angel

Thanks for the quick response!! I will try that right now. Angel

I have an Excel Worksheet that I have forgotten the password to. It is a worksheet that I store my children's Christmas presents and information. How can I access that password. Micrsoft tells me there is no way without a third party software program. Is there a way or a free 3rd party software program I can download to get this password retrieved? Angel

I know. That's what I'm trying to do. Use the SAME e'mail accounts. I guess this is called Shared User Settings or Sharing Application Data or something. Surely there is a way to do this. Angel

I am setting up different users on my XP. I have Office 2000, and use OUtlook e-mail. When I go to a different users desktop, it brings up a brand new Outlook without the settings and e-mail. I can import the e-mail, but I am trying to keep from recreating all the Settings, Accounts,etc. Also, I really just need everyone to use the one e-mail program so I can keep it cleaned up and organized. How do I get all users to just use one Set of Settings for Outlook? I have tried to put the Outlook Settings into All Users Application Data folder, but it isn't working. Angel

Maybe I shouldn't ask this in an open forum, but exactly how DO you use XP more than once? How do you get around the authentication? Angel

Thanks for the quick response! fdisk did the trick. I don't know why I didn't try that before, but I thought that since my harddrive was already partitioned, all I needed to do was format. But deleting the partition and creating another one gave XP a place to install. So it's reinstalling as we speak... or write. I won't use MSCONFIG.EXE any time soon. I don't know why it messed everything up so bad. I just told it to load basic drivers so I could try to fix my Switch Users problem, and when I tried to go back to normal restart, NOTHING worked or LOOKED the same. Internet connection was gone and my taskbar looked like Win98 even though I was not on Classic settings anywhere. Norton AV was crossed out in the systray even though it was checked in MSCONFIG.EXE. All my pretty colored XP pages (control panels, etc.) went white instead of blue. Thanks Again. I'm really glad I found this forum. Angel

Hi guys, I am trying to reformat my harddrive again. But the directions that worked for Win98 WON'T work for XP. I'm now stuck and can't go anywhere. How do you get to where you can format the harddrive? I tried putting in the XP CD to do a clean install, but now the computer won't go to Windows XP at all. IT'S STUCK IN SETUP. It won't give me any option to format C. All I get when I put in the startup disk I created for XP is DOS on A: The format C: option will not work When I tried the Win98 startupdisk, I am told that "format not supported on drive C" I suppose this has something to do with no dos on xp. I can't get my computer to do anything now. How do I get to where I can format and reinstall xp? I can't even do a reinstall from the CD because the options I get are install on drive D or install a 2nd copy or XP on Drive C. What do I do next? A Very Frustrated Angel PS I started all the reformat stuff because using MSCONF.exe totally screwed up everything on my harddrive. I couldn't access internet and my whole destop had the classic settings, but classic settings were NOT checked. So I decided to reformat and reinstall because I had some problems anyway.

When I turned off Report to MS, and don't auto reboot, I got the message "This page is locked" or something similar. I found some users on the Starband forum that are using the "Switch Users" option without problem. So, I'm still trying to see if there is a solution. I can turn off Fast User Switching and just use the Log On, Log Off option, but maybe there is a memory resident program that won't shut down causing the problem in Fast User Switching. MY QUESTION: Where is the option in XP to check or uncheck memory resident background tasks. I can see them in the task manager, but can't select the ones I want to use. In Win98, there was this option in System Info. But I can't find it in XP. Does anyone know where to find that option? Angel

I checked and both drive are 4K so I guess I got lucky. Thanks for the information. Angel

How do I tell what size the clusters are on my harddrive. Maybe my Drive C is formatted with the wrong size clusters too. I do not know much about this. Angel

After the install, I found that by simply clicking on Drive D in My Computer, I was given the option to format right there in Windows. In fact I was told I had to format before I could use it. I guess I missed formatting that drive somewhere when I was partitioning. I just was never given that option. Angel

I finally was brave enough to format my harddrive with two years of saved stuff. (I did back everything up, but still you can't save everything.) I followed everyone's advice in this forum, formatted, used fdisk, etc. and installed XP. Everything was going smoothly....until.... I selected "Switch Users". My Starband Internet connection would not work on the new user (I know everyone has be an admistrator) The connection was lost because the Satellite Accelerator stopped working when switching users. I know this is a Starband problem, BUT when I click on Reset the Salellite Accelerator...the computer COMPLETELY AND IMMEDIATELY shuts off. Therefore, I cannot use the "Switch User Option". Now I CAN select "Log off" and then go to another user and the starband internet works ok (except one time it caused a crash just selecting "Log off") . The other MAJOR problem associated with this whole thing is that EVERY time I reboot, CRASH or NOT, the MS dialog box comes up and tells me I have a "serious error" and should report this to MS (which I did once). How do I get rid of this message each time I reboot? Are there any other issues out there caused by Switching Users that would help me solve this problem? Starband DOES NOT provide support for XP. Angel (Nothing ever comes easy!)

