STOP: 0x00000050 suggests a video card driver may be at fault. Ever updated your video driver? If you do not know what video card you have click Start/Control panel/System/Hardware/Device manager. Now look down the list and double click on Display adaptors. You can then go to the appropriate site and see if updated drivers are available for your machine. Have you been inside the case or moved the tower at all? Check the video cable is securely fastened at both ends. If you have a separate video card as opposed to built into the motherboard ensure it is seated properly AFTER shutting down, removing the power cable from the rear and resting you bare hand or arm on the metal case frame to ground yourself.

Water softeners are sized based on the water conditions, # of people, # of bathrooms, and other variables. Based on what you posted you should be looking at around a 3.5 cu ft softener and with it setup to operate at an efficient salt dose will regenerate every 7 days. You might get by with a 2.5 cu ft softener but it will not operate as efficiently (will use more salt) and have a lower SFR. As for installation... if the water service is accessible in the basement and there is a drain and an electrical outlet you're basically looking at local plumber rates and materials. Plumbers can install softeners, and some install them backwards, so an install by a water treatment pro is preferred. Before you make any decisions may I suggest... Hit the Yellow Pages and call at least three local water treatment pros. Make sure you call at least one of the big dogs like Kinetico or Culligan for comparison and at least a couple independent pros. Give each an opportunity to offer suggestions and provide you with a quote to meet your water treatment needs. IGNORE ANY THAT DON'T TEST YOUR WATER THEMSELVES as they can't speak intelligently to water treatment without knowing what needs to be treated. Ask lots of questions. Softening the entire house or just the water heater (IMO a bad idea)? Warranty, parts & labor or just parts, how long and on exactly what? Install, permits required, licensed plumber? Routine maintenance and costs? Do they stock parts? Response time for emergency (water leak) calls? If they don't explain things to your satisfaction that is a good indicator of how you'll be treated after the sale. Are all your treatment needs being addressed? Ask your neighbors if they have any water treatment experience. They might tell you who's good or who to avoid. Come back here and post the specific recommendations and hardware components with the costs and we'll give you our opinions.

@john how Define "good". Do they provide soft water? Yes, like any other ion exchange water softer that is properly sized and set up, it will provide soft water. The aren't doing anything that makes the water "more soft". Is it more reliable than other softeners? They are probably more reliable than very low-end water softeners, but very reliable softeners are readily available built with industry standard parts for (Fleck control valves, for example) for not much money. Does it provide better value? Value driven customers can probably do better by ordering a Fleck based softer online from Amazon. Do they provide better service? There's a large network of Culligan dealers who can install and service a water softener. If you need that level of service and want a national brand name, they probably aren't a bad choice. Local water treatment companies can also do a very good job, without the cost of a national brand. So, what sets them apart? Water softening is a commodity business - there's no secret sauce. There's no water softer that's going to make your water "more soft". There are some gimmicks out there - such as twin tanks and units that don't require electricity - that don't provide any real tangible benefits. Some of the hardware is better than others. But there is industry standard, highly reliable and highly serviceable hardware available for moderate cost. They have a memorable brand and a dealer network.

Thanks Shaddy. I personally use a Rolodex for all the passwords. Spinning wheel, easier to replace a card then scribbling out in a notebook which I have done in the past. I keep my passwords and my husbands on it because he keeps changing them as he forgets the old ones. You know the 'forgot your password?' Worse thing they ever offered. He keeps doing that and doesn't write it down. Like many of us, you think you'll remember. I think what he did when he turned on the Win8 computer was put hotmail address because the computer said he couldn't use it without one. At least that's what he remembers. He states he never put a password for log on. I'm not sure but he has never had a log-on password but the Start-Up screen might have confused him. I can use it but have to log on this hotmail address to get in. I can't find a way to change the log on to my name nor get rid of the hotmail address. I did turn him off as administrator and put myself, but only his log-on appears when you turn the machine on. I'll figure it out eventually when I stop using my XP machine. I just don't have the energy for this anymore. Its so tiring and time consuming to hunt around for answers or where Microsoft decided to move everything and change the names. I thought the easiest thing would be to wipe it all out by reinstalling Windows until I realized it never came with disks. How dumb! Anyway, us older folks keep plugging away best we can. I don't feel like spending the money on a tech, at this point. You and Emma are doing better than me. I haven't even gotten to Win 10 yet! Got to get past Win 8 first. Good luck to all, Jane