My wife's comp has gone a bit screwy. First she lost internet and
email but I was 500 miles from home and couldn't do much.
Its a Dell with XP pro, 500 meg ram. It may have some kind of
windows problem, not sure. If you go to control panel, the first time
you hit control panel button, you get it. The second time you do it,
all the icons on the front go away, leaving just the background
screen, then the icons come back but no control panel screen.
If you restart, you get the same pattern. If you right click on the
control panel button you get several options one is explore,
if you had run out of control panel the first time, this time if you hit
explore, you get control panel, but you only get one crack at that, so
you get a total of two chances to get to the control panel.
Another weird thing, if you hit my computer, it sits there and has to
search for it for a few minutes before IT comes up. It does come up
and is fully functional when it does. She plays pogo games and
now when she tries to load some game, it comes up with an error
message, no java, no games, it won't let you play without java loaded.
The last thing I notice is a message coming up saying spool services are missing or something, Spoolsv.exe and a few others in the
tech message. Any ideas, except the obvious one from Bowmann,
get a mac. Don't need sarcasm, just help. Thanks in advance.
Originally posted by sonhouseHow up to date were all your virus scans on the machine? If they were never updated or installed... you probably got some juicy ones.
My wife's comp has gone a bit screwy. First she lost internet and
email but I was 500 miles from home and couldn't do much.
Its a Dell with XP pro, 500 meg ram. It may have some kind of
windows problem, not sure. If you go to control panel, the first time
you hit control panel button, you get it. The second time you do it,
all the icons on the front go ...[text shortened]... the obvious one from Bowmann,
get a mac. Don't need sarcasm, just help. Thanks in advance.
The easy fix is to get a new harddrive and re-install windows XP. Once your computer is up, get your virus scans running and updated. Later, you can slave the old drive and save the important things.
That's what I've done about 4 times now between 2 PC's at home and work... They just get screwed sometimes.
P-
Originally posted by sonhouseWell, one thing that would cause this problem is this scenario:
My wife's comp has gone a bit screwy. First she lost internet and
email but I was 500 miles from home and couldn't do much.
Its a Dell with XP pro, 500 meg ram. It may have some kind of
windows problem, not sure. If you go to control panel, the first time
you hit control panel button, you get it. The second time you do it,
all the icons on the front go the obvious one from Bowmann,
get a mac. Don't need sarcasm, just help. Thanks in advance.
- You were infected with spyware.
- Then you ran a spyware cleaner and it hacked the spyware program.
The result is just what you would be experiencing. The fix? You could do a system restore which would restore the spyware, which has it's tentacles into your operating system. 🙁
I recommend you have your wife do a system restore back to the day before she ran any sort of spyware remover. Then when you get home you can remove the spyware again and run the 'repair' program on the WinXP original disk to reinstall/repair the operating system. This would also fix any corrupt programs you aren't aware of.
You will need to know how to use the repair program. If you don't do it right you will lose all of your settings such as email contacts, addresses and such. I recommend you have someone who knows how to use the program help you.
Sounds like you got a virus or two on your hands sonhouse..
Once windows starts screwing up like that you either need to run a full virus scan and spyware scan and hope you sort the problems out..
Otherwise you're looking at reinstalling windows..
Firstly try to run a full antivirus scan (free one at www.pandasoftware.com)
Then run a spyware scan (free at www.lavasoft.com and
http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022-10289035.html)
Once you've done that come back and let us know that the story is.
Originally posted by Dr StrangeloveOne problem with restore is this: for some reason, sytem restore
And if none of that helped the repair install option is described here.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
has been turned off for quite some time, maybe for a virus problem,
don't remember why but its been off and now a message comes up,
can't do system resstore because there are no restore dates
available. If anyone knows how to do it in spite of no dates, I would
like to hear it.
I loaded norton systemworks, I had AVG NOD32, but for some reason
it did not come up when I clicked on it so had norton as backup.
I loaded it and ran antivirus and trojan hunter and spy sweeper and
they all came up with only cookies so it would SEEM not to be virus
or spyware related. Not always 100% sure of that one of course.
I also have a problem with diskeeper, executive diskeeper keeps
coming up with a message I need to run chkdisk/f. The thing about
that is I just ran a check disk through norton which had to do it
before booting, so it ran and found nothing wrong with the drive.
but this diskeeper message keeps coming up and I can't make it
go away. I tried to delete it through add and remove programs but
it won't let it finish, some error message comes up saying I can't do it.
All this seems to be pointing to needing to reload windows. I called
dell support and they want 100 bucks per incident for software
problems. They really pissed me off when I asked if I can't find
the windows disk or rescue disk, do they send me one in the mail or
how do I go about getting one, the stupid biatch (actually two in a row)
said you don't pay the 100 bucks, we won't answer that question.
THAT pissed me off. So if anyone here knows the answer to that
question I am all ears. Isn't windows great?
Originally posted by sonhouseYou've got some real problems on your hands there. If you're absolutely sure that you haven't got a hardware problem, you should restore your computer to its state as it was when you first bought it. Believe me, trying to repair windows manually when it's reached the state you describe is a futile excercise that will leave you with an emotional trauma for life.
One problem with restore is this: for some reason, sytem restore
has been turned off for quite some time, maybe for a virus problem,
don't remember why but its been off and now a message comes up,
can't do system resstore because there are no restore dates
available. If anyone knows how to do it in spite of no dates, I would
like to hear it.
