Author Topic: I have computer related questions. Can you help? (Read 149335 times)

ShyGuy · « **Reply #300 on:** December 04, 2011, 02:47:39 PM »

Spotty connection caused by dissimilar metals?

BranDonk Kong · « **Reply #301 on:** December 04, 2011, 04:59:36 PM »

Could be a cable was slightly loose or something, but it could also be your drive going out. Might want to run some hard drive diagnostic tools.

BlackNMild2k1 · « **Reply #302 on:** December 04, 2011, 05:03:47 PM »

I don't see any included with Win7, can you recommend one?

edit: I haven't run a diagnostic on the HDD yet, but it is working better now than it has in months.
very quick response when starting a video file. It used to take a few seconds before it would start.

Mop it up · « **Reply #303 on:** December 15, 2011, 09:27:51 PM »

This is probably a long shot, but I guess it can't hurt to ask.

I think my computer got infected with something. My guess on the source is a spam email, I sometimes click these by mistake trying to click something else, and that's one thing that happened a couple days ago.

I have Microsoft Security Essentials and since two nights ago it's been periodically removing something. It's always the same two items, though one at a time, and it appears every 15-30 minutes. The item names are Win32/Cridex.B and Win32/Obfuscator.QG. The exact location they appear in changes slightly each time, so it's obviously recreating/moving itself every time that MSE removes it.

I ran a full scan with MSE and it didn't find anything beyond those two items, which of course still returned later. I downloaded the two programs on Microsoft's page (link) and they found the same stuff, so it still came back. I also tried the free version of Hitman Pro and all it found were tracking cookies, as well as using SpyBot though I don't think that one is even supposed to block this sort of thing.

So... I'm not sure what to try next but it seems it must be something more major. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd really appreciate it.

Ymeegod · « **Reply #304 on:** December 15, 2011, 09:47:00 PM »

Well I just googled in the file you were talking about and it appears to be an worm that reappeared on 12/8/11. AhnLab-V3 is an antivirus program and it should remove the worm since they updated on 12/12/11 that they found the solution to your worm.

I'm sure other antivirus software will be updated as well if you care to wait.

BranDonk Kong · « **Reply #305 on:** December 15, 2011, 10:22:16 PM »

The best way to get rid of a virus is to use a second computer that you know is clean. Take the drive with the infection out, pop it in the other computer (after updating all of the anti-malware/anti-virus software) and then run a full scan on the drive.

bustin98 · « **Reply #306 on:** December 16, 2011, 01:19:48 AM »

Download rKill from Bleeping computer, save it to your desktop.
Start the computer in safe mode. Run rkill to make sure there isn't anything funny running.

Clear all temp directories as this is a launching point for many viruses.

Do a scan with an anti-virus. Also use malwarebytes anti-malware.

If items are removed, celebrate. Restart computer normally. Create a new user and set it with administrative rights. Give it a difficult password. Then change your account and change the account type to a limited account. Restart one more time and use the new account only for installing programs and updates.

Mop it up · « **Reply #307 on:** December 26, 2011, 06:54:54 PM »

Whoops, I forgot to respond back to this thread. Thanks for the responses guys.

Someone else I had talked with pointed me to Malwarebytes, so I tried that and it seems to have worked. I haven't had any issues or seen a trace since then.

Quote from: bustin98 on December 16, 2011, 01:19:48 AM

Create a new user and set it with administrative rights. Give it a difficult password. Then change your account and change the account type to a limited account. Restart one more time and use the new account only for installing programs and updates.

Wow, you're pretty careful. It's probably not a bad idea, but I don't know how to set up accounts. Maybe someday if I'm really bored, I'll try figuring it out.

bustin98 · « **Reply #308 on:** December 28, 2011, 09:07:25 PM »

Quote from: Mop it up on December 26, 2011, 06:54:54 PM

Wow, you're pretty careful. It's probably not a bad idea, but I don't know how to set up accounts. Maybe someday if I'm really bored, I'll try figuring it out.

Or if you get another virus...

Really, with most of my clients, it takes two times before they become believers. I understand how some functions of computers can be daunting, and that's what virus writers take advantage of.

BlackNMild2k1 · « **Reply #309 on:** February 01, 2012, 12:54:02 AM »

I have a rather puzzling problem that I hope you guys can help me with.

I have a secondary 1TB HDD in my computer.
When I check the available space it says there is always very little space, so I the other day deleted 56GB of files....

I've since downloaded maybe 5-6GB of data in it's place.... I'm out of space again.

I highlite everything on the drive and it says I have 156GB of stuff on my G: drive, but when I do a property check I have used 930GB of space.

