Post by LLTafter attempting to install XP with the upgrade option, the system
stopped working completely with the blue screen welcoming a dead O.S.
I wish I knew why this had happened, although there was nothing else
wrong it's hard to believe just a corel registry would cause such a
disaster. I had backed up all the data I needed but a day and a half
was spent for the rescue. Thanks for the advices....
I'm sorry to hear that happened to you.
One thing about Microsoft - they absolutely KNOW that:
1) The Windows version upgrades simply DON'T work Only clean installs of
the complete version on a freshly-reformatted drive work.
But they keep on selling the upgrades.
2) The Registry, itself, is a very problem-plagued and unnecessary element
to the OS.
All the registry does is allow software creators to place hidden entries
into it, thereby making it harder for the average user to have absolute
control of their own computer. (Just think of how many
virus/trojan/worm/adware infestations we would have been saved if the
registry didn't exist!)
And ever new version of Windows has even more registry complexities
intertwined with it.
3) The "System Restore" function should be completely removed from all
Windows.
All System Restore ever did was make it harder for the average user to take
ownership of their computer and what happens to it. And instead of being
there for you to use when you call for it, it gets installed as a "service",
which, when it's on (the only way it's ever gonna work), continues to
restore files that you delete, as well as the ones that just "got deleted",
including virus/trojan/worm/adware infestations you just managed to remove.
But they keep on preaching "Keep System Restore Turned ON".
4) Windows Messenger should also have been discontinued since Win95.
Another useless function in the face of all the resources that we have had
since Win95. It's just another vulnerability to your system, and a
frustrating, inconvenient background resource hog they're just so reluctant
to let you turn off without knowing a little about what's involved.
And up until recently,.they kept on intertwining it with Outlook Express as
an automatic plug-in that refused to be switched off.
______
My immediate thoughts on what happened to you are...
I have my doubts that only CorelDraw-related registry keys were the cause.
Perhaps when the Corel entries were tampered with, there were also keys
changed that weren't just used by Corel.
There are many, many ways a Windows system gets corrupted, usually related
to any/all of...
- Adware
- Virus, Trojan, Worm
- Failure to perform regular maintenance of the drive and OS
- Installing badly-written/corrupted software
- Wrongful adjustments to system settings/elements/registry
Some or all these may have occurred prior to your first installation of
CorelDraw, who knows?
The bottom line is, it happened and you can't go back, but you can take this
info for what it's worth on your next configuration.
1) Install from a full version - forget the upgrades - and on a reformatted
drive.
2) Watch what you install...
.. and use something (like Spybot S&D) to monitor your registry for changes
you didn't ask for. And get to know what changes are made to your whole
configuration as a result of each install, and what may be involved should
you need to uninstall. (Changes to registry keys that affect Windows itself
are a standard activity of many popular softwares. Sometimes, uninstalling
one removes a key instead of restoring it because there's no saved version
of that key to go back to.)
3) Don't make changes to the Registry yourself.
Unless you've been educated on what is involved first, and are completely
sure it should be done.
4) Turn off faulty and unnecessary services.
Examples: Windows Messenger, System Restore.
There's lots more - Google for more on this.
5) Don't allow things to load at Startup that don't have to.
The less that loads on boot, the more resources you have to work with, the
more memory stays free, and the less likely it is for Windows to "write
itself into a corner".
There's more on this subject as well - again, Google's your friend.
6) Some files should not be moved!
A great deal of problems stem from people trying to do things like "sort
their fonts" or "cleaning up a drive". Fonts and some other elements may
appear innocent, but are, in fact, registered by the Windows system as being
"compulsory system elements" and should not be arbitrarily dragged to other
locations, or moved to a different drive, at least, not without the
knowledge of how (or even "if") this should be done. Certainly, you cannot
take a whole program folder and just "move to another drive, just because
you need to free disk space. (For some, this is a very obvious thing, but
it has to be said.)
There's lots more I could type here, but I think I've given you enough to
read for one posting.
The message is obvious - the more you know, the less trouble you get into.
Sometimes using the resources we all have available (such as Google)
whenever you're in doubt about your next move, is enough to avert a small
tragedy.
- Brent