Having trouble with Windows and I.E. browser

[sciencemagic]

I have been having much trouble with Windows error messages (Windows has stopped working & looking for a solution message) . I have contacted their help forums and have tried there suggestions to no avail. Their last resort response was to use system restore, which I have a lot of reluctance to use because of the problems with it. I was hoping maybe someone at HP can offer other solutions or suggestions. I also, and I suspect it is connected, am having trouble with I.E. browser. I also keep getting the error message, "I.E. has stopped working and I.E. is looking for a solution to the problem". Hopefully, someone at HP can offer some help. Thank you.

[Grzwacz]

Hello sciencemagic

I am not employed by HP but volunteer to assist folks with HP PC problems.

The first item on your to do list should be to back up stuff now on the HDD that you need to keep for the future.

This problem is a tough one.

It could be corrupt system files or device drivers. IE is part of Windows 7 so seeing errors in Windows and IE is typical.

It could be faulty RAM, or a failing HDD, or any other failing motherboard component. The clock may be ticking towards complete system failure.

So you have to start with either software or hardware and troubleshoot until you, hopefully, find the cause.

A system restore is a good tool to use if you believe it is a system file or driver problem and can pinpoint when the symptom started. Then select a restore point before the onset of the problem.

A system restore does not always work. This is true if you have failing hardware or you pick the wrong Microsoft Restore point.

Run a check disk on the PC to scan for operating system problems.

Check Device Manager for driver problems.

There are a whole bunch of Pavilion P2 PC's, so I don't know the exact PC you are using. Don't know what HP hardware diagnostics you have. But you should run boot time HP hardware diagnostics, if you have it, on all components. 

Try "ESC' at boot, then look for hardware diagnostics in Start Menu.

Grzy

[mdklassen]

> Hopefully, someone at HP can offer some help.

Note that most of the volunteers on this forum do NOT work for HP.

> I have been having much trouble with Windows error messages (Windows has stopped working & looking for a solution message) 

Turn your computer off.

Turn your computer on, and, when prompted, press 'F2' to run the HP Diagnostics, to test your hardware.

How old is your computer? Windows 7 was released in 2011.

So, your disk-drive could be up to 6 years old -- that is double or triple the length of the manufacturer's warranty.

Do you drive your automobile on 6-year-old tires, with minimal remaining tread-lifei?

Do you have a "spare" disk-drive (even as small as 80GB) ?

Often, a small "owner/operator" computer-store will sell such a drive for $10 US.

Can you remove the current disk-drive, connect that "spare" drive, and reinstall Windows 7, and see if the symptoms go away, either due to the "fresh" installation of Windows, or the use of a different disk-drive?

[sciencemagic]

Thank you MDKlassen for your reply. Your comment "Turn your computer on, and, when prompted, press 'F2' to run the HP Diagnostics, to test your hardware. I really don't recall ever being prompted to use the F2 key when I turn my compter on? But, nonetheless I will try that. I am not  a computer wizard, so removing my current disk drive and replacing it with a spare is probably out of my skill level. Yes, I have certainly thought about refreshing my Windows 7. But that is another story all together I have investigated in the past, and is something I may still do. But, I thought about other possible SIMPLE options first?

   My computer is about 8 years old, and Windows 7 was preinstalled when I bought it. The model is p2-1113w. Thank you for your suggestions, and help.

[mdklassen]

> But, I thought about other possible SIMPLE options first?

What could be simpler than powering-on the computer, and looking for a message like "press <blah> to run HP Diagnostics" ?

> My computer is about 8 years old, and Windows 7 was preinstalled when I bought it.

If the tires on your automobile were 8 years old, and almost bald, would you replace them, before they had a "spectacular" blow-out?  Similarly, at the maximum, your disk-drive came with a 3-year warranty.   So, for a disk-drive to last 5 years after the warranty is pretty good value for your money.

There does exist  free "disk-cloning" software, for doing a disk-to-disk copy.

While your current disk-drive is still working, "clone" it to a brand-new disk-drive, disconnect the "old" disk-drive, connect the "new" disk-drive, and boot from the new disk-drive.

[sciencemagic]

Thanks for the reply mdklassen. I guess  there must be some kind of telepathy going on, because I just don't see a coded message for what you suggest, mdklassen. "What could be simpler than powering-on the computer, and looking for a message like "press <blah> to run HP Diagnostics". Just where or how do I access such a message? When I turn my computer on, there is no such message about HP Diagnostics. If what you are suggesting is, when I turn my computer on, and before or after I log in, to hit the F2 key, and then the HP Diagnostics will appear? Please explain, mdklassen.

   If F2 does bring up the HP Diagnostic menu, I have already tried such things within the Diagnostics menu as the driver-keyboards, driver- origianal, diagnostics, firmware, software-multimedia, order- recovery. If this is what the HP Diagnostics is, or what you are referring to mdklassen, can you please explain? I do appreciate the communities help and again, patience. Thank you.

[mdklassen]

> Just where or how do I access such a message? When I turn my computer on, there is no such message about HP Diagnostics.

Turn the computer off.

Turn the computer on.

As soon as you do, do you see any messages on the screen, like "press <blah> to interrupt normal startup", or "press <blah> to enter BIOS SETUP" ?

