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HammerDown
01-31-2003, 07:46 AM
Last night while shuting off the computer...by accident I kicked out the power cord...I had to use the Reinstallation CD for Windows xp Home Edition...I lost ALL info,downloads.
I've got WindowsXP back up and running...however all my desktop Icons such as Dell RealPlayer, Dell Jukebox Box powered by MusicMatch, Dell Picture Studio Image, Dell Picture Studio Paint ShopPro, Photo Shop and a lot of others are missing...so how do I retrive what I lost???
Thanks for any info.

LHC30Victory
01-31-2003, 09:42 AM
Don't know why you had to reinstall the OS by a power interrupt...but once you started the reinstall, you are committed to reinstalling ALL the programs.

LHC30Victory
01-31-2003, 09:43 AM
Oh, if there is some data that you can't live without, I do computer forensic work on the side.

JetBoatRich
01-31-2003, 11:27 AM
Burn it to the ground wink

HOSS
01-31-2003, 12:27 PM
I take it that your PC is a Dell product. There should be a recovery disc that you got in your packet at purchase. If you built it then you won`t have the software. But in reality, manufacturer`s sell you on their crap. And that`s what it is is crap. Fill. You don`t need any of it. Windows has an update sight. It automatically (after running) will tell you what updates pertain to your system. New versions and service packs. Other than that there are quite a few "free" trader sites with gobs of free software to down load. ex: www.kazaa.com (http://www.kazaa.com)
**If you don`t have an anti-virus on system now, download one first before downloading other software.*
There are unmistakably assholes out there that will fry your harddrive, motherboard, ram, processor.
I recommend Norton (7 series). I don`t know what version they are on now as in 7.1,7.3,etc. But this will allow you to scan all software you down load before installing to get rid of bugs and delete them before harm can be done.

HammerDown
01-31-2003, 02:50 PM
Thanks for the suggestions, as I stated above I was in the process of shutting down the computer, within a few seconds of it being off... it must have been trying to save the last file or something...The Dell tech tryed to walk me thru a restart and save...but it wouldnt work! yuk So he said I had to start from scratch...And I would lose everything.
The only cd's that came with my system are...
*operating systems...Reinstalling CD Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
*Dell Tool CD(for reinstalling Dell-Installed Software
*Drivers and Utilities(resourceCD forReinstalling Device Drivers and Using Diagnostics.Utilities, and online Documents
*Color Monitor-quick setup
*Application-For installing/resinstalling Roxio Easy CD Creator 5.2 Basic
*Work Suite 2002 5 cd's
I've got most everything loaded back in...except the Work Suite. Something dosent seem right, not like before????
After the power cord fell out of the wall I was guick to put it back in...I shut down power to the tower. When I tryed to restart..I got a black screen...with a message something to the extent "there is a problem in a file, to correct press "R" to start sequence....well that did nothing.
The real fun part was speeking to a Dell Tech from INDIA :mad: ...from 9 pm till 2 am :mad: . I could only make out about every 3'rd word he was saying, WTF :mad:
Oh and the biggest pain in the A$$ was the steps taken to reinstal the free 6 months of AOL, talk about nightmare....I was lost...I still am!
[ January 31, 2003, 02:58 PM: Message edited by: HammerDown ]

Froggystyle
01-31-2003, 02:58 PM
If you have CP, it has an archive (probably lost now if you wrote 00000's to your hard drive) that will bring you back up to your last restore date. It is called "system restore" and is pretty cool. I used it once on an older computer and it worked great.
No disk needed BTW...

HammerDown
01-31-2003, 03:08 PM
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Froggystyle:
If you have CP, it has an archive (probably lost now if you wrote 00000's to your hard drive) that will bring you back up to your last restore date. It is called "system restore" and is pretty cool. I used it once on an older computer and it worked great.
No disk needed BTW... [/QUOTE}
Yep...kinda know about the System Restore thingy...however I didnt even know how to get away from the black screen...it was locked. I'm sure someone who works with these things alot or even has several years playing around would know what to do...However I'm still verrrry Green. :p
No tutors here...self teaching slowly!!!!

