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Installing Windows Blinds has WRECKED my computer!!!!!!!!

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Installing Windows Blinds has WRECKED my computer!!!!!!!!

I need major help with what the installation created...

from Stardock Forums
I had a look at the demo version of Windows Blinds last night and decided to buy it today. I downloaded the product and ran the installation like usual...the usual pop up came asking to restart my computer so that installation can finish...no problem. I click ok, computer shuts down, and begins to restart. Now it gets bad. After approximately 7 seconds of the loadup screen with the little moving bar in the middle starts, a bright blue screen with a bunch of white text flashes for a half second, my speakers make a 'crack' sound and my computer restarts. I've tried it in safe mode, last settings mode and normal mode. Nothing is working. Its a continuous restart and crash cycle. I NEED HELP! PLEASE HELP ME! I just arrived in a foreign country for work and need my computer for survival. You guys are my ONLY hope.  
Thank you.
windowblinds
39,237 views 151 replies
Reply #26 from Stardock Forums Top
SP what? break it down...I am not up on my computer terms
The Political Machine 2024
Reply #28 from WinCustomize Forums Top
A service pack is an orderable or downloadable update to a customer's software that fixes existing problems and, in some cases, delivers product enhancements.
When a new version of Windows comes out, it usually incorporates the fixes from the service packs that have been shipped to update the previous version of Windows.

If you have any documents or cards relating to your copy of Windows, it should tell you somewhere what your service pack is. Maybe if you have the box near you.
Reply #29 from WinCustomize Forums Top
When did you install XP on this laptop?  How old is it?  A service pack is a group of updates all bundled into one installer, pretty much.  XP has had two service packs released, and its likely you have Service Pack 2, if you've been keeping updated properly
Reply #30 from Stardock Forums Top
I'm thousands of miles away from the box. I have a Windows XP Home Edition sticker on the bottom of my laptop....would that be useful?
Reply #31 from WinCustomize Forums Top
SP is the least of his problems. I smell an OEM....is this a Dell?
Reply #33 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Do you regularly update your version of Windows? If so, when last did you do it?
Reply #34 from Stardock Forums Top
I'd say the last time I updated was 8 - 12 months ago.
Reply #35 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Probably an OEM disc then , I'd have someone send you your original disc in mail, boot to it at start up and do a windows repair. That's IF your original disc has a repair feature, some just format. If you havent been updating ur PC regularly there is a good chance it could have had some kind of worm, Viri,Spyware that could have caused a conflict. I can promise you on a fresh install WB installs just fine and you should always keep ur updates current.
Reply #36 from WinCustomize Forums Top
OK .. things we know (or think we know):

yrag is here
XP Home
eMachine
Corrupted file system

Things we don't know
Service pack -- DOes it matter?
Can any XP Pro CD run the recovery console on Home?  I believe so
Do you have teh admin password?  I believe it's needed to run it.
Reply #37 from Stardock Forums Top
I know i havn't been doing the updates, but I have been regularly cleaning my computer, and constantly sweeping it for worms, trojans, spyware, and such. I will try to get my disc by mail and uses the repair feature. If it works, great. If it doesn't...Stardock is buying me a new Sony Vaio.

Thanks you all for the insite...really.
Reply #38 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'd say the last time I updated was 8 - 12 months ago.

Are you referring to Automatic Updates that are searched for whenever you may be connected to the internet? When these updates are found, a balloon normally appears at your system tray saying: "Updates are ready to be installed. Click here to install them now..." (Or something like that).

I'm not referring to updates that you search for on purpose on the Microsoft Website.
Reply #40 from Stardock Forums Top
I've ignored one or two updates, but I ran the last one.
Reply #41 from WinCustomize Forums Top
If it doesn't...Stardock is buying me a new Sony Vaio.

Before we get into that, lets consider saving your data first - seeing as it is valuable.
Reply #42 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I've ignored one or two updates, but I ran the last one.

When was the last one?
Reply #45 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I think it's a little early to place blame or ask for a refund of your system (and you might want to real the EULA).

Do you have any friends or co-workers where you are that might have a XP CD?
Reply #47 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Its eMachines


Won't repair it...only restore (and that's only with the original disk). You can use any XP Home disk, but you'll not have a key unless you buy it.

First, make sure you have a viable hard drive. Boot into bios and make sure it is seeing it.

Options:

* Use your OEM 'Restore Disk' and all your files should be intact.
* Buy an XP CD (any flavor you want) and format/install. You'll lose your files.

If these are files you simply cannot afford to lose, anyone with a working XP system can extract the files and save them. Then perform option 2.
Reply #48 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Then it might be a problem with updates, as WindowBlinds 6 was not released a month or two ago. Although, the new version is working for many people.

I don't know what could be wrong. Try emailing a Stardock representative to tell him the problems. Maybe you're not the only one.
Reply #49 from WinCustomize Forums Top
You cant just ignore an update, you can put it off for a while but it will just be ammended on the last update you installed.
Reply #50 from WinCustomize Forums Top
If you have a lot of money invested in software and files, you could always use this remedy:

You COULD buy a new hard disk for your laptop, install it in place of the current one, install windows on your new disk. Take the other disk to one of those repair shops that can extract data from broken disks.
Not sure how much all that would cost, but if you have a LOT of money on the disk, it might just be worth it. I know hard disks for desktops are quite inexpensive these days, but I don't know about laptops.

Anyway, good luck with fixing it all.

By the way, I agree with the other guys here when they say that it probably wasn't WindowBlinds that caused this. I have been installing Stardock software since around 2000-2001, and never had a problem.