(OT) Computer Woes

"Bill Sornson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

OK, geeks 'n gurus, I need some help.

About a month ago, my computer suddenly stopped working. It appeared to
boot normally, but nothing would open or run. Lucked into a way to run
"chkdsk" -- said "Volume is Dirty" but fixed some errors and then all was
fine. (I leave it turned on all the time, re-booting occasionally.)

Last night, just like last time, I had to turn the machine OFF briefly (it
had gotten all hung up and wasn't shutting down to restart). Power back
on...boot apparently normal...then nada. All /looks/ fine, but can't open
up anything with mouse or keyboard.

Tried same fix as last time ("Volume is Dirty"😉 -- fixed some errors but
this time not the problem -- ran diagnostic tests and went to bed. ALL
PASSED. Still nothing worked.

FINALLY got it to boot Safe Mode -- ran System Restore (after many
attempts to open) to Friday settings, and whaddya know, it worked.

Any idea what's going on? Is my hard drive about to take a total dump?
Thing runs great for quite a while; then boom. (Dell P4, XP, etc.
Nothing special.)

Thanks,

My name is Bill and I'm powerless over computerhol.

Have you checked for viri/trojans?
If it's clean of them and chkdsk is still throwing up physical errors, then
the hdd is a bit messed. Before you throw it away, try, 1: un-install
unnecessary programs, 2: restore to factory settings, finally 3:
Re-install.
Even after all that, it still throws up errors, it's fecked basically.
But try the first steps, they're the biggest problems with PC's anyways.

Good luck,

Pagey

NeXuS said:

Have you checked for viri/trojans?

I thought Trojans were supposed to protect against viri.

CC

"Bill Sornson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

OK, geeks 'n gurus, I need some help.

About a month ago, my computer suddenly stopped working. It appeared to
boot normally, but nothing would open or run. Lucked into a way to run
"chkdsk" -- said "Volume is Dirty" but fixed some errors and then all was
fine. (I leave it turned on all the time, re-booting occasionally.)

Last night, just like last time, I had to turn the machine OFF briefly (it
had gotten all hung up and wasn't shutting down to restart). Power back
on...boot apparently normal...then nada. All /looks/ fine, but can't open
up anything with mouse or keyboard.

Tried same fix as last time ("Volume is Dirty"😉 -- fixed some errors but
this time not the problem -- ran diagnostic tests and went to bed. ALL
PASSED. Still nothing worked.

FINALLY got it to boot Safe Mode -- ran System Restore (after many
attempts to open) to Friday settings, and whaddya know, it worked.

Any idea what's going on? Is my hard drive about to take a total dump?
Thing runs great for quite a while; then boom. (Dell P4, XP, etc.
Nothing special.)

Thanks,

My name is Bill and I'm powerless over computerhol.

Does not sound like a hardware problem. My guess is the operating system is
having problems. I would put another hard drive in there and reload the
operating system and programs on a fresh drive. After that was set up, I
would install the old drive as a slave, or put the old drive in a external
USB enclosure to get what I wanted off it.

Bill Sornson said:

OK, geeks 'n gurus, I need some help.

About a month ago, my computer suddenly stopped working. It appeared to
boot normally, but nothing would open or run. Lucked into a way to run
"chkdsk" -- said "Volume is Dirty" but fixed some errors and then all was
fine. (I leave it turned on all the time, re-booting occasionally.)

Last night, just like last time, I had to turn the machine OFF briefly (it
had gotten all hung up and wasn't shutting down to restart). Power back
on...boot apparently normal...then nada. All /looks/ fine, but can't open
up anything with mouse or keyboard.

Tried same fix as last time ("Volume is Dirty"😉 -- fixed some errors but
this time not the problem -- ran diagnostic tests and went to bed. ALL
PASSED. Still nothing worked.

FINALLY got it to boot Safe Mode -- ran System Restore (after many attempts
to open) to Friday settings, and whaddya know, it worked.

Any idea what's going on? Is my hard drive about to take a total dump?
Thing runs great for quite a while; then boom. (Dell P4, XP, etc. Nothing
special.)

