Transcript: Windows XP General, March 29, 2005
Published: April 4, 2005
Please note: Portions of this transcript have been edited for clarity
Introduction
Cary (Moderator):
Welcome to today’s chat. We will begin this chat in about 10 minutes. Thank you for joining us.
Cary (Moderator):
Welcome to today’s chat. Our topic today is Windows XP.
We welcome you to begin submitting your questions for our Experts. If you have attended previous chats, you may be accustomed to prefacing your question with a Q:, there is no need to do that any longer. Our new chat system will automatically preface your question with a Q:.
Cary (Moderator):
We are pleased to welcome our Experts for today’s chat. I will have them introduce themselves now.
Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
Hey, I'm Dave Monk, I'm a software tester for visuals. I'm originally from Pittsburgh and enjoy spicy foods and anime.
Ramon (Expert):
Hello, I'm Ramon Garcia, a Software Developer Engineer in Testing with the WinUX Team.
Ben (Expert):
I'm Ben Karas, a developer on the Windows Shell team.
Chetan Revankar (Expert):
Hi, I work with Shell (File Explorer) test team for Windows.
Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: Hello somehow I have lost my win.lofgon.exe file HELP
A: There are several ways to repair this.
Cary (Moderator):
1) Do any of you all know an extensive over the top great list for run box commands--have MSFT press books on dos and win cmd line for XP? 2) Also why is it that the win cmd line for XP ("dos emulator" as purists are quick to correct you) and the run box
are often interchangable but a good percent not?
Start of Chat
Cary (Moderator):
Q: Hi. Would anyone know if I could run a "DOD" based program on Windows XP ?
A: What is a DOD program?
Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: Hello somehow I have lost my win.lofgon.exe file HELP
A: the easiest way is if you have your installation CD, you can boot from it, and one of the options will be to repair existing installation. this places good versions of files that may be corrupted. certain customizations you may have made may be lost, but your system functionality should be restored. there is also a backup copy of the file in c:\windows\system32\dllcache\ this is for xp higher. if you are using an earlier version of windows post the question again with more information. thanks. also the file should be winlogon.exe i am guessing this is the file to which you are referring.
Cary (Moderator):
Q: 1) Do any of you all know an extensive over the top great list for run box commands--have MSFT press books on dos and win cmd line for XP? 2) Also why is it that the win cmd line for XP ("dos emulator" as purists are quick to correct you) and the run box
are often interchangable but a good percent not?
A: Look in the Help and Support Center. Do a search for "Command-line reference"
Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: Why does Last Known Good Config in the Win Adv Options Menu work something like 1/several thousand times and why does Resource Kit team Chap 28 recomend it first over Safe Mode with and without cmd?
Can you give some real substantive differences between reg snapshot LKG uses and System Restore uses and why do people say LKG is more adapted to hardware problems which statistically of course means driver conflicts--LKG is one of the biggest hail Mary passes in Windows.
A: one reason is that safe mode typically disables most drivers, if you use last known good config, you are more likely to be restored to a good driver configuration, as if you go normal->safe->normal you are not in much better of a place than when you started. as the same set of drivers are going to be used.
Ramon (Expert):
Q: Does Windows XP support ISA Bus Modems?
A: Yes it does. However, depending on the modem brand/model, the driver itself might not come in a fresh install. You'd need to contact either the manufacturer to get appropriate drivers for your modem, or simply search the web for them. If you don't know your modem brand and/or model, you can either try to physically see if there are any inscriptions on it that might tell you that information, or use the FCC code, or use a one of those utilities that you can find in the web that might detect the information for you.
Cary (Moderator):
Please don't use parentheses in your questions. Looks like we have a bug in our chat tool. Imagine that!
Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: hello everyone....why doesn't MS Virtual PC support 24-bpp color depth and can it be made to?
A: have you installed the virtual pc additions? and what is the status of the option: "virtual machine window resizing options" and what bit depth are you using on your Host OS? and what OS are you trying to emulate?
Chetan Revankar (Expert):
Q: Hi. Can a "DOS" base database program run on Windows XP ?
A: One should be able to run "DOS" base database program on Windows XP. Are you seeing any specific issues.
Cary (Moderator):
Q: I recently installed new XP Pro machines on a network where 98 machines were. I used the network to store the files and settings transfer wizard files. The transfer went well, but is that file still on the network somewhere? The new machine found the file
A: The easiest way to find it would be to re-run the wizard. When it gets to the point of saving, look where it is going to put it. You can then cancel the wizard, but you'll know where to start looking for the old file.
