Laptop has thrown it's toys out of the pram..
Discussion
Morning chaps. On returning home last night it seems that my laptop has been busy whilst I was away. I now cannot start a number of applications - Media player, photoshop, Internet Explorer (I use f/f but nevertheless..), ad-aware stalls, and more importantly the system restore won't open either. Having not done anything to it since it was working fine on Friday, I can only imagine that the problem may lie in my having downloaded AVG virus software, and having run that before removing Norton. Or, I have a virus that somehow lept into the computer without it being connected to the Internet, or turned on. I removed both AVG and Norton and replaced it with a free copy of Norton 2004. Which won't work. So, I now have no working anti-virus, and several non-working pretty important applications. Any ideas? Mucho gratias [sic] and e-beers as always.. Stu
stumartin said:
Morning chaps. On returning home last night it seems that my laptop has been busy whilst I was away. I now cannot start a number of applications - Media player, photoshop, Internet Explorer (I use f/f but nevertheless..), ad-aware stalls, and more importantly the system restore won't open either. Having not done anything to it since it was working fine on Friday, I can only imagine that the problem may lie in my having downloaded AVG virus software, and having run that before removing Norton. Or, I have a virus that somehow lept into the computer without it being connected to the Internet, or turned on. I removed both AVG and Norton and replaced it with a free copy of Norton 2004. Which won't work. So, I now have no working anti-virus, and several non-working pretty important applications. Any ideas? Mucho gratias [sic] and e-beers as always.. Stu
very weird. i have never known system restore to not work. sounds like your registry info etc is buggered - is it left online and connected to the internet when you're away? one has to assume a virus of some sort has got on there.
maybe worth trying this -
http://searchwinsystems.techtarget.com/tip/1,289483,sid68_gci1039583,00.html
good luck!
hut49 said:
What happens if you start it up in safe mode?
Ahem, how does one do that?
Yes, it does seem rather strange. It has spent the weekend in it's case no-where near the internet and indeed not switched on. Much like it's owner. It was actually operating AVG fine on Friday when I first installed it, but by last night things had gone otherwise awry. Will check out that link now..
...and I don't understand it. It does sound similar, but I can still start mine up and use f/f, Office etc, but not certain fairly important apps as above. The link above also seems to be talking about win2000, I have XP if that makes a difference...?
>> Edited by stumartin on Monday 28th February 11:30
Assuming you're running XP or 2000:
Click Start, and then click Shut Down.
Click Restart, and then click OK.
When you see the message Please select the operating system to start, press F8.
Use the arrow keys to highlight the appropriate safe mode option, and then press ENTER.
NUM LOCK must be off before the arrow keys on the numeric keypad will function.
Use the arrow keys to highlight an operating system, and then press ENTER.
In safe mode, Windows uses only basic files and drivers (mouse, monitor, keyboard, mass storage, base video, default system services, and no network connections). You can choose the Safe Mode with Networking option, which loads all of the above files and drivers plus the essential services and drivers to start networking, or the Safe Mode with Command Prompt option, which is exactly the same as safe mode except that a command prompt is started instead of Windows 2000. You can also choose Last Known Good Configuration, which starts your computer using the registry information that Windows 2000 saved at the last shutdown.
Safe mode helps you diagnose problems. If a symptom does not reappear when you start in safe mode, you can eliminate the default settings and minimum device drivers as possible causes. If a newly added device or a changed driver is causing problems, you can use safe mode to remove the device or reverse the change.
Click Start, and then click Shut Down.
Click Restart, and then click OK.
When you see the message Please select the operating system to start, press F8.
Use the arrow keys to highlight the appropriate safe mode option, and then press ENTER.
NUM LOCK must be off before the arrow keys on the numeric keypad will function.
Use the arrow keys to highlight an operating system, and then press ENTER.
In safe mode, Windows uses only basic files and drivers (mouse, monitor, keyboard, mass storage, base video, default system services, and no network connections). You can choose the Safe Mode with Networking option, which loads all of the above files and drivers plus the essential services and drivers to start networking, or the Safe Mode with Command Prompt option, which is exactly the same as safe mode except that a command prompt is started instead of Windows 2000. You can also choose Last Known Good Configuration, which starts your computer using the registry information that Windows 2000 saved at the last shutdown.
Safe mode helps you diagnose problems. If a symptom does not reappear when you start in safe mode, you can eliminate the default settings and minimum device drivers as possible causes. If a newly added device or a changed driver is causing problems, you can use safe mode to remove the device or reverse the change.
Gassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff