a virus?

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patrickstarr

388 posts

Ultimate Geek

#10440 22-Nov-2006 13:15

Hey everyone here is my problem (yet again.)

I used to use IE but I have switched to firefox and on the firefox's website and it says that if you can a message which I saw I was infected. I don't know if it is really a virus but my computer has been being very weird. There has been no symptoms of a virus but normally web browsers wont go to practically any website for me and it is very annoying. I use Trend Micro 2007 antivirus, ad-aware and spybot search and destroy but it says my computer is clean but I think there is a virus on it, is there any other software that you guys can recommend or anything? as it is being a pain in my but. Also I can't really find my recovery disk to try and format my computer, I have been looking but with no success. I can get a new one but its $45.00 for everything and thats allot of money for me as I am saving to go up north for in 5 weeks.

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#53235 22-Nov-2006 15:39

Windows defender

bradstewart

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#53249 22-Nov-2006 16:55

If Trend Micro is telling you that you are clean then believe it. Its a very good program.

What you likely saw is one of those ads that popup saying you are infected... click here etc.

If you are unable to do a format and reinstall then the next best thing is to unistall as many programs as possible. Do a full virus scan, disk defrag, clean up etc. You will find that there is some application causing your problems.

patrickstarr

388 posts

Ultimate Geek

#53259 22-Nov-2006 17:38

Hey thanks for your inputs :) I am just scanning with Windows defender, so far theres nothing. I can't get my recovery disk so I am going to have to buy a new recovery cd which sucks because its $45.00. I will see what defender says first.

patrickstarr

388 posts

Ultimate Geek

#53302 22-Nov-2006 22:46

Hey everyone sorry for the double post but heres what happened:

I ran a scan on Microsoft defender, it found one error so I deleted it and it has only helped a tiny bit. But theres yet ANOTHER problem, now I can't even put things on my computer like CD's onto my computer, if I my computer just switches off, I was just putting Now 22 on my computer and my computer was just turning off like crazy. My computer has switched itself off 7 times today and it is sooo annoying me, do you think its time for me to get another computer?.

grant_k

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#53310 22-Nov-2006 23:29

patrickstarr: My computer has switched itself off 7 times today and it is sooo annoying me, do you think its time for me to get another computer?.

This is almost certainly a motherboard fault (could be the CPU overheating, or it could be faulty RAM or even the motherboard itself). Another possibility is the power supply, although it's less likely.

Don't go and buy a new computer but instead take it to a repair shop because the most expensive of those components listed above is the motherboard which costs around $150 or so, maybe $200 max if it's something special. It's very very rare for the CPU itself to fail although I have had it happen about 3 times during the 20 years I have worked with PCs.

If by some rare chance it is the power supply, that will be only $50 or so to replace, and it could even be something as simple as the CPU fan (cost about $10 or $20). The other possibility is RAM which should also be no more than $150, in fact probably much less depending how much (or little) RAM you have.

Definitely take it to a repair shop, it could save you quite a lot of money

.

P.S. If by any chance it is a laptop you are talking about here, then most of the above advice doesn't apply. The only thing worth replacing in a laptop is the RAM or Hard Disk, if by some unusual circumstance either of those turns out to be faulty. Last time I got a quote to replace a motherboard in a 3-year old laptop it was $400 - $500 i.e. better to buy a new one and sell the old one on Trade Me for parts.

patrickstarr

388 posts

Ultimate Geek

#53311 22-Nov-2006 23:39

Hey well umm well coming to think of it when I got my computer upgraded about 2 weeks after I got it upgraded I started playing Mavis Beacon and then that all of a sudden the computer shut off, I wasn't really worried because I done a system restore and then the computer just didn't go off but now its happening constantly. Would this still be something to do with my RAM??

grant_k

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#53312 22-Nov-2006 23:50

patrickstarr: Would this still be something to do with my RAM??

Now that you mention it, this happened to my Dad's computer. He lives near the sea with lots of moisture and salt in the air. He found that taking the RAM out of its socket and then putting it in again (repeat 3 or 4 times) cured this kind of crashing problem. In his case, the socket had corroded contacts I think so I suggested that he cleaned the gold fingers on the RAM with some Isopropyl Alcohol. He never had that problem again, but I think he was lucky.

Usually it is not so simple, but RAM is easy to replace so it would be worth a try.

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patrickstarr

388 posts

Ultimate Geek

#53316 22-Nov-2006 23:58

oh ok, this may sound like a dumb question but where do you buy it from?.

grant_k

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#53317 23-Nov-2006 00:02

You can buy RAM at DSE but they will charge you a rip-off retail price

.

For this reason, I would take it to a computer repair shop because the fault may turn out not to be the RAM, and in that case, you would have wasted your money.

Unless of course you can borrow some RAM from a friend's computer, but there are so many different types, you could damage the RAM if you don't know what you are doing.

patrickstarr

388 posts

Ultimate Geek

#53318 23-Nov-2006 00:04

Oh sorry I am actually talking about the alcahol, I will try to clean the RAM sticksand see if it helps.

grant_k

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#53321 23-Nov-2006 00:09

OK, now I can help, that's an easy one...

You can buy a small bottle (50ml I think) from a Chemist. They may ask to see some ID to prove you are over 18 because some people try and drink this stuff!

The chemist may also ask what you want it for, so you can explain about your computer's RAM socket, or if he/she doesn't understand that, you can also say it's for cleaning the heads on a cassette player (the main reason I used to keep some handy).

Another possibility if your chemist doesn't have it, would also be our friends at DSE... It shouldn't cost too much for such a small bottle.

P.S. To clean the gold fingers on the RAM, soak a cotton bud in the Isopropyl Alcohol and then wipe it along the fingers. Make sure you don't drip any of the alcohol on any plastic components as it will dissolve the top surface!

patrickstarr

388 posts

Ultimate Geek

#53325 23-Nov-2006 00:14

Ok great thanks for that, but I also need to get some new screwdrivers as I need one of those tiny phillips screwdrivers for my computer. It's because the holes for where the screws are, are tiny and I only have those big ones. Thanks for your help :).

grant_k

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#53328 23-Nov-2006 00:21

Get yourself one of the "Jeweller's" screwdriver sets that DSE sell.

For example this one:

8-Piece Hobby Tool Kit    Cat. No. T3294 $2

or this one:

DSE 19 Piece Screwdriver Set   Cat. No.  T6325 $5

Either of those should do the job.

While I was on their site, I also found:

DSE 99% Pure Isopropyl Alcohol 25ml    Cat. No. C7511 $4.87.

It looks like one trip to DSE should get everything you need

.

Cheers,
Grant.

patrickstarr

388 posts

Ultimate Geek

#54329 30-Nov-2006 18:17

Heya well I got my Recovery CD's, I am not happy about them, I payed $45.00 for something that would only cost $10.00. What they did was they dubbed a copy of the original recovery disk and gave me 3 copies. They didn't even put the disks in a case, they just wrapped the recovery CD's in like a sheet of the foamy things. I got it from a visual group or something like that. They are a rip off!.

Oh yeah and the tools that you showed me aren't at any of the stores I live near, the closest one would be Lower Hutt I think it was. If I had to go to the Lower Hutt one I would have to get 2 trains and I would have NO idea where I am going, I would get totally lost, I have never been to Lower Hutt before well by foot anyway.

JAMMAN2110

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#54341 30-Nov-2006 19:31

Theres not all that much too Lower Hutt..

/me might possibly know a guy or two who work at that DSE though..

You could always order the items online and have them delivered...

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