Replies

Thanks johngaz for the heads-up. I got zorin working by booting from a thumbdrive,where [ I think] it runs as some sort of virtual machine. I’m not aware of an HDD installation being present, but that may be just ignorance.

Where would I look for one on a drive? Is there a viewer available to examine the contents of an MBR?

I am aware of the potential (and likely “fatal”) consequences of screwing up an XP bootloader file, and/or any other part of the startup process. I think it got me once and once was enough.

I’ve been running this Dell OEM XP Home on a seemingly ancient Dimension 4700 for 10+ years and it is incredibly resilient.

I don’t know how many “Days After” it’s been now, but I’m still running it right now with Firefox, Avira, Malware Bytes and ocaisionally an update & scan with Spybot S&D… and it lives!

Still learning zorin though and the ability to work directly with Windows files is very cool.

Thanks again, keep the info coming…

The OS is Dead! Long Live the OS!

XP Rules

We are even at this late date after the day after, staring the Bogeymen in the eye and flaunting our loyalty to Windows XP.

I found an “old” Linksys non-wi fi “Broadband Firewall Router” at a thrift store for about $2.00

Dug up from the harware archives a 12VDC 500 mA regulated wall wart originally used with a board camera. Works fine. It provides us with a nice warm fuzzy, a.k.a. Cozy False Sense of Security.

It may be that I am “Tickling the Dragon’s Tail”, but as far as we can tell the forces of doom & gloom have been staved off.

I you do not hear from me again, you can surmise just what horrible fate has beset us.

Regards, -PP-

If I use this hack, and for now the only XP I have is the Windows 7 Windows XP Mode virtual machine, I will make an image before doing the updates, so that if it damages the system, I can get back to where I was.

+1

See if Dell PC Diagnostics will find anything – much better and safer than registry cleaners or tune up programs.

If that cleaner found 2,000 registry errors, then open a command prompt (as an administrator on Win 7) and run a chkdsk /f and I would only trust CCleaner if I were to check the registry.

Ihave used “eusing registry cleaner”, recommended by Windows Secrets, for years without any problems. Its actions are conservative, and I use it to prevent reg bloating caused by “session orphans”.It is great for cleaning such debris from the reg of a PC that has never had such purging.

A friend with an eight year old Sony Vaio complained about sluggishness so I ran itm and it identified 7000+ orphan issues. After using it the machine ran better and had no problems caused by the cleaning. I also use CCC, just those two reg tools.

No such thing as a free lunch..

Especially when something like this EATS YOUR LUNCH !

I would suggest using Belarc Advisor for keeping track of MS updates, patches, bandaids etc.

Example:

Missing Microsoft Security Hotfixes [Back to Top]

All required security hotfixes (using the 06/10/2014 Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary) have been installed.

Installed Microsoft Hotfixes [Back to Top]
.NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 2
no verification data KB958481 on 5/11/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB976576 on 5/13/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2729450 on 5/13/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2742596 on 5/13/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2789643 on 5/13/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2844285 on 8/14/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2863239 on 12/5/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2898856 on 3/13/2014 (details…)
no verification data KB2901111 on 3/13/2014 (details…)
.NET Framework 3.0 Service Pack 2
no verification data KB977354 on 5/13/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2604110 on 5/13/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2656407 on 5/13/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2756918 on 5/13/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2832411 on 7/12/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2861189 on 12/5/2013 (details…)
.NET Framework 3.5 SP1
no verification data KB958484 on 5/11/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB963707 on 5/13/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2604111 on 5/13/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2736416 on 5/13/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2840629 on 7/12/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2861697 on 12/5/2013 (details…)
.NET Framework 4 Client Profile
no verification data KB2604121 on 1/23/2014 (details…)
no verification data KB2729449 on 1/23/2014 (details…)
no verification data KB2736428 on 1/23/2014 (details…)

SP4 (continued)
passed verification KB974112 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB974318 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB974392 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB974571 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB975025 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB975467 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB975560 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB975713 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB977816 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB977914 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB978338 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB978542 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB978706 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB979309 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB979482 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB979687 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB981322 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB981997 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB982132 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB982665 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2115168 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2229593 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2296011 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2345886 on 5/11/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2347290 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2360937 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2387149 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2393802 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2419632 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2423089 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2440591 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2443105 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2467659 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2478960 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2478971 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2479943 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2481109 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2483185 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2485663 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2506212 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2507938 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2508429 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2509553 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2510581 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2535512 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2536276-V2 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2544893-V2 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2566454 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2570947 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2584146 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2585542 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2592799 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2598479 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2603381 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2618451 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2619339 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2620712 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2624667 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2631813 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2653956 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2655992 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2659262 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2661254-V2 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2661637 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2676562 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2686509 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2691442 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2698365 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2705219-V2 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2712808 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2719985 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2723135-V2 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2727528 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2736233 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2749655 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2753842-V2 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2757638 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2758857 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2770660 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2779562 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2780091 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2802968 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2807986 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2808735 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2813170 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2813345 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2820197 on 5/16/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2820917 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2829361 on 5/16/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2834886 on 7/12/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2839229 on 6/12/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2845187 on 7/12/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2847311 on 12/5/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2849470 on 8/14/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2850851 on 7/12/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2850869 on 8/14/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2859537 on 8/14/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2862152 on 12/5/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2862330 on 12/5/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2862335 on 12/5/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2863058 on 8/14/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2864063 on 9/12/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2868038 on 12/5/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2868626 on 12/5/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2876217 on 9/12/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2876315 on 9/12/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2876331 on 12/5/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2883150 on 12/5/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2892075 on 12/26/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2893294 on 12/26/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2893984 on 12/26/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2898715 on 12/26/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2900986 on 12/5/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2904266 on 12/26/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2914368 on 1/16/2014 (details…)
passed verification KB2916036 on 3/12/2014 (details…)
passed verification KB2922229 on 4/10/2014 (details…)
passed verification KB2929961 on 3/14/2014 (details…)
passed verification KB2930275 on 3/14/2014 (details…)
passed verification KB2934207 on 3/8/2014 (details…)

