Computer Problems:(

How many accounts you have on your computer? are you the Admin? 

Would you happen to be running AVG???

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_vista-gaming/error-windows-cannot-access-the-specified-device/94613e6a-222c-4d23-b336-2695d410b829

Have you considered switching to Linux? My XP machine went funny in 2003. I switched over to Red Hat 7.3 and have continued with Fedora.

The learning curve isn't as bad these days. Give Ubuntu a shot. It's a very good distribution. I haven't had a problem in eight years.

OS X is a good choice, too, but you have to buy new hardware, so Linux is a better choice.

Hmm I think this is because of ur environment variables.I think you install something and some of the files was missing so now, go to your computer properties...

My Computer----->Properties--->Go to Advance Setting--->environmental variables --->Check it or match with somebody else computer or ur desktop

This is sometimes because of system 32 files. There is one file by this name called shellexecuteEX check if it is there...

On thing more u can do is:

Go to My Computer---> Then Go to properties of your hard disk --->Security--->give full permission to adminstrator which you want to give then apply, click ok, then check the box.

X2 Linux

 

Now-a-days Linux is very polished and complete, you will find that it-just-works right from the start as supposed to years ago.

 

 

Hindsight is 20/20 and all, do you own an Uninterruptible Power Supply? It's like a supercharged surge protector with battery backup, in case of minor blackouts etc. (mainly to give you time to shut the PC off proper). APC is what I use.

Linux looks like Apple... what do you mean?  Neither of the two common desktop environments (GNOME or KDE) resembles OSX at all, and the actual use feels nothing like OSX.  Perhaps you are suggesting that GNOME does not look like Windows, and are thus generalizing? 

 

If you want "game friendly," stick to Windows
 

The real issue is that, no matter what OS you are using, without backups + a UPS (like kirosia mentioned), you always run the risk of losing data integrity.  There is no way around this

 

 

Edited by El_Doug - 5/27/11 at 7:28am

You can always go for a safe and less destructive route (compared to a drive wipe), and just do a install repair, should fix that in a jiffy, and windows update takes care of the rest.

Or maybe even go ahead and re-install Windows then install Linux Mint or Ubuntu and have a dual-boot machine.

 

Linux for your everyday stuff and Windows for your games.

 

 

I agree that linux is excellent I'd use it but Lightroom is not supported and I already have a lot of paid software on mac. But if your a gamer stick with windows. If i was you i would do a fresh install of Windows.

Big +1 to this post.  It's what I do.  I only use Windows for some gaming and loading my ipod.  For everything else day to day (including some casual gaming) we use Linux (Debian).

 

Another thumbs up from me. A logical solution.