32 replies to this topic

[coffeebean469]

Hello! On the recommendation of Tom Coyote himself, I am listing my issue here. My PC, which is a Frankenstein of parts, decided to have this issue today. The messages come up as follows: "Windows is starting up" (about 1-3 minutes) "preparring network connections" (another 1-3 min) "applying security policy" (yet more time) ...culminating in a logon screen. BUT! When I log on, it thinks about it and then simply says "The system cannot log you on now because the domain [name] cannot be found." This was not an issue yesterday. I've looked up repairs online, and have seen others' posts with this issue, but haven't found a repair that I can understand. If someone could walk me through fixing this, I know I'd learn a lot about my computer. I am sure this computer is riddled with viruses, as I never reloaded my security software after its predecessor died (also from virus abuse). Thanks for any help you have to offer!

[Doug]

A couple of thoughts occur to me. 1. What activities, changes, or new hardware or software have you recently installed, if any? 2. Was your "frankenstein" computer at one time part of a network? as in, once was a desk top in a business, and therefore has security policies placed by the network administrator that you haven't specified yourself? yes> no? 3. Is the machine running Windows 2000 (or what OS are you running) and do you have the installation CD? 4. You apparently have a working computer that you can use to post here at TC. Are both your "working" computer and your "frankenstein" computer desktops, vs. one is laptop and one is desktop with tower? 5. If your "working" computer is well protected with anti-virus and anti-spyware, do you think you would be able to remove the "frankenstein" hard drive and install it as "slave" in your working computer. (we could give you step-by-step help with the physical installation) If you could, then you'd be able to run anti-virus and anti-spyware utilities to get it cleaned up,... or as a last resort, you could save/backup any important documents in preparation for re-formatting and re-installing a clean install of your operating system. (note: chasing down the chipset drivers and all the various peripheral drivers could be a huge task) 6. If moving the hard drive to the "slave" position on your working machine is too daunting at the moment, how are you at burning CD's? For instance, you could download the AVG free and Ewido free utilities along with their manual updates for installation and use them to start cleaning up your "frankenstein" machine. 7. Are you able to get your "frankenstein" machine booted up and running without trying to get it logged onto "a network"/"domain"/internet? 8. What is your internet connection type? dialup? dsl? cable? Are you attempting to connect directly to the internet via a modem, or are you going through a router that has other computers connected to it? If you're using a router, is it wireless/wired? 9. what are the "exact" words in the warning/error messages you get? If a more informed member can see a clear path to get your machine up and running, I'll happily step aside. In the meantime, it is quite possible that your answer to any one of my questions above, or additional questiions from other member, could help get a better focus on the problem and possible solution. Please let us know how you are progressing. Best Regards

[coffeebean469]