Thanks,

My name is Bill and I'm powerless over computerhol.

If you are getting volume errors and it keeps happening, then the drive
is about to fry. Get an imaging program such as Acronis or Drive Image
and image it to CD with boot and restore capabilities. Then buy a new
drive (same size if you can) and restore the image.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

Corvus Corvax said:

NeXuS said:

Have you checked for viri/trojans?

I thought Trojans were supposed to protect against viri.

Always helpful, CC...thanks!

{roshin'-froshin' rr-rr--rr}

"Corvus Corvax" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

NeXuS said:

Have you checked for viri/trojans?

I thought Trojans were supposed to protect against viri.

CC

?

NeXuS said:

Quoted message said:

I thought Trojans were supposed to protect against viri.

?

Wow, you really ARE a computer geek.

Listen to him, Bill. He's credentialed.

CC

"Corvus Corvax" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

NeXuS said:

Quoted message said:

I thought Trojans were supposed to protect against viri.

?

Wow, you really ARE a computer geek.

Listen to him, Bill. He's credentialed.

CC

Lol, sorry for that, thought that was some kinda joke. Btw, any idea if he
fixed it or not?

NeXuS said:

"Corvus Corvax" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> I thought Trojans were supposed to protect against viri.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Wow, you really ARE a computer geek.

Listen to him, Bill. He's credentialed.

Quoted message said:

Lol, sorry for that, thought that was some kinda joke. Btw, any idea
if he fixed it or not?

It's working fine...for now. I /did/ run a virus check -- all clean. At
the very least I'll back up all my essential stuff; may try some other
suggestions, too, if can figure out how. (I know just enough to be a danger
to self and data.)

Bill "BTW, CC's post /was/ some kinda joke (think condoms)" S.

Bill Sornson said:

NeXuS said:

"Corvus Corvax" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>> I thought Trojans were supposed to protect against viri.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> ?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Wow, you really ARE a computer geek.

Listen to him, Bill. He's credentialed.

Quoted message said:

Lol, sorry for that, thought that was some kinda joke. Btw, any idea
if he fixed it or not?

It's working fine...for now. I /did/ run a virus check -- all clean.
At the very least I'll back up all my essential stuff; may try some
other suggestions, too, if can figure out how. (I know just enough
to be a danger to self and data.)

Bill "BTW, CC's post /was/ some kinda joke (think condoms)" S.

uh oh, what does it say about me if I got the joke right away?

the second thought was to dig up that old Craig's list thing on why geeks
make better boyfriends....

penny

small change said:

Bill Sornson said:

NeXuS said:

"Corvus Corvax" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

>>> I thought Trojans were supposed to protect against viri.

Quoted message said:

>> ?

Quoted message said:

> Wow, you really ARE a computer geek.
>
> Listen to him, Bill. He's credentialed.

Quoted message said:

Lol, sorry for that, thought that was some kinda joke. Btw, any
idea if he fixed it or not?

It's working fine...for now. I /did/ run a virus check -- all clean.
At the very least I'll back up all my essential stuff; may try some
other suggestions, too, if can figure out how. (I know just enough
to be a danger to self and data.)

Bill "BTW, CC's post /was/ some kinda joke (think condoms)" S.

uh oh, what does it say about me if I got the joke right away?

I think it may be an Amercian thing: I grew up associating "Trojans" with
"rubbers". Is Nexus from Europe perhaps? (Or, like, under 30?)

Sigh, BS

"Bill Sornson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

NeXuS said:

"Corvus Corvax" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>> I thought Trojans were supposed to protect against viri.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> ?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Wow, you really ARE a computer geek.

Listen to him, Bill. He's credentialed.

Quoted message said:

Lol, sorry for that, thought that was some kinda joke. Btw, any idea
if he fixed it or not?

It's working fine...for now. I /did/ run a virus check -- all clean. At
the very least I'll back up all my essential stuff; may try some other
suggestions, too, if can figure out how. (I know just enough to be a
danger to self and data.)

