The day before my wife left, her PC crashed, the hard drive controller on the mainboard failed. At first I thought it was just the 6yrs old 40GB Maxtor HD, so I replaced with a newer larger 120GB hard drive that a friend had gave me.

I had already done a essential backup of PC a few weeks ago, and I did a fresh install of XP-Pro, it was up & running.

Well on this past Sat, her PC came up with the error msg, and after checking the BIOS, I could see the hard controller had failed, and I see a cap on the board had leaked.

Lucky, we have MicroCenter and they had a Biostar MB/CPU/RAM combo for $109.99 http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0304146! I also brought a GB of RAM for $15, and 556K PCI-Ex card for $20.

I installed the new mainboard, and connected all the devices, started up the PC, and checked all the BIO setting, and loaded her XP-Pro disc. The PC booted up, started the setup, and froze! I got ‘pci.sys’ error msg, I have never seen this msg.

Using Bling, I did a search, and found that XP does have a problem with install on some mainboards with PCI-Ex, so I disabled the PCI-Ex, restarted and got the same error. I had also read that you can ‘slipstream’ XP’s SP2 service pack with the install XP-Pro disc. Wha? I’ve never had to do this with any of the PC’s I’ve built in the last 14yrs.

During the search I read how to manually create an ISO image disc, but wow, it was fairly complicated, even for me. But than I came across a freeware called Autostreamer, the software will automatically extract, and ‘share’ the files needed into a ISO image. All I had to do was burn a ISO image boot CD using Nero. It worked!

My wife is now playing Bejeweled Twisted, and is very happy.

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Tony Houston

Sorry you went through so much hardship. I usually by Intel or Asus to avoid compatability problems. Although not 100% happy with either one they don't give much trouble.

Glad everything worked out. Great work!

I've been building PCs since parts were cheap enough to obtain, back in the early '90s. I really enjoy trouble-shooting, I work in a aerospace research lab and have to problem solve/create new procedures all the time.

The machine is working fine, the dual core Celeron is faster than the AMD 1300+ that was in the other mainboard (it was my old one), and the graphics are faster too. She only does email and Bejewel, so she's happy.

I setup her Outlook Express, and Hotmail accounts, download and installed the drivers for her printer. She printing out pictures from her trip as I type.

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Tony Houston

Nice work, T!

We have a local Microcenter too and I like the place. I go right to the computers, then search for what I need and have a clerk point me in the right direction. It shows the inventory on hand and current pricing.

I'll have to check out "Autostreamer"! I've manually made an updated boot/install (slipstream) disc adding the latest updates and it' was a PITA!!!

http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/A ... 13918.html

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Good job Tony!

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Yeah, the manual steps are a PITA! With Autostreamer, before you download and install, and start, you have to download a MS service pack first. Than you start Autostreamer and 'point' to the drive where you have OS disc, than to where you downloaded the service pack.

Autostreamer will than create a ISO image file, with Nero I had to make sure I was creating a book-up disc, it worked liked a charm.

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Tony Houston

Nicely done Tony.
i am just getting ready to see if i can do anything with the laptop my brother dropped (but blamed on his wife's sister's toddler!!)

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Nothing wrong with being a geek Tony! Comes in mighty handy sometimes. I could have used your experience about a month ago. Probably would have saved me a few hundred when I tried to repair my computer myself!

I fix laptops as well, well most the time. About four years ago, I brought a IBM Thinkpad 600X at a yard sale for $15



It's only has a 650MHz CPU! I know you're thinking what can you do with a 650MHz CPU? My wife uses it for Internet radio, she can listen to Canadian radio and find recipes on the 'net.

Up until about 18 months my son headed a program where he bought PCs at auctions to give to families that attended his church. I prepped all the computers and installed the OS. Microsoft donated OS and discounted MSN internet .

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Tony Houston

I have built my last 3 computers. friends still have 2 of em, I have only the latest one.

This laptop will be the first time I've really worked on one, usually tinker with desktops.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Good job!

There are plenty of us geeks that are musicians too!

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http://www.bluesrepublic.org/

2008 Fender American Stratocaster
2008 Fender Deluxe Telecaster
Fender Power Jazz Bass Special 1987 (MIJ)
Egnater Renegade Head
Egnater Tourmaster 2x12 cab

It all depends on the make and model of the laptop. Over the past year or so I swapped my CPU, hard drive, and RAM on my Compaq.

Nice, T.

Geeks may not make the world go 'round, but they sure do make a lot of things on it work and get fixed.