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i_am_the_slime

The whole reason for going through all this trouble is that I didn't want to reinstall Windows. I don't want to resetup everything.

Questions 1: Back in the day I used to go to Dev Hardware Forums [http://www.devhardware.com/forums/] for questions and answers on the various computer items. I haven't been there for years and went back the other day and posted a question. However, I noticed that the board seems pretty dead with very little new postings. Anyone recommend a more active forums like DHF that I can ask a question in? I have an urgent question I really need answered.

Questions 2 (the urgent question): Get comfortable...I have a lot to explain. When starting my computer I would get an error message that stated something like missing ntldr. I quick fixed this by simply leaving the XP install disk in and it would boot and run fine. Months later messing around I finally figured out what was going on. When I had re-installed XP I had two hard drives installed. Windows, trying to make things more complicated, decided to preserve it's life in case of an error and install the Master Boot Record on drive 2 instead of drive 1 [C:\] with all the other files. So when my computer was booting up it was looking for the files in drive 1 [C:\] but couldn't find it because it voluntarily forgot that it installed the files in drive 2 [D:\]. My plan to fix was to unplug drive 2 and repair the install/fix the MBR. Everything went fine until I accidentally hit Enter on install XP on C:\ (remember it already has XP installed on it). I turned off my computer after the install screen came on. I tried and searched methods on how to stop an XP install but there was nothing. I then had the bright idea to install Windows on Drive 2 (which was blank btw). I unplugged drive 1 (c:\) and proceeded to install windows on drive 2. After the install I then attached drive 1 and from my motherboard startup option [F8] selected to boot from drive 2 which then took me to Windows. NOW, I was prompted to start two versions of windows like a dual boot (remember, the MBR for my original XP install on drive 1 was on drive 2) so I picked the one that was my original install on drive 1 and here I am. Back at my original version of XP. I deleted what I saw was the few newer files that were installed like "WINDOWS.0" which was in the C:\ drive. Now my main question after all of this is what else do I need to edit so that the next time I restart it won't try to install XP? I imagine I will also need to edit my boot.ini but with my boots and drives all over the place am not sure which one to delete. Here it is:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

FYI- DISK 0 is DRIVE 2 (3rd full install of XP that I don't need), DISK 1 is DRIVE 1 (original XP and accidental 2nd install that I stopped)

I'm thinking I need to get rid of the DISK 1 boot because that might be where the new mbr was going but am unsure.

Thoughts on both?

Thanks for the help and sorry for the long read.

Under the "Boot" tab - click Advanced options. .

Stinger78

So....I updated my nvidia drivers again just now and it views fine. HOWEVER, I noticed that SLI was turned off after the update. AFter I turned SLI back ON and went to the video it was laggy again...why would this be happening? How can I fix this?

I've been having this problem for a while now. Whenever I play any HD video on the web it plays very very laggy. No known reason why. My PC should be more than powerful enough to play them. Even when I let the video load all the way it still plays laggy. In the past it's worked before but I've reinstalled OS's, motherboard, etc. so many times I can't remember when it started to not work properly.

Originally I thought I fixed the issue by updating my graphics drivers, which at the time fixed the issue for a different site (can't remember, vimeo maybe?). Now, when I went to watch the MW3 trailer in HD it was very very laggy. I've been looking at processes to see what might be lagging it but really don't have a deep knowledge in this area to fix.

Here are some specs:

Win XP SP3

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @2.4ghz

2.75BG ram

Nvidia 8800GT SLI: driver version 6.14.12.6099

Flash version: WIN 10,3,181,14

Java version 1.6.0_24

Let me know what else you guys need to determine what's going on. I appreciate any and all help.

Thanks.

I recently got a tv bundled with a 40gig ps3 but really want the mgs4 bundle. I'm selling the one I have but have a gta4 save that i want to keep. I have a 2gig san disk with usb connection thing and was wondering if it was as simple as copying to my sandisk and then copying it back on the new ps3.

Thanks!

So apparently Newegg only ships to the U.S.. I found this site that touches this subject and then some people recommend sites that may be similar to it for people in the U.K. http://forums.tweakguides.com/showthread.php?t=5765

You may or may not get anything out of this but I'd thought I'd just let you know and give you this.

yeah its OC ram but what does it have to do with SLI thats what im getting at, if you used another ram with same specs you would see absoultely no difference in SLI so really how does it become SLI ready.yoyo462001

It means that the extra features are designed to work with SLI boards. If you put this memory in a non-SLI board you would not get the auto-overclocking features. It actually comes at a faster timing and a little bit cheaper than the ones I have now.

"OCZ PC2-6400 SLI-Ready memory modules are programmed to boot at 800MHz DDR2 with supremely fast timings of 4-4-4 1T. Only motherboards equipped with the custom-designed BIOS, such as those designed for NVIDIA nForce SLI MCPs, can detect the optimized SPD profiles and ensure the memory functions under the best possible conditions. The exclusive OCZ SPD specifications take out the guesswork and provide enthusiasts and gamers with significant overclocked performance with no manual adjustment or compatibility issues."

I don't know if I'm answering my own question or what but basically what I want to know is is it worth going through the returns and crap to get this memory. The SLI mem is actually a little bit cheaper with rebates on newegg. Although I've never OC'ed before but have done a bunch of reading on it (and it seems like it takes forever, boot, change, reboot, check, change, boot, etc. etc.) it would be nice for this to be done for me.

Also, I don't know the OC capabilities for the SLI ones either (how far they can be pushed). From what I read on newegg about the g skill mem I have it can only be pushed a little bit. I'm just looking for someone that knows more about this stuff that could give me a better explanation.