Help a computer idiot (1 Viewer)

[Nitrohaulic]

Until the other day I always turned off my notebook by clicking start, then clicking "turn off computer." About six months ago it started occasionally acting like I clicked "restart" instead of "turn off" and I'd just turn it off again.

I told a friend about this the other night and he said "Just hold the power button for a few seconds and it'll quickly turn off." Don't know if that's related to my new problem but, just thought I'd preface this with that, first. The new problem turned up very soon after starting to turn my computer off that way.

I turn it on a couple of days ago and now none of the message boards I'm on recognizes me. At first they wouldn't even if I left momentarily, then came back to it. Now, they recognize me when I come back to them but, only after still having the computer on. Had to sign back into the mater tonight, and I click the remember me box each time. Some things seem to be running slower, too. Sometimes avatars aren't showing up, either.

I will give Sam credit. He recommended here AVG back when my computers were running slow, one with McAfee and the other with Norton. That fixed them for awhile. I downloaded spybot as well, which would get a few things that AVG missed. Both got to where they were running a little slow with AVG. Deleting that and installing Malwarebytes sped them both back up again until this latest problem with this one. Seems like I had a similar problem a long time ago and it was cookie related?

 

[Al smith]

When you started to have your shut down problems did you try system restore? if not is there still a system restore point available before that date?

As far as your message board log ins, Did you reset your security to a higher level? if you had custom levels a crash or hard restart may have reset itself to a default higher level which does not save log in information. Or did you delete your IE temp files? if re-customizing your security level doesn't fix it you may have to delete cookies or temp files. as something may have been corrupted there.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

I did system restore to a date before I had problems. Maybe I should try again with an even earlier date?

Security was at medium and I even tried temporarily lowering it to see if that would help.


I occasionally delete temporary files and just deleted cookies. This thing is currently loading web pages on Verizon broadband slower than my home pc used to on dialup, SEVERAL seconds. Wondering if I have hurt it by turning it off a few times that way.

 

[Al smith]

I did system restore to a date before I had problems. Maybe I should try again with an even earlier date?

don't bother then. thats probably not it. Right click on "my computer" on your desktop. select 'manage" and click on the device manager tab. see if theirs any exclamation points in the device tree.

Security was at medium and I even tried temporarily lowering it to see if that would help.

right click on a web page and select "view source". you should see your default web editor or notepad open and see the source code. if nothing happens your temp files are full.

I occasionally delete temporary files and just deleted cookies. This thing is currently loading web pages on Verizon broadband slower than my home pc used to on dialup, SEVERAL seconds. Wondering if I have hurt it by turning it off a few times that way.

check to see if any network settings were lost, you can also try to run system file checker to see if a file has been "updated" by a program and doesn't work very well.


Description of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 System File Checker (Sfc.exe)

Also check to see that one of your fans is not seized, like on a graphics card or power supply. a case fan shouldn't matter and if it were a processor fan you wouldn't be reading this.

 

[Jenn]

Ron, it sounds similar to the problem I had with my Toshiba, I suggest you make a back up copies now while you still can. They wound up wiping out my hard drive and reloading windows.

 

[Suzie Q]

Have you tried defragmenting your computer? Whenever mine is a little "testy" and sluggish, I run the defrag program before I go to bed and my adaware and avg spyware programs and it peps right up the next morning.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

Have you tried defragmenting your computer? Whenever mine is a little "testy" and sluggish, I run the defrag program before I go to bed and my adaware and avg spyware programs and it peps right up the next morning.

I defragmented it yesterday. I downloaded Spybot again and let it run last night. Came up with not a single bug. I'll try the things Al suggested above, download and run adaware and avg again and, like Jenn suggested, get things ready for a crash.

Had to log back into this site this morning and the computer hadn't even been off. The pages did seem to load a little faster this time, though.

 

[HEMI6point1]

Is there any toolbars installed in your browser? If so, go into add/remove programs and uninstall them. Those things always cause issues.

 

[yoda]

Jenn's dead on point, Ron- back up now while you still can... This is that tiny tap most fuel racers feel just before the big yellow flash!!

Western Digital makes a 320GB wallet sized USB drive that is perfect for backing up the whole computer, but I only do my personal docs and files- no operating system or program files that I still have a disc for. That way I can make complete file packets named and dated for each time I back up (and I always do a full dump prior to starting a tour). It really paid off when I had my laptop stolen in Rome- the only things I lost were the new things that I created that month on the road.

Once you backup the essential things, you can run Spybot and AVG through your files to see if the problem exists there (probably not), and if things go south and you do have to format and reinstall your operating system, you'll at least come back with the personal items that you last backed up to. If the 'puter is at the 990' mark on a Lee Beard tuneup , you may want to back it up really soon.....

 

[twok4hd]

Because of my wife's travel agency business, we decided to use Carbonite as a back up service. It is $50.00 per year per computer and it backs up no matter where you are when you get on the internet. It really paid off when I spilled coffee in my wife's laptop.



Online Backup, Computer Backup Software & Remote Backup ? Carbonite.com

 

[Al smith]

What manufacturer laptop?

Ron, it sounds similar to the problem I had with my Toshiba, I suggest you make a back up copies now while you still can. They wound up wiping out my hard drive and reloading windows.

