ChevronX Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Using Windows Vista's Disk Cleanup, having System Error Minidump Files; Windows Error Reporting Files. It removes the customers user data. Their email's, ruins AVG install & deletes the desktop. I repaired the computer, the next day the customer came up, it had happened again and we traced what he did and he was using the Disk Cleanup. We tried it ourselves and it removed Vista infront of our eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blunderboy Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Was it an upgrade from XP or a clean Vista install? If it is an XP upgrade then it could be that the files that control the disk clean up program were not installed or they didn't overwrite the XP version of the files and since the Vista folders are there it could be that it is viewing it as clutter. Most of the time people choose to leave the XP files and folders in place so that everything is still there and Vista looks more like their XP installation insted of a fresh install. If that person didn't do a clean install then it could be that the installation process was either interupted and restarted or that the installation was If it was a Vista anytime upgrade installation then Vista keeps a backup of the old Vista installation in case the upgrade fails. It could that the upgrade is falling back on the old installation's disk cleanup file and it may be corrupted. Or it could just be a bug in Vista that either you or your customer triggered. :) Try to back up the data and do a clean install. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Manching Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Get Ubuntu! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChevronX Posted June 28, 2007 Author Share Posted June 28, 2007 Yeh it was a fresh install. Although it was OEM installed so maybe a bug with another of the rubbish applications that were installed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunex Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 OEM installed That machine is in serious danger! Backup all user files. Then, insert the Vista repair disk and do format and a clean reinstall. OEM installations are always crap, no exceptions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparda Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 Get Ubuntu! qfe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blunderboy Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 OEM installed That machine is in serious danger! Backup all user files. Then, insert the Vista repair disk and do format and a clean reinstall. OEM installations are always crap, no exceptions. I Use OEM installations all the time and I usually have no problems except that you need drivers in most cases and sometimes there are activation issues. As far as the integrity of the installation, OEMs seem to be the most constant source of good install disks that work on a wide array of computers. They tend to install and setup faster then a retail disk. I would run a HDD test to make sure that there isn't any bad sectors or that the HDD isn't failing. Also if it is an OEM disk then make sure that it isn't one manufactured by a certain manufactorer for their computers. If this is the case the disk may not recognise your hardware as being a valid HP or Gateway computer and busting up your installation. If it is just a straight OEM disk then you should have no problem but if you are still having problems I would format your user partition using a bootable software then install everything fresh again. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unasoto Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 I never use the OEM I got a MSDN subscription and use that disk :) and I love it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deveant Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 :? whats wrong with OEM? ive never had an issue with them, there just the release disk with out the manuales and Boxs :shock: whats wrong with that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digip Posted June 29, 2007 Share Posted June 29, 2007 :? whats wrong with OEM? ive never had an issue with them, there just the release disk with out the manuales and Boxs :shock: whats wrong with that? OEM's use custom settings and often mess with a lot of things. That is if your using their install disk, and not just an "OEM" windows disc as I think your referrring to (no manuals or box) Gateway was notrious with this on Windows 98 back in the day. Using their restore disc, all you could do was set it back to the way it was when you bought it. No walk through to pick options or change things, but it installed all the things you would normally see, say, when you buy a pc at Best Buy or Circuit City with 90% crapware on top of everything. My wifes Gateway was set up with files in places they normally wouldn't be on a clean windows install, thus making a fat finger of DELETE on the wrong folder or file kill your whole system when it removed something that normally would have been in the system folder, safe and out of the way. OEM does not always mean just a disc with no box or manual. It often means that the pc manufaturer (original equipment manufaturer = oem), like acer or compaq, would have custom versions of windows with their liscense deals, and settings cahnged to their liking. I allways format and reinstall from a base OS disc instead of using their provided restore discs. Keeping their install from day one is like driving across the country without a map. Your going to get lost eventually. I have yet to have a pc out of the box with an OEM install that worked as it should with no problems. There is always somehting in there that is either not up to date or somethign that they ad that will interfere with windows normal functions. Desktop