MartyConnelly
martyconnelly at shaw.ca
Thu May 5 20:05:06 CDT 2005
WinXP SP2 won't install on a bum copy of WinXP after June or July So you will get left out on any future XP updates aside from security ones. There is a Microsoft WinXP SP certification site to test , if you have an OEM recovery disk you won't have a key. So it checks your machine type and manufacturer to verify XP. Then it sticks a verification key in your registrty. I am not sure of all the options as it varies by country, there are rebates for pirated software etc. http://news.com.com/Microsoft+Legit+Windows+or+no+updates/2100-1016_3-5550205.html?tag=nl http://news.com.com/Microsoft+Can+we+check+your+software+license/2100-1016_3-5371664.html?tag=nl Steve Erbach wrote: >John, > >Since I posted that message I've dinked with this system some more. My >money is now on the possibility that my wife's friend has an >unauthorized copy of XP. The Windows CD she gave me was a copy and the >25-digit key was written on it. She said she got it from an IT friend >of hers. > >I use Norton Ghost on my C: drive to back up the entire thing to my D: >drive on a regular basis. I was curious to know if I could just swap >the cables, reset the jumpers, and boot up with the Ghosted drive. But >Windows detected that it was a different hard disk and wouldn't let me >start up at all. This situation is different, but I wonder if it isn't >because of the copied Windows XP. > >I will certainly try your suggestion of downloading the necessary >updates on another PC and burning them to CD. > >You know, there was one other odd behavior I noticed. Yesterday I >thought, well, maybe IE is infected somehow. I couldn't find a way to >un-install it from the list of installed software. So I thought I'd >try renaming the EXE file. I did so; but a few seconds later the >program re-appeared in the program folder before my very eyes. It's >dated sometime in August of last year. I deleted the new copy of >IE...but a few seconds later, there it reappeared again. Is that >normal? > >Thanks, John. > >Steve Erbach > >On 5/5/05, John Bartow <john at winhaven.net> wrote: > > >>Steve, >>Sounds like you've run the gamut! In really bad cases (I've got two sitting >>here now) I run multiple Spyware detectors (after the initial Trend-Micro, >>MS-AS) and then manually remove the detections (if the free version won't do >>it). Panda, CA, X-Cleaner, Norton, F-Secure, Ad-Aware, Spybot S&D, Webroot, >>CheckPoint(Zone Alarm), Aluria. Can all be run one at a time (or many at the >>same) so I just do that while I'm working on other things. >> >>Have you booted into safe mode and tried resetting the windows update >>settings as the administrator account? Also try the repair feature of IE. >>Turn off the software firewall and set the IE settings back to the defaults. >>(I'm assuming you're behind a router/HW firewall.) Try running the updates >>after that. Also try a registry optimizer on it if you have one. Systemworks >>or Vcom, etc. or try http://www.pcpitstop.com/pcpitstop/default.asp if you >>don't. >> >>You could also download the updates from another PC using the Windows Update >>Catalog. I used to make CDs of all the updates once a month or so and then >>use the CD with dial-up customers. It was kind of putsy but better than >>waiting for dialup downloads (Thankfully most of my customers have DSL now!) >> >>Another possible issue - NAV 2005 has some major quirks about it. Up until >>2004 it was my top recommendation for home users (or NIS) but I have run >>into many issues with it and unfortunately Symantec's answer always seems to >>come down to "uninstall all Symantec software and re-install". I would >>suggest uninstalling it. I suggest, if its OK with your friend, that you try >>AVG or another free for personal use AV. For home users I now recommend >>AVG/Sygate personal firewall and MS-AS (which I don't care for but hey, its >>free and it works pretty good). >> >>Anyway, there's my 2 scents... >> >>John B. >> >> >> >> >_______________________________________________ >dba-Tech mailing list >dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com >http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech >Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > > -- Marty Connelly Victoria, B.C. Canada