bigq
01-31-2003, 03:57 PM
Don't know what Dell had you do, but if you did not have a repair disk for XP that is made in the OS, before something happens, you can do a repair of the OS instead of a complete reinstall. The way you do this is using the XP disk and starting the system from the CDROM, when setup starts it will ask if this is a fresh install or do you want to repair the directory that it found. Most of the time you can do a repair and not lose the data. The system does this by reading a file that has the system data stored. It will usually have all the programs and "shortcuts" there also, unless the registry was damaged beyond repair.Like I said it depends on how the tech at Dell helped you out, which sounds like not much.Just another reason to have the local system build do your system.
AOL...LOL, WHY!
Anyway I would go to the MS update site as previously mentioned and make sure to get the latest service pak and patches on there.
Losing hard drive info is always time consuming.
Good Luck

Tinkerer
01-31-2003, 06:25 PM
Next time that happens ( Your computer locks up) Unplug your computer and push the power button a few times and than let it sit for 10 minutes. Next plug it back in and try a normal start. This has worked for me. No info lost. The idea here is to make the computer dead of all power before you try to restart.

Rod-64
01-31-2003, 11:56 PM
Hammer Down
I had to laugh when you mentioned the Dell tech....My Dell dvd deal wasn't working right out of the box....when I called the tech line I payed extra for (the V.I.P. line) I waited 50 min. Although I had to decode his voice for 10 minutes, he did help me out. Dell leaves out that nugget when they brag about their tech sevice, the bastards!!! I couldn't believe I was talking to India...What's up with that???? They must get 2-3 bucks a day over there I guess.

ACCEPTENCE
02-01-2003, 12:30 AM
FourWinnsFamily:
Oh, if there is some data that you can't live without, I do computer forensic work on the side. Looking for someone with extensive computer knowledge and skills in the area of data acquisition.
Let me know???

CA Stu
02-01-2003, 12:44 AM
HammerDown:
Last night while shuting off the computer...by accident I kicked out the power cord...I had to use the Reinstallation CD for Windows xp Home Edition...I lost ALL info,downloads.
I've got WindowsXP back up and running...however all my desktop Icons such as Dell RealPlayer, Dell Jukebox Box powered by MusicMatch, Dell Picture Studio Image, Dell Picture Studio Paint ShopPro, Photo Shop and a lot of others are missing...so how do I retrive what I lost???
Thanks for any info. XP sets up different profiles for each individual user. You have lost your ID. I don't know your exact issue, but a friend of mine is a genius rm@richardmay.com . Email him, and tell him CA Stu sent you. Hope this helps, he should hook you dead up.
Thanks
CA Stu

BigBoyToys
02-01-2003, 04:30 AM
Hammerdown, I am a Dell Certified Systems Engineer (DCSE) with approx. 30 Dell Certifications. Including all desktops/workstations,portables, and most servers. As well as many other certifications. Feel free to email me at JimP@pritek.net or call me. My phone numbers are listed on my website. Hopefully we can get this thing going for ya again
[ February 01, 2003, 04:59 AM: Message edited by: BigBoyToys ]

BigBoyToys
02-01-2003, 04:32 AM
ACCEPTENCE:
FourWinnsFamily:
Oh, if there is some data that you can't live without, I do computer forensic work on the side. Looking for someone with extensive computer knowledge and skills in the area of data acquisition.
Let me know??? Legal or Illegal data acquisition? eek! :D
Same applies Acceptance, email me at JimP@pritek.net or call me at one of the numbers listed on my website.

BigBoyToys
02-01-2003, 04:38 AM
Rod-64:
Hammer Down
I had to laugh when you mentioned the Dell tech....My Dell dvd deal wasn't working right out of the box....when I called the tech line I payed extra for (the V.I.P. line) I waited 50 min. Although I had to decode his voice for 10 minutes, he did help me out. Dell leaves out that nugget when they brag about their tech sevice, the bastards!!! I couldn't believe I was talking to India...What's up with that???? They must get 2-3 bucks a day over there I guess. Although I can't comment on Dell's Tech Support since the company I work for is a Dell Warranty Service provider, let me just say this. Occasionally I have to call Dell (I have a private direct line to them) for additional tech support. It is a rare occasion that this happens though :rolleyes: because I feel that my skills are such that I can resolve most issues without someone on the other end of a phone looking up something in a book, and reading a script from it smile_sp . I have books, I can do that myself.... :D
I do understand 100% of the issues that arise when calling a help desk smile_sp

