The 1000th or more computer help thread.

[Daisy May]

I'm sorry to be another once again. I am so embarrassed in what I did, but I'm hoping somebody can help.

Last night I restored my computer to an earlier time, thinking it would work better. My problem was that Internet Explorer and every other browser I used kept freezing up on me. Before restoring it, I deleted all the browsers besides Internet Explorer. I also deleted Limewire but couldn't find it in the installs/uninstalls, so I went to the search button and typed it in, and deleted it that way. I got a lot of warnings doing so. I did the same thing after deleting Netscape and Modzilla to make sure everything was gone.

Example of one warning: "Are you sure you want to delete these items? It could interfere in some of the programs you're currently using, and they may not work properly." Something along those lines. Anyway, I deleted them anyway. *blushes and slaps face*

When I open the recycle bin, on the left side of the window it says "Recycle bin items" and below that it says, "Restore all items." It won't let me restore them. It's not freezing. It's just won't do it. And I sure as heck don't want to delete Windows, or I do? I'm scared to do anything now.

I have downloaded all the other browsers again, defragmented, rebooted my system, and everything seems to be working properly, which is great! But Windows is still in my bin, unable to be seen, and I have no clue what to do. So, um, help!

I'm running Windows XP with Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security, and use Ad-Aware SE Personal, plus last night I downloaded yahoo anti-spy, and used it for the first time. I just wanted to let you guys know what's on my system ahead of time in case it could help.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Daisy May]

Oh shit. I hope no one is writing incredibly long comments here. My computer just updated and I rebooted it, and the "Windows" in the bin is now gone. How embarrasing!

I'm sorry. You can now delete this thread.

 

[wally2450]

Don't feel so bad. A while ago I was going to get the new version of MS_IM. So I thought I'd delete the old version. Turns out the new one writes over the old one, or so I was told. Well, I deleted IE! Luckily, I was able to go through Microsoft Help and Support and download Firefox. Can't say I miss IE, but when I do a clean install of XP I suppose I'll keep it but use FF.

 

[cd1_christine]

One more story...

A few years ago, now, I was messing around with a Linux system that I'd set up, and wanted to delete a bunch of files. I was at a command line at the time.
So, knowing there were hidden files in this directory (which on Linux all start with a dot), I typed, as root, "rm -r .*".
This will, of course, delete all dotfiles in the current directory. But, .. is the parent directory. So every single file on the computer fits the wildcard of .*

Needless to say, I stopped it when it seemed to take quite a few seconds to delete what was just a dozen or so files, but by then the system was already hosed.
Complete reinstall needed. Fortunately, it hadn't got to any of my data files, yet, so I hadn't lost anything that couldn't be fixed with said reinstall.

But I'm one of the computer techs on Lit, and definitely one of the best in my city, so I should know better.
And I did, as soon as I looked at what I'd typed. But I still got hosed.

Now I feel sheepish.

CD

 

[jason_jenn]

A few years ago, now, I was messing around with a Linux system that I'd set up, and wanted to delete a bunch of files. I was at a command line at the time.
So, knowing there were hidden files in this directory (which on Linux all start with a dot), I typed, as root, "rm -r .*".
This will, of course, delete all dotfiles in the current directory. But, .. is the parent directory. So every single file on the computer fits the wildcard of .*

Needless to say, I stopped it when it seemed to take quite a few seconds to delete what was just a dozen or so files, but by then the system was already hosed.
Complete reinstall needed. Fortunately, it hadn't got to any of my data files, yet, so I hadn't lost anything that couldn't be fixed with said reinstall.

But I'm one of the computer techs on Lit, and definitely one of the best in my city, so I should know better.
And I did, as soon as I looked at what I'd typed. But I still got hosed.

Now I feel sheepish.

CD

It happens to the best of us, CD. I remember back in the day when I was still quite green... I was imaging PC's the old way using DOS based Laplink on parallel cables. I was just runnig LL on two PC's, disconnecting the cable from one host machine and connecting it to the next 'destination' machine making the old destination the new host... Sounds simple enough, right? Well in my ignorance (I really should have known better anyway just from the knowledge of the dangers of connecting and disconnecting live lines) I was killing controller after controller in the entire classroom except the last PC which I powered down before disconnecting it. Luckily for me, the tech overseeing my progress found what I had done and installed/configured *new* ISA Serial/parallel controller cards in all of them and did not tell the boss.... I felt about an inch tall. Not my most recent snafu, nor my biggest, but certainly the most memorable!

 

[linuxgeek]

I think the best one I ever did for killing a system was deleting the kernel file on a Sun machine the first time I was playing with one. Fortunately, it was a recoverable mistake, but by the time I got around to figuring it out, the machine ended up being shutdown and surplused.