Ribbon wire was bad

[Gwizz]

My old ME machine occasionally would throw an error at me or crash to desk top, for months. I replace the ribbon wire. I haven't had a problem since. Knock on wood. This machine is almost 15 years old, But it is my RT2 machine and gets a lot of use. Billion of electrons have passed through those solder joints. Maybe more.

[thegrindre]

Yesiree, Gwizz, cables will go bad, especially on older unit that rarely get cleaned. General cleaning is a good idea if you have it all apart. Removing and replacing cables will tend to clean up pins a little.
A good tuner cleaner such as what I use called, 'Precision Electronics Cleaner', works wonders. It's a Radio Shack item that leaves no residue and evaporates in seconds...

[Gwizz]

I've never completely lost a cable before. Unplugging and re-installing has always fixed it. Not this time.

Now if I can get the XP machine running, I'll be happy. But I think it is an XP OS problem and I don't have a back up disk since I bought the computer used.
The backup D drive XP OS returns the same missing files error when reinstalled. I do have a home version of XP. I wonder if that is worth a try?
Without the box code I can't install; But maybe I could transfer files. Hummmmm.

I still haven't learned about all the features of 7. I turned on the wireless modem so the wife could connect her new laptop to the net. It worked at 100%. Now my 7 is asking me to connect to my network. I'm hard wired and like it. I did a survey of the computer hardware and it shows I have two printers installed. That is correct; but it also says I'm connected to two more Microsoft printers as well, 4 total, I only have the two hooked up. Geezzz, maybe I'm being watched by the government through the Microsoft connection.

[thegrindre]

I suggest you uninstall all printers properly then re-install the two you do have. It'll help the OS, in general, run a bit better.