Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics (
More info?)
I think you may be on to something. Lots of emachines have been known to
have hardware issues with their USB ports.
--
Best of Luck,
Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
"mcl" <marc.levine_at_no_spam_afccc.af.mil_no_spam> wrote in message
news:elG9nMWuFHA.2008@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> OK, I want to throw out a possibility here.
> So far it's working.
> Whenever it's crashed the BIOS seems fine. No indication of a battery
> problem and loosing settings.
> How about this. This is an emachine. When I was last home in late may and
> replaced the dead HD I also bought her a USB Hub.
> Of course it was 2.0 and powered (always do powered). Now her machine only
> has v1.1 ports. It gave me a warning but worked as it (on paper) is
> supposed
> to.
> But, I've heard there is a problem with some emachine USB ports.
> Now add to this some experience on my own machine with mixing USB 1.1 &
> 2.0.
> Up until ~ Feb I was using a Gateway 400MHZ P2 that I got in 1998. It was
> top of the line when I got it (14gb HD, DVD-ROM drive, 19" monitor, 128meg
> Ram)
> I pushed it as far as I could go; 384 meg RAM, kept upgrading HD's (needed
> a
> card to support larger drives) and had 120 & 80 gb (she got the 80 and I
> bought a 250gbwhen her drive died)
> Upgraded from Windows 98, to Me, to Xp, etc. Video card from 8 meg to ATI
> AIWR.
> Plus added CD-RW & even DVD Writers, USB 2.0 PCI Card, etc, etc.
> Finally I got in Feb a new bare bones system (Antec P160, 500W PS,
> PCI-Express MB, AMD 64 3500+, 2 GB RAM (on two DIMMS so I can easily push
> it
> to 4) , ATI PCI Express AIWR Video Card). Brought everything else over.
> It worked great.
> I also brought over an old USB 1.1 Hub I had with old system. Only had
> "slow" items plugged into it like old webcam, etc).
> Everything worked fine for a few weeks until it stopped booting. I
> unplugged
> everything and then started plugging things back in. It was the USB 1.1
> Hub.
> Plugged in, system would not boot. Unplugged, no problem. There shouldn't
> have been a problem but there was. Made me think about that v2.0 USB hub
> plugged into the 1.1 port on that emachine. I mentioned it to my wife but
> I
> think when I talk about things like USB Hubs all she hears is "Blah, Blah,
> Blah".
> I left a message for my pain in the **** son to go over and pull that hub.
> Wouldn't hurt and might help.
>
> "mcl" <levinemc@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:KhJVe.70$Q71.49@fe02.lga...
>> Well, it isn't activation.
>>
>> "Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" <rick@mvps.org> wrote in message
>> news:eLVGRN$tFHA.3256@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>> > Hi,
>> >
>> > Registration and activation are different things. The first is totally
>> > voluntary, the latter is mandatory. Have her do this: Click start/run
> and
>> > type:
>> >
>> > %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /A
>> >
>> > If it is already activated or does not need to be activated, this will
>> > tell her.
>> >
>> > --
>> > Best of Luck,
>> >
>> > Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> > http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> > Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
>> > www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> > Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>> >
>> > "mcl" <levinemc@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> > news:l%cVe.2451$6Z3.645@fe06.lga...
>> >> Well, I talked her through things last night. Took a good chunk of the
>> >> evening. First things were not working and we hung up. Then she called
>> >> back and said there are two CD's in here! Didn't realize that. She had
>> >> put in CD 2.
>> >> (Rolling eyes). Well, she did the recovery. I had her load the
>> >> firewall/antivirus software (also like pulling teeth), windows updates
>> >> (getting low on teeth), entering her e-mail account (toothless).
>> >> But I know it never asked for a product ID (I did have her get it off
> of
>> >> the machine, it was in back) and when it asked her to register with MS
> &
>> >> emachines the LAN link couldn't be found yet. I'm sure after a while
> the
>> >> same thing will happen. You still haven't convinced my it's not a MS
> "big
>> >> brother is watching" situation.