BigBoyToys
02-01-2003, 04:58 AM
Ok, 1 more post wink to address a few other things on this topic.
Norton= SLOW!! It uses to much system resources. I use AVG Antivirus. Nice SMALL fast program that is free from www.grisoft.com (http://www.grisoft.com) and works as good as any and better than some.
Power Down and Unplug the PC= Why? By doing This it doesn't actually reset anything other than the ATX switching on the Power Supply. But if you say it worked for ya. Do whatever works.... wink
Black Screen= At what point did ya get a black screen? On the initial boot up process (POST), when the Windows startup screen appeared? etc. Different times of "black" screen can mean alot, since during the complete bootup process the PC is loading many things and files... At what point did this happen? That would tell me what was loading(or not loading) at the time.
Lose all data for reinstalling a Windows OS= ???? Never heard that one unless you formatted (or FDisk) the Hard Drive During the process. I am also a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and DataBase Admin (MCDBA) and have reinstalled MS Windows products thousands of times with no data lost. As for the other apps working with the OS, it shouldn't be an issue as long as the OS is installed into the same directory as original. Might have to re-map some .dll files but that is fairly simple to do and easy to explain how to do over the phone.
XP Sets up different files for each user= Yes, and so does Win 95,98,ME,NT,2000,etc. A little feature called "Microsoft Networking" wink . Actually, each users profile is loaded in a hidden system file called user.dat and it "modifies" the initial win.ini file that is loaded into the OS on bootup by setting user preferences.
I tried making these explanations as "user friendly" as possible, but I know that there's alot to try to understand about computers.If anymore questions/answers, email me.
Just my .02 (and then some....wait 'till ya get the bill :D )
[ February 01, 2003, 05:11 AM: Message edited by: BigBoyToys ]

HOSS
02-01-2003, 08:25 AM
F disc. Made that mistake once. Never again! That erases everything. Harddrive becomes litterally toast. As in burnt bread.

572Daytona
02-01-2003, 10:36 AM
Actually losing the icons from the programs that you have installed is pretty common when you use the manufacturer provided system restore disc. Either it replaced you user profile and desktop settings, in which case the programs would still be available from your start menu and putting the icons back on your desktop would be simply a matter of recreating the shortcuts. Or, it replaced both your desktop and registry to factory installed default. In this case your programs are all still on the hard drive but for the most part unusable without reinstalling them.
I agree with AVG over Norton or McAfee, much less intrusive in my opinion not to mention free. But this was all discussed in another thread a while back.

HammerDown
02-01-2003, 02:15 PM
Thanks for the feedback...
Something new just happened...when dialing in...complete silence, thats a first!
There are some Icons on my Desk Top...when clicking on "start" there are several Icons still missing from the left side. When clicking on "all programs" theres also alot of titles missing.
When liicking on "search" and going to files and folders for "cookies" thats not the same.
File>Fileing Cabnet for mail incoming/saved...different.
There was a Icon in the start menu that would give a step by step explanation of Widows XP Home Edition. It would walk ya thru and explane how to do things like systems maintenance, defrag, disc check and clean up, how to create files and folders...download photos, how Wizard works...just a complete step by step tour that made the user click on things to help the user become familiar with Windows XP...thats M.I.A. And for a beginner it was something I would spend time with learning.
What I would like to do...(hopefully it can be done)is to restore my Windows XP Home Edition as it was prior to the other day...Will Dell make House Calls??? LOL

BigBoyToys
02-01-2003, 02:18 PM
Nope....Sounds like the Dell Tech Support had him format the HD, and the Win XP Home Edition is not the same as the dell Ghost image installed in production.
[ February 01, 2003, 02:49 PM: Message edited by: BigBoyToys ]

BigBoyToys
02-01-2003, 02:58 PM
Hammerdown,
try this link. It has lotsa howto videos http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/howto/videos/default.asp

572Daytona
02-01-2003, 03:33 PM
sigh...that's pretty messed up if they had him format the drive. Definitely going to have to reinstall everything at that point. Hopefully there wasn't anything irreplacable such as digital camera pics, etc.

bigq
02-02-2003, 12:49 AM
Just out of curiosity Hammerdown. Look to see if there are two Windows folders on your drive C.
go to start button,right click,left click explore and expand your "C" drive. Look for a folder or folders called WINDOWS, how many?

bigq
02-02-2003, 01:05 AM
BigBoyToys:
Nope....Sounds like the Dell Tech Support had him format the HD, and the Win XP Home Edition is not the same as the dell Ghost image installed in production. I know techs like that , problem with windows...reformat and install new Windows. Faster way to get them off the phone too.

Eric455
02-02-2003, 01:13 AM
these are the same reasons why i say windows XP is the worst OS after ME. its all about WIN2000 Pro.
anyone need a copy?? :D smile_sp j/k
eric

Moomawnster
02-02-2003, 01:47 AM
Hammer ...I can tell ya, I've been there ....last year I got a brand new HP with win XP in it ... I returned it in a rage two weeks later , HP was going to send me a "patch" for the problem but patching a brand new product did not appeal to me ... I am afraid when this machine dies I will probably quit .... It seems new products are more sales pitch than function ... :rolleyes:
[ February 02, 2003, 01:50 AM: Message edited by: Moomawnster ]

BigBoyToys
02-02-2003, 04:39 AM
Eric455:
these are the same reasons why i say windows XP is the worst OS after ME. its all about WIN2000 Pro.
anyone need a copy?? :D smile_sp j/k
eric I agree 100%. I'm sticking with Windows 2000!
And yep, after talking with Hammerdown at length on the phone, it most definitely sounds like the tech support couldn't figure out how to fix the problem so they opted for the easy way out.....format and reinstall. I hate it when they do that :( Sorry I couldn't have been more help to ya Hammerdown, but at that point, you've pretty much gone past the point of no return and lost all the stuff.
[ February 02, 2003, 04:41 AM: Message edited by: BigBoyToys ]

HammerDown
02-02-2003, 06:13 AM
Thanks for all the suggestions (still kinda lost here)...I belive I'm going to call Dell on Monday...when I hope to speak with someone from MY Country...and rant :mad: like a Wild Man about whats going on...
[ February 02, 2003, 06:26 AM: Message edited by: HammerDown ]

bigq
02-02-2003, 09:29 AM
Eric455:
these are the same reasons why i say windows XP is the worst OS after ME. its all about WIN2000 Pro.
anyone need a copy?? :D smile_sp j/k
eric I am going to disagree here, at least 80%. I would stay away from Home edition, but you can't even say XP was as bad as ME, that OS was a POS!
I am sure one the bugs get worked out of XP,ie.. service packs, How many that will take only the software gods know.Your right though Win2k is nice and stable. :D
[ February 02, 2003, 09:31 AM: Message edited by: bigq ]

bigq
02-02-2003, 09:53 AM
One more thing Hammerdown, When you do call Dell again have then tell you how to install the backup utillity for the Home Edition, it is not installed by default, then once the system is running the way you want it perform a backup including the system state. If this happened again you can do a reinstall of XP then restore the setting you had. Just a suggestion. wink This is just one reason not to use home addition. wink

HammerDown
02-02-2003, 05:06 PM
Once again...thanks for the suggestions.

HammerDown
02-03-2003, 08:32 PM
Well lets see where shall I begin...oh yes, who ever said Dell has "Award Winning Customer Support and Tech" Should be drop kicked off a tall cliff into pool of warm steaming dog shit!
It simply amazes me how a major Co. like DUDD...can pass someone around like a cheap *****, leave them on hold for way toooo long, then get disconnected (from F##KING India)and then do it all over again and again, with nothing resolved...and always repeat the phrase "sorry for your inconvenience, and thank you for choosing Dell how may I help you!"
Oh yes...now I recall it was the "Dude your getting a Dell" retard. Well I'd like to spend some quality time with that fella....Would that be one lump or two!
The fun continues tommorow.

LHC30Victory
02-03-2003, 10:46 PM
Acceptance...does your post mean you're looking or offering?

Rexone
02-03-2003, 11:36 PM
Hammer, as long as it's all screwed up anyway and you're basically starting from scratch, perhaps there's someone on the board who has an extra copy of Win2000pro you could load instead of XP. Just a thought.
Hey what do you tech guys think of products like Nortons Ghost to copy the entire hard drive? Just curious whether it's worth a crap in a tough situation like Hammerdown has encountered.
I personally have a network of several machines to back each other up on data but not everyone has that luxury. I've had disks' crash and lost a bunch of stuff about 3 yrs ago...never again.

HammerDown
02-04-2003, 07:40 AM
Todays update First thanks again for all the suggestions...
Now, after again spending over 2 1/2 hrs on the phone with someone from India...they now understand or agree that Dell added items at production along with the standard Win XP Home Edition. So I hope to recive in the mail a CD containing all the missing items that Should restore my Computer to its previous state. I'll again have to talk to a Reinstallation Tech Rep from INDIA, this will once again be a complete install!
After spending countless hours with people from India...I found myself starting to talk like them (ya know how that happens)...I rushed to the mirror to make sure there was no Dot on my Forehead and I didnt have a Beach Towel spun around my Head. However I am wearing my PJ's out in public.

Her454
02-04-2003, 07:44 AM
Dude, you shoulda bought an HP. wink

HammerDown
02-04-2003, 01:40 PM
Her454:
Dude, you shoulda bought an HP. wink Hmmmm, I know only 2 people with HP's...my Father bought one some 8 years ago...always had trouble. My Brother just bought one last weekend from Circuit City...they had to take it back...However I'm kinda happy with my HP deskjet! :)
I dont belive I have any bad comments about my Computer itself...hands down everyone said buy Dell...however if I'd known that I would be talking to someone with broken English from India for tech...well that may have swayed my choice.
The UPS Driver that delivered my Dell said almost half of the Gateways he deliveres, he picks back up...
So what 3'rd world Country does HP or some others use for there Tech Support?

BigBoyToys
02-04-2003, 02:27 PM
Sounds just like what I told ya on the phone Hammerdown. The production Ghost image didn't match the software supplied. If ya need help with it when you get the software, feel free to call me.
As for the HP, Dell, Gateway stuff, since I work on all of it as a warranty service provider, .......No comment. :D I build my own PC's and they hold up just fine thanks :p

bigq
02-04-2003, 04:08 PM
BigBoyToys:
Sounds just like what I told ya on the phone Hammerdown. The production Ghost image didn't match the software supplied. If ya need help with it when you get the software, feel free to call me.
As for the HP, Dell, Gateway stuff, since I work on all of it as a warranty service provider, .......No comment. :D I build my own PC's and they hold up just fine thanks :p Ditto, that way we just bitch ourself out when it breaks.
Just so you know Hammerdown, most of the manufactures don't make the parts that go into the systems, save for maybe the motherboard design. I believe Dell has Intel do there motherboards, not sure though. The hard drive cdroms video etc.. are made by the same people that the custom builder down the street uses. The parts they use do make a difference though.I can buy a Mitsumi CDR for $40.00 or a Plextor for $80.00 and would choose the Plextor any day, but just remember all will eventually fail.
What this has to do with your problem I have no idea, just started rambling, sorry :p

bigq
02-04-2003, 04:13 PM
BigBoyToys,
Do you work for a big company or are you the owner.I was just curious if the warranty work that you do is worth it for a smaller business.

CA Stu
02-04-2003, 04:17 PM
HammerDown:
Todays update First thanks again for all the suggestions...
Now, after again spending over 2 1/2 hrs on the phone with someone from India...they now understand or agree that Dell added items at production along with the standard Win XP Home Edition. So I hope to recive in the mail a CD containing all the missing items that Should restore my Computer to its previous state. I'll again have to talk to a Reinstallation Tech Rep from INDIA, this will once again be a complete install!
After spending countless hours with people from India...I found myself starting to talk like them (ya know how that happens)...I rushed to the mirror to make sure there was no Dot on my Forehead and I didnt have a Beach Towel spun around my Head. However I am wearing my PJ's out in public. Shout "Jeldi! Jeldi!" at them, and tell tehm you know Imrahn Knhan.
Trust me.
CA Stu <-- Knows a little Indian, memsahb.

