catastrophic failure

Question

Downloading a cd, I keep getting the 'catastrophic failure' message, the company keeps telling me it's my computer's fault, namely, low system resources; applications running when you're installing the program.  I have shut down everything I can think of before I install, and it still doesn't work; don't think I have low system resources.  Company keeps telling me they haven't had any problems from other users.  What's a gal to do??  Driving me batty------???!!!!  Would appreciate any help---------thanks!!!!

Mary G · Answer

More info, please--model computer, operating system, amount of free space on hard drive, name of software download. Normally, this can be caused by high security settings and firewalls, lack of necessary space on your hard drive--or bad/incompatible software download. If you're not having any other problems with your computer, get your money back and skip this software installation. You know you cannot download to a cd, of course.

Denny Denham · Answer

Mary G,

If I were a betting man I'd bet that "Downloaded a CD" meant that she was attempting to load a program from a CD, in which case the name of the program that was being loaded should be included in addition to the items you mentioned.

wtskukn · Answer

Thank you Mary and Denny for answering my message.  To answer some of your questions, yep, it's my first dell, have had it about 1 1/2 years.  It's a dell dimension 8400, microsoft windows XP, service pack 2.  I'm not computer illiterate, but far from literate.  When you asked about free space, don't know whether the following info is what you want or not, have 30.69 % free physical memory; 97.73% free virtual memory. The program I am trying to install from a cd is 'smileycons' from cloud eight stationery, use their stationery a lot, so then thought this might be fun to use (haha) since it supposedly doesn't have spyware, adware. And I've never used a message board before either!  If you can be of any help would really appreciate it, though wondering if Mary's suggestion to just forget about it, (think getting money back would be difficult) is the best solution, guess just kinda gripes me that it won't do what it's supposed to do---- Thanks again----

wtskukn · Answer

Also forgot to say Mary and Denny that I haven't had any other problems with my Dell!!

Denny Denham · Answer

wtskukn,

You are running Windows XP yet the company you purchased the software from says you don't have sufficient resources. Since resources are a problem with Windows 9X (95, 98, ME) and NOT with XP that indicates that the company's tech support is uninformed. The amount of memory (both physical and virtual) are sufficient to install any application I can think of (unless you only have 64MB of RAM installed, which is unlikely.

You might try booting to Safe Mode and trying to install it there (start tapping F8 when the computer starts then select Safe Mode from the boot menu that appears). For safety's sake, I'd recommend you create a manual restore point before doing this, just in case the program installs successfully and then causes problems with the system. If it won't install from Safe Mode or it causes subsequent problems, I'd vote with Mary to forget it.

wtskukn · Answer

Denny, Thank you for your last message and input.  Like you, I don't think the problem is my computer, and really don't think I should have to try the safe mode bit, haven't had to for any other program, so will be writing cloud eight asking for a refund, don't think it will work, but gonna try. Happy New Year, full of health, happiness, all that good 'stuff'!  And thanks again!!!

Windows General

catastrophic failure

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