Need computer genius...

Kamintar · #1 09-21-2005, 01:17 PM

Ok guys here's the deal....

Last night, computer was working fine, no issues whatsoever. I turned it off, and then when I turned it on this morning, something was freaking out. My Ad-Watch said like 300+ registries were changed (Before I closed it), and now, nothing works.

I can't even open up a program that came with the computer. The only thing I can really do is look at my files, move them around, but I can't open them. ALL of my files (for the most part) have the little icon that says it can't open it (and then when you click on them it gives you the "Pick program from list..." or "Search internet for program" crap). Every single program I have seems to not be working, except for a few things like iTunes or Winamp (because my files for those still show the correct icons).

Here's the catch...I didn't do anything different last night. I haven't done anything to my computer in like 2 months. I didn't download anything, I didn't install anything, and it just seems to have crapped out.

All my files still have the correct extensions, but I just can't open them.

Running WinXP Pro (2001 I think), got a relatively new MoBo and Processor, 1GB of RAM. I don't know what could be causing this problem. The only solution I see is to reformat my computer. And I hate doing that, especially when I'm 5% from dinging...

Any sugestions?

Sir Cardboard · #2 09-21-2005, 01:18 PM

It's a virus.

Magus · #3 09-21-2005, 01:21 PM

Reassociate the files one by one. When you get that popup, point it to the right file and check the always use button.

Edit: virus is a possibility, run a full scan - if you're fully updated and it finds nothing, try system restore also

Kamintar · #4 09-21-2005, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magus

Reassociate the files one by one. When you get that popup, point it to the right file and check the always use button.

Edit: virus is a possibility, run a full scan - if you're fully updated and it finds nothing, try system restore also

I'll try that, but by the looks of it, it won't work. It's not simply "Not finding a program to run the file...." I can't get ANY program to run. I can't even get System Restore to run (was gonna try that this morning). I would love to run a virus scan, if my stupid virus scanner would open. That's just the problem I'm having. It seems my computer isn't even able to run any program that has had it's registry changed. I could try reinstalling everything, but I don't want to do that either...

Sir Cardboard · #5 09-21-2005, 01:27 PM

I actually had a time when my computer wouldn't let me open any of my folders by double clicking, it would actually try to run winamp when I double clicked. So then I had to go on to opening the folder by right clicking and going to open. I tried uninstalling winamp but that didn't help because the folders then wouldn't do anything. In the end I had to reformat my hard drives and reinstall windows.

Sorry.

Deoen · #6 09-21-2005, 01:36 PM

Can you open "My Computer" and see how your Drive(s) are listed for size and used. Check your time and date on your PC. This will check your system BIOS to make sure taht something did not change.

**Faetyl** · #7 09-21-2005, 01:38 PM

Try running System Restore from the command line.

Directions -

1. Restart your system
2. When the system first boots, type F8 to bring up the boot menu
3. Select the Safe Mode with Command Prompt option
4. Log-on as administrator if needed
5. At your command prompt type </SPAN>%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
6. Hit Enter "This will open the system restore wizard..."

If all else fails format.
I keep everything on a secondary drive and format/reinstall at least once a year.
Ghost drive imaging is a great tool

Mikeablah · #8 09-21-2005, 03:09 PM

System restore usually just makes things worse for alot of computers =/

Kamintar · #9 09-21-2005, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faetyl

Try running System Restore from the command line.

Directions -

1. Restart your system
2. When the system first boots, type F8 to bring up the boot menu
3. Select the Safe Mode with Command Prompt option
4. Log-on as administrator if needed
5. At your command prompt type </SPAN>%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
6. Hit Enter "This will open the system restore wizard..."

If all else fails format.
I keep everything on a secondary drive and format/reinstall at least once a year.
Ghost drive imaging is a great tool

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

You just made my day Faetyl. Thanks a million.

What is this Ghost Drive Imaging tool you speak of?

**Faetyl** · #10 09-21-2005, 05:53 PM

Ghost Drive Imaging is for those of us that like to "tinker/experiment" alot.
It allows one to take a "picture" of your hard drive setup including operating system, applications, and anything software related, save it to another hard drive, and have it available to bring back over in the event of a system failure.

