blue screen update

Well it is well past time to provide an update on the blue screen situation. As I have said before, I have been racking my brain trying to come up with a plausible idea as to why the blue screen crashes were occurring and how best to fix the problem. I figured there must be a software compatibility problem somewhere and it was driving me nuts because every time you turn around each of the programs wanted to update the latest and greatest version that was supposed to correct some bug or security patch a vulnerability.

It is amazing that with all the updating that was taking place you think they might have stumbled on a correction with some of the actual problems that this box had been experiencing such as the windows media center’s inability to record and playback live TV as advertised let alone just watch it in real time.

Also surprising is the fact that most all the software programs and especially Microsoft products like to have you plugged into their networks to report any problem areas you may have and constantly provide feedback with which they can make their products better in every way. That is the sales pitch anyway. It seems that they want you to turn over as much control to them as possible and they will take care of all your software problems for you so you won’t have to worry about a thing. At this stage I have almost given in to it completely as I can’t figure out what they are trying to do half the time anymore and they don’t seem to be willing to tell me, unless it is in code.

So round one was to make sure that I had the latest and greatest versions of any software, updates and patches. This included drivers and anything else I could find that seemed like it needed updating. This took a long time and a lot of effort doing searches and researching items to make sure I was getting the right items for my machine and its configuration. Also not easy is working with “high speed” Qwest internet running at a whopping 1.5 Mb on its good days. This is much better than dial up and I shouldn’t complain but at the price they are charging, both Qwest and I should be ashamed.

So after making as many updates as possible and only seeing the situation get worse I decided that the next step was to start a process of elimination, in other words start taking out some of the updates and see if one of them was the problem. My two biggest suspects where Microsoft Internet Explorer and Adobe Acrobat’s Reader/Flash/Shockwave/whatever else they were dumping on me.

Since I had downloaded IE 8 thinking that I would be starting fresh with a new browser and that it would leave the old problem behind, but noting that the new browser did not function well from day one, it was the first to go. I removed the program and then tried to redo IE 7. I say redo because that is exactly what it became. Many of the settings and previous configurations had been lost. This may have been a good thing because since that time we have not had near the problems with crashing.

Next to go was the Adobe add-ons, though I think I might have lost them from the browser when it went through its changes. I have gotten a lot of update request for the Adobe software but have agreed to very little of it for now. That is my typical position by the way in taking on any new updates. When given the choice between letting the program do a ‘typical’ load or a ‘custom’ load, I will generally pick the custom load and look at each of the elements being added. Most times my picks will match the ‘typical’ load but just as often I will find them trying to insert an additional item that I don’t think I really want or need.

I also downloaded the latest security software from McAfee during this period and again ran a thorough scan of the system finding nothing more than a errant cookie. Besides taking significant time to run its scans and downloads I find it a little more comforting than the “One Care” security solution that comes from Qwest.

The other thing I have done is to update and start using Mozilla’s Firefox a lot more. It is almost the preferred browser at the moment though there are still many sites that seem to function better with IE. I hate having to go to more than one source for technical solutions but that is still a fact of life in this high tech world.

So with all this done I have to say, so far so good. I haven’t seen the blue screen in quite some time, but I admit that I still do not push this computer anywhere near where I think the limits ought to be. I still feel like I am treating it with kid gloves. Maybe because I have this need to justify the time and dollars invested, but I still want to get my money’s worth out of this adventure.

The only other side effect of note at this time is the fact that for some reason the computer is closing up and shutting down then restarting at sometime while it sits idle. I know this because I have left some applications open and come back the next day with nothing showing open on the taskbar. This is an important reminder about saving and backing up your work. I have had a pretty good track record and didn’t think these kinds of things would happen to me but it just goes to show that some things really do happen and through no fault of your own. I will probably be a little more sympathetic to other people’s stories now, even if I thought I was before.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

blue screen continues

Just a quick update while I am still functional today. Any and every session of late has ended in a blue screen of death or in other words a hard crash. Sometimes it will come back up after a hard reset sometimes it will just beep at me. I understand that the beeps are the HP way of diagnostics but I don't know what it is telling me yet so I don't know which way to turn.