Ben (Expert):
Q: 1) Do any of you all know an extensive over the top great list for run box commands--have MSFT press books on dos and win cmd line for XP? 2) Also why is it that the win cmd line for XP ("dos emulator" as purists are quick to correct you) and the run box
are often interchangable but a good percent not?
A: One of the differences between the run box and the command line is that it can execute a path without running cmd.exe. This is faster since it doesn't run cmd.exe, but goes down a different code path.
Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: Hi. Would anyone know if I could run a "DOD" based program on Windows XP ?
A: most likely, yes, although if you have problems, there are several options you can try. one is right clicking on the exe and selecting properties, then go to the tab that says compatability. try adjusting the options to windows 95 or windows 98. also see the help file linked from that dialog
Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: Why dosen't xp home edtion include remote desktop?
A: remote desktop is designed more for the corporate environment to which pro edition is aimed.
Ramon (Expert):
Q: Hi. Can a "DOS" base database program run on Windows XP ?
A: It might, but you'd have to try it out. Some old DOS features do not work on Windows XP, but there are ways to enable certain compatibility modes you can test. You can first try running it normally under a command window. If that doesn't work, create a shorcut to your program (for example, right click your desktop, choose New->Shortcut, type the path to your program, click ok). Right click your shortcut, choose the compatibility tab, check the compatibility mode mark, and choose Windows 95, or Windows 98/Windows ME. You can also try out the Display settings and input settings options in this tab.
Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: allow all options.....24 bit and Ubuntu.....
A: it might be the drivers for the video card that the Xserver is using. try checking to see if 24 bbp modes are listed in your .xinitrc. are you seeing the same problem in non-unix OS emulation?
Ben (Expert):
Q: Does anyone know how to stop your computer from opening a new window everytime you double-click a folder in Window's Explorer view? Tried folder options, tried individual folder options... I'm out of ideas...
A: Does this work for you?: Folder Options->General Tab->"Open each window in the same window"
Cary (Moderator):
Q: Hi good morning from Australia (4.00AM) I downloaded Windows XP Pro 64 from Microsoft and have ISO file but no association. I'd like to get 64Bit onto computer. Anyone have any idea what I have to do next???
A: First, Can I assume you have an AMD 64 bit processor? Second, you will need a CD burning program that can create disks form ISO images, and a CD burner. Follow the directions in your CD software program to create the disk. Then boot from it.
Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: Hi good morning from Australia (4.00AM) I downloaded Windows XP Pro 64 from Microsoft and have ISO file but no association. I'd like to get 64Bit onto computer. Anyone have any idea what I have to do next???
A: you may have to use a 3rd party software solution to burn your iso to a hard drive. you can try shareware/freeware or one of our partners listed at http://www.windowsmarketplace.com
Cary (Moderator):
OE Probs: Sorry, we have no OE experts here today. You can try the micorosft public newsgroups.
Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: can I get the additions on the trial copy and does that have 24 bit
A: you can try, it is an option in the file menu. but the additions are windows binaries, so they won't help you in ubuntu
Cary (Moderator):
Q: am having problems with microsoft outlook can anyone here help?
A: I'll try. We all use Outlook here, so we may be able to help. What is your question?
Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: Ubuntu is 24-bpp but MSVPC is 24Bpp????
A: i am not sure what you are asking here. on my virtual PC sessions I am able to run windows emulated in 32 bpp. my point in the previous reply was that you are not using the same video card driver. the emulator uses a virtual S3 trio32/64, so your x session in linux needs to be both aware of that, and configured to have an x session in 24bpp.
Cary (Moderator):
Q: starts again
A: Was it working before and stopped? Or was it never working?
Cary (Moderator):
Q: It works now ..i had to change the color depth in Ubuntu...pico xorg.conf...then scroll in emacs to screen and change it there ...and it works fine
A: One way to see if the problem is with Outlook or your email server would be to try to connect with Outlook Express. If Outlook Express works but Outlook doesn't, try deleting the account in Outlook and re-entering the info.
Chetan Revankar (Expert):
Q: After upgrading from Windows 98 to XP Home Edition I am getting the following error on COM port 3. This device cannot find enough free resources that it can use Code 12. What do I need to do to resolve this problem. No new hardware has been installed.
A: It will be worth verifying that COM3 is recognized in hardware manager. This may give good starting point.
Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: I was given a web cam w/o the installation disc,and the only word on it telling anything about it is the word GEMINI,I have looked for this online w/o success,can someone help?
A: if you are using windows xp, you can let plug and play take a shot at it. is it usb? what does it look like?
