You may want to reconsider giving up on GAOTD for the simple reason that the problems you’re experiencing may compound and become issues with other programs. In essence it’s a ticking time bomb and the clock is still running. There is nothing extraordinary or unique about GAOTD downloads. Unless you understand what changed in your PC, and done something about it, then all anyone can recommend is that you have at the ready all the disks containing your backup’s (i.e., My Documents folder, My Pictures, My Music, My Favorites, etc).
On many occasions someone griped in frustration because their PC wasn’t behaving has called me. Something has changed, to that there is no doubt, but what is the question. So I would go through various troubleshooting steps attempting to isolate their problem. Sometimes I’d be on the phone for hours saying, “Try this, does it help?” and the answer would be, “Ok I tried that and NO it doesn’t help, I’ve still got the problem”. Eventually I’d be enticed to make a house call, and after a few minutes I would isolate the problem. After fixing their PC I’d ask, “I thought you said over the phone you tried what I just did and said it didn’t work?” And the answer, “I guess I misunderstood because I thought I was following your instructions. Sorry about that!”
Was I pissed that I had to make a road trip to fix a problem that could have just as easily been fixed by themselves? No I couldn’t, because I’ve been guilty (on more than one occasion) of making the same kind of error. Swearing to some technical support person over the phone, convinced that I’ve done a troubleshooting step when in fact I only thought I did. With all that in mind, consider remote assistance. Send an invitation to a “Techie” friend or computer expert and let them connect to your computer to help you solve your problem. Here’s where you can get more details:
Using Remote Assistance to Get Help When You Need It
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/remoteassist/intro.mspx
Step-by-Step Guide to Remote Assistance
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457004.aspx
Another suggestion to fix the problem would be to do a System Restore. Find a restore point from two weeks ago (the point where you could install GAOTD’s), and restore your system to that point, undoing any changes that got you in trouble. It’s a safe way of getting you back to where you were without jeopardizing personal files or the majority of customized settings.
Don’t give in and keep in mind how much more computer savvy you’ll have from this experience!
