Been a while since I've heard from you, how've you been? And I've run into people like this before. They rip your heart out, then want you to give them more.

I've been slow in the art department, as usual. But despair not, I'm actually inking the yearly xmas pic. =P

Sweet! I'll be looking forward to it. If you want, I can give you my messenger info so we can chat. I can't do it now, my messengers don't want to work at the moment (OS Log-in problems are forcing me to use Directory Services Restore mode), but I'd be happy to once I get everything fixed. I'm planning on reverting to Win XP anyway, so that'll fix the problem.

what are you currently using?

Win 7 Ultimate 32Bit Edition. I got a virus, I think, and it won't let me log on normally. It keeps saying "User Log-in Service failed Log-in", then it resets. So I have to log into the Directory Services Restore Mode in order to do my usual stuff, like get online, watch movies, etc. And the funny thing, is, that mode's supposed to be there to block non-Windows programs, so you can use Windows to restore your Profile. Yet things like Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center and Windows Picture and Fax Viewer won't work, yet other stuff like MPC-HC, XnView, VLC, and Comet Bird work. And I can play games and such, yet those aforementioned *Windows* programs won't work. x3

why go back to XP?

Not sure how you got your setup, but I got a relatively small partition (120 GB) just for the OS and installed software alone -- all my data resides on a different partition -- that way I can nuke my OS partition in the worst case scenario and do a clean install if needed be.

I like XP better than 7, the compatibility function works a lot better. And since I don't have anything that requires Win 7 to run, I think it's a better choice. I just have to wait until I get paid again (around the 3rd of next month) to buy some DVD-R/RWs to burn the Win XP ISO to, so I can boot off of that. I tried redoing Win 7 from here, but I don't have the disk (I used to, but I can't find the damn thing), and the crack I have on my comp won't work under Directory Restore. So I have to do it the hard way and burn the Win XP disk image to a burnable DVD (or CD, but DVD-R/RWs are cheap enough) and boot from there.

I thought about dual-booting my system again, but that won't do me any good unless I can find my Win 7 disk, and if I can do that I might as well just reinstall Win 7. I want to go back to Win XP anyway, so I'll just do that when I get paid again.

you could use any windows 7 dvd... either dell, hp or whatever else that might be around, then force it to load the OEM key using Uloader, have it authenticate and presto.

I have Win 7 Loader Extreme that cracks the OS so it'll boot up as an authentic copy, it just won't work at the moment. Once I get Win XP loaded up (I'm going to wipe the partition I have my OS on, then reformat it. That should get rid of the virus), I might load Win 7 again, but I highly doubt it. Like I said, the compatibility function of Win XP works *tons* better than the same function in Win 7. Since Win 7 is formatted differently, regardless of the fact that it has a compatibility function, it refuses to play a lot of the older games/software. So the compatibility function is there, basically, for show. It may play some of the older stuff, I don't know since I haven't run into any programs that worked under that function. They either worked under the Win 7 format, or they didn't.

And I don't know of anywhere that would still have a Win 7 DVD. I might be able to get it at my local used computer store, but that would cost a lot more than just getting a package of blank DVD-R/RWs and burning the Win XP ISO and booting from that. I still might be able to find the Win 7 DVD my friend gave me (that's how I got Win 7 in the first place), but even then I don't think I'll go back to it, at least not for a long time. I just like my experience with Win XP more. =3 Win 7 has some neat frills, but I miss my older games.

Got it. I guess the reason why I don't miss XP is because I just don't play old games. I got a 64-bit rig with 8 Gb of ram -- so I use that for the newer games -- although there's really just one game I play. WoW =P

I'd like to get a good gaming rig, but the vid cards can be expensive. And, unlike with consoles, there's no guarantee that your comp will be able to play the game you want. x3

I played WoW at one point quite a few years ago, but I didn't really get much out of it. Of course, it was on my cousin's comp when I played it, I'd need to be online a lot more than I am now, I'd have to pay a monthly charge to play it, and I'd need a good gaming rig. So I don't bother with online-only games. =3

Not so sure about that. Win XP will expire all it's support august next year

I don't really care about the support (Windows staff suck anyway), I'm just wanting to play my old games again. Like I said, Win 7 has some nice frills, but the Compatibility function is damn-near nonexistent. All the games I have will run great on Win XP, but Win 7 only seems to like Elder Scrolls III, RPGMaker games, and Japanese dating sims. Which is fine, since I play those games too, but I miss Dungeon Keeper I&II, Siege of Avalon, things like that. The dating sims are modern enough to run under Win 7 - as is Elder Scrolls III - and RPGMaker games are different apparently, but games that need any prior version of windows to run won't work.

I'm just hoping Win 8 is better with that stuff. If not, then I'll have to keep my laptop to play the older games, and just get a new comp for the other stuff.

My arm fell off...