Desktop unresponsive after restarting!

*Note: I'm currently using a different computer since I can't access the messed up one at all. I do have its PC pitstop result from 2 days ago if that would help in the meantime.*

A few months ago, I posted here needing some serious help because the hard drive had given out. Was able to get it restored and the computer had been running fine up until a few days ago. It started acting sluggish - but tests said everything was ok. Since the hard drive had been restored I remembered that I had never reset my settings under services (the list you get when you run services.msc) so I used Black Viper's *safe* list and changed some things, also disabled some stuff in msconfig to try to get it going faster again.

Last night, noticed AVG 8 was no longer in the tray. My bf said that yeah, he had shut it off while playing WoW because it was slowing things down… Think it was still running in the background though, since today, it had a new log from a scheduled scan. It had found 400 or so warnings - which I cleared and moved to the virus vault. (It typically finds that many, all ActiveX stuff - hope that's normal).

This afternoon, I started having trouble with IE and CPU usage was at 100% and slow. I have a habit of right-clicking links and having a lot of tabs open at once, sometimes it seems like I'll get to a point where it won't let me open anymore. Well, this started happening when I had maybe only 3 or 4 open. Also, some of the pages in the new tabs wouldn't load, just said connecting. We have Google Toolbar - I noticed some of the tabs had double toolbars stacked on top of each other. Didn't seem to be some sort of graphics glitch as I could click and type in either of the two.

I closed out IE and tried closing out some processes including all the AVG ones which helped. But then I couldn't restart AVG again, when I doubled clicked it, I got the hourglass for half a second then it would go away. I ran several things: malware bytes, spybot sd, superantispyware - but none of them found anything. (Also did ATFcleaner)

While I had been running the scans, the hard drive was humming REALLY loud. After the last one, I restarted but only the background ever came up. Ended up having to hit the reset button. This time, desktop was fine but only the sound and one or two other basic things were in the tray - no Zone Alarm, AVG, etc. I could click the little expand arrow down there but that was it. Couldn't pull up the task manager with ctrl-alt-del, clicking on the start menu and IE did nothing, and when I doubled-clicked the folder where I keep all my computer maintenance programs, the hourglass just stayed up. Reset one more time and the AVG icon was in the tray again but everything is still unresponsive.

Right before the hard drive had given out several months ago, the computer had frozen and I resorted to using the reset button. In my post for help I was told it wasn't great for the computer but it was unlikely that that alone had messed up the hard drive. Yet according to my bf, the computer repair guy told him that that's what caused it. Personally, I think it's the former but I'm afraid to chance it and hit the reset button anymore.

I don't know if one of us messed it up, if it's a really bad virus or if the hard drive is getting ready to go out again. Please help!

Hi Sorry to hear of these problems with your computer…………these could be serious, so do make sure that your backup/copy/archive of everything that is important to you on this machine is 100% accurate, up to date and reproducible. Even if your latest back up/copy/archive is only a day or so out of date, take the opportunity, now to copy off all your important stuff. 1 If you can't boot into Windows normally then boot into safe mode (last good config) and get any stuff you need, copied to safe removable media. 2 If you can't boot into safe mode then after taking all the normal personal safety and ESD (anti static) precautions, either slave your hard drive to a known good working machine and copy the data off that way or 3 Use an external (USB) hard drive enclosure (available for a pound or two or a few dollars) or you can even just use an IDE/SATA connector >USB wire and 5V power supply (here again available at relatively modest cost) 4 One of the possibilities is that your hard drive is starting to die………….if it does before you get all your data/settings etc safely copied to removable media, then all your stuff that you have not backed up/copied/archived is likely to be lost………. 5 Any use including attempts to boot up will expedite the death of the hard drive if it is actually about to fail so restrict any activities to getting your important stuff off. When you have done this and it is all secure on removable media (and reproducible) post back here and we will advise the next steps. 6 It is not definite that your hard drive is dieing ,but it is as well to be prepared, so make sure you also have ready access to all your application installation discs, (or downloaded installation files) the serial numbers or product licence keys and of course your Microsoft Windows Installation disc and Product licence key. 7 If you have a recovery partition on your hard drive please let us know the size of it and also if you have a "disc image" saved to external media. (Ghost, Paragon, Drive Image Acronis etc) 8 If you are not absolutely sure of all the personal safety and ESD (antistatic) precautions necessary then, it would be best to consult your local competent computer technician and ask her or him to carry out the work for you. Regards paws

I went ahead and let my bf hit the reset button and it's back to normal now! I guess it just needed one more restart to load up normally. Do you think I should go to the HJT forum just in case or is it most likely the hard drive again?

Hi, Thats good news……….Have you got your back up/copy archive up to date?
If not this is the first step.
(Its abnormal to need to keep using the reset button and doing so risks corruption of files on your hard drive more likely leading to a vicious circle……more corrupted files makes the use of the reset button required which leads to…. I think you get the drift.)

The noises you describe from your hard drive are also abnormal and may be precursors of trouble……hence the need for getting all your important stuff safely copied to removable media.

Once you have done this…..if you suspect you have malware on your machine that you are unable to remove yourself then, you can post an HJT log over in the malware removal forum (not here in this forum please)
I would recommend that you do not allow anyone for any reason to shut down your anti virus protection unless it is an instruction from an experienced malware fighter or other skilled person, who may wish to do this on a temporary basis but only for the purpose of repairing/fixing or installing approved products on your machine.
Good luck and well done for getting it going again
Regards
paws

I'm a little unsure of how to backup everything and I need some reassurance that I'm doing it the right way.