You must be very careful when you hand over your computer to "they" as it is extremely time consuming for "they" to fully diagnose a software problem. In many cases "they" take the easy route and wipe your drive and re-install the OS. They don't even have to sit there for an unattended install and can work on other computers. "They" hand the computer over to you with a smile on their face saying "All Fixed" not knowing when you get home that all your history and precious data is gone. You have to be careful backing up also because you can re-introduce the problem into your computer. This is common with viruses as they suddenly re-appear out of nowhere during a system restore because most AV programs don't even look there. A lot can be learned by doing a google search for the specific symptoms you are experiencing. At this point it doesn't sound like an impending hard drive crash because it seems to be explorer specific and you are not loosing devices during boot up. And you don't mention if other unrelated software is behaving erratically. But I could be wrong. You can download hard drive diagnostic tools from the manufacturers to check.


EDIT

I deleted the links to diagnostic tools as they do not apply. They were desktop specific. Check with your laptop manufacturer for support software downloads re: hard drive diagnostics

 

[Jenn]

You must be very careful when you hand over your computer to "they" as it is extremely time consuming for "they" to fully diagnose a software problem. In many cases "they" take the easy route and wipe your drive and re-install the OS. They don't even have to sit there for an unattended install and can work on other computers. "They" hand the computer over to you with a smile on their face saying "All Fixed" not knowing when you get home that all your history and precious data is gone. You have to be careful backing up also because you can re-introduce the problem into your computer. This is common with viruses as they suddenly re-appear out of nowhere during a system restore because most AV programs don't even look there. A lot can be learned by doing a google search for the specific symptoms you are experiencing. At this point it doesn't sound like an impending hard drive crash because it seems to be explorer specific and you are not loosing devices during boot up. And you don't mention if other unrelated software is behaving erratically. But I could be wrong. You can download hard drive diagnostic tools from the manufacturers to check.

My Toshiba started acting slow and not turning off when I wanted it to without hitting the power button and I managed to get the external hard drive on and back up my pictures and documents (Over 65 GB of pictures alone). I didn't suspect I needed to do it, but I did it anyway because I had bought the hard drive months before and never did anything with it, and it seemed like prime time.

Then when I took the computer to Staples, he said he could plug it in and take a look at it but it'd take him a couple days. Then he said that I should bring my external hard drive in for him to scan as well, just in case. Which was a plus, I suppose. Then he called back and said that his diagnostic computer and mouse wouldn't hook up to my laptop and that was a bad sign because it had attacked the drivers.

Since I needed a laptop (I was getting ready to leave for the first LV National). I went out and bought a new one just in case. If they fixed it, we could always use it for the kids, if they didn't. Well, I'd have a new computer.

BTW, I took it to Staples because they had flat rates. Computer Corner, PC Place, they all wanted to charge me by the hour and emergency rates on top of that.

For two hours of their time, it would have been $150 bucks, and I figured if I took it to Staples, where it'd cost me 65 for the diag time, I could put the extra 105 bucks toward the new computer.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

Little by little, some things seem to be coming back on their own. Pages are back to loading fast. Sites still don't remember me but, the auto password fill ins on firefox and internet explorer are working again. Both of those had stopped, too.

Threads I hadn't seen updates to weren't in bold, anymore. This morning, those threads are in bold again. I'll still be backing things up. No more fast shutoffs for me! I'll put up with a little unwanted restart now and then!

I got a good deal on a 4 GB flash drive. I don't have that much on here so, I'll see how quickly that fills up.

 

[willy]

If you're deleting cookies sites won't remember you, Ron..that's why that is happening.

Have you run anything like SpyBot? Or SUPERAntiSpyware.com - AntiAdware, AntiSpyware, AntiMalware! they're both free.

Running these programs will eliminate a software issue..there may be some little bot/trojan thingy.

It's good news that things seem to be working their way back.

 

[clwill]

Windows XP systems really benefit from an annual format/reinstall. Just save all your program data (doc files and such), and run the Windows XP install from your disks. Delete the partition that has your OS on it, and reinstall XP from scratch. You won't believe what a difference it makes in the computer.

Is it a PITA? You bet, and you have to do all the updates and reinstall all your software. It'll take a day to do it.

But your computer will be so amazingly healthier you won't believe it. And it's a lot like a good spring cleaning -- if you don't reinstall it you didn't need it in the first place.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

If you're deleting cookies sites won't remember you, Ron..that's why that is happening.

Have you run anything like SpyBot? Or SUPERAntiSpyware.com - AntiAdware, AntiSpyware, AntiMalware! they're both free.

Running these programs will eliminate a software issue..there may be some little bot/trojan thingy.

It's good news that things seem to be working their way back.

Won't the computer get the cookies once again when I visit and log back onto a site? Pages are definitely back to loading fast but, no sites remember me.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

Windows XP systems really benefit from an annual format/reinstall. Just save all your program data (doc files and such), and run the Windows XP install from your disks. Delete the partition that has your OS on it, and reinstall XP from scratch. You won't believe what a difference it makes in the computer.

Is it a PITA? You bet, and you have to do all the updates and reinstall all your software. It'll take a day to do it.

But your computer will be so amazingly healthier you won't believe it. And it's a lot like a good spring cleaning -- if you don't reinstall it you didn't need it in the first place.

I'll try to find everything that came with this one 3 years ago and see if I can try that.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

 

[twok4hd]

I'll try to find everything that came with this one 3 years ago and see if I can try that.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

Ron, you really need to quit visiting those Bazooomba sites. I HEAR they can really cause some computer problems.