>> >>
>> >> "Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" <rick@mvps.org> wrote in message
>> >> news:uLjMj0ttFHA.2504@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>> >>> Without knowing more, I cannot diagnose it further. I can only tell
> you
>> >>> what the symptoms would be if it were activation. In addition to what
>> >>> I've already stated, if it were an activation issue she would be
>> >>> continually reminded that it needed to be activated every time she
>> >>> logged on (nagging). What you are describing, at least in its
>> >>> briefest
>> >>> form, is not an activation issue.
>> >>>
>> >>> How does she clear the message? Does she reboot and it goes away?
>> >>>
>> >>> --
>> >>> Best of Luck,
>> >>>
>> >>> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> >>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> >>> Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
>> >>> www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> >>> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>> >>>
>> >>> "mcl" <levinemc@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> >>> news:HUWUe.1748$6Z3.445@fe06.lga...
>> >>>> Generally she never shuts the system off. Just lets it run.
>> >>>> Typically she would come home and try to use the system and instead
> of
>> >>>> windows she would get the dos type screen with the "configuration
>> >>>> change" notification.
>> >>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>>> "Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" <rick@mvps.org> wrote in message
>> >>>> news:OjQ1rOttFHA.3628@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
>> >>>>> If it was a "product activation thing", then the message would read
>> >>>>> that the product needs to be activated or reactivated and she would
> be
>> >>>>> given a prompt to follow through with the steps offering a choice
>> >>>>> of
>> >>>>> internet activation or phone activation, not locked on a
>> >>>>> "configuration change" screen. Even if she declined to activate,
>> >>>>> she
>> >>>>> would be booted to safe mode, and not blocked from the system.
>> >>>>> Configuration change on a black screen says that something in the
>> >>>>> system has changed, or is being interpreted as being changed. It
>> >>>>> may
>> >>>>> be something as simple as a CMOS battery failure where the BIOS no
>> >>>>> longer retains the settings and reverts to defaults whenever the
>> >>>>> system is powered off, this could be interpreted as a configuration
>> >>>>> change.
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> --
>> >>>>> Best of Luck,
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> >>>>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> >>>>> Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
>> >>>>> www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> >>>>> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>> "mcl" <levinemc@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> >>>>> news:qDUUe.29357$ih4.16375@fe02.lga...
>> >>>>>> My wife has no idea how to add software or hardware. I'm convinced
>> >>>>>> it's a product activation thing.
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> The first time I redid everything after adding the HD (I was back
> in
>> >>>>>> Illinois the full week of memorial day) I decided to add MS
>> >>>>>> Antispyware later in the week (yes, she's running Antivirus &
>> >>>>>> Firewall software).
>> >>>>>> I have arthritis in my lower back and right knee. I use a cane and
>> >>>>>> they want to do a knee replacement. I also use reading glasses. I
> was
>> >>>>>> gradually restoring all software and settings (look and feel) to
> make
>> >>>>>> things easy for her. When I went to the website it said I needed
> the
>> >>>>>> product key from either the install disk or from the label on the
>> >>>>>> machine. Her machine is a 933mhz emachine. The activation code was
>> >>>>>> not on the install disk. It was at night in a partially darkened
>> >>>>>> room.
>> >>>>>> It was hard enough getting down, pulling all off all the cables on
>> >>>>>> that stupid machine and taking it to a table the first day I was
>> >>>>>> there to replace the HD. (Wife had to carry it. Back is so bad I
>> >>>>>> couldn't. Plus with use of cane I only have one hand to use. If it
>> >>>>>> doesn't have a handle and I can't get my left arm around it
> securely
>> >>>>>> I can't carry it).
>> >>>>>> Anyway, I wasn't about to try and lower myself to the floor and
>> >>>>>> try
>> >>>>>> to read some stupid product code in a darkened room so I just
>> >>>>>> cancelled out of the install. As I said I'm convinced it's a
> product
>> >>>>>> key problem. If I try to talk her through another re-install how
>> >>>>>> do
> I
>> >>>>>> tell her how to make sure the product key is installed? I suppose
>> >>>>>> I
>> >>>>>> could try to talk her through going to MS to get the antispyware.