I loaded if anyone here knows the answer to that
question I am all ears. Isn't windows great?
If you bought it after june/july 2004 you should be able to use Ctrl+F11 at boot, but make sure you backup any files you want to save (email and personal documents comes to mind) before you do this, because the C drive will be completely overwritten.
If you manage to restore the computer make sure you install spyware protection, antivirus protection and a firewall before you connect to the Internet and then run windows update to get the latest security updates and fixes (you may find yourself having to repeat the last step numerous times with restarts in between, but it's definitely a must).
{Oh, and make sure you don't turn off the restore function in windows again or you may have to redo it all again in the future. 😉 }
{Oh, and make sure you create a specific administration user account and a limited account for normal work. Don't login as administrator for any other reason but to install/uninstall programs or running defrag and the like.}
Originally posted by sonhouseSpool is refering to something with the printer.
My wife's comp has gone a bit screwy. First she lost internet and
email but I was 500 miles from home and couldn't do much.
Its a Dell with XP pro, 500 meg ram. It may have some kind of
windows problem, not sure. If you go to control panel, the first time
you hit control panel button, you get it. The second time you do it,
all the icons on the front go ...[text shortened]... the obvious one from Bowmann,
get a mac. Don't need sarcasm, just help. Thanks in advance.
The rest of it sounds like a corrupted registry.
XP pro should have a repair function. I would run that first to see if it helps. If not, you may need to reinstall the OS.
And as to the Mac - why would you want to buy a piece of trash? 😉
Originally posted by sonhouseYou HAVE to have the restore points set previously or, as you have found, you can't do a system restore.
If anyone knows how to do it in spite of no dates, I would
like to hear it.
I loaded norton systemworks, I had AVG NOD32, but for some reason
it did not come up when I clicked on it so had norton as backup.
AVG, NOD32 and Norton are three different Anti-Virus programs and you definately should have only one actually running. [maybe thats what you meant]
Stocken's plan seems yiour best choice.
Yeah, with the way your computer is behaving i'd just backup my files (so copy your music, emails, document etc to either a different hard drive to the one you have your windows files on or a different partition..
Then just put in your windows CD, restart your computer and boot from the cd and reinstall windows on the same partition, formatting the partition before you install.
You'll need to have your driver cds ready to install your drivers again and run windowsupdate (www.windowsupdate.com) to get the latest patches and fixes..
you'll have to install all your software again too but its the only way to really fix a busted windows installation
Theres a couple of posts here (http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/WinXP/Q_21568600.html) that you could print off before to help you get through it..
Its not nice but probably has to be done.
Originally posted by stockenI have come to the conclusion I must need a windows reinstall.
You've got some real problems on your hands there. If you're absolutely sure that you haven't got a hardware problem, you should restore your computer to its state as it was when you first bought it. Believe me, trying to repair windows manually when it's reached the state you describe is a futile excercise that will leave you with an emotional trauma for li ...[text shortened]... r for any other reason but to install/uninstall programs or running defrag and the like.}
I have broken down and gone to dell for help, paid the 100 bucks and
now guess what. They say ok, now we will transfer you to the software
techs, I go great, then get a message on the fone, we are
experiencing technical difficulties and are unable to take your call
at this time, please call back later. WTF?
Originally posted by sonhouseHave you tried using Ctrl+F11 when you boot (start) the computer*? If you bought the computer after June/July 2004 this should be an option. You see, on those computers, there is an entire ghost backup of the system as it were when you bought the computer, stored on its own partition. Thus, booting your computer and hitting Ctrl+F11 you should be able to restore the computer completely. See?
I have come to the conclusion I must need a windows reinstall.
I have broken down and gone to dell for help, paid the 100 bucks and
now guess what. They say ok, now we will transfer you to the software
techs, I go great, then get a message on the fone, we are
experiencing technical difficulties and are unable to take your call
at this time, please call back later. WTF?
Just make sure you make backups of any files you wish to save first.
{And note that you should only have one antivirus program installed at one time, like Dr Strangelove kindly mentioned in a previous post.}
{If you should be able to use Ctrl+F11 but can't, maybe this link will help:
http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_other&message.id=239868&view=by_date_ascending&page=1
}
{*Of course, you should press down Ctrl and F11 before windows starts loading.}
Originally posted by stockenI got this dell in 2002. Too far back for that to work. I finally got
Have you tried using Ctrl+F11 when you boot (start) the computer*? If you bought the computer after June/July 2004 this should be an option. You see, on those computers, there is an entire ghost backup of the system as it were when you bought the computer, stored on its own partition. Thus, booting your computer and hitting Ctrl+F11 you should be able to res =1
}
{*Of course, you should press down Ctrl and F11 before windows starts loading.}
online with a dell software dude, one thing we uncovered:
in ordinarty mode, you only get one crack at getting to the control
panel, the second time you try, all the desktop icons disappear
for a while and the control panel never appears. Well if you go to
safe mode, boing, contol panel comes on fine. We also ran spybot
and ad-aware and only came up with minor stuff to kill, nothing that
would do all this stuff to my comp.
Now its at a point where he wanted to access some kind of diagnostic
stuff that can only be had on the XP disk that came with the system,
that and only that, another XP disk won't do it. So now I have to get
customer care to send me a copy of that disk, of course customer
care is closed, probably till monday. This is only slightly frustrating.