TMPGEnc DVD Author crashed my computer!

[captain_tinker]

I don't know if this is really the reason, but after I installed the 30 day trial of TMPGEnc DVD Author it asked me to reboot. I use Windows 2000 Professional. So I did, and as soon as it came to the point where it goes from the Windows 2000 Boot up screen, to get into windows, the machine reboots, and reboots, and reboots. I cannot get into Windows anymore. I cannot even get into Safe Mode. As soon as it gets to the point where it gets to safe mode, it reboots there too! I am not sure if it is conflict of Hardware or Software, or what... I am using a Gigabyte 7VAXP motherboard, Athlon XP 2100+ cpu, 256 mb of DDR ram, Maxtor 120 GB HDD, ATI Radeon 8500LE Video card, Sony DWU14A DVD burner (OEM version of the DRU510A.)
As for software I had Sonic MyDVD 4 running, and had also gotten a copy of Ulead DVD Movie Factory, and had a copy of Pinnacle Studio 8, and that's when I tried to install the 30 day trial of TMPGEnc. That is when the trouble started. Does anyone have any ideas of how I can get my machine to get back into windows and fix the problem?

[Gazorgan]

There are a number of things not realted to TMPG Author that can cause this. Your real problem probably isn't realted to TMPG Author.

Try booting to 'last known Good Configuration', it's an option during the boot process. Not being able to boot to safe mode isn't a good sign.

[captain_tinker]

Gazorgan,
I appreciate the reply, but I have tried all of the options on the F8 screen. Using the Last known Good Configuration does the same thing as the others. It reboots when just about getting up to Windows. You may be right, it may be something other than TMPGEnc, it's just that that was the last thing I did before this happened. I had copied the install file from another machine that I had installed it on to test it and it worked fine on the test system... So perhaps that isn't it?

[cellmaniac]

You can use the Windows 2000 disc and perform a repair of W2k, rather than reload the entire OS. It's gotten me out of trouble several times, especially when upgrading service packs causing that infamous BSOD.

[captain_tinker]

I tried that too. However I may not have done it correctly. Like a dope I don't have an Emergency repair disk... I was able to get to the place to repair either manually or automatically, and it runs through and does it's thing, but once it has finished, It hasn't changed anything. I may not be doing it correctly though, please elaborate?
I have been able to set up a temporary HDD with Win2K on it and I can at least read the other HDD under another windows 2K install, so I can back up my data files if I have to, but I would rather fix the other one so I don't have to re-install all of the programs etc...

[Roderz]

Try using the window$ 2000 'Recovery console' option (if not installed then boot from w2k installaion cd or setup floppies)


Get ready to use your command promt!
Typing help shows all commands (25 I think)

Use Listsvc command to list services and drivers and their boot options.

Then use Disable command to disable any sus drivers!

Saved my system a few times - hope this helps.

Best of luck

Btw to install from a working windows env use cmdline (recomended)
x:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons

[captain_tinker]

Roderz,
Thanks, I will try that this evening when I get home. I will post after that to let you know how it went.
Does anyone else have any other ideas while I am at it? Thanks!

[cellmaniac]

Once you get your system up again and you have a second hard drive, you should consider using some back up program, like Acronis True Image. It allows you to back up your entire drive (compressed) to another hard drive or CD or DVD and it also creates a bootable CD.

I ended up moving over Windows XP and used the image program to store a good copy of my system image incase I have to reload. I started to create a backup every month or so to keep it current.

[captain_tinker]

Roderz,
I tried getting into the recovery console, and was able to run the listsvc command. I got TONS of things in the output, but I was not able to find anything that even sounded remotely like an "sus" driver as you put in there. Unless it was a mis-spelling? Bus driver perhaps? There were some drivers for different types of busses, but I am not sure which ones would have worked... I appreciate the help anyway... I think since I have been able to back up most of my data by now by booting off of another hard drive, that I will probably just go ahead and re-install everything. I would think that that ought to work just fine. However that brings up another question... I can re-install Windows 2000 over the top of the one I have now, but I know it removes the My Documents directory, does it also remove any installed programs too? Is there any way to re-install it and keep the installed programs? I could always move the My Documents directory somewhere else and rename it so it doesn't get deleted?
Thanks!