardware issue it is, and is not worth the $$ to fix it.
If so, and you need a new one. To know which computer you should buy, is to know what do you use it for...and how tech savy you are.
If you just use the internet primarily, do little else than that. And you do not want to spend much $$ - then I suggest a Google Chrome Book. Nothing beats it for value. Nothing. The drawback is they come with only 11" - 13" screen. Which is pretty small, but easy to get use to.
I would suggest a Acer C720. Fast, battery life is amazing and nothing is simpler to use if all you do is email, internet.
Amazon.com Acer C720 Chromebook 11.6-Inch 2GB Computers Accessories

 

[longknife]

Yeah, I think after 8 years it's simply better to buy a new or rebuilt one. I know a good computer shop that does such things and it's about time.

I have figured out how to recover the factory settings but I'm told I need 32 DVDs to store all the files I will lose if I do it.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Yeah, I think after 8 years it's simply better to buy a new or rebuilt one. I know a good computer shop that does such things and it's about time.

I have figured out how to recover the factory settings but I'm told I need 32 DVDs to store all the files I will lose if I do it.

You don't need to lose the files.
You can buy an external hard drive anywhere for $60 or so.
The computer store can easily copy everything off to the external drive for you

 

[Derideo_Te]

Yeah, I think after 8 years it's simply better to buy a new or rebuilt one. I know a good computer shop that does such things and it's about time.

I have figured out how to recover the factory settings but I'm told I need 32 DVDs to store all the files I will lose if I do it.

If you buy another desktop you can buy a kit to add your old hard drive as an external drive to your new desktop. Then you can copy over the files onto your new computer.

You will need to install your software on the new desktop again but by the sounds of it you either have a flaky hard drive or a virus. After 8 years it could be both but a hard drive giving up the ghost after 8 years is the most likely.

 

[longknife]

Once again, thanks for all the help. I simply think it's time to break down and buy a new PC.

Looking at the prices, they are probably a lot cheaper than trying to get the bugs out of this one.

 

[Derideo_Te]

Once again, thanks for all the help. I simply think it's time to break down and buy a new PC.

Looking at the prices, they are probably a lot cheaper than trying to get the bugs out of this one.

I agree with that assessment and that would have been my advice from the outset.

Depending upon the type of hard drive you have in your existing PC it can easily be converted into an external drive so that you don't lose any of your data. Let me know if you need any help with that.