Trouble with Windows, I'm gonna throw my comp. out the window

[malik969024]

How's it going. I bought a nice Compaq Presario last summer and well things aren't going so well anymore. I have windows millennium, and its really all messed up beyond comprehension, (well for me at least) When you go to the device manager, everything is there twice. Meaning, if I were to go to device manager and go to ‘Keyboard’, there are two keyboards listed, and one has the little caution symbol next to it. So what I’ll do is remove the keyboard with the caution symbol from. My system, and when I restart it it’ll detect it and reinstall it again! I don’t have a volume option either, its just non-existent. Basically too messed up for me to comprehend. So I want to keep everything on my hard drive, mainly my mp3's, and somehow reinstall windows. Unfortunately i have no clue on how to do any of this. I have none of the original Windows Millennium disks, boot disks, emergency disks. Etc. So basically I’m thinking I’ll have to take out my hard drive, and put it someone else’s computer. If anyone wants to help let me know. I’m desperate. I just want have my music back..

Thanks, malik

[classicsoftware]

You are in a bad way, my friend.

Do you have a cd burner or a zip drive?

If you do, copy the mp3 files off of the hard drive.

You will need your system restore cd from compaq to wipe out your hard drive and start over again.

Since you can get a cheap burner for cheap these days, even if you don't have on, you could install one to backup your stuff and go frm there.

[yawningdog]

I think you should run an upgrade to w2k or xp within me. If all the hardware is compatible, you should be able to salvage most of your software. Win me is notorious for being buggy, and I'll bet your problems have to do with that.

[Budfred]

WinME can be quite stable, but you have to clean up the garbage that runs background first. If you want to do that, let me know and I can give you some tips.

In the meanwhile, have you checked for viruses, spyware and trojans. I would urge you to do so if you haven't already. The problem you are having could be due to that. Also, look at utilities that you have running background that could be causing the problem.

The other thing I would do is boot into Safe Mode and Remove all entries for the various duplicate devices and then reinstall them. Most will install automatically with Windoze, but make sure you have drivers available for things that don't, like modems and such.

[Whyzman]

Remove all entries
Just wanted to make sure there's now misconception...Don't just remove "all the duplicates"...remove all instances and let windows refind the device from scratch after the reboot...;)