Mystery Drive Q…
After a good deal of head scratching, we were able to fix this issue. In one instance, this problem was caused by the install of Office 2010, if this is what in fact led you to this article, you’re in for a good deal more head scratching, to the point of a bleeding scalp. Another issue we encountered with roots in our Office 2010 install, was that subsequent attempts to install programs, even unrelated programs, led failed installs. We were able to track this problem to multiple registry keys having permission errors. So in essence, this caused the registry keys to become unchangeable in the eyes of the “Trusted Installer Service”. In one case it even led to the reformatting of an entire system.
OK, now for you’re silver lining. The good news is, we did succeed in resolving a few of these issues. But relistically, if you have registry key permission errors, registry damage has been done. In which case a system restore may be your only hope. Having said that, any comments related your efforts with a similar repair would be greatly appreciated by all.
So lets get started. If in fact your issue is Office 2010 related, than the problem most likely relates to “Application Virtualization” which is a component of Office 2010. Specifically their tool to “Create a Portable Office 2010 Flash Drive”, which was used to create a portable 2010 usb drive on one of our machines.
In any case, our first suggestion would be to download and run Ccleaner. Run both the cache cleaner and the registry cleaner in “Ccleaner”. Normally we’re not big fans registry cleaners, but Ccleaners pretty tame and very user friendly. And always remember to set a restore point, as well as backup your registry.
Our first attempts at a repair were to delete the keys stored at
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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MountedDevicesAs well as various other locations. But attempting to manually delete the related registry keys only remove the drive temporarily. After a system restart, the drives would reaper.
Next we installed “Application Virtualization”. The goal here was to try to overwrite bad registry keys, with ones from the installer. Once the programs installed we suggest that you restart your machine. After restarting the computer, remove the program using “Programs and Features”. Run Ccleaner again, registry and cache, restart, and let us know if this fixed it.
If that doesn’t work, another method we used was installing Daemon Tools. Again with the hopes of over writing bad registry keys. We used DAEMON Tools Lite. There was a point in time when the use of this program was a horrible idea, and was like computer suicide. But we’ll admit that their product has come a long way. The installer seemed to do a pretty fair job of cleaning up after itself, leaving very few stray registry keys, and program folders behind.
If all else fails there’s always the Microsofts Office Removal Tools. This should uninstall every trace of office from you’re system, and in most cases is a viable option. Sadly, in the case of the most damaged machine we serviced, the shear volume of locked registry keys forced us to reinstall the OS.
After Thought
In our dealings with this issue, we came across a few computers with the same mystery drive. Investigating these issues further revealed recent installs of a disc utilities. In one instance a recent failed removal of UltraISO caused the issue. Normally UltraISO is a fantastic product, we ourselves use it on a regular basis with no problems whatsoever. In more than one instance, this problem could have been avoided by the user simply uncheaking the option to install “UltraISO’s Drive Emulator”. But more often than not, users neglect to read through a product installers options. In fact, this is where users tend to install programs labeled as “Adware”. In the case of one machine, a user left the option to install “UltraISO’s Drive Emulator”. Normally this is a simple thing to disable through UltraISO’s options menu, as well as something that’s removed during an “Uninstall”. Unfortunately our clients machine became infected with a virus, and during our clients efforts at a self-repair, UltraISO became damaged to the point that registry entries were orphaned.
So basically, if your having this issue, review your program files to be sure something similar isn’t whats causing your headaches. A few programs we’ve seen cause similar problems are, Daemon Tools, UltraISO, MagicDisk/MagicISO, Alcohol 52%, Circle Virtual, to name a few. In most instances the aforementioned programs are extremely safe, and very reliable, and for the most part safe. But in rare instances, they have been known to cause system faults such as mystery drives, and CD/DVD drive faults.
As always, good luck in you repair efforts. We hope this info was helpful.
Disable Microsoft Software Wavetable Synthesizer, My Music’s Cutting Out…
We recently encountered a system that had an intermittent sound problem. After running for a few days, any music played would fade and recover repeatedly. After researching the problem, we started with a typical round of updates to the usual suspects. Those being sound card drivers, codec’s, any media player software being utilized for playback. At first this seemed to resolve the issue, but after just a few days, the problem returned.
Not only was this a problem with our media players, but it was also effecting streaming online music. Our current favorite online music service is Last.Fm. After Pandora’s recent decision to limit users free listening to 40 hrs a month.
So at this point we were able to eliminate our browsers and media players, as these were both up to date. The next thing to rule out was our hardware. This was simple enough as the hardware is a home theater system that’s utilized by other devices, all of which never have an issue. By process of elimination were left with drivers and media enhancement software’s.
As it turns out there’s an enhancement loaded by windows, our version being “Windows Vista Ultimate 64 Bit”. That particular enhancement goes by the name of “Microsoft Software Wavetable Synthesizer”. When opening your sound properties from the control panel, you’ll typically see 3 tabs across the top of the window. These are, Playback, Recording, and Sounds. You’ll more than likely be on the Sounds tab by default. If windows sounds drive you nuts, as they do us, this is a good opportunity to disable them. Simply choose “No Sounds” from the drop down on the sounds tab. In Vista you also have the option to load the startup sound separately.
Now select the “Playback” tab, and double click the upper device, usually called “Speakers”. If you’re not sure which device is your default playback device, play some music and look for the device with active levels. Double click that device and navigate to the “Advanced” tab. If selected, unselect both boxes under “Exclusive Mode”. Don’t be tempted to increase your sample rate on this tab. Typically the defaults are optimal, and increasing them could lead to an exaggeration of what we’re here to fix.
