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I did all the things you suggested & didn't have any "04"s to delete. Since my main problems are freezing, being unable to boot up or open backup Word files, as well as the slowness (intermittent but happens in clusters every 6-wks or so for days at a time), perhaps it's now time to visit one of the ASAP sites that Liz suggested.
Sorry for my delay in replying. Between illness & family emergencies, I've had to squeeze in computer fixing time.
Thank you everyone very much for your help.
Take care...VV
one more thing you may try after the others is make sure your bios is up to date.
To do this go to the dell website and under support enter your computer code (located on the bottom of laptops). This should give you all the updated drivers and bios updates. Make sure your computers bios is up to date, especially if you have upgraded OS or other major programs. To see what version of bios you have, at startup of the computer watch for the bios to show, use the Pause Break key to hold the screen so you can make note of the bios. Compare this with what the Dell site says you need. follow their instructions carefully for the upgrade.
Thank you very much Arctic, I will do this this weekend.
Sorry, which code am I using? Service Tag? Express Service Code? Product Key? No worries, I follow instructions well. By the time I'm through with this, I should be able to find the patch for my external zip drive so I can use it with my laptop, instead of running down the hallway like Woody Allen everytime my computer misbehaves...
Found it, sorry. Should have visited the site before asking (& running down the hallway like Woody in Manhattan Murder Mystery!)
The Drivers & Dowloads had the following suggestions: 1 optional Bios update, 6 recommended Applications, 2 urgent/8 recommended CD/DVD, 3 recommended Communication, 2 recommended IDE & EIDE Controllers, 1 urgent/8 recommended Network, 6 recommended Video. Would you think it important to update the "recommended" files (I'll update any urgents now), in regard to the problems I'm having? It doesn't seem like any would apply?
Did you have any luck with the ASAP folks that Southerlady 5464 suggested? She seems pretty sharp, and more knowledgable than me.
My Bios suggestion stems from software upgrades that are not always compatible with the bios. I looked at the text for the 09 and 10 bios for the Insperion 6800 and seems most is concerned with docking station and external cards. What do you have plugged into your laptop? external drive, etc?
Your not plugged into the same outlet as your AC are you? Remember tinfoil hats and DVD remotes?
Lets do a couple of minor things that will make us feel better.
This is if you use Internet Explorer for your web browser. In I.E. click on Tools. If you don't see it on your menu bar press the ALT key. Then select Tools. Select Internet options. Under browsing history click on settings under the Disk space to use adjust the setting DOWN to 50 megs. Lower if your brave. This is supposed to limit how much temp history files are left on your hard drive. There now you have accomplished something, feel better?
You mention system failure out of memory errors. Is this on screen prior to the Microsoft Logo, like during boot up?
Does your computer do a memory test on startup? This is a bios setting and not a reccomended area for novices or someone not looking for an excuse to buy a new machine.
By some chance do you have Check It installed on your computer? Look in your all programs at the Start menu. There is a memory tester there.
Maybe the really smart computer people will wade back in and we can solve one or two of the issuea.
Did you have any luck with the ASAP folks that Southerlady 5464 suggested? She seems pretty sharp, and more knowledgable than me.
Getting to that in a day or 2, Arctic. Yes, Liz has been great. Since there were other suggestions, I thought they might be worth a try first, so I can provide more info to ASAP. I'm trying to exhaust all attempts to do what I can first.
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My Bios suggestion stems from software upgrades that are not always compatible with the bios. I looked at the text for the 09 and 10 bios for the Insperion 6800 and seems most is concerned with docking station and external cards. What do you have plugged into your laptop? external drive, etc?
I have no externals regularly plugged into the laptop, but do use a printer, once/yr will download pics from my camera into the USB port & about 1-2 times/yr use a floppy drive. I also have a secure key, but can't open up 1/3 of my files on it - I'm denied access since the other problems began. Haven't gotten my external zipdrive to work, unfortunately. Forget the error message (as I haven't tried for a year) but I needed some sort of patch to enable it to run on my new OS. Downloaded it, still didn't work.
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Your not plugged into the same outlet as your AC are you? Remember tinfoil hats and DVD remotes?
You know, all these problems began when I operated my computer while wearing a tinfoil hat... Geesh! I should have known bringing in that a/c remote would take control of the other appliances/electronics! I was forewarned! Don't say I never told you...
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In I.E. click on Tools. If you don't see it on your menu bar press the ALT key. Then select Tools. Select Internet options. Under browsing history click on settings under the Disk space to use adjust the setting DOWN to 50 megs. Lower if your brave. This is supposed to limit how much temp history files are left on your hard drive.
Under Accessibility I lowered Temp Files to 50, from almost 1,200. If it's too low, what would happen or not happen?
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You mention system failure out of memory errors. Is this on screen prior to the Microsoft Logo, like during boot up? Does your computer do a memory test on startup? This is a bios setting and not a reccomended area for novices or someone not looking for an excuse to buy a new machine.
Yes, the error message happens in clusters (for over 1-1/2 yrs & after 5 HD reformats & 12+ system restores) & I get a blue screen with white print upon boot up. I have to use the reset button, then let it restart itself in 25-seconds, otherwise if I choose an option to "Start Windows normally" I continually get the same blue screen message & my OS won't boot up. I reformatted the HD several times, as I figured if I have a Windows problem, it would solve it.