I'm doing the backup under system tools following these directions.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/s…t_03july14.mspx

It says I can choose to backup to my hard disk. Under My Computer I have HP_PAVILION (C:) and HP_RECOVERY (E:). I'm assuming it's only C that's been messing up so I should save to E, correct? I'm just choosing the "My Documents and Settings Folder" option. I also plan to temporarily save the file to C in order to burn CD copies as well.

Some questions/concerns:

I read here: http://tweakhound.com/xp/backup/1.htm

that this backup method can sometimes fail. I'm going to do this for now but to save everything and be more permanent/secure would you recommend a flash drive, external hard drive, or disk imaging software?

Also, I started out trying HP PC Recovery CD-DVD creator. It said it would take 10 CDs but on the first one I got a message that error 12 occured which when I looked it up means "SCSI CDB delivery failed" Should I just not worry about it since I'm doing it a different way?


OK Update: when I started the backup method I realized I was trying to put 14 GB worth of memory into 4 GB worth of space on the E drive which wasn't going to work. I ended up copying all my important files from my desktop to a CD except my media files which wouldn't fit. Then I did the custom method where the only thing that I could copy that would fit was the My Documents folder that really doesn't have anything terribly important in it. Now what?

Hi, Its OK to back up to your hard drive (C drive) as a temporary measure…….but then in my view its essential to transfer the backed up data to removable media……That way if your hard drive fails then the removable media will hold your important stuff. On the other hand if you just leave your backup on your hard drive its OK all the time your hard drive works…if it fails however then you have lost your back up too! Its possible sometimes to recover data from a failed hard drive, but it can be difficult to do and may need the services of a specialist laboratory…….and they don't come cheap!…Keeping a back up on removable media helps to reduce the risks here. I would urge you to leave your e: drive strictly alone, for the moment…..this is probably your Recovery partition, and you should not write anything to it………It is used when all else has failed and you need to bring your machine back to its "factory" condition…I.E the state it was in when it left the factory…..that is without any of your data, settings, emails music, passwords, spreadsheets, address books, favourites…anything that you have added or created since you took delivery is lost when you bring the machine back to factory condition by using the Recovery partition. It is a good thing to have Recovery discs as well as a Recovery partition………….if you can,…….. try and make them, as they could in certain circumstances be very helpful to you. All this backing up and making discs may seem time consuming………but it is essential…………if you have not spent any time at all on these activities in the past, then it may seem a lot to do now…but on the other hand you have "saved" say half an hour per week every week since you first used a computer, by taking a gamble and not backing up…so looked at in one way you may have a lot of time in the"bank" that you can draw on now! Making a "disc image" is a wise and very useful help when things go badly wrong as it can put your machine back to exactly the state it was in when you made the disc image………..its important therefore to make sure that your machine is running fast and sweet, free from virus and undesirable elements, patched and up to date with 2 way software firewall and effective anti virus and everything running as it should, all junk files and detritus removed, defragged, and generally running in top class order………..if you take a disc image when your machine is running badly, or with incorrect configurations or malicious elements present…..then if you come to re image your disc, all the faults will be faithfully reproduced….. Just to show you that even experienced techs suffer these sort of problems a few weeks ago I was working at one of my old test machines when suddenly the hard drive failed…… From my stores I took out a replacement hard drive (it helps to to have a well equipped workshop) replaced it, and then started the re image process from a disc image taken when the machine was perfect. Whilst this was running I took the dog for a walk and on my return the computer was back to normal and just needed the anti virus and Windows updates, to be done and the files I was working on at the time to be replaced from my back up DVD….so in an hour or so I was back in business. I know that not everyone has the facilities on hand to do this…. especially a store full of hard drives, memory modules, power supplies and other essential bits and pieces, but the message is still good on backing up and using a disc image application, so I commend this approach to you. Finally , Yes an external hard drive (USB) is a good thing to have, to keep your back up and disc images on, and I would not want to operate without at least one or two available to me! Regards and good luck paws

Thanks for all your advice - unfortunately a couple of days ago the computer starting doing the same thing again where we can't access anything on the desktop. The SMART tests say everything is fine though. Guess we'll be taking it back to the repair shop. Assuming it's the hard drive, is the computer a total loss or can we just replace the old hard drive with a new one? And if so, would we be able to move XP to the new one (without buying a new copy)? If this should be in the hardware forum let me know.

Hi, Sorry to hear that it is in trouble again. The hard drive can be replaced easily, its a quick, cheap, simple, job to do that would take the competent technician only a minute or two to complete. so that's good news! ……there is also some more good news in that the price of hard drives has fallen and they are very inexpensive now. Its usually easy to move your operating system (Windows XP) to the new hard drive…if you had made a disc image, or if you have the original Microsoft Windows XP installation disc….. If you haven't then it can still be done, but its probably best to get your local competent computer tech to do this for you…often the procedure is straightforward but sometimes it can be complicated if the computer manufacturer has used a proprietary technique to load your operating system, and not supplied you with a genuine Microsoft Windows XP installation disc (as often happens!) Lets hope it is the hard drive……..your computer tech can run some tests on it that will give a good indication of its health, but the new discs are so cheap now, that the labour cost of running the tests sometimes makes just buying and fitting a new one (with makers guarantee etc) worth considering. Good luck with this… When, finally, you get it all going well and before it has time to have any problems develop take a disc image as a bit of extra insurance for the future! Regards paws