Ben (Expert):
Q: Why were Task Man processes designed so that the average person has to google for many of them (and of course Trojans can assume their names as they can assume many of the file or folder names in the Sys 32 or other folders). There are sites that help sure
But using commands with the pid numbers is not very helpful for defining the relationship between task list processes and services and I haven't found a way to meaningfully really use the PID numbers to help at all. KBs, MSDN, Technet commands. Can you suggest how? Why did you make this as usable as riding a bike with a shark on the seat?--Tasklist /Svc parameter none of this works very well for using the PIDs and task processes so how can you really obtain usable practical information on the processes?
A: The PID is the "process ID". This is a number assigned to the process by the system when it starts. These numbers are not deterministic, but are helpful when you need to say "the cmd.exe with PID 712".
Ramon (Expert):
Is it possible that running a chkdsk /r that's r as in real command from the Recovery Console is more effective than running from the run box or the cmd line (cmd.exe or command)? If an "R" implies chkdsk /F why in the world would someone need to run an F
when they are getting F in R? Any thoughts on the best chksk command--the KBs are far from clear on this in fact they are my candidate for the Top Ten list of The Most Byzantine nebulously written KBs in the MSFT Kingdom.
Cary (Moderator):
Q: cary have tried that. have tried both outlook and outlook express. have also tried deleting the account and the info in both. neither works
A: Have you checked your connection settings for email? Are you on dialup or broadband?
Ben (Expert):
Q: Why were Task Man processes designed so that the average person has to google for many of them (and of course Trojans can assume their names as they can assume many of the file or folder names in the Sys 32 or other folders). There are sites that help sure
But using commands with the pid numbers is not very helpful for defining the relationship between task list processes and services and I haven't found a way to meaningfully really use the PID numbers to help at all. KBs, MSDN, Technet commands. Can you suggest how? Why did you make this as usable as riding a bike with a shark on the seat?--Tasklist /Svc parameter none of this works very well for using the PIDs and task processes so how can you really obtain usable practical information on the processes?
A: Ahhh, I hit enter too soon... Another use of the PID when you want to debug a process. XP has a built-in debugger. Run "%WINDIR%\system32\ntsd.exe -p 712" to debug the process with PID 712. This is rather cryptic debugger, but if you then type "|" (just the pipe symbol), it'll show you the path to the executable and its name. With that information you can navigate to the executable, open its properties, and hopefully someone added some useful comments (like the publisher, version, and purpose)
Cary (Moderator):
Q: cary it has not been working for about 4 days.
A: answered
Cary (Moderator):
Q: am having problems sending and recieving emails. when i click on send and recive it comes up with a box which says connecting to server then it asks for my user name and passwoard. when i enter these and click enter that box disappears and the whole thing
A: answered
Cary (Moderator):
Q: Why was encryption left out of xp home edtion? I think it would be really usefull for someone who does their taxes on the computer.
A: The short answer to the "why not in Home Edition" questions is: we want you to buy Pro.
Ben (Expert):
By the way: If you have attached NTSD to a live process, the safest way to close NTSD is to click the close box.
Ramon (Expert):
Q: Is it possible that running a chkdsk /r that's r as in real command from the Recovery Console is more effective than running from the run box or the cmd line (cmd.exe or command)? If an "R" implies chkdsk /F why in the world would someone need to run an F
when they are getting F in R? Any thoughts on the best chksk command--the KBs are far from clear on this in fact they are my candidate for the Top Ten list of The Most Byzantine nebulously written KBs in the MSFT Kingdom.
A: /r implies /f, but it is actually doing less than just /f. You can find more info at http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/chkdsk.mspx. Basically, /r is used to find and fix physical disk errors in the file system. /r implies /f because it both finds and fixes. If you use /f alone, it will find and fix all types of problems chkdsk is able to, not only physical errors.
Chetan Revankar (Expert):
COM3 is in the hardware manager/device manager and that is where I see the error message. Under windows 98 my modem was using COM3 and I have not changed any settings. So I did not understand why I am getting this error.
Cary (Moderator):
Q: have checked the connection settings for email. im on broadband
A: It sounds like an account issue. Does your email provider provide web access to email? Is there any way to verify your account status? If you have more than one email account, can you access any of the others?
Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: What does microsoft plan to do about the Delay Write Failure problem in NTFS?
A: if we are thinking of the same issue, are you using over 137GB of physical storage space in one partition? another work around is to check and make sure you have the latest motherboard chipset drivers. also try the workaround on http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=812937 i know the issue does not sound the same, but the oppertunistic locking is the root cause of the problem.