Product info:
http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/ghost_personal/

Recommended steps before using it:
Get a second hard drive perferably large and install it (Those 250gig drives are nice)
Install a fresh copy of the Operating System
Install all "can't live without" applications
Setup all personal settings such as email accounts
Move your "My Documents" folder to be stored on the second hard drive. "Right click My Documents on the start menu to be able to do so..."

You would boot your computer with the ghost boot disk and select the option to copy the image of your first hard drive to your second hard drive.
Once completed you would simply remove the boot cd and use your pc like normal.

Now say for instance your operating system becomes corrupt.
Simply boot with that Ghost Boot CD again but this time tell it to apply the image that you saved to the first hard drive.

This places you right back to where you were when you made the image.

Symantec has improved their product considerably and now even offer scheduled backups so check their info out for all your options.

Laffs · #11 09-21-2005, 06:20 PM

Yes that is very sound advice i personaly have been doing this for a few years now and has pulled me out of the brown stuff on quite a few occasions lol...

Also it is the best backup method thats is availble but probably the slowest as a fully working office system takes about 30mins to image , and a typical games system can take over 2 hours! .... But it is the best method in the long run .. restore times are very quick though if you need to do it and also you can browse the image you have and pull files over if needed... Not sure if the latest one supports that though =(

I always have an image of a fresh install at hand with all of my "must have" stuff on it set up... So to get that running again takes about 6min at the very most from start to finish..

Oks I will stop rambling on now lol...

Kamintar · #12 09-21-2005, 09:24 PM

I reformat frequently (sometimes a couple of times a year), so I've developed a few methods I use myself. That Ghost program looks like a life saver. However, I don't have the money to buy another harddrive (and I only have a 80GB as it is..), so that's not an option.

For now, I'll just stick with copying to a networked computer, reformatting, and copying back. I usually copy my songs, downloads, and settings. I'll probably have to start copying EQ2 over now as well. It takes a couple hours to download the files, let alone the 2 or so more hours for the reformat and configuration itself.

All in all, thanks for the help you guys, I'll try to keep an eye on some stuff from now on.

Do you know if I can use ghost on a networked computer? Or does it have to be another harddrive?

**Faetyl** · #13 09-22-2005, 12:07 AM

Ghost can indeed be used over the network.
I actually started using it at work by setting up a "ghostcast server"
This allowed for simultaneous imaging of multiple workstations at once.

I've clocked transmit speeds of a 4gig image being pushed to 20 workstations within 8 minutes.

So it is indeed possible but I'm sure that would be the professional/corporate edition therefore raising that price considerably.
Not to mention the know how to set it up. (which in all honesty isn't that difficult)

And don't forget, you really only need a second drive that's large enough to hold the image so you could set it up with just the OS and some settings and leave the applications out untill you are able to afford a larger drive.

taco-man · #14 09-22-2005, 12:40 AM

one thing to try if you cant do it right over the network, you can probably "trick" it into thinking its a hard drive by mapping a network drive and having it backup to that. ITs worth a shot and would only take a minute or 2 to test.

Kamintar · #15 09-22-2005, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faetyl

Ghost can indeed be used over the network.
I actually started using it at work by setting up a "ghostcast server"
This allowed for simultaneous imaging of multiple workstations at once.

I've clocked transmit speeds of a 4gig image being pushed to 20 workstations within 8 minutes.

So it is indeed possible but I'm sure that would be the professional/corporate edition therefore raising that price considerably.
Not to mention the know how to set it up. (which in all honesty isn't that difficult)

And don't forget, you really only need a second drive that's large enough to hold the image so you could set it up with just the OS and some settings and leave the applications out untill you are able to afford a larger drive.

Yea I'll try that. The only other harddrive I have is a 4gig harddrive (I think) on a POS computer. I'm probably gonna rebuild my old computer and stick that small harddrive in it just so I have something else to use. When I upgraded my computer, I basically bought a new computer without a harddrive, so I was stuck using the one I already had, thus, no extra harddrive.

So, I'll see what I can do. I know how to network (and my cousin has a certification in Networking if I get stuck), so if I can get that program maybe it'll be a saver for me.

Thanks for the info you guys.