I've done a fair bit of tech support. It's always best to try many
different fixing methods before splashing out on replacing a broken part.
You never know, it might be fixable only to find out after you replaced it.

Quoted message said:

Bill "BTW, CC's post /was/ some kinda joke (think condoms)" S.

D'oh! I'm only getting that now! That's the American manafacturer isn't
it?

No wonder I didn't get it first off. 🙂

"small change" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Bill Sornson said:

NeXuS said:

"Corvus Corvax" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

>>> I thought Trojans were supposed to protect against viri.

Quoted message said:

>> ?

Quoted message said:

> Wow, you really ARE a computer geek.
>
> Listen to him, Bill. He's credentialed.

Quoted message said:

Lol, sorry for that, thought that was some kinda joke. Btw, any idea
if he fixed it or not?

It's working fine...for now. I /did/ run a virus check -- all clean.
At the very least I'll back up all my essential stuff; may try some
other suggestions, too, if can figure out how. (I know just enough
to be a danger to self and data.)

Bill "BTW, CC's post /was/ some kinda joke (think condoms)" S.

uh oh, what does it say about me if I got the joke right away?

the second thought was to dig up that old Craig's list thing on why geeks
make better boyfriends....

penny

And I bet you're American too. :0p

"Bill Sornson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

small change said:

Bill Sornson said:

NeXuS wrote:
> "Corvus Corvax" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
> news:[email hidden]...

>>>> I thought Trojans were supposed to protect against viri.

>>> ?

>> Wow, you really ARE a computer geek.
>>
>> Listen to him, Bill. He's credentialed.

> Lol, sorry for that, thought that was some kinda joke. Btw, any
> idea if he fixed it or not?

It's working fine...for now. I /did/ run a virus check -- all clean.
At the very least I'll back up all my essential stuff; may try some
other suggestions, too, if can figure out how. (I know just enough
to be a danger to self and data.)

Bill "BTW, CC's post /was/ some kinda joke (think condoms)" S.

uh oh, what does it say about me if I got the joke right away?

I think it may be an Amercian thing: I grew up associating "Trojans" with
"rubbers". Is Nexus from Europe perhaps? (Or, like, under 30?)

Yeah, I is from Blighty and i've only been 30 for a short while. 😉

Quoted message said:

Sigh, BS

Ride-A-Lot said:

Bill Sornson said:

OK, geeks 'n gurus, I need some help.

About a month ago, my computer suddenly stopped working. It appeared
to boot normally, but nothing would open or run. Lucked into a way to
run "chkdsk" -- said "Volume is Dirty" but fixed some errors and then
all was fine. (I leave it turned on all the time, re-booting
occasionally.)

With a similar problem I was told to do chkdsk then defrag then
Start/Run/ sfc /scannow

Whatever that did its worked ok since.
oops watch this space !!!

NeXuS said:

And I bet you're American too. :0p

Two cultures separated by a common language.

A Scottish friend of mine emigrated to the U.S. while in high school.
His first day of class, he leaned forward and asked the girl in front
of him, "Excuse me, do you have a rubber?"

CC

Corvus Corvax said:

NeXuS said:

And I bet you're American too. :0p

Two cultures separated by a common language.

A Scottish friend of mine emigrated to the U.S. while in high school.
His first day of class, he leaned forward and asked the girl in front
of him, "Excuse me, do you have a rubber?"

Then went outside and smoked a [censored]?

Ride-A-Lot wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

If you are getting volume errors and it keeps happening, then the drive
is about to fry. Get an imaging program such as Acronis or Drive Image
and image it to CD with boot and restore capabilities. Then buy a new
drive (same size if you can) and restore the image.

Good advise. One way or another make a full backup while you still can!
Good luck!

Matt

"Corvus Corvax" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

NeXuS said:

And I bet you're American too. :0p

Two cultures separated by a common language.

A Scottish friend of mine emigrated to the U.S. while in high school.
His first day of class, he leaned forward and asked the girl in front
of him, "Excuse me, do you have a rubber?"

CC

Hahaha, could imagine what happened.

Bit like fannies over in America are different from English fannies. lol