[wdvltalk-social] BIG emrgency - wife's machine limping ;-)

[joseph harris]

I've gone to the limits of my technical expertise; thrown it from one side of the room to the other...

The message is 'disable caching and shadowing' - I suspect that even if I could get to something to try that it would not be a good idea.

a) what is the most likely problem?
b) what is the most likely solution?
c) if I can manage it via command prompt - how? and instructions to simpleton... 
d) you already know I do not have a disc... This is XP Pro 2 on an ancient Toshiba laptop. Any chance of anyone sending the disc image so I can make a disc? And please explain what the choices are to burn it correctly for use!

Yes, I've searched, but not getting useful responses. The message comes up after Bios, and Windows begins its startup procedure... But it won't even get into safe mode.

If you get me out of this I will worship you for ever... or at least for the rest of the evening ;-).

It has just asked for the system disc when trying for safe mode. And it is taking a very long time to complete each process...

Joseph