I'm having numerous issues downloading software and applications.

[The 2020]

I system restored my laptop to original settings yesterday and tried to download some of the applications I was using before such as winrar, windows media player, itunes and other bits and bobs. I am usin firefox and when they download they come up in the download box but only as a white window with the blue bar across the top not the icon which I am downloading (which used to happen).

Once they download I try to run them to install the program and have received a number of error messages including ''incorrect parameter''  ''only part of the readprocessmemory...'' and ''the application is not win32''

What is missing which allows the installation to take place or how can I fix this?

Many thanks in advance

2020

[patio]

Much more info on the machine, OS and what happened that required a restore and someone will be along shortly...

[The 2020]

OS Name   Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Version   5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer   Microsoft Corporation
System Name   
System Manufacturer   NEC Computers International
System Model   EASYNOTE PB20Q00201
System Type   X86-based PC
Processor   x86 Family 6 Model 13 Stepping 6 GenuineIntel ~1395 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date   Phoenix Technologies LTD 3A18, 22/10/2004
SMBIOS Version   2.31
Windows Directory   C:\WINDOWS
System Directory   C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device   \Device\HarddiskVolume2
Locale   United Kingdom
Hardware Abstraction Layer   Version = "5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)"
User Name
Time Zone   GMT Standard Time
Total Physical Memory   512.00 MB
Available Physical Memory   86.38 MB
Total Virtual Memory   2.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory   1.96 GB
Page File Space   843.82 MB
Page File   C:\pagefile.sys


Packard Bell A7145 Notebook

Basically ran out of memory, was full of music, games and general rubbish I didn't use any more. Sound had disappeared and was running slowly so decided to start again.

[patio]

Did you do a System Restore to an earlier date or an OEM restore with the laptop CD ? ?
How much free space is on that hard drive ? ?

[The 2020]

No cd just a complete system restore from the laptop, and not to a prior date. I have 23.5GB of free space before it was down to 2GB that is why I decided restore to factory settings without saving any data.

[patio]

Letting a HDD get below 10% free space will always cause problems because it struggles so hard to find data and drives actually use certain empty space to keep things running...

Are you saying you restored from a partition on the laptop ? ?
I'm confused so bear with me...

The messages you are getting sound like driver issues combined with operating system woes as well.

Not to be a pain but let us know exactly how you performed the restore and double check in the meantime if you have a CD that would have come with the laptop that's labelled Driver CD...

Actually list all the CD's you have from the laptop and what they are labelled as.

[The 2020]

I received no CD's with the laptop, when I started the laptop I F11ed and completed a full system restore, as windows and the hardware such as cd writer, dvd player and such are all pre-installed on the laptop.

Basically I have returned the computer to its original state from a built in restore not a cd although I guess this would do the same job.

I'm just not sure why the error messages pop up whenever I download authentic software from the internet to install on my laptop as I did before with no problems, I guess it could be something to do with the installer or a drive as after searching some error messages they seem to come up normally when trying to install from a CD although I am not doing this.

[patio]

Gotcha...and thanx for clairifying that...
Travel Here and run this utility and see if things improve.
If not let us know ...there are a few other things we can try.