Keep in mind systems will vary in these areas depending on drivers, system setup, and so forth. So you’re settings may look slightly different. Next choose the “Enhancements” tab. Disable everything on this tab, if possible.
Now restart you computer, and the issue should be resolved. We mention earlier in the article that as part of our diagnosis, we updating system drivers and codec’s. In the long run, regular updates will lead to a much more positive computing experience, and will drastically reduce the number of errors you encounter. Let us know if this was helpful by leaving a reply below. Happy computing. 
We’ve Added A Live Support Function…
If you look to your right, you may have noticed a live chat button. If we’re online and available to chat, feel free to try it out. We strive to provide our clients with the highest level of IT support and service. When it comes to innovative design, leading edge customer support, and guaranteed satisfaction, the Gurus are the leaders of the pack.
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I Don’t Have Outlook, Is There a Similar Product I can Download?
The short answer is, Yes.
Listed below you’ll find a variety of free Email clients available for download. But be aware, not all mail providers allow you to use a mail client such as Outlook. Both Yahoo and Hotmail require their users to upgrade to a paid service in order to access their Email via a mail client. However, if you’re ISP provideds you with an Email account, ie. pacbell.net, sbcglobal.net, att.com, comcast.net, etc., You’ll more than likely be able to access your Email using a mail client.
Media Player Skips When My Browser Loads a Page..
I had this very same problem with my brand new Microsoft Vista X64 machine. At first I though it was the fact that I was using the newest version of Firefox. But after a bit of research we came to the conclusion that it wasn’t actually the browser causing the system lag, it was the audio codec. Most people are having this issue with Sigmatel HD Audio Codec. In my case it was Realtek HD Audio. Luckily for everyone reading this, the fix is quite simple.
Vista Won’t Remember My Folder Views
*** Update ***
This fix is no longer valid. After a month of smooth sailing, we’re back to the same problem. To our knowledge, there is currently no fix that lasts longer than a month. This fix will last at least that long, but you’ll be back to the same problem a month later. If you’ve tried something that seems to show promise, please let us know with a comment. Thanks for reading.
Vista has made huge strides in becoming a better OS. If you’ve read anything we’ve written to date about Vista, it’s all bad. But since the release of Service Pack 1 and 2, Vista has really come into its own. Rarely do you see the dreaded Blue Screen of Death. This due to Vista’s ability to selectively shut down and restart services before causing critical errors. The user interface is beautiful and somewhat familiar to XP users. The ability of Vista to repair itself has made leaps and bounds. But there is still one thing that is an absolute annoyance and frustration, and that is Vista’s ability to remember folder views.
What’s a good Anti-Virus to use?
We wrote this post in response to a comment on another post. We most often recommend Avast, AVG, and Zone Alarm. Our choices are based on products that are efficient in preventing virus infections, semi transparent, unobtrusive, and user friendly. And FYI. if you see the image below when copying files, you may have a virus.
Avast free and Avast Pro:
Avast provides a free Anti-Virus, however we found it to be a little intrusive and irritating. Avast seems to pester its free users with constant pops and related to their paid product.
Their paid product however is a dream to use. The only time Avast Pro will ever pester you or slow your flow of work and surfing, is if you encounter a malicious script from a webpage, download malicious software, a viruses, or any other problem you may have.
Explorer Has No Menu, or No Menu in Vista Folders…
Unlike XP, you can’t right click your menu bar to remove functions, such as the Menu, Address Bar, or Standard Buttons. Your only option in Vista is to go to your control panel, choose “Folder Options”, click the view tab. Once there you should check two things. The first is “Always Show Menus”. The second “Display the full path in the title bar (Classic Folders Only)”
This will give you back the classic menus that have become so familiar to XP users. If you have any questions pertaining to this post, or anything else Vista related, let us know.
Vista Black Screen, aka. Black Screen Of Death
Recently I replied to a post for help on TechNet.com, about the “BSOD” aka “Black Screen of Death”. I had come across a few computers in this condition. My initial thought was Virus Infection, or a “LNBTW” aka. “Lose nut Behind The Wheel”. But after a good deal of research, I came to the realization that it was a significant update, or hardware change causing these issues. It appears that Microsofts New Anti-Piracy technology is interfering with basic computer updates. Significant updates to RAM, Hard Drives, or power supplies, are causing issues with the new Microsoft Vista OS. (more…)
The Gurus Have Been Busy.….
Have a look at our most recent build. Honest Abe Restoration. I’ve also been working out a few bugs in the system, after a recent install of Vista as my main operating system. We’ve even been able to help a few people out. We are currently building an extensive Microsoft Windows Vista knowledge base, which we’ll be posting sometime in the near future.
Windows Vista Ultimate Edition, Short Review
We just recently obtained a copy of Windows Vista Ultimate Edition, the “best of the best”. I wasn’t really sure what to expect with this, the newest version of Windows. I wasn’t even going to chance loading this software onto my everyday machine. So I loaded it onto my IBM ThinkPad T-21, with 512 of RAM. Not exactly a blazing fast machine, but its always proved itself surprisingly robust.
Windows Vista Ultimate Edition, Administrative Pop-up Fix
Here I’ll provide you with a simple fix for this annoying feature in Windows Vista. You may not be able to access “Local Security Policy” with some versions of Vista. If not I’ll find a fix for you at a later date. (more…)
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