234 replies to this topic

[pulsebabe]

hi, ive just been thru the virus removal process with that team, but my system is still having internet explorer issues and so they suggested i now move to this forum. internet explorer keeps freezing. it is at the moment allowing me to reopen a new ie window and continue but to fully close the frozen ie i have to reboot. the virus tech guy thought there may still be a problem in my hard drive. my back arrow occasionally stops working too. a new problem has just occurred also, whilst one window is frozen, i have a new one open, tab one is working, tab 2 isnt working, tab 3 is and i cant open tab 4. also on two occasions that ive switched the pc on, the sound has been very odd and crackly mainly on the first windows opening tune. there was an error connected to the volume that was dealt with by the other team using combofix so i dont know if this is to do with that also.

Edited by pulsebabe, 25 October 2010 - 02:03 PM.

[Lee]

I'm sorry to hear that you have OS issues pulsebabe. I've said this before elsewhere but for what it might be worth, I'll repeat it here: "Unfortunately with Malware or a Virus, even when successfully removed there is often Registry and/or OS file damage left behind caused either by the infection itself or it's removal. An OS showing odd and/or slow behavioral response is commonly the end result". Usually an OS Repair install (not to be confused with a full OS install) is often the only way to fix the damage done and sometimes a full OS re-install is required However, I would firstly suggest running chkdsk c: /f (The /f command automatically fixes any errors encountered). Make sure you have Administrator rights. 1. Click 'Start' and select select 'Run' 2. In the box, type cmd 3. Click Ok 4. A Command prompt window will now open with a blinking prompt. 5. Type in exactly as shown here including the space but not the brackets ( chkdsk c: /f ) 6. You will be asked if you want to run this at next boot. Enter y (yes) and the press 'Enter'. 7. Reboot and do not touch anything until completed. It can take an hour or more so just let it run. If that has not fixed the issues your having, repeat the above steps but the command this time is ( chkdsk c: /r ) See how you go. Cheers, Lee

Edited by Lee, 25 October 2010 - 03:40 PM.

[pulsebabe]

already did the chkdsk fix with the other dept. whats OS, im not a computer whizz so pls talk in more laymans terms lol. my laptop is only 10 mths old so i need it working right again, not like i can just bin it and buy new! thanks

[Lee]

Sorry for the Techno-babble pulsebabe. It's easy to slip into it here OS = Operating System (Vista, XP, W7 etc.). Can you tell me what sort of disk came with your laptop when you bought it? It is more than unlikely that your Laptop included a proper Vista Installation disk when you bought it. Could you let me know what disk came with it? Cheers, Lee

[pulsebabe]

I'm not sure it had a disk, it's a toshiba and they have direct access to tech support, but i will double check nope, definitely no disk,

Edited by pulsebabe, 25 October 2010 - 05:20 PM.

[Lee]

OK pulsebabe,

Things can get a little sticky if no disk came with the Laptop (shame on the seller).


Here are the options in preference order which depend on your personal circumstances ($$$) or Tech. interest.

Option 1.
Take the laptop to a reliable PC Tech. in your area and ask for a quote for a 'Repair Install'. This would take them 30min at most so bare that in mind. Don't get snowed with "Oh, I'll have to do this and I'll have to do that etc." Anymore than a quote for an hour's work is 'taking advantage' and here in OZ anyway, a quick punch to the jaw would be an appropriate response

Option 2.
Is a bit Techy. If your inclined to be technically adventurous or have to go that way due to $$$, then have a look here as you need to create a 'Vista Repair Disk' : http://www.howtogeek...-dont-have-one/

If you choose option 2 and manage the instructions to a successful completion, it's all downhill easy from there!

Cheers,
Lee

Edited by Lee, 26 October 2010 - 01:03 AM.

[terry1966]

just a general question, if the laptop didn't come with any operating discs isn't it more than likely it has a hidden restore partition on the hard drive that could be accessed by tapping F10 or some such key while booting, and if so couldn't a repair install be done from there??

[Lee]

Do you mean a partition with a mirror-image or 'snap-shot' of the original Vista OS setup on it from when when the Laptop was new? A partition can be deliberately hidden, but I've never heard of that being done on a new PC's or Laptop before it is sold (?) Then again, I've never owned an off-the-shelf PC. Restoring a mirror image (if there was one) of an initial OS set-up would wipe out everything on the PC and return it to its factory state, just like a full OS system re-install would do. Naturaly we want to avoid doing that by useing a Repair Disk. Cheers, Lee

Edited by Lee, 26 October 2010 - 01:29 PM.

[terry1966]

http://forums.toshib...media/td-p/9148

i think you usually have the options of a full factory restore and/or a repair install if the partitions there, but i'm afraid i have no experience with toshiba laptops so can't verify anything, like i said was just a query that might be worth looking into more.

Edited by terry1966, 26 October 2010 - 02:44 PM.

[pulsebabe]

oh my posts been hijacked lol ive not been well today but will contact toshiba in the next couple of days to find out about an os disk. will let you know when i get info.

[terry1966]

yes sorry about that pulsebabe, just trying to give lee another avenue to explore first, and save you some money that might not need spending.

[pulsebabe]

i think there is a full factory restore, but doesnt that mean i will have to save everything i have on my pc before i do this, as i have no idea how to do that.

[terry1966]

yes you would have to back everything up first before doing a full factory restore, but i was thinking there is also an option there that allows you to do a none destructive repair-install of the os, that would keep all your data intact, might be wrong tho...

and even if there is, i'd still tell you to back up all your data first anyway, even best laid plans can go wrong so you should always have a backup of your data.

if you don't know how to backup your data then i think it's something you should immediately look into, usual ways are to have an external hard drive and copy all your data onto it or to burn all your data to dvd/cd's.

pc's hard drives do fail, so you should always have at least 1 copy of your important data files stored somewhere else.

i use 2 separate hard drives just for backups, that means i have 3 copies of all my important data stored on 3 separate hard drives, with a laptop i'd definitely buy an external hard drive just for my backups.



when you've fixed all your problems and everything is running correctly there is another popular way to backup your data and also have a fast way to restore everything to a working state when problems arise, it's making regular drive images like lee mentioned earlier, acronis i think is the most popular way of doing this, here's a link to it that will explain what it is and how it works. :- http://www.acronis.c...ucts/trueimage/

Edited by terry1966, 27 October 2010 - 07:19 AM.

[pulsebabe]

totally lost me there. i was hoping id be talked thru how to get everything working properly again like the virus tech guys. ah well.

[Lee]

A full Factory re-set is what we DON'T want, nor need at this stage and that was the reason I never mentioned it as a 3rd option in the second post of this thread. If that is what the 'hidden' in-built fix is on the Laptop ... STOP

Edited by Lee, 27 October 2010 - 10:12 AM.