So you find yourself confronted with a Windows system that does not possess a web browser (you erased it, or your boss, parent, wife, husband ect. does not allow internet access). But most of us NEED the internet--how to re-establish the link?
Simple! Remember that good old Explorer is built into Windows itself... There are 3 fast ways to get there. The easiest is to click start-->run-->and type in the address. The next easiest way is to go to the control panel and type in an internet address in the address bar at the top. OR if those avenues are blocked, the 3rd way is to create a notepad document, click "help", select "help topics" and right click on the blue bar at the top of the resulting page, select "jump to url" and type your web address there...
Monday, February 21, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
The corrupt: system32\drivers\pci.sys error
So your Windows based laptop has just failed to boot and left you staring at the message "Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupted: system32\drivers\pci.sys." It suggests that you insert your OS disks and press "r" as a solution--but when you try, the OS disks do not reach that "fix it" screen before the old "Windows could not start because.." error reappears... You try booting from a thumb drive--but all that changes is the "corrupted" file in the error message...
You cannot reinstall Windows--and no other OS (Linux flavors included) wants to install... They all fail--leaving your computer with that SAME error message...
Is it time to get a new hard-drive? Time to toss the computer? NO! Check the memory module cards! Try running the laptop with only one card first (slot A, sometimes called slot zero, must always be populated) to see if one of the cards is dead. Your computer should complain about memory changing. Hit F1, or whatever key your computer suggests to continue. Try this with both cards. If successful, it should boot normally.
Also make sure that the cards are correctly seated.
You would be amazed at how cheaply one of these "broken" computers can be purchased... The last one I picked up only cost me $37 and less than 30 minutes of my time... The cards were fine--but they were not completely seated.
You cannot reinstall Windows--and no other OS (Linux flavors included) wants to install... They all fail--leaving your computer with that SAME error message...
Is it time to get a new hard-drive? Time to toss the computer? NO! Check the memory module cards! Try running the laptop with only one card first (slot A, sometimes called slot zero, must always be populated) to see if one of the cards is dead. Your computer should complain about memory changing. Hit F1, or whatever key your computer suggests to continue. Try this with both cards. If successful, it should boot normally.
Also make sure that the cards are correctly seated.
You would be amazed at how cheaply one of these "broken" computers can be purchased... The last one I picked up only cost me $37 and less than 30 minutes of my time... The cards were fine--but they were not completely seated.
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