At that point, press the <blah> key, which may be the 'F2' key, and see if you see another message like "press <blah> to run HP Diagnostics".

This diagnostic software is stored on your computer, and runs *INSTEAD* of the normal booting into Windows, and it does not require an Internet connection to run.

> If F2 does bring up the HP Diagnostic menu, I have already tried such things within the Diagnostics menu as the driver-keyboards, driver- original, diagnostics, firmware, software-multimedia, order- recovery.

If that is what you see, you are using the Internet to access a web-page on the HP Support web-site.

That's an entirely-different situation, and not at all relevant to your problem.

But, that  diagnostics  hyperlink might be promising, if all else fails.

But, don't go there, just yet.

P.S. The document at: http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c03255541

states:

4. As soon as you see the initial company logo screen appear, repeatedly press F11 on your

keyboard until the Windows is Loading Files… message appears on the screen.

So, for your model of computer, the <blah> key is the 'F11' key.

[sciencemagic]

Thank you mdklassen for your reply. No, I don't see any messages as you suggested, and never have. But, nonetheless, when I turned on my computer this time,  I just kept hitting the F2 key and the HP Diagnostics screen appeared. Great! And you were right, it couldn't be any easier! The diagnostics ran, and all the tests: CPU, Hard drive connection, Boot, S.M.A.R.T. and Memory all showed Pass. Also good.

  So, where are we at now? Do you have any other possible suggestions up your sleeve I might try, other than the disk copy/ transfer action you suggested? Is the disk copy/transfer action the same as the Windows media transfer procedure that Windows some times recommends? This procedure uses 4 DVD's 4.7 GB, to copy the Windows 7 operating sytem. I am told Windows allows one copy of it's operating system per customer. Is this true mdklassen? I did not receive a Windows 7 disk to install in my computer, the operating system was already installed when I purchased it, so I don't have a copy of the operating sytem. Thanks for your help, mdklassen.

[mdklassen]

> So, where are we at now?

Apparently no closer to a solution, and maybe even wandering off on a tangent.

> Do you have any other possible suggestions up your sleeve I might try, other than the disk copy/ transfer action you suggested?

No, I gave you my "best" suggestions first. 

If the RAM is OK, and the motherboard is OK, then what's left as the "guilty" component? 

The power-supply? A flaky data-cable? A non-functioning fan that allows overheating? A "failing" disk-drive?

> Is the disk copy/transfer action the same as the Windows media transfer procedure that Windows some times recommends?

No.  Far from it.  A "disk-cloning" writes an EXACT copy of the "source" disk-drive onto the "TARGET" disk-drive, assuming that all the sectors on the "source" disk-drive are "readable".  The thought is that a "failing" disk-drive is likely to be 100% "readable", even when there are difficulties trying to "write" to it.

> This procedure uses 4 DVD's 4.7 GB, to copy the Windows 7 operating sytem.

That's a different procedure -- to copy files from the disk-drive onto the 4 DVD-recordable disks, to make a copy of the software necessary to reinstall Windows onto an "empty" disk-drive (or SSD).

> I am told Windows allows one copy of its operating system per customer.

Not true.  I have a laptop, running Windows 10, and a desktop, running Windows 7.  Both are "registered" to me.

What is true is that the license that comes with each "retail" copy of Windows allows the software to be installed on just one computer at a time.  The definition of "one computer" gets messy, if you install Windows, and then add RAM, replace the disk-drive, and replace the video-card, and replace the CD/DVD drive.  At what point is it a "different" computer?

Further, if your computer was preinstalled with Windows, then your license to use that copy of Windows will "expire" when the computer itself "expires", such as the malfunctioning of the motherboard.  In that case, even if you can replace the motherboard by an identical part-number, your license to use that copy of Windows is not valid.

> I did not receive a Windows 7 disk to install in my computer, the operating system was already installed when I purchased it, so I don't have a copy of the operating system.

Correct.

But, one of those already-installed programs helps you create a set of "Windows 7 disk(s)" to allow you to reinstall Windows. The thought is that if the manufacturer included that "set" with the packaging of the computer, maybe only 5% of the purchasers would ever use that "set".  So, the manufacturer can save a few dollars per computer by *NOT* by buying the blank media, burning files onto it, labelling the set, packaging the set, and shipping it with the computer.  Much easier/cheaper to "preload" the necessary software onto the disk-drive.

[sciencemagic]

Hi mdklassen, thank you once again for your reply. I do appreciate you taking the time to thoroughly explain things. So, your comment "Apparently no closer to a solution, and maybe even wandering off on a tangent" may be correct. Your first suggestion, of using the HP Diagnostics, unfortunately didn't reveal a smoking gun. That would have been I guess too easy. Is the situation is your opinion, that my computer is just getting too old, and it is time to either upgrade, or as I have been told, to do a back up and then reinstall Windows 7 from the copying procedure I spoke about, using the 4 DVD's to download data from my computer. I just don't remember specifically what that procedure was called now. But I did see a video about it, and evidently, it is a fairly common procedure? 

   Being I'm just not a very computer savvy person, I'm trying my best not to get into too deep and screw things up more than they are now. And, if I'm not careful, and knowing myself, that could happen. If you think it best I go to a "pro" to resolve my computer issues, which may be either software or hardware, could you give your opinion, mdklassen? Again, thank you for your help and patience, it is appreciated.