Hi, Dough! Thanks for your reply. I'm going to appologize now for my clumsy answers. 1. "What activities, changes, or new hardware or software have you recently installed, if any?" ++++Last week I installed Quickbooks Point of Sale software. On Saturday I installed a Microtek scanner and the related software. The computer had to restart to do that, and I was able to scan and save data that evening. I think I used the computer okay on Sunday. But, on Monday afternoon, I knew there was a problem because there was just a pleasant, blue screen on the monitor. 2. Was your "frankenstein" computer at one time part of a network? as in, once was a desk top in a business, and therefore has security policies placed by the network administrator that you haven't specified yourself? yes> no? ++++++I think it WAS once part of a business. I had an old Gateway that finally succumbed to viruses. I also had a Dell that was absent a C-Drive. My computer guru friend, who I no longer feel comfortable calling, amalgamted them into a third computer and saved all of my data. He warned me that it might not be stable. He also gave me, free, the Compaq laptop I'm using now. 3. Is the machine running Windows 2000 (or what OS are you running) and do you have the installation CD? +++++I think It's running Windows NT. No, I don't have the installation CD. 4. You apparently have a working computer that you can use to post here at TC. Are both your "working" computer and your "frankenstein" computer desktops, vs. one is laptop and one is desktop with tower? ++++Yes, working computer is a laptop, Frankenstein is a tower. 5. If your "working" computer is well protected with anti-virus and anti-spyware, do you think you would be able to remove the "frankenstein" hard drive and install it as "slave" in your working computer. (we could give you step-by-step help with the physical installation) If you could, then you'd be able to run anti-virus and anti-spyware utilities to get it cleaned up,... or as a last resort, you could save/backup any important documents in preparation for re-formatting and re-installing a clean install of your operating system. (note: chasing down the chipset drivers and all the various peripheral drivers could be a huge task) +++++I'm not willing to play with my laptop computer and risk destroying it. I think I do have the two old hardrives from the former Gateway and Dell computers. I have something that computer guru said had all the data on them. 6. If moving the hard drive to the "slave" position on your working machine is too daunting at the moment, how are you at burning CD's? For instance, you could download the AVG free and Ewido free utilities along with their manual updates for installation and use them to start cleaning up your "frankenstein" machine. ++++Oooh! I think I could handle this. I just bought an external DVD/CD burner for the laptop. 7. Are you able to get your "frankenstein" machine booted up and running without trying to get it logged onto "a network"/"domain"/internet? ++++I don't know how to stop making it try to log onto the network. I unplugged the ethernet cable, but that didn't make any difference. 8. What is your internet connection type? dialup? dsl? cable? Are you attempting to connect directly to the internet via a modem, or are you going through a router that has other computers connected to it? If you're using a router, is it wireless/wired? ++++Both computers use cable internet. The laptop is wireless and the Frankenstein is wired. I have a cable modem, a cable router, and an Access Point (all Linksys). 9. what are the "exact" words in the warning/error messages you get? What I wrote above is the exact wording. ["Windows is starting up" / "preparring network connections" / "applying security policy" / "The system cannot log you on now because the domain [name] cannot be found."] I like the idea of burning a CD to insert in the Frankenstein. Can you walk me through that if it's a valid fix? Thanks soooooo much! Michelle

[Doug]

Go here to download and save AVG (free version):
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

While there, also download Ewido and then go get the current Ewido updates, here:
http://www.ewido.net...wnload/updates/

Go here for a tutorial on Manual Update of AVG:
http://www.castlecop...Update_AVG.html

Go here to download Spybot Search & Destroy:
http://www.safer-net...g/en/index.html

You can get the Manual Update for Spybot S&D, here:
http://www.safer-net...2003-02-08.html

You can probably copy all of the above onto one CD and still have a ton of extra unused space.

You didn't ask, but I like CleanUp! 4.50 which will rid your machine of all the .tmp and temporary internet files and some other junk files that can often be the hiding place for malware. Get it here and save it to the CD for use on your "Frankenstein".
http://www.stevengould.org

None of the above will cost you any money, though you will be give options to buy or accept trial version.
For purposes of this present work, accept the (free versions).

I'm not going to try to give you any instructions for burning the CD or for downloading or installing any of the utilities and their updates, as I believe that the sources I've linked have competent instructions and your external DVD/CD burner would have come with both software and instructions.

As always, the wonderful folks here at TomCoyote will be available to give you help if any of the steps prove difficult. Hopefully other Members will add their expertise as needed, especially because I've never worked with Windows NT operating system and can only extrapolate that it is similar to Windows 2000. So I may stumble on the fine details.

Best Regards

I do not know if Windows NT has System Configuration Utility (MSCONFIG).... I know that Windows 2000 does not, but can run the same one that Windows XP uses. MSCONFIG allows you to "turn on and off" various applications and routines that you may want to turn off during this work. Essentially, you can turn off any software applications that you have loaded yourself that are set to go active at startup. Later, after you are cleaned up, you can turn the ones you want back on.
Let's see if you have MSCONFIG. GoTo - Start - Run - (type) MSCONFIG - Enter
If your System Configuration Utility comes up, then you're set.
IF not, you can go here to get MSCONFIG:
http://www.perfectdr...o/msconfig.html

Note: The plan that you said you prefer, and that I have outlined above, requires that you be able to actually boot into Windows. If that is still a problem, then we need to search other avenues

Edited by dough, 04 July 2006 - 05:35 PM.