I am finally installing XP on my desktop computer. I'm glad to have this laptop to be able to still communicate with the outside world. I followed the directions that you guys gave me in this forum and everything is going ok so far. I have two partitions using fdisk, and XP is installing on Drive C, with Drive D extended as a logical drive. Now, Drive C was formatted NTFS when I started installing XP. But I was never asked to format Drive D NTFS. So how do I get Drive D formatted NTFS when XP finishes installing on Drive C? Or does it have to be formatted that way? Shouldn't I format it some way? Angel

I appreciate the info. The only reason I was asking about compatibility with Norton 2002, is that when I tried the upgrade, the advisor told me that Norton Disk Doctor, Image Disk and Registry Tracker could cause compatibility issues. We shall see. I will try to format the way you suggested. I have two years of data to back up in 30 or so programs.I'm a little afraid of losing something I need by reformating, but at this point I have no choice. Win98 runs slow and is full of junk. Having a drive D would be a great way to save data separate from he operating system and program installs. That way I can reformat when the system slows down. Sounds like it will take some time to backup, reinstall etc, so I need to start working on my backups. Luckily I do a have a CD Writer. Maybe by next weekend I will be ready for the reformat-I'll let you know if I need more help then. Thanks, Angel

XPerties- I have a 19GB harddrive. I'm glad you responsed because I was about to come to the conclusion that I needed 2 partitions, but was still hesitant. I never thought about using Norton's Ghost. Good idea. I have Norton 2002. Is there an XP version or will my version work? (And the whole 2002 System Works-will they work?) Also, should I purchase Partition Magic, Commander or just use the MS XP partition that comes with Windows? I don't think I can resize the partitions with the XP version. Angel

Hi, I am getting ready to install XP and would like some advice on using partitions. I have never done this before, but I was reading that it could be a good idea to partition part of your drive (D) and install your data there. That way XP and all the programs could be on one partition ©, Data on partition D and you could create a 3rd partition (Hidden E) to make a copy of C, so that when C is full and corrupted, you just format C and copy your duplicate to C. Has anyone done this and is this a good idea? Sharon

Drew, Thanks for rethinking that. It would be much easier if it works that way. I am still gathering info, so let me know if you find out anymore on the subject. I am still trying to locate someone from the newsgroups at Starband that has been successful using XP with Starband (my Satellite Internet service who does not yet support XP--who knows what people with NEW computers are suppose to do). Thanks, angel

XPerties-- Yes that makes sense. I just kinda wanted to use the file transfer to move all my music files. I can move them through Direct Cable Connection to my Laptop though if I need to format. I guess I am a little skeptical because I haven't had a successful upgrade since 3.1 to Win95 and I remember uninstalling Win95 once too. Win98 came on my newest computer. Also, I am a Starband Satellite member. They do not support XP yet(pooh on them), and so if it doesn't work, I have no Internet service. However, they do support 2000. I plan on gathering all the info I can and then trying to install XP this coming weekend. Thanks again. angel

Drew Thanks for the instructions. I think I can follow them as long as there are no other options that appear unexpectedly. Drew or XPerties-- One question--Why can't I just select clean install since I understand that it completely wipes out all your files, but allows you to transfer files and settings? Is formatting better? Half of what I read says format and the other half says a clean install. I am sitting here reading the Complete Reference to Windows XP, but they haven't given enough details on installation. What's the difference? Thanks for you quick responses. angel

I am running Windows 98 that was on my computer when I purchased it new (off brand because a local company built it for me). However, I do not have the Win98 CD as it was already installed on my computer. Can I do a clean install? I do have a Laptop that I purchased that came with the reinstall Win98 CD. I did purchase both copies of Win98, but just don't have the original CD for the desktop computer(I'm not sure why, I just never realized until now I didn't have it.) I tried to do the upgrade two days ago, but my starband internet, Norton System works and Outlook would not work. When I tried to supply the CD and reinstall, it wouldn't let me because it first had to uninstall.Everytime I tried to uninstall to reinstall, I kept getting missing files error messages. So I just uninstalled XP. I really want XP to work. What should I do? Uninstall OFFICE, Starband Internet software and NOrton, and then try to reinstall them after the upgrade? Or do a clean install? And if I need the CD will the CD from my Dell computer work? Sharon