bigq
02-04-2003, 04:25 PM
Rexone:
Hammer, as long as it's all screwed up anyway and you're basically starting from scratch, perhaps there's someone on the board who has an extra copy of Win2000pro you could load instead of XP. Just a thought.
Hey what do you tech guys think of products like Nortons Ghost to copy the entire hard drive? Just curious whether it's worth a crap in a tough situation like Hammerdown has encountered.
I personally have a network of several machines to back each other up on data but not everyone has that luxury. I've had disks' crash and lost a bunch of stuff about 3 yrs ago...never again. Sounds like you could use some back up redundancy. wink
Blade Data (http://www.bladedata.com)
shameless plug, just couldn't resist Rexone. :)

ACCEPTENCE
02-04-2003, 04:48 PM
BigBoyToys:
ACCEPTENCE:
FourWinnsFamily:
Oh, if there is some data that you can't live without, I do computer forensic work on the side. Looking for someone with extensive computer knowledge and skills in the area of data acquisition.
Let me know??? Legal or Illegal data acquisition? eek! :D
Same applies Acceptance, email me at JimP@pritek.net or call me at one of the numbers listed on my website. Thanks BBT, I think I have found a solution to the problem.
If it goes sideways on me, I'll call ya, thanks again...

Freak
02-04-2003, 05:27 PM
Ok bigboystoys
I have a Power edge 6100 w/a perk card. Raid 5 2 containers. Hardware seems fine. Upon boot I get the missing the NTldr. When I try the ERD to do a repair it says it repairs the files but upon boot I get the freak'in BLUE SCREEN memory dump. So my question is if I reload the OS on the first partition which is 2048mg will it show the full partition or just 1024 since it has 2 containers configured? Why does it show only 1024 if you have 2 containers configured before loading the OS? Why do you have to load the os before configuring the second container?
[ February 04, 2003, 05:39 PM: Message edited by: Freak ]

Freak
02-04-2003, 05:30 PM
I agree 2000 pro is the shat. I love group policy.
I have used ghost and ghstwalker for years. It has worked great for me. RIS is now pretty cool. I have had great luck with dell support, but I do pay for Gold.
[ February 04, 2003, 05:42 PM: Message edited by: Freak ]

HammerDown
02-05-2003, 06:27 AM
Status update...Just delivered to my door, a 4 pack of CD's titled "Dell Software Restoration CD"
Also a notice...The Dell Software Restoration CD contains all the software that Dell installed on your computer. (We'll see about that)!
Now for the hard part...off to India I go :( ...wish me luck.
[ February 05, 2003, 06:32 AM: Message edited by: HammerDown ]

BigBoyToys
02-05-2003, 07:27 PM
bigq:
BigBoyToys,
Do you work for a big company or are you the owner.I was just curious if the warranty work that you do is worth it for a smaller business. I am employed by a Nationwide company based in Frazier, PA. The local office I work out of is in the Sacramento, CA area. We provide IT solutions and support for businesses ranging from the old "mom & pop" shops all the way up to the largest State Government (figure that one out :D ), many Fortune 500 companies, and everything in between.

BigBoyToys
02-05-2003, 07:49 PM
Freak:
Ok bigboystoys
I have a Power edge 6100 w/a perk card. Raid 5 2 containers. Hardware seems fine. Upon boot I get the missing the NTldr. When I try the ERD to do a repair it says it repairs the files but upon boot I get the freak'in BLUE SCREEN memory dump. So my question is if I reload the OS on the first partition which is 2048mg will it show the full partition or just 1024 since it has 2 containers configured? Why does it show only 1024 if you have 2 containers configured before loading the OS? Why do you have to load the os before configuring the second container? Because the max size available for your version of PERC is 2048. Since the max size available for PERC is 2048, if you create the containers BEFORE installing the OS you get 2 @ 1024. Correct....so far the numbers add up. Here's the dilemma, when your OS (I'll assume NT or W2K), is loading NTldr, it is "borrowing" from the HDD to create "virtual memory". When it cannot create enough VM due to the initial container size(1024) it goes to the "blue screen of death" and it should give you either a stack overflow or a memory dump. The OS is configurable to change the Virtual Memory size but you have to be able to get to it (Virtual Memory Manager) first, and without being able to load NTldr it ain't gonna happen. Here's the fix.... delete the containers, reinstall the OS, adjust the VM, recreate the containers. Or, the simplest solution would be to run the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant disk to install the OS.
But, just 1 question, why run a RAID 5 with 2 containers? It would probably do more harm than good. That PERC card that you have should support RAID levels of 0, 1, 5, 10 and with your setup I'd personally run with RAID 1 and mirror the thing.
There's much more to this and other things that can be done, but it is a long time-consuming process. Most of it revolves around the Array Manager tools and other PERC and Dell tools....Like Create Virtual Disk, etc.
REMEMBER, DELETING THE CONTAINERS LOSES THE DATA IN THEM!
Hope this all makes sense,.....now ya have my head spinning smile_sp smile_sp
[ February 05, 2003, 07:54 PM: Message edited by: BigBoyToys ]

