New system, new OS.......... Help

[dhama]

Just installed a new system and now i'm using XP, so any tips or advice from users of XP will be gratiously received. :D like, anything I need to know?

[Noreen]

Yeh, isn't there a Windows millenium edition that you need to get to grips with?

[maniac44]

Just make sure you have all the new drivers that you'll be needing. I went from Win ME to Win XP Pro and spent the better part of three days downloading new drivers.
But XP works just like ME but a little more stable, IMHO.
Have fun!!!!

[MunkeeChum]

What I find really cool is that you can drag (or add )folders to the taskbar.

I have a folder with shorcuts to all my games sitting in fron of me without cluttering my desktop.

Too add a folder right click on the taskbar then go to 'toolbars' and click on 'add toolbar'. Then point a folder and its added.

You can also intergrate Windows Media Player 9 into the taskbar. But I don't like WMP, especially version 9, so I dont know if its very good :)

[Salvage]

If you don't like the cartoony XP look you can change the interface back to what previous versions of Windows looked like via the desktop and taskbar properties.

Here's a little tip for those XP/2k/me? users you may find helpful: If you drag a drive(a/c/d/e) to your start menu it will allow you to browse those drive(s) from within the start menu. The control panel also works in this way.

[Azuriel]

when using winXP:

- edit autoexec.bat to start only the neccesary stuff.... leave the driver databases out.

- turn off the "handy" system restore option

- make virtual memory minimum just as large as maximum (as in: minimum = 512, maximum = 512) to keep loading times to a minimum

- forget about older games... that oh so great compatibility (<--- speak that word 20 times fast) mode doesn`t work.

[Grey Mouser]

Some handy stuff can be found HERE (http://www.tweakxp.com/).

[dhama]

Thanks muchly gang :D

[KittenCeleste]

Originally posted by Noreen
Yeh, isn't there a Windows millenium edition that you need to get to grips with?

Win ME is Win98 based..
XP has a somewhat different infrastructure.

Most older games will work with ME, but XP is a general pain in the behind. (I'm no fan of Microsoft..)

XP has a firewall in it, pretty basic, but OK for the casual surfer who doesn't use broadband and isn't too concerned about intrusion.

Advice that never fails; just tinker with it. -Best way to learn. IMO.

Good luck with yer shiny, new system! :D

[dhama]

Thanks Kitten, I was coerced into upgrading by the iminent release of AOD and Doom III :D
I'm trying out one of them new new 'Granite' motherboards from MSI with P4 2.53 Megs and a Radeon 9500 pro; guess that'll do it :)

[DaveJ]

Gimme XP over the 'blue screen o' death' of ME anyday.....

[Salvage]

Originally posted by DaveJ
Gimme XP over the 'blue screen o' death' of ME anyday.....
The only time I ever see a BSOD is when I pull out a CD while it's being read.


Also, XP still has a BSOD(figuratively), it's just prettier.

[DaveJ]

...and a bit more helpful, and it doesn't crash the whole system.

[MunkeeChum]

Originally posted by dhama
Thanks Kitten, I was coerced into upgrading by the iminent release of Doom III :D


Iminent? I dont think we'll be so lucky. Games we look forward to often take forever.

Yes, I am referring to you Mr. Nukem :p

[KittenCeleste]

Originally posted by dhama
Thanks Kitten, I was coerced into upgrading by the iminent release of AOD and Doom III :D
I'm trying out one of them new new 'Granite' motherboards from MSI with P4 2.53 Megs and a Radeon 9500 pro; guess that'll do it :)

Sounds good.
Makes me want to go out and get a new computer myself :'(

Doom III reportedly doesn't run very well on computers with less "oomph" than the Terminator! :D
But your PC sounds up to scratch, bung a truck load of memory in it, and you're away!

Best of luck with your gaming, dhama! :D

KC

[DaveJ]

Originally posted by MunkeeChum
Iminent? I dont think we'll be so lucky. Games we look forward to often take forever.



Indeed...Doom 3 is now slated for a November 15 release.

[MunkeeChum]

I dont think we'll see it untill at least christmas 2004.

That game wont come out untill it is perfect (and it will be ) :)

[Xcom]

Originally posted by DaveJ
...and a bit more helpful, and it doesn't crash the whole system.