[coffeebean469]

Thank you so much! So, I just burn all this on CD using my laptop, pop that CD into the Frankenstein computer, and it will magically get the data into the computer and start fixing things? Just like that?

[Doug]

Hi Michelle, Unfortunately, No. In order to Run these utilities, they have to be installed. (I edited my prior post, above, to indicate that we may be stalled if you can't load windows) We may need to use a "bootable CD" like "theultimatebootdisk" from which I believe you can Run the anti-virus and other utilities. I've asked another more knowledgeable Member to look in on your post here. Hopefully, we'll get some direction from him. In the meantime, I'll be refreshing my own familiarity with using the "bootable disk" utility. Best Regards

[Micah_6:8]

Hi Michelle

Can you get Frankenstein to boot in "safe" mode?

I've looked up repairs online, and have seen others' posts with this issue,

Can you provide links to these?

[coffeebean469]

Hi, Micah! I tried to boot in safe mode (f8 to get to that section, right?), but it still had the same issues and still wouldn't let me in. I tried researching this issue online and others with the same problem had the same result with safe mode. I also read something about how, after a certain number of log-ons, a network computer can switch to another domain? Or something like that. Again, the computer will start, and will get as far as asking me to log on, but then I can GET logged on because some domain no longer exists.

[coffeebean469]

OOOPS!!! I meant: "Again, the computer will start, and will get as far as asking me to log on, but then I CAN'T GET logged on because some domain no longer exists.

[Micah_6:8]

Unless we can get you "booted" in one fashion or another, there's not a whole lot we can do... Hopefully, DOUGH can get you steered into a "bootable disk".... I'm curious... Can you post the domain name Franky is looking for? Of course, if this would divulge some personal, or private information, please do not.

[coffeebean469]

The domain it's looking for is CLARITY01. Not sure if that's personal or not.

[Micah_6:8]

That will give use at least some tibit of info to use, provided we can get you to a point where you can run some programs.

[coffeebean469]

I like your website, Micah! Maybe one day I'll be computer literate enough to use it!

[coffeebean469]

I hope you both have a wonderful July 4. If you are so inclined to continue researching this while I'm out, and need info from me, I can be reached at clarity AT tmo DOT blackberry DOT net.

Made email addy less "spammable" - Micah_6:8

Edited by Micah_6:8, 04 July 2006 - 06:59 PM.

[Doug]

The "bootableCD" utilities that I have studied, require the actual Microsoft Installation CD (XP) to create a windows pre-installation environment which will allow the user to interface/"access and run" the various anti-malware utilities that you'd be interested in using, as per my recommendations above. Without an installation CD, we're sunk. Additionally, When creating the Windows version of the "boot-from-CD" preinstallation environment, the actual machine's Registry setup has to be accessed to make the bootable-CD compatible to the machine. Since your machine has unidentified corruptions, I don't believe you could reliably use your machines system files, even if you could get to them. The original "UltimateBootDisk" provides a DOS-based access and cannot make changes in NTFS format (your NT operating system's format) That means that you would not be able to remove any viruses or malware that occupy your NTFS formated hard drive. Again, we're sunk. It ain't pretty, and I'm not supposed to speak the words, but you might do better with this machine if you "reformat and freshly install" an operating system. Do you actually own any legitimate Operating System (windows 2000 or windows XP) that you could install and validate on this machine. Purchasing a new Retail version of XP will cost you more than $100, but would give you alot of advantages that are presently out of reach on Frank, since it has not OS CD. I'm not quite "throwing in the towel", though it may look like it from the comments I've made above. Our present greatest challenge (using your current resources) is to get Frank to boot all the way into Windows. Then we could run anti-virus and anti-spyware as per my earlier post, and impliment other repair strategies. I'm still searching. Best Regards