Hello. Is everything SATA?. I would dump XP for Win7 x64 for a PC with those specs.
Anyway. Go to Driver Manager and check the IDE/SATA channels to see if they have reverted to PIO mode. Delete all channels and reboot.

eL_PuSHeR wrote:

Hello. Is everything SATA?. I would dump XP for Win7 x64 for a PC with those specs.
Anyway. Go to Driver Manager and check the IDE/SATA channels to see if they have reverted to PIO mode. Delete all channels and reboot.

The Multi-Drive is IDE actually. It's the only drive in my system that is. Which made updating the firmare in 2009 really easy 😀 All of the IDE channels are set to DMA, the SATA channels don't have that option available.

As for Win7, I can't stand it.... I had it installed on this system the last re-install. Funtions I liked were just gone such as a different volume control for MIDI - which I still use. Imagine if you will, set the volume where I can hear mp3's and videos... great. Play a MIDI file and my speakers blow up (I'm serious, not actually boom, but I had to replace them.) Right now, on XP, I have my WAV volume set at 80%, my MASTER volume set to 50%, and my MIDI volume set to 2%. Even using WAV table MIDI, which you might think would work off the WAV volume but doesn't, these settings are necessary to keep MIDI music from being far tooooooo loud. Also, WAV table MIDI (SoundFont on my Sound Blaster card,) was totally eliminated in Windows 7. Creative Labs had to put out a hack to get it done, and it is buggy as heck. When asked, Microsoft stated that nobody uses MIDI any more, so there is no reason to give it any sort of support (blech....)

As for going x64, I've spent almost $1000 on productivity software that will not run in a 64-bit environment. Sorry, I'll stick with 32-bit for as long as I can. I don't look forward to the day (in the not-to-distant future I'm afraid,) when 32-bit OSes will no longer be given any sort of support, and I'll probably have to spend 2 or 3 times what I did just to replace them. I'm not looking forward to the day (in the very-near future,) when Microsoft decides that there will no longer be any support for XP (just like there is no longer any support for 98, you cannot even get the "updates" for it any more.) I guess, at that time, I'll have to see how well the "free" windows clone is working out. Or that Microsoft decided to put the funtions I like back into Windows 8.

FeedingDragon wrote:

As for going x64, I've spent almost $1000 on productivity software that will not run in a 64-bit environment.

Blegh. Kick your vendor to the kerb. As the customer, you are entitled to adequate support for the products you purchased, even if you purchased them in the 80s.

Have you even looked for a replacement for your "productivity software"?

There's lots of things we spent $1000 on 30 years ago, you have to let go eventually.

I had a similar problem recently. If I opened a disc then closed the window my system would lock up. But if I hit the back button to My Computer before closing the window that would usually avoid it. This even happened with ISOs mounted in DAEMON Tools. I started using Start > Run... to browse CDs instead.

I never found the cause. Eventually I did a clean install (was long overdue) and things were back to working normally.

I occasionally see something a little like this on my computer, but it's kind of hard to describe and usually only individual applications lock up rather than everything.

I kind of suspect it has something to do with the USB drives spinning down when idle, and then spinning back up again (or trying to) when Windows re-mounts the new volume. Perhaps you could try leaving your USB drives unplugged for a while and see if the problem still occurs?

Jorpho wrote:

I occasionally see something a little like this on my computer, but it's kind of hard to describe and usually only individual applications lock up rather than everything.

I kind of suspect it has something to do with the USB drives spinning down when idle, and then spinning back up again (or trying to) when Windows re-mounts the new volume. Perhaps you could try leaving your USB drives unplugged for a while and see if the problem still occurs?

That's interesting, I'll give that a try in the near future. Right now I'm fighting with Microsoft because they decided to block my Product Key for Windows XP. Don't have a virus, their system doesn't tell them "why" the key was blocked, just that it is. They cannot unblock it. Finally, they won't give me a new one unless I pay $100 for an XP key or $150 to upgrade to Windows 7 (which I cannot stand.) I'm about ready to take my computer out and shoot it!!!

I'm impressed they'll still even sell an XP key. (Also, they're selling Windows 8 for forty bucks right now.)

Jorpho wrote:

I'm impressed they'll still even sell an XP key. (Also, they're selling Windows 8 for forty bucks right now.)

Not so much selling a key.... $99 for 1 year of extended service, which I can then use to have them mail me a new XP CD and a replacement key. Amounts to buying XP all over again. About Windows 8, though... That is in Canada (won't let me buy it from the US, or it didn't when I tried to buy XP in 2004.) Also, do you know if they re-enabled MIDI in Windows 8? Though, in all honesty, after reading about free downgrades, I'm tempted to get 8, when I have the money (don't know what 40 Canadian dollars comes out to in US dollars, but it is still cheaper than 150 I'm sure.)

edit: Also, that is for the upgrade - have to have a valid XP Product Key, which is the whole problem I'm having now (key is blocked.)

US media-less upgrade is also $39
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/h … e.Windows_8_Pro

If I may: does a "valid key" consist of whatever's written on a sticker on the side of the case? Because in that case, I have a Vista key that is probably much better off being sacrificed for this purpose than for actually running Vista.

Jorpho wrote:

If I may: does a "valid key" consist of whatever's written on a sticker on the side of the case? Because in that case, I have a Vista key that is probably much better off being sacrificed for this purpose than for actually running Vista.