> It
>> >>>>>> asked for the product key. (Wow, just the thought of directing her
> by
>> >>>>>> phone on doing something like that has divorce all over it).
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>> "Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" <rick@mvps.org> wrote in message
>> >>>>>> news:OzYDV0mtFHA.3628@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
>> >>>>>>> And you are sure she's not adding any software/hardware to the
>> >>>>>>> system? Is that all there is to the error message?
>> >>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>> --
>> >>>>>>> Best of Luck,
>> >>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> >>>>>>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> >>>>>>> Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
>> >>>>>>> www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> >>>>>>> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>> >>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>> "mcl" <levinemc@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> >>>>>>> news
😱KKUe.1972$Ma.189@fe07.lga...
>> >>>>>>>> Boot up. All she gets is a dos type message.
>> >>>>>>>> Booting in safe mode doesn't help. Same message.
>> >>>>>>>> You know with the usual prompts for safe mode or normal boot.
>> >>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>> "Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" <rick@mvps.org> wrote in message
>> >>>>>>>> news:%238NTyQktFHA.908@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>> >>>>>>>>> Hi,
>> >>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>> So when precisely does the "configuration change" message
> appear?
>> >>>>>>>>> During normal use? Or at boot up? Is this all there is to the
>> >>>>>>>>> message? It could be as simple as some piece of installed
>> >>>>>>>>> software.
>> >>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>> --
>> >>>>>>>>> Best of Luck,
>> >>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> >>>>>>>>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> >>>>>>>>> Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
>> >>>>>>>>> www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> >>>>>>>>> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>> >>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>> "mcl" <levinemc@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> >>>>>>>>> news:xeDUe.5594$O52.4680@fe06.lga...
>> >>>>>>>>>> Few weeks.
>> >>>>>>>>>> It works fine for a while then stops and just displays
>> >>>>>>>>>> configuration change.
>> >>>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>>> "Rick "Nutcase" Rogers" <rick@mvps.org> wrote in message
>> >>>>>>>>>> news:ONm9uZgtFHA.3596@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>> >>>>>>>>>>> Hi,
>> >>>>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>> Define "a while". 10 minutes? A few days? Weeks? Activation
> (not
>> >>>>>>>>>>> registration) would not be hamstrung by changing the hard
> drive.
>> >>>>>>>>>>> I doubt that it has anything to do with it. If it did, it
> would
>> >>>>>>>>>>> occur during installation, not at a later time. I would also
> run
>> >>>>>>>>>>> a drive diagnostic, as the 80GB may be dying as well.
>> >>>>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>> --
>> >>>>>>>>>>> Best of Luck,
>> >>>>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> >>>>>>>>>>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> >>>>>>>>>>> Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
>> >>>>>>>>>>> www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> >>>>>>>>>>> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>> >>>>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>> "mcl" <levinemc@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> >>>>>>>>>>> news:KBAUe.35387$1g2.17528@fe05.lga...
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> OK, my wifes hard drive died. She mostly just uses her
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> system
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> to browse the internet & e-mail. The HD was a 40gb. So, on
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> my
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> system I had a 120 & 80 gb drive. So I bought a new 250gb
> drive
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> at Sam's for $119 and installed it in my system and gave her
> my
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> 80gb. Her system only has a system restore CD. So I redid
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> everything. Put it back to as it was when new but with this
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> "hand-me-down" HD. That worked for a while but then it
> stopped
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> booting and only showed "configuration change". So I did it
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> again. Once again it lasted for a while then did the same
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> thing. So I assume this has to do with their registration
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> BS.
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> Of course it down't say anything like that. It doesn't say
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> to
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> contact MS or anything. So how do I fix it? I know when I
> used
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> the restore disk it didn't ask for a product key. So how do
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> I
>> >>>>>>>>>>>> get it reregisterd?
>> >>>>>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>
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