BigBoyToys
02-05-2003, 07:56 PM
HammerDown:
Status update...Just delivered to my door, a 4 pack of CD's titled "Dell Software Restoration CD"
Also a notice...The Dell Software Restoration CD contains all the software that Dell installed on your computer. (We'll see about that)!
Now for the hard part...off to India I go :( ...wish me luck. Wish ya luck HD. You should be ok now. Just install away and you'll be a computer expert before you can say 001100101001 (IT Joke there) :rolleyes:

HammerDown
02-06-2003, 04:04 PM
Well after spending another 2 hrs with a tech rep from Dallas...and installing the 4 CD's that I got the other day(THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO FIX EVERYTHING)...I'm still in the SAME F%&KING situation as before WTF!!!!...BigBoyToys Frazier PA. is about 45 min from my home.

XLGPP
02-06-2003, 04:15 PM
Hammerdown... sounds like you have got plenty of help with your problem... Just a little sumtin else..
after you get everything restored. There is a GREAT program called "GHOST" that lets you back up your entire pc.. With windows Xp it writes to cd's in your burner, and usually takes 4-5 cd's just of what comes on your pc from dell... give or take a few more depending on how much you have on your hard drive. I back mine up as I put more and more stuff on my pc all the time...
then if you ever lose it again, its all there in a few discs and really easy to re-install... or If you like to nuke your system and re-install from time to time.

HammerDown
02-06-2003, 05:32 PM
XLGPP...thanks, if I can ever get back to how it was before, thats something I'll be sure to do.
What the last Tech said was there's some type of License Agreement with MicroSoft that wont alow Dell to send a CD with (all) the programs that were installed during production...the tech rep said he would look into it and get back to me that was 4 hra ago...guess it wont be today.

HammerDown
02-08-2003, 10:11 AM
The most current update....it is now my understanding that my Dell will never appear as it was out of the box :( ...several programs (from Micro Soft)were added do my Dell during production, Dell is not allowed by way of product license agreement to send me the lost programs such as (learn XP)...I was told I will have to purchase such lost items from MicroSoft (thanks Bill G)...
At this time I would like to thank the 1'st F*&KING Dell Tech from F$#KING burningm INDIA burningm that had no idea as how to restore my computer problem from day one...I hope the smelly bastard gets bitten by a Cobra and steps in Elephant sh*t!
.....its the little things that make me nuts....
[ February 08, 2003, 10:13 AM: Message edited by: HammerDown ]

XLGPP
02-08-2003, 11:50 AM
sorry hammer... on monday Ill talk to our tech guy and see if he can help with your prob... if nothing else when you get it all back, I can send you the "ghost" software so that you never have this happen again.

XLGPP
02-08-2003, 11:53 AM
another possiblity... I could send you a copy of my backups... It will have my name and lic. agreements on everything, so you would have to get around that, but it would re-install everything that came with your dell. (plus a few x-tras I had)

Moomawnster
02-09-2003, 01:24 AM
Hammer .... I think Dell owes you a new computer!
I told you I took my HP back after 2 weeks ? Why do these sales creeps think it's your
problem? I have to crash my unit twice a day to get out of cyberhell... your pc should not die because the power goes out , and anything that does is useless .... or worse .I say , be a public relations problem until you get satisfaction .... eek! Moo ..