I believe it would count, but I don't need it any more. I used to work for Dell, and just found my Dell issued CD that comes with a Product Key I can use. Haven't actually put it in yet, have to reversion my XP install, and waiting to hear if there is a way other than reinstalling XP. Both are Windows XP Pro, both say SP2 on the CD, but the Dell key won't work on my CD install and my key wouldn't work on the Dell CD install. Still haven't figured that one out, there should be no difference 😒 Thanks for the offer though.

On a side note, I thought it very interesting... I mentioned to the MS tech when I was trying to get my XP re-validated that I couldn't stand Win7. He commented that he'd never heard that before (yeah right,) and asked why. All I said was, "I do a lot of work with MIDI...." He interupted me and said, "Say no more, I understand." 🤣

Back to the original topic, anyone have any idea on my CD-Rom issue? I still haven't tested the USB, and I haven't finished testing removing the drivers and reinstalling yet. Going to wait till my XP is fully validated so it can grab drivers online.

FeedingDragon wrote:

I believe it would count, but I don't need it any more. I used to work for Dell, and just found my Dell issued CD that comes wi […]
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Jorpho wrote:

If I may: does a "valid key" consist of whatever's written on a sticker on the side of the case? Because in that case, I have a Vista key that is probably much better off being sacrificed for this purpose than for actually running Vista.

I believe it would count, but I don't need it any more. I used to work for Dell, and just found my Dell issued CD that comes with a Product Key I can use. Haven't actually put it in yet, have to reversion my XP install, and waiting to hear if there is a way other than reinstalling XP. Both are Windows XP Pro, both say SP2 on the CD, but the Dell key won't work on my CD install and my key wouldn't work on the Dell CD install. Still haven't figured that one out, there should be no difference 😒 Thanks for the offer though.

On a side note, I thought it very interesting... I mentioned to the MS tech when I was trying to get my XP re-validated that I couldn't stand Win7. He commented that he'd never heard that before (yeah right,) and asked why. All I said was, "I do a lot of work with MIDI...." He interupted me and said, "Say no more, I understand." 🤣

Back to the original topic, anyone have any idea on my CD-Rom issue? I still haven't tested the USB, and I haven't finished testing removing the drivers and reinstalling yet. Going to wait till my XP is fully validated so it can grab drivers online.

Could be you're trying to mix up different versions. Theres OEM, Retail and the corporate versions. Not sure if the upgrade versions use other keys though.

FeedingDragon wrote:

I believe it would count, but I don't need it any more. ... Thanks for the offer though.

Oh, uh, actually I was thinking about my own upgrading purposes. 😅

Jorpho wrote:

FeedingDragon wrote:

I believe it would count, but I don't need it any more. ... Thanks for the offer though.

Oh, uh, actually I was thinking about my own upgrading purposes. 😅

Ooops 😀 Sorry I misunderstood. Yeah, um it was actually here on Vogons that I learned about free downgrading. Don't know where exactly it is posted here, though, but it has a link to Microsoft that explains that a valid Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 authorizes you for a free OS downgrade to XP (maybe even others, but that was the only one I cared about.) From what I read it wasn't just XP Mode (which is basically a PC emulator pre-installed with XP,) but actually replacing your Vista (or 7 etc..) with XP or setting up a full Dual Boot XP & Vista/7/8.

edit: Ok, misunderstood again.... Yes the Windows 8 upgrade will work with a valid Vista. Don't know if you would need to install Vista then upgrade or not, or if you could just install 8 using the Vista key. From what I've seen, 8 isn't available as a full OS, it just adjusts & upgrades what is already installed.

there's oem cd's on amazon for windows 8.

i worry about the time when xp can't be validated any more at all.

I don't know about Vista/7/8, but bypassing the XP validation check is trivial. The only thing you really need it for is getting certain updates from Microsoft, and that will no longer be much of an issue once Microsoft stops releasing new updates. (Even Microsoft Security Essentials can be installed without having to validate if you use the right tools.)

Sorry about the long delay. Got my XP up and running again now. I'm starting to suspect (and making no official accusations at this point,) that MS pretty much did this to me on purpose. The validation fail with "supposedly" 100's of activations for my key from different IPs and different countries start pretty much right after I called MS on my CD-Rom drive issues and they installed something on my system to check things out. I also find it strange, that that version of XP was a "no activation necessary" version. So how did 100's of systems request activation?? So, from now on, no more calling MS for help.

Back to my CD-Rom problem: Ok, another full complete install of XP. The problem persists, only now it will sometimes happen just putting a new disk in the drive (CD or DVD,) regardless of what I may be doing elsewhere on the system. I've also noticed that sometimes the disk will fail to fully initialize, the drive acts as if there is no disk inserted. I'm beginning to think it may actually be a HW issue. Tried running the BIOS flash for the drive but the software crashes the moment I try to run it. Any clues, hints, suggestions????

Do you still have all of your USB drives plugged in?

If you think it's a HW issue, the standard diagnostic would be to boot your computer with Linux (possibly from a bootable USB drive) and see if the problem persists.

OK, didn't actually mention it after all I guess. I tried with literally every thing that could be disconnected, disconnected. That is, I removed the sound card, all but one stick of memory (and actually swapped out the sticks,) nothing attached to any USB port. The only things I left connected was my boot drive, my video card, and my network cable.