I started it up again this morning and got the usual Windows closed in an unusual manner last time do you want to open up in safe mode or regular? I selected regular and it opened fine, or so it appears. It always realigns my icons on the desktop after one of these episodes.

Since it has opened I started running every diagnostics test on it I could find. HP has this box loaded with what looks like pretty goods ones in hardware diagnostics so that is what I have been doing for the last three and a half hours. I even ran the heavy stress tests on it and just like before everything is showing as fine. Previously I have run all the updates and virus and spyware scans and came up with nothing and so I am running out of ideas. I am afraid I am going to have to pull the big plug and reload all software from scratch. There is a system recovery app loaded but I am not sure what that does completely so before I do anything I will once again check in with the Concierge service from Costco and get further guidance.

There are too many other things going on in life to be shut down like this. It really sucks up a lot of time trying to do the diagnostics and run the test and all the while you are not checking your e-mail, news or blogs, not to mention the yard work, housework, car work and errands that aren't getting done.

Now if all the hardware testing is showing that the box is functioning properly then that leads me to think this is a software problem. I have never had a perfect running system but it has always worked enough that I learned to live with it. We paid the extra to get the on board TV tuner and Windows Media Center that I have never quite been able to get to work the way I imagined it would. Record your favorite shows, I never have. Watch all the new digital channels that are available, I get two channels o.k. but the program freezes as I try to change channels past the one in the middle. Also, if I have had Windows Media Player open and it hasn't closed correctly (which it never does) Windows Media Center will not play until I open up the Task Manager and kill Windows Media Player manually or reboot the computer. These are the type of workarounds that I have had to come up with that never should be but what we learn to accept when living in a Microsoft world. Maybe those Apple computer adds are based on something more than rumor.

I am currently using the Firefox browser to enter this as the update to Internet Explorer 8 did not go well and while I do not blame it for the problems I am having (since the blue screen problems started before the IE8 update) I still half wonder if there might be a connection to IE and the blue screen anyway. Will trial and error always be the case with computers? I think that is a given in my lifetime.

Well at least while I am functional, maybe I can get those photos sent out to family that I promised. They probably think me a heel for neglecting them this long.

Until the next blue screen appears, I will let you in on one more secret. It is very difficult to type with all your fingers crossed.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

computer has blue screen of death

So much I want to share but it is hard when you computer develops the blue screen of death. I have been fighting it this last couple of weeks and I am afraid I am losing the battle. I have resorted to an old box to send this message in. For all those that I promised to send stuff via e-mail, my apologies, I will get it done as soon as I can, whenever I am functional again that is.

The HP box we brought home less than a year ago is the one that is giving us fits. I must say that I am glad we bought it at Costco since they have a pretty helpful concierge service for just such a thing and I have been working with them to see if we can figure out what the problem is.

There have not been any consistencies as to why it will shut down or when. I have had it report everything from memory error and dumps to no OS found. I have done reboots and hard reboots. I have run diagnostics several times and always nothing shows wrong. I have run virus scans and adware and spyware scans with nothing to report. I have updated every conceivable update to device drivers and software including all the latest service packs for Windows Vista and Explorer with no luck. By the way as a side not, the new Explorer 8 update is not recommended as it doesn't play well with the add-ons for 7 yet and so it is less than fully functional.

I can not tie the system problems to any recent events and though there have been some compatibility problems with Microsoft Vista and the new HP Printer/Scanner/Fax machine I don't think this is the cause. It tended to restart whatever program you were using to print from after you shut it down, glitchee but not blue screen worthy.

There is the system recovery program but I fear this is the method of last resort as it takes everything back to square one. I have backed up most things so I think I can recreate but that means a whole lot of time and no guarantee that it will not do it again tomorrow, but I am afraid that is my only option. I guess I can look at the bright side as this will give me a chance to go back to Explorer 7.

Anyway the box is beeping at me and I was told that HP uses beeping codes for diagnostics so I will take one more shot at it before pulling the big switch. If it is not repairable then I am confident that Costco and HP will help put things right. Customer service is so key to things these days. I hope that I will always remember to be twice as quick to praise as to criticize.

I know that there are some out there that have had to go through the same thing and there are those that never have. All I am saying is 'wish me luck'.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.