HammerDown
02-09-2003, 11:30 AM
Moo thats what I said...It was because of a so called Dell Tech that I lost all the programs installed at production. The Dell Rep said NOPE no new Computer...as they are not obligated to warranty any software, including the operating system and software added to the Dell-branded hardware products through there factory-integration systems,3'rd party software, or the reloading of software.
So that tells me that the sales pitch I was given before they got my credit card # was total BS...Bottom line...they just dont care!
[ February 09, 2003, 11:31 AM: Message edited by: HammerDown ]

bigq
02-09-2003, 08:27 PM
HammerDown:
Moo thats what I said...It was because of a so called Dell Tech that I lost all the programs installed at production. The Dell Rep said NOPE no new Computer...as they are not obligated to warranty any software, including the operating system and software added to the Dell-branded hardware products through there factory-integration systems,3'rd party software, or the reloading of software.
So that tells me that the sales pitch I was given before they got my credit card # was total BS...Bottom line...they just dont care! I don't know of a manufacturer that warrants the software load, users can mess things up pretty bad.I have fixed them by reloading just to keep the customer happy, but no warranty. It's kinda like saying," my computer got a virus and now it won't even start",no can do.
I have seen hard drives physically destroyed because of power outage or accidentally pulling the plug, not good for hard drive, not as much anymore, but it happens.
As for the Dell software, I don't know everything they load so I can't help ya there.When we do a burn everything that goes on the hard drive is included on a main CD or OEM Manufactuer CD.

Moomawnster
02-10-2003, 03:46 AM
I gotta say this again because the sales dogs just don't give up ! ANY pc that dies because of a power outage is worse than useless .. we are told to trust these machines with information that can ruin our lives and business but the first problem comes up and it's ...Oh ! read the fine print and get lost ! If I put up a door that fell off every time it was slammed would the sales geek want to pay me ? Why can't these high paid techies solve this ? Are they even trying ? Do they know that a real world exists outside the plastic box ?
DUDE! YOUR GETTIN A ..... eek!
[ February 10, 2003, 03:49 AM: Message edited by: Moomawnster ]

Moomawnster
02-10-2003, 04:27 AM
[QUOTE] It's kinda like saying," my computer got a virus and now it won't even start",no can do.
NO!.... It's JUST like saying "YOUR tech rep destroyed my system and I want satisfaction ,not excuses !"
Hammers PC was probably recoverable till the tech told him to kill it! :mad:

bigq
02-10-2003, 08:56 AM
Moomawnster:
I gotta say this again because the sales dogs just don't give up ! ANY pc that dies because of a power outage is worse than useless .. we are told to trust these machines with information that can ruin our lives and business but the first problem comes up and it's ...Oh ! read the fine print and get lost ! If I put up a door that fell off every time it was slammed would the sales geek want to pay me ? Why can't these high paid techies solve this ? Are they even trying ? Do they know that a real world exists outside the plastic box ?
DUDE! YOUR GETTIN A ..... eek! Well I don't know what Dell told Hammerdown, but you should never trust all your data as always being there. All systems will eventually have a failed part. Theres a little spec on the parts call "mean time before failure", how long it will last or suppose to last. If you are trusting your computer enough and not doing backup of all your data thats a mistake, just a fact of life, all had drives WILL eventually fail.
As for Hammerdowns problem I believe it might be related to a Microsoft known issue. The only reason I think it might be related is because I ran into the same challenge this last week, weird that it happen, anyway it is a stated problem on the MS Support.It might be the same or not never worked on his system.
Geeks read here:
XP reinstall problem (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;312368)

bigq
02-10-2003, 09:03 AM
One more thing, no offense Hammerdown, his PC did not die, it corrupted data. I'm not here to defend Dell, I'm annoyed by Dell. That said, his computer is up and running, it's just not configured the way it was when he received it. If it was me I would fix it to the specs the customer wanted, but that is just me, maybe Dell doesn't need as many happy customers as I do, can't say.

HammerDown
02-10-2003, 12:19 PM
Bigg, thanks for the comments...I could only wish Dell was as intrested in Customer Satisfaction as your are. I've given up trying to resolve my issue with Dell...they just wont get any more of my money, and friends or family will be made aware of my situation before they purchase from Dell.

572Daytona
02-10-2003, 04:10 PM
Here Hammer....this may make you feel better:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030210/ap_on_en_tv/dell_dude_arrest_7

HammerDown
02-10-2003, 06:09 PM
Yep it sure dose...so much I had to start a thread about that air head!