Re: Downgrading frustrations

Danny Sanders wrote:
So, with all the confirming behind me I decided to check my mail. I needed to establish a new profile in Thunderbird...As soon as I attempted configure the profile? She blinked out! This may be complicated by the sharing of a Thunderbird install in his other OS...

I was weary by then and surrendered. However? I'm leaning toward Thunderbird being the source of the 'crash'. I still am baffled why there is not warning? The ol's black screen and reboot?!


I've seen bad drivers do this to computers. Usually the writers of the drivers don't provide a way to write to the event viewer. Not exactly sure what "Thunderbird" is but I would uninstall it and test.

Thunderbird is the standalone e-mail client from Mozilla. I doubt if it's the app per se. I tried to migrate a profile (import/convert) so all the settings and access and the folders that are shared by the other OS's, are avaailable in '03.

While this is 'supported' - getting it to that point - migrating the settings - may be causing the problem.

The SOP is to copy the user profiles from the user's Documents And Settings (in another OS) and rename the folder. Well, other tweaking is necessary. I see a weak link there, as the main file is a prefs.js. (Java) and it's a bit complicated - it pretty much configures all the settings, accounts, locations of folders and user preferences (also an ..ini file needs to be modified in the '03 Documents & Settings so it is pointing to the new prefs folder in '03). Thus, a lot can go wrong - even though the actual app executes - albeit without any user preferences.
I leaning away from the drivers. The updated drivers are audio & video - I figured they are up and running immediately? Curious they would cause a problem after two hours.

I've also seen a bad card do similar things to a computer (Just restart for no reason). If when installing software you get errors, check the memory by replacing it with "known good" memory. Also a flaky Video card can do this. Test by replacing the video card with a "known good" video card.

Doubtful as both my machine and his run two other OS's flawlessly. The audio/video cards seem not to be an issue in the other OS's. Further, I don't recall this "blink out" happening upon intitial install, either.

In my experience, a sudden and unexpected shutdown/ restart is *usually* hardware related. If it is software related it is most likely a driver. I've never seen that kind of behavior on a computer where all software installed without errors, the OS installs just fine with no corruption. I have seen the OS install corrupt but that was due to bad RAM. The RAM had a bad chip on it.


Thus, as drivers either functioned without causing this shutdown for sometime and the cards are flawless in other OS's? I think I may have to to a clean install of the e-mail client and configure the prefs from scratch. I doubt the first is necessary - I could first leave the current install and see if manually configuring the prefs solves the problem. To be candid, I've not always 'migrated' the prefs anyway. It isn't a simple as 'copying' a folder to the Documents and Settings anyway! Yeah, my gut tells me that if I code the prefs in the app rather than trying to migrate an existing bundle of confusion over? I may solve the shutdown. Or, install a unique version of the e-mail client...

Funny thing? I've had loads of bad apps or apps gone bad in my time? In fact, though I've had few system crashes? The odd thing is I don't recall an OS simply going blank? I'm sure they do!? While locking up or a blue screen is never pleasent? It usualy means one has a way of gaining some info for the 'reason' (and often it is generic enough to not give a clue...) That's the only reason you've caused me to question the drivers (as the hardware is fine in the other OS's). But it is still a question until I eliminate the e-mail client as the culpurt.

Regardless, it is running well, (two hours is a record) -- it was zipping along. I may be wrong? (It may not be the e-mail client?) I'll be surprised if it's hardware or driver related - But, I'm making progress and I think I'm closer to the end than the beginning. No, this isn not a minor isue? But as it is performing so well in general, I'm looking forward to presenting him with a great OS - when we solve this!

Yeah, it seems to really run great! Now to solve this shutdown and I think he's ready to roll!



.

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