No, it reboots it instead. :rolleyes:

[DaveJ]

Never had that happen on mine. :confused:

It just closes the affected program and continues working.

[MunkeeChum]

Not had one BSOD or had to reboot because of an error yet. XP has served me well :)

[dhama]

Well let me see......

Installed all updated drivers for all hardware, but still have at least one incident where the video card (Radeon 9500 pro) fails and XP reverts to a 16 colour 640x480 screen and tells me the error using numbers (so much easier to understand :rolleyes: )

I tell you, this system is gonna work :mad: ahhh, I feel so much better now..........................

[Xcom]

Originally posted by DaveJ
Never had that happen on mine. :confused:


On my older Win98 machine I used to unplug USB modem to use scanner or printer (cuz I only had 2 usb slots there) and everything worked fine. When I tried that stuff in XP machine it gave me blue screen and rebooted itself. As I learned later, I needed to unplug it "safely" (meaning I needed to click on the device icon in the tray first). Which brings me to the question: is there a way to remove this annoying feature?

[MunkeeChum]

I also have a little icon in my tray. I don't want to remove my modem.

I have set to always hide but I want to make it go away permenantly.

[DaveJ]

Originally posted by Xcom
Which brings me to the question: is there a way to remove this annoying feature?

Its annoying having to click on an icon?!

Is fast food not fast enough for you either? ;)

Dunno about disabling it...but you could always get a USB hub and not have to disconnect anything.

[Xcom]

Originally posted by DaveJ
Its annoying having to click on an icon?!

Is fast food not fast enough for you either? ;)

Dunno about disabling it...but you could always get a USB hub and not have to disconnect anything.

It is not annoying to click on it, it is annoying that if you by any chance forget to do it, your machine will reboot itself as a result. I don't need USB hub now because this new PC has 4 USB slots. Yet, occasionally, I still do need to unplug the modem while pc is running.

[dhama]

@ Xcom, this is strange because when I disconnect the USB lead from my digital camera (it acts like a removable drive) I get no problem. But, if I do the same with a ZIP drive the desktop just freezes till I plug it back in and disconnect through XP.

There's also an issue with Radeon cards and XP that i've recently discovered. The card will sometimes 'fall over' and the resolution will change to 64x480 with 8 colours and report an error that the video card was caught in an 'endless loop'.
There are work arounds for this problem if any one else gets it, as I found out from hours of reading various forum posts and technical sites on the subject.
The solution isn't easy though because it appears to have a different effect on different configurated PC's.
If anyone does need any help with this problem, let me know and i'll try to help; No, i'm not an expert now, but i've learnt some nifty tricks all the same................... Lay down boy................. play dead................ Doh!

[KittenCeleste]

Originally posted by Xcom
On my older Win98 machine I used to unplug USB modem to use scanner or printer (cuz I only had 2 usb slots there) and everything worked fine. When I tried that stuff in XP machine it gave me blue screen and rebooted itself. As I learned later, I needed to unplug it "safely" (meaning I needed to click on the device icon in the tray first). Which brings me to the question: is there a way to remove this annoying feature?

My XP computer handles this just fine! :confused:

Dumb q's maybe, but;
* have you got enough memory? (XP utilizes RAM diff from 98)
* how about recent patches?
* it might be a hardware error/conflict. Try removing redundant components and test bit by bit. ie remove the ethernet adapter and soundcard etc and see if you get the same problem then.

Could work, hard to say.. My guess is some kind of hardware incompatability..

Good luck! :D


KC

[Xcom]

Originally posted by KittenCeleste
My XP computer handles this just fine! :confused:


* have you got enough memory? (XP utilizes RAM diff from 98)
I have 512mb.
* how about recent patches?
What recent patches? You mean XP patches or modem drivers? I have XP SP1 and latest modem driver.
* it might be a hardware error/conflict. Try removing redundant components and test bit by bit. ie remove the ethernet adapter and soundcard etc and see if you get the same problem then.
I don't have NIC, this is an USB modem. In any case, this problem is not life threatening so I was more curious rather than desperate. :)

[KittenCeleste]

Should be enough RAM..

Any patches, really. Updated drivers, security patches.
MS coughs up patches more often than other people change socks! :D


will try to find more info.. Could be another thing to add to the "Quirks" thread; I hate not haveing the answer! lol


KC