cleanup wizard is just one of the things I have witnessed persoanlly myself on XP. Try desktop cleanup wizard on a Gateway using Windows XP MCE 2005 after about 6 months of use. You will probably get a critical registry error upon compacting of files and reboot. I forget the exact error, but it was a bug that I found listed on the Microsoft site that they were aware of but weren't sure why with NO FIX. What they did know though, was that it was on certain pcs from OEM's like Gateway, etc, and this probably due to something they add to the installs or change per install based on their customizations. Their response was to ask for support from the manufacturer of the pc (Gateway, was my OEM). This gets them off easy, since they can blame Gateway when windows stops working. Its not Windows that is te problem, its the OEM, or at least, that is what they themself have made it seem like. "That's not a security hole. It's a feature..." - Microsoft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blunderboy Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Disks that restore computer back to the reseller's specs is a restore CD/DVD not an OEM disk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_equipment_manufacturer Restore Disks do put all that crap back on your computer but it tells you that it is putting everything back to original factory settings. Gateway is actually the best restore Disks these days. HPs, Compaqs Sonys, and Lenovo have a lot of crap right out of the box, however Gateways and since Gateway owns EMachines, EMachines have very little extra shit on the computer that is not needed. (DVD burning and viewing software is since the DVD viewing software contains the DVD viewing encoder) OEMs are plan OS disks and nothing else. Vista Gateways come with OS disks only, that are similar to OEM disks but aren't actually OEM disks since Gateway has edited some of the things on the OS. However you can have an HP OEM disk or something similar. I know HP gives out OEM restore disks to places that work on HP machines. Back to the original question I would again suggest that you run a Seagate HDD test. Seagate tests are, in my experience, the best at finding errors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digip Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Disks that restore computer back to the reseller's specs is a restore CD/DVD not an OEM disk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_equipment_manufacturer Restore Disks do put all that crap back on your computer but it tells you that it is putting everything back to original factory settings. Gateway is actually the best restore Disks these days. HPs, Compaqs Sonys, and Lenovo have a lot of crap right out of the box, however Gateways and since Gateway owns EMachines, EMachines have very little extra shit on the computer that is not needed. (DVD burning and viewing software is since the DVD viewing software contains the DVD viewing encoder) OEMs are plan OS disks and nothing else. Vista Gateways come with OS disks only, that are similar to OEM disks but aren't actually OEM disks since Gateway has edited some of the things on the OS. However you can have an HP OEM disk or something similar. I know HP gives out OEM restore disks to places that work on HP machines. Back to the original question I would again suggest that you run a Seagate HDD test. Seagate tests are, in my experience, the best at finding errors. Well, I have fixed a number of peoples pcs and they all had Windows install discs that had the little plastic cd case with the shiny windows emblem and cd key on them, and even though they were pretty much just a restore cd in essence, put it back to the way it was when you bought it, they were labeled as "Operating System CD" with something like "Version 98" which meant windows 98, etc and had "For distribution only with a new pc". No manuals or box, just a sleeve or cd jewel case. My wifes pc has two discs. One that says "System Restoration CD" and the other that says "Operating System CD". The restoration cd is only for reloading drivers, Restoring to Win2000, 98/95, booting windows to recover files or install programs, or loading the NT 4.0 Driver Locater Utility. Her "Operating System CD" will wipe everything out and reload it the way the manufacturer set it up. I guess you could say its more like a DSP version than OEM but their basically the same thing aside from what the pc manufacturer adds to the setup process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F8Junkie Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 We tried it ourselves and it removed Vista infront of our eyes. That is just too funny. Classic Microsoft. As for OEM installs, here's my .02 Yes, OEM installs suck, but busting your balls trying to get the drivers and sheit working after a clean install can almost be as bad. Don't fix what isn't broken, but I think in your case if you really need to do disk cleanups, you need a fresh install. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blunderboy Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 They generally give you two disks because the resource disk is a generic one disk fits all models of that kind and the OS disk is for them to hand out to computers that need either WinXP media center 2005 or Vista Home Basic. Dell follows this train of thought and pretty much all Dell system disks will work on any dell and pretty much every computer. (Minus the Drivers of course). Dell does this because it is ass loads less expensive then taking the HP route and making the system disks tailored to each computer model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jht129 Posted July 6, 2007 Share Posted July 6, 2007 Microsoft = [move]bad[/move] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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