The blue screen error message tells me "A problem has been detected & Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer. If this is the first time you've seen this stop error screen, restart your computer. If the screen appears again, follow these steps:
Check to be sure you have adequate disk space. If a driver is identified in the stop message disable the driver or check with the manufacturer for driver updates. Try changing video adapters. Check with your vendor for any Bios updates. Disable Bios memory options such as cacheing of shadowing. If you need to use safe mode to remove or disable components, restart your computer, press F8 & select Advanced Startup Options & then select Safe Mode.
This is beyond my knowledge level as I can type in "mem" in Command Prompt, but don't know if it's adequte disk space as I don't know what the figures mean. It doesn't look like a drive is identified in the stop info, but I wouldn't know how to disable one anyway nor change a video adapter. I think what Tek recommended above addressed the Bios updates & if so, that's all set it seems? I don't know how to disable cacheing or shadowing, nor where to look for either. So, I'm fairly limited on what I can do without direct instructions.
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By some chance do you have Check It installed on your computer? Look in your all programs at the Start menu. There is a memory tester there.
I don't have Check It installed. I can check memory as above, but don't know what the figures mean.
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Maybe the really smart computer people will wade back in and we can solve one or two of the issuea.
Thank you for your reply, Arctic. Maybe a few other suggestions will help. If not, I will post on an ASAP site as Liz suggested. I was just hoping to exhaust all efforts on my part first before contacting them.
Try the following and let up know the results.
Borrowed from the Dell forum
Can you start in Safe Mode? Restart computer. While Dell Logo is on the screen, press F8 about two times per second. You should receive a text menu. Use arrow keys to select Safe Mode. If Windows starts, login as Administrator. Click Start|Run. Type cmd. Press Enter. In the command prompt window that opens, type chkdsk /r. Press Enter. You will be notified that the volume can not be locked. You will be asked if you want to schedule the volume to be checked the next time the system restarts. Answer "Y". Press Enter. Close command prompt window. Restart computer. Chkdsk should run. Does Windows boot normally, or do you still get error message.
Most things I read suggest you ugrade your bios, and video drivers.
So back to the Dell website. Make sure you have upgraded your bios and then upgrade your video and other drivers.
Wow, Arctic, thank you so much for doing all this work on my behalf. I've had great assistance in this tech forum. I'm going to owe you, Liz & Tek a dinner or two. Who has the largest living room?!
Yes, I did upgrade to SP2 recently, although many places said not to & I did find an equal amount of info saying that said I should. I did, however, have these problems prior to upgrading. They worsened after installing SP2 & my computer also became significantly slower.
I'll ask you some q's later on where you were searching & what specifically you looked for. With computer challenges, my problem is I don't know where to begin or which site to utilize. I normally search through Help & Support on my computer, but it doesn't seem to offer enough info for me. I need instructions, rather than just "Update xxx" or "Check xxx" because I don't know how until I've done it once. Fortunately, I'm a documentation freek, so can always refer back to notes. Believe it or not, I'm a former programmer (20-yrs ago), so I am confident with understanding what I read & following instructions, but as I was a mainframe geekette, I'm figuring out PC/laptop problems as I encounter them. Fortunately, I'm patient & curious, have an abundant supply of Peet's French Roast & a lot of rubberbands to twang across the room...
I've printed off your suggestions & will do them in the morning as it's midnight now. We've all learned the hard way ONCE... never change anything on the computer when you're tired! Or cranky... or headachy... or if it's a bad hair day... (removing tinfoin hat)...
You've been very helpful. Thank you. I'll be back later today... VV
P.S. Forgot to ask, could this all be avoided if I just revert back to SP1?
Wow, Arctic, thank you so much for doing all this work on my behalf. I've had great assistance in this tech forum. I'm going to owe you, Liz & Tek a dinner or two. Who has the largest living room?!
Yes, I did upgrade to SP2 recently, although many places said not to & I did find an equal amount of info saying that said I should. I did, however, have these problems prior to upgrading. They worsened after installing SP2 & my computer also became significantly slower.
I'll ask you some q's later on where you were searching & what specifically you looked for. With computer challenges, my problem is I don't know where to begin or which site to utilize. I normally search through Help & Support on my computer, but it doesn't seem to offer enough info for me. I need instructions, rather than just "Update xxx" or "Check xxx" because I don't know how until I've done it once. Fortunately, I'm a documentation freek, so can always refer back to notes. Believe it or not, I'm a former programmer (20-yrs ago), so I am confident with understanding what I read & following instructions, but as I was a mainframe geekette, I'm figuring out PC/laptop problems as I encounter them. Fortunately, I'm patient & curious, have an abundant supply of Peet's French Roast & a lot of rubberbands to twang across the room...
I've printed off your suggestions & will do them in the morning as it's midnight now. We've all learned the hard way ONCE... never change anything on the computer when you're tired! Or cranky... or headachy... or if it's a bad hair day... (removing tinfoin hat)...
You've been very helpful. Thank you. I'll be back later today... VV
P.S. Forgot to ask, could this all be avoided if I just revert back to SP1?
I probably have the smallest living room, besides everyone else would have to fly to Alaska. An expensive dinner for sure.
SP 2 is pretty stable now. I waited awhile for them to get most the bugs out before I upgraded also. No don't try and go back to SP 1, first it is not supported and second the security of SP 2 seems better.
As for slower after upgrading, my opinion is the hardware on a computer is designed for a certain grade of Operating Sysytem. When you upgrade your Operating system you increasee the demands on the hardware, some of wich may not be compatible with the new OS. More demands mean more CPU speed and more memory. Thus a slower machine.
If you upgrade your bios from the dell site. Make sure your read any install notes they may have. A fresh cup of coffee is recommended with a clear mind and lots of patience. Normaly this is a fast and simple proccess.
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