Hey all, in case I dissappear until Tues evening..... Answered

No, something else really torqued XP around....I have to boot multiple times to get the desktop up, it takes forever, and sometimes while writing text (like in this here text box) lines start to disappear, and I can't read what I am typing or posts come up looking blank, etc.....

hrm...try booting off of a linux live cd and see if you ahve any problems...have you reinstalled xp ?

I am searching for my repair CD....I don't know if I have XP on disc or not.

I wouldn't be able to access the windows files if I booted from Linux would I?

Yes, you should be able to access any partition from Linux, even NTFS.

Ok, I booted to Ubuntu, which doesn't change anything but I don't see my firewall running....I think I had better sign off...btw: I can no longer get online through windows.....I think I may have to rebuild the machineugh.

Good luck, if you have to rebuild :( , my wife's computer needs something similar... I think you'd be pretty safe with a Linux "live" disk--AFAIK, all the live distros mount harddrives as read-only. To change any data, you'd have to unmount the partitions, then remount them as write-enabled media. You should be able to burn a CD/DVD, though. Or write to a flash drive. The "user directory" that's setup with a live disk will be in RAM. And reading NTFS is easy, but in the past many distros didn't even offer writing support--NTFS is largely undocumented. I assume by now there's a reliable driver, but for a while they used a "captive" NTFS driver. This actually went through the windoz DLL. When using dual-boot system, for years I always made sure I had a FAT partition so I could easily transfer between the OS's. I can't testify to the current state of NTFS support for linux currently because I haven't gone dual-boot for quite some time.... And (no offense to the msgs below), Linux viruses are very rare. When you do see one, it's usually targeting commercial servers.

Well, the distro of Ubuntu I have allows me in here (with one VERY annoying feature; every now and then a letter, or space bar, or backspace I type repeats itself for about 7-10 places....very VERY annoyyyyyyying.

Still is it not allowing me accesssssssssss (sigh) to my HD in any way to get the pics my wife wants....

uhh, check your keboard ....and what version of ubuntu do you have?....

Um, it doesn't happen under Windows :-) What version ? Oh, let me see, I sent for a Disc, oh nearly a year ago....maybe only 8 months (I know, I am behind a bit but this is the first time I have had the wherewithal or gumption to try out the disc, (since it would be a no harm done situation), so I am not sure, but I DO know I can't check it now, since I am at work :-)

PS: I DID get it to mount the HD finally and then I was able to get some of the files I needed......when I have time tomorrow, I will get some more. . .

YAAAAY!

All I needed was a "clean" reboot, to dismount the drive from XP

*sigh*

yaaaay?

Yeah, it gave me the ability to connect through Ubuntu, but my wife doesn't want to LEARN Ubuntu, so I will probably have to do a wipe and reload of Win XP, eventually...rebuilding everything I have done since June 2006...and I also want to make sure I have Product keys (both for XP and for my firewall) before doing the wipe, or I will but up the creek without a paddle.

you can download freeware from nirsoft( .net i think...) taht shows all system keys for OS and other applications...(windows olny i think)

Sorry, it didn't work, it wouldn't run, even in my semi-good sign on....it is time to search manually through mounds of papers and etc.......

YAAY!...check your computer case for stickers...sometimes it has the cd key on the microsoft certified sticker

I think it might be on the outside of the package containing the REPAIR (wipe and OS restore) disc too. I will have to look. I am sure, if I kept the Firewall's original sleeve that it too has the code on the outside. Thanks for the reminder...

good luck...if you need a legit cd key i can help you with that

Thanks....I will remember that :-) But that would only be if I can't find mine or if, during the restore, my wife spills something onto the label and makes it unreadable :-) right before it asks for it

the very second you find it record on at least three other mediums so that your wife doesn't interfere(bad experiences ^{no wife tho} ....*shudder* )

Ok, thanks, since I still have ONE sign on that still works in XP (well, kind of works....allows me to do a few things anyways), I could use it there.

your welcome....

Ugh, I just realized that my firewall is not initializing in Windows right now, even at the one s.o. that kind of works....maybe I can just download it in Ubuntu and move it into the good s.o. ?

download it in ubuntu then logonto xp with the good signon and disconnect from the internet and babam!

Good, that was what I was thinking of doing.....a bit round about, but hey, if it works without me having to shell out a any more money on this project, I am all in for it ;-)

exactly, go the free route and try and try untill you really screw something up, then pay to fix it...(i don't know why i didn't think of this earlier)

I doubt if it could get more screwed up then it is, and if so, I still have the wipe and start over option ;-)

way to think positive...^{glad i could help}

I FINALLY got the version # for you.....it is an older one: 8.04 LTS Just in case you still care about that ;-)

lol, it should be fine...i hope you got all the files you needed...

Well, it was tedious....I think it was using memory and not the HD to store things on the Desktop, as it would run out of space at just below 2 gig.
I would then have to move the file to sharable, and reboot to get the memory cleared so I could move some more.....I have about 5 gig of stuff I would like to back up.....this is not looking good....as I am not sure I want to go through and zip all of that, and find out it is a bit too big for a CD, etc. It is becoming frustrating again.

did you boot to memory or directly off the live cd?

I booted from the CD, took the option to not install but just run Ubuntu.

that's odd..well at least you got all your data... ^{use an external Hdd very nice}

I don't think I have anything compatible with this machine...and I can't buy one at this point. The thumb drive I have is nearly full too (4 gig) Too bad I didn't get 5 of them at the price they were going for...:-)

you, wait...what? Ubuntu doesn't need a firewall....linux is almost virus proof so theres no need to worry ( i say almost b/c if you log in as root it can damage things and atrract virusses)

Ummm....not a true statement. It's just that the Unix/Linux exploits aren't generally advertised on the news at consumer level. They mainly affect servers and large installations (when CNN or Yahoo gets hacked, it's usually through *nix exploits, not Windoze). However, those same exploits are equally effective against a personal Linux system, since it's running exactly the same Sendmail, CRON, Inetd, etc.

Anyone who has a Linux system ought to be paying attention to both CERT and CIRC (through DOE).

damn, i knew someone would say something about my coimment, but w/e....desktop linux tends to shy away from root abilities for the general user so that this type of stuff doesn;t happen....in general, if you're not using root powers while using linux, you should be fine

But that's sort of my point. On *nix systems, you're absolutely right that users don't do things as root (or if they do, they're really stupid :-). However, the machine itself boots as root (i.e., process #1 is root), and all of the daemons (sendmail, initd, inetd, ftpd, sshd, whatever...) run as root.

It's those daemons, or their I/O interfaces, which are usually the target of *nix exploits. That way, an attacker doesn't need to have or know anything about the system, and doesn't even have to use social engineering to get it. A portscan and attack on a receiving process is sufficient, if the system hasn't been properly patched.

hrmphh...i just can't win...well at least ill have the last word ^{don't you dare replay or i'll start an all out comment war} ....have a nice day :)

:-)

BTW: in the picture I posted with this thread, that is an old picture, because my beard is much more developed now LOL

random....

oh, nvmi get it now

When I load Ubuntu without installing, it does not allow me nor ask me to LOG ON, so everything is open when I am online.....I will be at work soon, so I will post more from there. . .

Ok, well I may go that route yet, thanks.