follow-up on PC problem

[NewJeffCT]

OK, this seems a bit weird, but our Dell Windows XP PC is having a strange problem... last week, I thought we lost everything when I got a blue screen with a bunch of text on it indicating some sort of stop error. Well, we have our hard drive partioned, I guess, one is NewJeff and one for MrsNewJeff. We both use the same access all the time (MrsNewJeff, I think), but for some reason now, we get the blue screen if we use MrsNewJeff, but it's okay if we go back to the other - rarely used - directory of NewJeff.

I can get back into MrsNewJeff through the back door of opening NewJeff & leaving some programs running, then switching usernames... but, I have lost all my settings on both NewJeff & MrsNewJeff, and each time I log off, I lost my settings.

I ran a full virus scan and it came up nil.

Any ideas?

[salvorhardin]

1. Try using the Recovery Console

This is assuming you got an actual Windows XP CD with the machine and not just the Dell CD to totally wipe out your system and restore it to factory defaults.

Here's a website with easy to follow instructions (pictures even!):
http://www.wown.com/j_helmig/wxprcons.htm

[NewJeffCT]

2. unfortunately

Unfortunately, we moved about 6 months ago and I did a quick search for the Windows disk and could not find it yet.

[salvorhardin]

3. Well...

I'd say I'd come look at it but driving to CT (at least I assume you're in CT from your username) from upstate NY doesn't make my hourly rate pay. :-)

If you can post the exact error message you're getting then one of us here may be able to help you.