Category: Geeks r Us
Please say it isn't a virus! I was talking on old fashion windows messenger and suddenly my computer shut down! AFter a minute I turned it back on, and it went in safe mode. I manually reset it, and it started up fine. All was well for maybe five minutes, then it shut down again!
This all happened last night and I've left it alone. Any suggestions on what I can do, if I get it started up this morning?
Windows xp with sp2 I believe. Thank you so much. Hopefully with your guy's help, I can try to troubleshoot this before going to bestbuy or something.
virus scan it does sound like a virus, I had that happen a while ago.
Virus would be my first thought as well. My second thought would be that you have a overheating problem, though I don't think that'd boot you into safe mode. Could be wrong though. Let us know what happens after you do a virus check. Do you have an up to date decent virus scanner? I highly recommend Free AV as it's free and does a pretty good job. (much better than some of the ones you pay for like norton or McCaffee (and yes that's misspelled.))
Yes, I have nod32. What if it shuts down on middle of scan?
Thank you
Omg my post didn't post!!!
If it shutdowns nicely like if it plays the sound then its a virus. You can abought the shutdown in this case by typing shutdown -a in run.
If it powers off streight away then your looking at a new component, but it could just be a loos connection - dont get your hopes up though.
We can msn this if you want, coz i couldn'tbe bothered to type all the stuff that i lost out again.
BEN.
Ok y'all, thank you for your continued support.
I have successfully ran CCleaner, which I thought was helpful.
I have ran nod32 twice, but haven't been able to complete the process. The pc has shutdown twice. Or should I say cut out? There is no shutdown music. It just turns off.
Nod32 has made it to near 75% completion. In this time it has found, I believe 2 suspicious files. The weird thing is they are games that have been on the system for years. Anyway, nod32 said they may not be infected, but they could be? Like maybe something was atached to them that looked like a addaware.
I had nod32 delete those files, and I guess this morning, I'll try again. See how far I can get?
Even though the virus scan did not complete, will the files still be deleted? Any further suggestions?
Thank you again everyone; I appreciate this.
I'm not sure about nod32 as I've never used it, but most virus scanning programs at least quarantine suspicious files when they find them. So, each time you run nod32 you should get a little further along.
If you have ad aware try running it. I've found that, though it's not an antivirus program per sé, it can catch some things the other programs don't.
Bob
Okay! maybe a stretch here but perhaps an overheating powersupply? If it is just turning off say your typing or doing something and you just hear click and it's gone I would consider replacing the power supply. don't think it is the processor because I burned one of those out and the system still stayed on but was completely frozen. Thoughts on this?
If she's not getting music, yes, my guess would be hardware. Over heating is the most likely I think, but it could be something else.
yeh i'm about 95% sure that this is going to be power.
Most other components willeither cause the box to freez (Well fry in some cases lol) or restart or output a bsod.
So, what to do?
The quickist fix would be to have a shop look at it, but really, a power supply isn't expencive unless you game or do audio, so your going to get ripped off.
Do you have anyone with site that is reletevly good with there hands and is willing to open the computer case, because this is really what it all boils down to, if you can find someone that isn't afraid to look at the stuff inside.
I won't ramble about this, but a few guidelines when you open the case:
1: Keep all the screws handy - if its a tower then you'll most lightly only have to take the left side off - don't touch the front - you won't need to!
2: Once the side panel is removed and BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE, make sure that the person looking at things has touched the metal part of your computers CASE - not anything else, its also worth noting that the part that they touch has to be plain, it can't be painted - this is for grounding purposes.
3: Orient the computer so its lieing down and feels more like a desktop than a tower. Theres going to be a big box, probably in the far right hand corner, this is the psu.
It might at this point be worth giving things a sniff, can you smell smoak?
4: Note the total mess of cables coming out the psu - and that they are all in groups.
5: The biggest group of kables will lead you to a big plug, connected to the base of your computer - wellthe motherboard really.
Get your friend to pull the kable directly upwoards untill it comes out.
Note: always pull DIRECTLY upwoards - pulling at an angle could / would result in you cocking more stuff up.
Note: the kable might be a bit stubbon, it will probably be the first time itsbeen removed since the computer was built.
6: Reconnect the kable to the motherboard, making sure that its in the
right way around - if its not budging after modist pressure then its the wrong way round.
7: Depending on how confident the person is, you might want to turn the computer on for a few seconds - just to make sure that the fans are spinning, there really should be 2 + in a modern system, but if its older then there might only be 1.
If you smelt smoak or the fans aren't spinning then don't bother powering it up again, its only going to break more. If your persons a geek then they will be able to get you a psu and fit it, if not, take it to a shop.
Replacing a psu isn't really a technical prosejeer, you just need someone thats good with a screwdriver and that grounds themselves before attempting to do stuff. I mean, i'm an admited geek, but i took a psu out and put another one in when I was 10 and it worked fine.
Hth.
omg - bedtime.
Hey all. Ok, keep fingers crossed. We have ran nod32 completely and ran adaware. Both were able to finish and so far so good. The pc did not shut down. I surfed a little bit and printed an email.
A little side note, nod32 doesn't seem to liek adaware. Lol, it calls it a possible threat or something like that.
