Invalid pointer?

[Russ Smith]

So I have a Dell PC at work that had a thermal problem, apparently a well known issue. My IT guy waited too long to see if they can replace the motherboard under warranty and now the computer won't boot at all. So I got a 2nd PC and he installed the hard disk from the first on the second as the E drive. On the disk is a program I use to access the company security cameras so I can either watch live on my computer, or playback tape if something happens and I need to watch it.

When I go to the E drive and click on the icon to open that program, it now says INVALID POINTER. The camera system records to a digital drive which is on our network, it has it's own IP address so my assumption is the link on the hard drive goes to a specific IP address so moving the drive, shouldn't have changed the link? My IT guy can't solve it, the tech I talked to on the phone from the company who installed the software(my security vendor) was baffled too.

Any ideas?

 

[abomb]

Try this first;

http://www.ntcompatible.com/How_to_use_checkdisk_t19642.html

 

[Ryanwb]

Invalid Pointer is a error in the C language. My guess is the program had the host computer's MAC or IP address hard coded into the program to validate something like network connectivity. These values were probably taken from the host machine when the program was installed. So now when you switched the hard drive to another machine you now have a different IP and MAC address and it can't validate what is is trying to validate so it won't move past that.

I see these sorts of things often, it's lazy programming...

The Dell was probably a GX270 that has a blown capasitor on the motherboard. Dell will still replace them

 

[Russ Smith]

Try this first;

http://www.ntcompatible.com/How_to_use_checkdisk_t19642.html

I'm actually running checkdisk right now that was the last gasp by my IT guy.

I suspect Ryan's idea is probably correct. The problem I have is the security company thinks the only way to solve it is to reinstall the program and of course they charge for that.

Oh well, we'll see if Checkdisk does anything but I suspect Ryan is right.