I have not had any problems even close to the problem you are having and that combined with my general ignorance of computers means that I cannot directly help you, but this past August when my hard drive crashed I got my computer back from the repair shop with it not working like it was before too. It was not working to my liking, but I found some work around and I have gotten pretty used to it by now. At least it did not become unusable or give me the major problems you have apparently had. I am thinking, though, that you might take it back to the same repair shop. If they were, indeed, the cause of your grief they just might repair it for free. table with 2 columns and 6 rows Subj: [bksvol-discuss] Re: OT Computer Hell Date: 1/3/2009 12:08:19 PM Eastern Standard Time From: garyp130@xxxxxxxxxxx Reply-to: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent from the Internet (Details) table end The systems both worked fine before going into the shop. Both had fresh installs of XP placed on them. The laptop uses Pro and has SP3. The desktop uses Home and I limit it to SP2 because SP3 screws up my serial port-based synthesizer. The laptop's connection is wireless. The desktop is wired in. The router is a LinkSys 5400WRT (not sure of the letters, but it has G-support, though my laptop only has B). I did not change settings on the router. The guy who set up the network in the first place did the networking or checked the networking on the systems and couldn't isolate the problem. The store had someone install XP Home on the desktop and it came up with a log-on screen and some kind of search companion which constantly stole focus from WE 7.0. Because of that, I went back to a pre-install backup made with WE 5.5. Problems started then. But this doesn't mean that I had no problems when I had the screwing up install of XP Home with the search companion because I didn't do any networking until I restored the backup. Just recounting events as accurately as I can. To answer other questions, both systems can go to the internet and do things like download NLS books. I cannot transfer files between machines when the laptop is going wireless. I can transfer files when the machines are wired. The files have to be over 20 megabytes or so before the problem rears its ugly head. The messages are of two types: "invalid file handle" and "lost network connection." They don't come at the same time, but I get either one. They come regardless of which machine initiates the transfer. Both machines have the same kind and version of anti-virus, Avast, and both firewalls are inactivated. I have rolled back network drivers on the laptop to no avail; just tried this earlier today. I have turned off the anti-virus both p to p and network protection on both machines. Same problems earlier today. Ask anything else in case you think I haven't supplied enough information. Thanks to all for their support and interest. Btw, new machine became a possibility to consider when I realized that I might have to put both other machines in the shop and that this shop may well take over 2 weeks to get anything done. block quote ----- Original Message ----- From: talmage@xxxxxxxxxx To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2009 8:52 AM Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: OT Computer Hell Gary, Not knowing all the ins-and-outs of what's going on with your setup, and what you've done to date, it sounds like you're going in the wrong direction looking at new systems. As someone else said already, we don't really have enough info to provide suggestions. You mentioned that both systems had new hard drives installed, does that mean they reinstalled Windows as well? Are they both XP systems? Is it an ethernet, wireless, etc. network? Do both systems appear to work fine in dependant of the network? You may have answered some of these questions previously, but if so, I missed them. If you buy a new system, you still won't have a network, so it doesn't seem like you're moving ahead. I think it was Judy who offered help, if you want additional assistance feel free to contact me directly. In the past I've probably setup 20 or 30 networks, including Macs, MS-DOS, Linux, and Windows systems of various flavors. It's difficult to problem-solve remotely, but not impossible. Dave At 12:04 AM 1/3/2009, you wrote: >Glad to know. I'm not sure I understand my feelings. Both machines >had to have hard drives replaced. The networking went in working >and came out not working and I feel as if the machines let me down, >not whoever worked on them. Ah well, I'm trying to be philosophical >about it, and not succeeding very well. > >----- Original Message ----- >From: < mailto:guidinggolden@xxxxxxxxx>Shelley L. Rhodes >To: < mailto:bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >Sent: Friday, January 02, 2009 10:15 PM >Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: OT Computer Hell > >My sympathies Gary, I had to get a new computer in August, after my old >faithful of almost five years did not make the trip back from Boston, well >successfully. > >Took a while to get the new compt built. So totally understand your >feelings. > > >Shelley L. Rhodes, M.A., VRT >And Guinevere: Golden Lady Guide Dog >< mailto:guidinggolden@xxxxxxxxx>guidinggolden@xxxxxxxxx >Guide Dogs for the Blind >Alumni Association >< http://www.guidedogs.com>www.guidedogs.com > >The people who burned witches at the stake never for one moment thought of >their act as violence; > rather they thought of it as an act of divinely mandated righteousness. > The same can be said of most of the violence we humans have ever >committed. -Gil Bailie, author and lecturer (b. 1944) > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Monica Willyard" << mailto:rhyami@xxxxxxxxx>rhyami@xxxxxxxxx> >To: << mailto:bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> >Sent: Friday, January 02, 2009 8:15 PM >Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: OT Computer Hell > > > > Gary, I'm sorry you're having so much trouble with your computers. For > > some people it's an inconvenience. For a blind person, it's like > > losing our eyes for awhile. If I were transported back in time where > > computers with speech didn't exist, I would have a hard time adjusting > > to the lack of independence and inability to read freely. I hope they > > can fix your computer issues with a minimum of downtime for you. > > > > -- > > Monica Willyard > > Visit my blog at < http://www.scannersguild.com>http://www.scannersguild.com > > To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to > > > < mailto:bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a list > > of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line. > > > > To unsubscribe from this list send a blank Email to >< mailto:bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> bksvol-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the subject line. To get a >list of available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line. 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