Please help me restore my user settings (Win XP Pro). All of my wife's personal settings (also folders and files) have beem sent to the recycle bin upon restart. I tried to use the recycle bin restore feature, but to no avail. There is only one user account, and that seems to be set to new machine status. She wants her desktop back ! Last time, you guys saved my butt...can you do it again? Thanks.
posted by lobstah on Jan 11, 2008 - 4 answers

In the rare times I've needed to hit ctrl-alt-delete within the past few months, the task manager window pops up, but it lacks the little tabs at the top and the useful little X in the upper right that actually allows me to CLOSE the task manager. What happened? [more inside]
posted by Verdandi on Jun 12, 2007 - 13 answers

How can I determine what is causing my computer to take so long booting up? [more inside]
posted by Justinian on Feb 2, 2006 - 14 answers

Windows XP help needed! I suddenly can't copy photos onto my laptop. I'm getting a weird error... [more inside]
posted by kdern on Oct 31, 2005 - 11 answers

Help with file sharing between Win98 and WinXP? [more inside]
posted by Jaybo on Jun 19, 2005 - 4 answers

I have a Toshiba e310, that mysteriously stopped starting up when I turned it on. It's not completely dead, it comes up with the default bootscreen and then just sits there. Windows XP detects an unknown device, and that's it. I've tried doing a hard reset, soft reset, and letting the battery drain. Is there any use for it? Does anyone know of a way to recover it? [more inside]
posted by jackofsaxons on Feb 13, 2005 - 5 answers

My computer has a sudden inexplicable inability to initiate.

That is, it was working fine, now it won't boot. AOpen AX4SPE Max II motherboard, P4 3.2 GHz, WinXP. (more inside) [more inside]
posted by ludwig_van on Jan 3, 2005 - 9 answers

Laptop Clean XP Install:
1] My (on board?) sound card is unrecognised. How do I find out what drivers to use?

2] What programs do you really think I need? I already have VNC, VLC, Firefox, Thunderbird and AVG installed. What else should I add? (Freeware/OS appriciated but not needed.) [more inside]
posted by twine42 on Dec 16, 2004 - 8 answers

PC won't boot. All I get is a blinking cursor in the upper left corner after BIOS. Help!!! (more inside) [more inside]
posted by luser on Sep 17, 2004 - 5 answers

Is there a way for the computer/a program to search for multiple duplicate files on a computer?

I also remember a program that used a pie chart to show you what is taking up the most space on the computer? What files and folders?

Help!
posted by agregoli on Jul 22, 2004 - 9 answers

Yeargh, I stupidly hit "compress old files to save disk space" when the iTunes folder on my WinXP box got towards full. As a result, about half of my music is inacessible through iTunes. At this point, I'm clicking into each artist/album folder and uncompressing them one at a time, then re-adding to the library. I've been at this for three hours and now am up to "C." How do I uncompress these files in one fell swoop? I've been all over the "help" documentation for both WinXP and iTunes as well as Google.
posted by mimi on Jun 29, 2004 - 12 answers

DVD authoring software? [more inside]
posted by muckster on May 4, 2004 - 7 answers

Sasser worm trouble. A friend's WinXP system was compromised, I was asked to disinfect it, and it's not behaving by the rules! [more inside] [more inside]
posted by Daddio on May 3, 2004 - 11 answers