Topic: oh shit. help!

[micah]

ok, so i can live with only 1.87GB of RAM...

but WhyTF is windows so screwed up now?  I tried to open outlook and it wants to install the program?  earlier it wanted me to activate and register my copy of windows.

something is FUBAR here.

[Steve]

I honestly dont know. But ram issues, be it the ram or the pc, can cause all kinds of screwy unexpected behavior. From no posts all the way to data loss and corruption

[Steve]

i found out long ago while talking to my ISP customer
service folk, that if you just enter your error in google,
you'll, more often than not, find a solution.

i use google all the time because i may remember the fix, but not all the steps. im just busting your balls because your flying by the seat of your pants when you do it :P

[Steve]

though i will say ethic you are the google master. i bow to you, google jedi

[micah]

OH GOD. Now all her programs are gone?  All the icons on the desktop don't work any more.  double clicking on them just brings up the short-cut dialog box but the short cuts aren't set to go anywhere.  Microsoft Office is no longer listed in the program applications folder?

she is going to kill me!  FUCK!

[Steve]

breath dude. try a system restore for starters

[ober]

breath dude. try a system restore for starters

You could start there... or go back to the origional RAM config and try again.

memtest86 that fucking RAM, btw.

[micah]

I put the original two chips back in to see if that would fix everything and it just hung on the windows loading page.  After 10 minutes, I turned it off and put the two new chips back in, in the order that was working a few minutes ago (at least, it was working in the sense that I could get into windows)  But that didn't work this time and now I'm back to that original screen that started this whole mess asking me if I want to load windows in normal or safe mode - and any mode I choose just reboots and brings me back to the same page.

[micah]

I'm running memtest86+ now.  10% into pass one and it found an error.  Is there a way to tell, looking at the jumble of data, which chip has the error? or should I only put one of them in at a time when running the test. hmmm.

I'm a little nervous about a system restore.  If the simple task of inserting memory screwed things up this bad - I can't image something like that going well.

EDIT: memtest is now at 68% through first pass and has found 6 errors.  Apparently, I should have listened to RoD about buying cheap RAM from newegg

[jkim]

This is what you get for buying Wintec or whatever the heck kind of memory you bought .

If you're going to do a system restore, I'd probably try it with memory you know that works...but it seems you don't have any so uh...have fun.

[micah]

thank jkim for that helpful insight into my problem :-)

that first pass through the memtest is at now finding hundreds and hundreds of errors... its well over 1200 errors and the test less then 70% done with the first pass.

I'm starting to think I got ripped off.  And now my wife's computer is screwed.  So I lost money and I'll have an angry wife and a busted computer.  

newegg has a 15% restocking fee if I want my money back. Unless I return it for more of their shitty memory....  I guess I"ll deal with that later.  RIght now I have to focus on getting windows to work again - with or without the new memory

oh and the errors count is now well over 4,000 and counting

[jkim]

if it makes you feel better, my desktop still doesn't work from when i kicked the surge protector a few months ago.

maybe you should try and see if an exchange would result in better memory?

ooh, or maybe it's actually her laptop's mobo that's messed up to begin with and the 512 mb of original memory wasn't actually bad.  try yelling at hp!

[Steve]

Its not a wintec issue they are actually pretty solid as far as cheap ram goes, but its newegg. I said that before he veen bought it lol.

And dont sweat a system restore, you cant loose data on a system restore, and it has bailout options.

[Steve]

And you can get the restocking fee waived. Because you want your money back and they technically cant restock a defective product. Argue, get your full refund, and go through TD

[ober]

Yeah, they shouldn't charge you a restock fee if it's defective.

And do the system restore, it can't hurt anything.