Did I do something wrong or is there a **** load of missing space on my HDD?

bustin98 · « **Reply #310 on:** February 01, 2012, 10:56:01 AM »

There may be issues with the partition table, or you have a file unrecognized/hidden by Windows. If you don't need what's on there a low level format/zero-write will probably clear it out.

http://www.geekornerd.com/2009/06/30/how-to-zero-write-any-hard-drive/

I have used DBan, and it takes a while depending on how many passes you use. You will need to have Windows re-format it afterwards.

BranDonk Kong · « **Reply #311 on:** February 01, 2012, 10:10:41 PM »

JFC DBan could take years on a 1TB drive.

BlackNMild2k1 · « **Reply #312 on:** February 01, 2012, 10:31:26 PM »

I'm gonna get another TB HDD and copy what I want to keep over and then format to see of that fixes it.

maybe I'll try what you suggested...
if a regular format isn't enough.

BranDonk Kong · « **Reply #313 on:** February 01, 2012, 11:25:07 PM »

Regular format is probably enough, you don't even need to do a full format.

Oblivion · « **Reply #314 on:** July 09, 2012, 04:10:23 AM »

I am having computer problems. I know for a fact that nothing malicious is causing this. One day the speakers and webcam stopped working. Plugging in headphone won't work, and the laptop now thinks that they don't exist anymore. Installing new drivers didn't help either.

BranDonk Kong · « **Reply #315 on:** July 09, 2012, 09:57:11 AM »

Is anything disabled in the Device Manager? You might need to update the actual chipset drivers for your motherboard, or it could be that all of those devices are run from a daughterboard on the laptop, which may have possibly gone bad. Check to make sure all of your USB ports are in good shape - sometimes the plastic "divider" that the cable clips onto (and the internal pins are attached to) can break off, and then if someone tried to plug something in the pins can get pushed around the outer shielding, which shorts them out. That could cause all of those devices to stop working too.

Oblivion · « **Reply #316 on:** July 09, 2012, 10:34:30 AM »

All USB ports works fine. It seems like every is enabled in the Deice Manager. Would it help to know that it gets a BSoD probably every two to three days?

bustin98 · « **Reply #317 on:** July 09, 2012, 11:19:10 AM »

Check your capacitors. Look for the tops to be popped out, or even leaking. The capacitors are the round cylinders with flat tops soldered to the motherboard by two wires. Generally there are several lined together, though some can also sit alone.

BlackNMild2k1 · « **Reply #318 on:** July 10, 2012, 02:51:33 AM »

I hope you guys can help with this one.

I have a video file on my computer that I can't delete. I've tried all that I could think of (wan't much) to delete this file, but it will not delete.
I just tried to drag and drop it into the garbage bin, but my wireless mouse twitched and dropped it onto the desktop.
Now I have the same video file in 2 different places on my computer, and I can't delete either of them.

What do I do?

Morari · « **Reply #319 on:** July 10, 2012, 03:10:16 AM »

Stop downloading so much embarrassing pornography...

NWR_insanolord · « **Reply #320 on:** July 10, 2012, 03:24:43 AM »

If you were on a Mac I'd tell you to head to the command line, but I don't know what the Windows equivalent is.

nickmitch · « **Reply #321 on:** July 10, 2012, 04:50:10 AM »

There's a command line on Windows. I think the delete command is just "del."

http://commandwindows.com/runline.htm I think that's it. If it's still current.

BlackNMild2k1 · « **Reply #322 on:** July 10, 2012, 10:29:45 PM »

Quote from: Morari on July 10, 2012, 03:10:16 AM

Stop downloading so much embarrassing pornography...

Its actually an episode of Thundercats. It plays fine, but I watched it weeks ago. Its gotta go now and make room for other videos.

Morari · « **Reply #323 on:** July 11, 2012, 01:32:53 AM »

You're supposed to hoard media, not purge it after viewing. Storage is cheap, start organizing.

NWR_insanolord · « **Reply #324 on:** July 11, 2012, 02:36:41 AM »

Speaking of storage, I'm trying to make a decision and I figured I'd get some advice from the good people of NWR (and Morari).

Sometime next month I will be swapping out the optical drive in my laptop for a second storage drive. The question I'm faced with is what drive that should be a 256 GB SSD or one of these 750 GB hybrid drives.

I will be booting from this drive, and I want something significantly faster than the 5200 RPM drive I'm using right now. I know the SSD will be faster, but the hybrid's almost three times the storage, a bit cheaper, and still considerably faster than what I have now.

I'm having a hard time deciding between the two, and any input anyone here could offer would be welcome.

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Author Topic: I have computer related questions. Can you help? (Read 149335 times)