Cary (Moderator):
Q: We frequently grapple here with the "I can't boot and I have no CD problem." Surely since there are now a few KBs with 3 paragraphed statements at the top written by MSFT attorneys--what is the legal agreement you guys have with OEMs that makes for such
incoinsistent and awful Recovery CDs--why can't you all mandate they have to have a full XP or Upgrade if that's what they bought CD--OEM logo ok but your entire code on there--is it MSFT greed or OEM greed or probably it's both. I'd tell you how I really feel about it but I'm shy and I'm not the Lone Ranger here. MVPs are very vocal on the MSFT Public newsgroups. It's awful and you all should change it.
A: None of us are lawyers here. We can't answer on that basis. I don't know what agreements we have with the OEMs. I do know that they are usually very particular about controlling the customer relationship. If you have an OEM version of XP you must deal with them. We are out of the loop. Maybe enough complaints will get them to include an OS disk separate from the restore disks.
Cary (Moderator):
Our Experts are catching up on existing questions, we welcome you to continue submitting your questions. If your question isn't getting answered it probably means we don't know.
Chetan Revankar (Expert):
Q: COM3 is in the hardware manager/device manager and that is where I see the error message. Under windows 98 my modem was using COM3 and I have not changed any settings. So I did not understand why I am getting this error.
A: Here are the few things to try.
1. Check driver updates from manufacturer.
2. Check manufacturer web site for hardware support information.
Ben (Expert):
Q: How can one deal effectively with the "IE 6 won't open a link" ? Using SFC and http://www.duxcw.com/faq/win/xp/secure.htm or this
A: Can tell us the specific symptoms, we might be able to help. Are you able to see the webpage? What zone is the webpage in? What error message do you see? Does the mouse cursor turn into a pointing hand? Etc.
Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: Yes I'm using a 200GB partition. I'm using intel's latest drivers for the ICH5R and a Maxtor drive. I thought i read somewhere that this was NTFS issue. So far, nothing has solved this problem for me.
A: have you tried solutions listed in both KB 330174 and 812937? or have you tried paritioning the drives into less than 200GB chunks? what kind of paritioning are you using now?
Cary (Moderator):
Q: In my experience watching closely last few years--you have assigned the brunt of your Tech Support to India with a contract with Convergys i.e. knowledgable MSFT employees don't answer the phone. This has resulted in a bell shaped curve of Indians and
others from Convergyswho 1) can't speak English 2) Don't know diddly squat about Windows XP. This is not a PSS issue it's an XP issue when it comes to XP support. People pay good money for it and we have to clean up the mess from Convergys on here and Ngrps for free. Phone support for Windows is deteriorating and Office as well--North America routes to Convergys among others according to Maria that controls it for MSFT.
A: I can't comment on the support structure. What I can do is moderate/host a monthly chat to try to help. I'll keep doing that.
Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: Is there any way to chat with a technician online if you don't have your PID for XP pro? My system wouldn't open so I can't get the PID
A: the pid should also be on the envelope that contained the CD. if you purchased windows through an OEM, they may have your PID on record. if you are using a laptop, sometimes the pid is listed on the bottom of the system.
Cary (Moderator):
Chat ends in 8 minutes. Keep those questions coming!
Ben (Expert):
Q: I get this error in device manager for my modem. Windows successfully loaded the device driver for this hardware but cannot find the hardware device Code 41. Any ideas about this error?
A: This KB suggests uninstalling the device and reinstalling it. Have you tried this? http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prjk_dec_lgsc.asp If you can, you might want to download the latest drives onto a floppy beforehand so you can have them ready.
Dave Monk [MSFT] (Expert):
Q: sorry gotta go ..what happened to my last ?
A: sorry, if you are still there please restate what your problem is.
Chetan Revankar (Expert):
Q: Need help with reinstalling XP pro
A: XP installation CD will help you reinstall XP machine. OEM CD (generally supplied with by OEM’s) can also help to get reinstallation done.
Cary (Moderator):
Q: I ran accross this on the IE MSDN blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2004/10/26/247917.aspx and when I began to use it it supplied what looks to me like a hybrid of a registry key or subkey and a script. I know it's useful. Can you comment on this--
people like Eric Lawrence and the IE team are in there and it appears they are using it.
A: No specific comment. If it is posted by a member of the IE team, it's probably accurate.
Cary (Moderator):
2 minutes left in the Moderated chat
Cary (Moderator):
Q: Is there any practical way for someone who is not a developer to get a grip on the registry binaries and how to apply and use them and why in the world did the registry grow with so many values not names or not named intutively. How can you use something
called "Pretty Path" constructively and there is one called that.
A: The registry provides a valuable service - for book authors. It's scope is too broad for this chat. Try your library.
Cary (Moderator):
Chat's over, thanks for joining us.
