"And from reading through these newsgroups, it appears I am far from
alone"
Do you also go to an automobile repair shop, see many damaged
vehicles, and then assume all vehicles are bad?
These newsgroups are here to help with computer issues, so it is
reasonable that most here are related to computer problems.
Since you do not state what problems you have, I can only give general
suggestions.
1.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/upgrading/default.mspx
Or
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/upgrading/default.mspx
Verify your computer meets or exceeds ALL requirements.
#3 Upgrade Advisor can help a lot here.
Barely minimum or incompatible hardware or software is a major cause
of performance issues.
Dissimilar or bad memory is another for Windows XP.
Do not make the mistake of assuming something is good just because it
works on another configuration.
2.
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/slowcom.htm
3. Clean Installation:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/cleanxp.htm
I have to partially agree with him. Though I'm brand new to XP, I've had
to do
complete OS installs vs repair installs 3 times so far and I've had it
less
than a month.
Just this morning had to do a rollback from 2 days ago. Not real sure what
caused today's problems. But XP and AIW 9800 are definitely fighting each
other
for control of the machine.
It would seem it just decided on it's own to quit working.
downloaded media player 9 and installed it. [Should have never said ok let
media player associate with it's defaults.] AIW has grabbed everything but
quick time for it's defaults.
That would seem to be the only possible source of trouble. AIW has a TV
scheduler that's a M$ ODBC database. Today it wouldn't even load.
Couldn't reinstall a new version to work. Couldn't uninstall and install
again.
Just nothing worked. rollback 2 days ago.
reinstalled media9 and associated NOTHING with it. so far not a problem.
That
was 8 hours ago and I've been using the TV guide all day.
Haven't fired up media 9 since the reinstall other than it's original boot
after install so that's still hanging. it may kill something again or not.
I've been collecting user accounts that just won't go away.
ie: admin, all users, all.users.windows,default.user,ken,ken.sheba.000.
Hmm.. admin and about 3 others have disappeared since this morning. the 3
others were something like network.xxx, and admin.windows .
That might have something to do with the rollback. 2 days ago those extra
accounts didn't exist.
then there's the thing where I like to stick everything I pick up into
C:\temp.
Then as I get around to it [scan for virus, identify what it is and where
it
should go] move it where it should go. C:\Documents and Settings isn't my
1st
choice. But it's XP's only 1st choice because there's registry entries
that you
can't even access as administrator. since it also has about 10 different
folders under each one of those accounts above that are pretty much just
[semi]
duplicates of each other, but aren't. ie: Desktop. Try and sort by name
with
auto arrange on a desktop that has shortcuts from all those different user
accounts.
Which brings up another gripe. Why does it install [what seems to be
randomly]
to all these different accounts ?
I've tried to let the OS do it's own thing, but it's own thing seems to be
complete disorder. ie:Adding things to the start>all programs>sections. If
you
let the OS do it, you wind up with a list that would reach the moon
unchecked.
create sub directories to move stuff to and this XP once again says NO.
Only if
you move the same shortcut twice to a sub directory will it finally move
the
shortcuts. This is a sometimes thing, but completely annoying. As for the
desktop sorting I've found the shortcuts are assigned to different user
accounts. [I'm the only user on this machine]. I have to go into the
C:\Documents and Settings user accounts and find the screw ups and
physically
move them to the right account to get them to sort correctly on the
desktop.
XP like other OS, just magnifies the problems. But It would be nice if
there
were some sort of roadmap to tell you why XP sends stuff to inactive
accounts
and how to prevent it.
I can only imagine the headaches with multiple users on XP.
Lots of other nitpicks that it should have fixed since win98.
But as for his comment XP = Ex-Productivity. I've felt and seen that on
every
OS and computer made. It normally takes more time to find or create a
program
to do what's needed than you could have done with pencil and paper in half
the
time. And if there's a mistake, the machines usually magnify the error to
the
Nth degree..
more pix @
http://members.toast.net/cbminfo/index.html