no verification data KB2737019 on 1/23/2014 (details…)
no verification data KB2742595 on 1/23/2014 (details…)
no verification data KB2789642 on 1/23/2014 (details…)
no verification data KB2835393 on 1/23/2014 (details…)
no verification data KB2840628 on 1/23/2014 (details…)
no verification data KB2858302 on 1/23/2014 (details…)
no verification data KB2861188 on 1/23/2014 (details…)
no verification data KB2898855 on 3/11/2014 (details…)
no verification data KB2901110 on 3/11/2014 (details…)
.NET Framework 4 Extended
no verification data KB2487367 on 1/23/2014 (details…)
no verification data KB2736428 on 1/23/2014 (details…)
no verification data KB2742595 on 1/23/2014 (details…)
no verification data KB2858302 on 1/23/2014 (details…)
no verification data KB2901110 on 3/11/2014 (details…)
Visual C++ 2010 x86 Redistributable – 10.0.40219
no verification data KB2565063 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
WGA
SP0
passed verification KB892130 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
Windows Media Player
no verification data KB952069_WM9 (details…)
no verification data KB954155_WM9 (details…)
no verification data KB973540_WM9 (details…)
no verification data KB975558_WM8 (details…)
no verification data KB978695_WM9 (details…)
no verification data KB2378111_WM9 (details…)
no verification data KB2803821-V2_WM9 (details…)
no verification data KB2803821_WM9 (details…)
SP0
passed verification KB952069_WM9 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB954155_WM9 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB973540_WM9 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB975558_WM8 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB978695_WM9 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2378111_WM9 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2803821-V2_WM9 on 8/28/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2803821_WM9 on 7/12/2013 (details…)
Windows XP
SP0
no verification data KB982381-IE8 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2510531-IE8 on 5/11/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2598845-IE8 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2618444-IE8 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2744842-IE8 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB2817183-IE8 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2829530-IE8 on 5/16/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2838727-IE8 on 6/12/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2846071-IE8 on 7/12/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2847204-IE8 on 5/16/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2862772-IE8 on 8/14/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2870699-IE8 on 9/12/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2888505-IE8 on 12/5/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2898785-IE8 on 12/26/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB2909210-IE8 on 3/12/2014 (details…)
passed verification KB2909921-IE8 on 3/12/2014 (details…)
passed verification KB2925418-IE8 on 3/14/2014 (details…)
passed verification KB2936068-IE8 on 4/10/2014 (details…)
passed verification KB2964358-IE8 on 5/6/2014 (details…)
SP10
passed verification KB2564958 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
SP2
no verification data KB811113[SP] on 5/8/2013 (details…)
SP3
no verification data KB898461 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB936929[SP] on 5/10/2013 (details…)
SP4
no verification data KB923561 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB946648 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB950762 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB950974 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB951376-V2 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB951978 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB952004 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB952287 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB952954 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB954550-V5 on 5/12/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB955759 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB956572 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB956802 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB956844 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB959426 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB960803 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB960859 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB961118 on 5/13/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB968389 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB969059 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB970430 on 5/11/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB971029 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB971657 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB972270 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB973507 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
passed verification KB973815 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB973869 on 5/10/2013 (details…)
no verification data KB973904 on 5/10/2013 (details…)

BTW this XP SP3 machine has exhibited no such odd behavior (YET?)

Regards, PP

Please disregard the reference to “sh4ldr”

Thanks for the info. I have a question re: “The only issue with Zorin is that it replaces the bootloader with its own version and you may have a problem reverting back to Windows only if you want to uninstall it. ”

Are you referring to the file (Win XT) C:boot.ini? On this machine, its contents are:

[boot loader]
timeout=5
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS=”Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition” /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

That looks normal to me. I For Zorin-os8-lite I am using a 32 gByte USB stick. It is only bootable when I choose the “boot menu” option (F2) immediately when booting.