If this turns out to be the power like y'all suggested, I'm afraid I'll have to bring it into a shop. Smile, we do have an old pc to throw away, so I could open that one and see what things feel like, but no way am I comfortable doing that with this machine!
I take it, this isn't just a cord? It's an actual component inside?
The computer is about 3 years old. It is also a AMD; not sure if that matters. Grin, on a girly note, the CPU is ever so small and cute. *grin*
Thanks again, I truly appreciate your support.
Could be you've solved the problem.
My advice, if it isn't a software problem, don't try to change the power supply yourself. Otherwise, I fear you will own an oh so cute door stop. That's not a slight on your abilities, it's just that so many things could go wrong and you should wait to learn on a disposable computer, not one you really like.
Bob
I wish there was a class where I could learn all the innerds of a pc. I think it would be fun! But I'm not playing around with this one. smile!
I-onah! I still have a virous! It seems to be in my system volume restore. I've been googling on how to clean this and have found several answers. Some of which are quite confusing.
I guess the first I need to learn is how to back up my system? From what I've read this is rather vital?
Secondly, is it even possible to start the computer in safe mode and use a screen reader?
One of the simpler methods I read, was to disable my system restore then clean it via the virous removal. The thing is, nod32 wants to delete it and I don't know if I should. Apparently, I may not have access to the system volume file.
What do you guys think? I don't know where to go from here.
PS. So far it has stopped the spontaneous shutdown.
I've heard of that, but, knock on wood, haven't faced it yet.
I don't know any way of running a screen reader in safe mode.
Could you start your system, run nod32 to make sure your system is not currently infected, then do a system backup?
I don't know, I'm just thinking out loud here.
Bob
How do I know if my system is currently effected? Nod32 is still finding the files -- possible unknown virous. Also, how do I do a back up? Is a back up something I'd burn onto disk?
Something I was wondering, if we manage to save our files and burn data, will those disk cary the virous?
Thank you
Hi Polka Dot,
Just signing in here to state I too am having difficulities. Not with the particular moniter I am currently using, rather another one, an older model laptop that is fairly new in itself.
*sighs slightly
~*Thunderous MidNight*~
Yeah i feel for you. I was in the same situation, I wanted to play with stuff but anything that I had was beeing used or I didn't want to break. Try asking some friends or membors of your family - someones gotta have an old box sitting in there atic that you can take apart, doesn't even have to run xp, just so long as it boots so you kno if you've put things back together correctly or not - if you were in the uk i'd probably ship you some old stuff.
Getting back on topic.
If you've already done safemode and its not removing them then it won't work again - you'd need eyes at any rate.
Problem is, if you use the microsoft backup program or something, there is a chance that depending on the virus you have, it would embed itsself in your files, there by transfering the problem to any other system.
What I suggest you do is back up your files to cd or external hdd - whatever, and try opening them on another computer.
Said computer should have up to date virus protection and be connected to the internet so that it can get updates.
If it lets it all through then your safe, but my logic is that using this method, she can see what is in her backups on a clean system, because if her av's any good then it won't let it infect it.
Next i'm thinking that in your situation, your probably best just doing a reinstall of xp. This does sound really scary at first, but really its inevitable that your computer will need it at some point, so might aswell get it done and over with, the setups largely self explanitery except for the first bit - my mums done instlls for me before.
So yeah, dig out the recovery disks or your xp disks I guess, and either take them to a shop to do it or do it yourself.
You also need drivers - post back if your going to do a format then i'll assist with finding them.
I kno this does sound a bit o t t, but at the end of the day, if its not been formatted in 3 years, you'll be so thankfull that you formatted it and its probably got really messy over the years - remenents of programs.
O, or you could just post the name of your virus and we culd find some removal instructions.
Update. Ok y'all, I completed successfully one of the solutions I found on the web.
I disabled my system restore, restarted my computer, and ran my nod32. The scan took forever, over an hour, but it came out clean. I then enabled my system restore and restarted my computer.
Do you think my system is clean? I will say, it takes a long time to boot up. Any suggestions for that.
This possible solution seemed too easy, so I am skeptical. I suppose I could run nod32 yet again.
The other possible solution I found on the web, was to give myself access to hidden files, so nod32 could access them. If that makes sense.
Oy, keeping fingers crossed...
And my gall, there is a lot on my system. As I paid attention to the scan, I have a lot of software, I have never used!
Thank you again all, my appreciation continues. *smile*
Beautiful smile there Polka Dot *smiles
As for my difficulities of post #18 somhow though not quite certain we got the moniters and what all in working order though it did take calling into AOL and mentioning that an error number that was flashing on the screen and so forth.
Good Board you've created and say, Happy Thanksgiving.
~*Thunderous MidNight*~
How old is your computer? I hope you can clean it up but found myself wondering when I read all the posts if your computer hard drive is starting to go bad. I had a hard drive go bad only after 2 years and was very upset by the whole thing so much so it almost ruined last years Christmas holidays but a friend of mine was kind enough for a payment of money for sure to put a new drive in and reinstall everything. but before the drive went totally bad I had funny problems like you were experiencing. I hope your system is fine now without a huge problem.
Thank you. We bought the desktop in June 2004, if I remember correctly.