I do not recall whether booting Zorin writes a ramdisk on any hardrives, I’ll check that next time I boot Zorin.

There is a file in the root directory of the XT drive, is that a Zorin loader file? I’m not sure when it was put there, but I did make all sorts of attempts, using all sorts of approaches, before getting the USB stick. I just don’t remember.

Thanks again, hope to see more soon, R-

Thanks for the link. I’m sure I’ll eventually learn enough about Linux to be mostly self-sufficient. After working on some mainframe beasts in the ’70s and ’80s (I’ll never will forget the node of 7 CDC Cypher7’s in the development lab of an upgrade to the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System, which could absolutely give more than a few Cray installs a good tun for it.) in 1991 I bought a Packard Bell 386 SX-20 which I christened “The Hourglass”. Since then it’s been an evolutionary education of ThingsMicrosoft.

Given the wily-nilly and ~patchwork~ nature of those GUI’s, I believe if one can learn the ins and outs of Winders, any decent OS can be mastered to a practical level. So now I embark on what I hope to be not so mystical voyage. Wagons Ho!

And aagain, Thanks for the help.

THE DAY AFTER I INSTALLED ZORIN

I am liking it more with learning a few things. Had one inexplicable spontaneous reboot, but I suspect it was a temperature-cpu situation as the weather here has been unseasonably HOT.

Is there a user guide or manual available (Zorin for imbeciles) etc ? I would like to learn all I can about this OS, but there is no help function save “about”.

Thanks again to all who helped out on this, and please continue.

BTW, the Audacious music player working with my Creative Audigy sound card, soumds much better than Media Player/XP. Amazingly well, considering that the speakers I have connected at this time are *&(^%.

“Press F2 for Setup, F12 to select Boot Device”

Yes, that works ! Now, to ;earn Zorin OS-8 Lite. I’m so glad it’s not Win7, 8, etc. Thanks!

P.S. The apps that come with it are amazing, reminds me of RedHat (Long time ago)

So, I got ahold of a 32 Gbyte USB “stick”, and used to put the Zorin files on it.

The setup “bios” on this machine has a provision to boot from a “USB Device”.

What do I need to do now? I put that option at the top of the Boot Menu list. It booted to the SATA drive with Windows XP.

I am at a loss but feel very close now. Need your continuing guidance, Thanks

So, I picked up the Dim. 9100 today, but upon examination is is extremely filthy and in need of complete disassembly, thorough cleaning, re-assembly, and testing. It will be a couple of days before I can try the Zorin install.

It does have a Lite-ON “DVD/CD Rewritable Drive”, Model SOHW -1633S, which. I assume is the type that can burn an ISO file to a DVD blank. Assuming, again, that it is functional.

I’ll post here again when I have some meaningful test results, good or bad. I may try this “new” drive in the Dim. 4700 as an aside to play with the Zorin ISO. (IF it works!)

Thanks again to all who responded.

I’ll be back, PP-

HELLO,

I have not picked up the 9100 yet, the guy who gave it to me was sick today but it should not be long before I can mess around with it.

The D-4700 will boot from a USB stick, at least it’s a choice in the boot menu section of the BIOS screen.

Is the file the bootable element? If so, could I copy it to my other SATA 250 Gbyte drive, which has a 50 gig and a 200 gig partitions on it, ( partitioned and formatted with Acronis True Image ), and have the machine boot to the ISO file? I select and deselect these drives in BIOS prior to booting, so there would be no Windows issues.

And, out of curiosity, what is the name of the Zorin file system? The drive is formatted with NTFS, but I couled easily change that if the necessary file system is available with Acronis. ( I am assuming that the Zorin installation ISO sets up its own file system during installation, so it would not matter what FS the drive is formatted in.)

Thanks again, and please keep the information coming!

PP-

If you upgraded it from Windows 95 to XP and it has 256MB of memory and a 1.3 GB hard drive, that’s old, and you better go for Puppy.

Is the Dell Dimension 4700 the machine that you want to install it on? You don’t say how many cores your 64-bit processor has, how much memory, or what size your hard drive is, Probably a Core 2 Duo with 1GB of memory or more, and 80GB hard drive, in which case Zorin or Linux Mint would be fine.

Hello again.

The iso file for Z-8 light is 926,720 Kb and thus too large fo a CDR. My DVD drive is not a burner.

I was recently given a Dimension 9100 which had a MSRP of ~ $2,700 in 2005, vs. the Dimension 4700 list price of under $500 the same year.

The 4700 has a P4, 2.8 GHz single core chip, two seagate 250 Gbyte SATA HDD’s and 4 Gb of Corsair ram (but only presents at 3 Gb which is a MB/chipset limitation).

But I should make these efforts on the 9100 rather than flog the dying horse. The 9100 is a much heavier hitter, and I enjoy getting free computers to run at their best potential. Seems like a more sensible project.

I’ll be posting my foreward and backward progress and most likely asking more advice.

Regards and thanks, PP_