Help me computer geeks!!!!
 

My pc seems to have gone mad.Everytime i switch it on it logs on to windows xp(home edition) but nothing else happens.It doesn't even show the icons on screen,just the background.

Have you switched off the icons by accident?

How can that be?

It cant be a case of the blue screen of death because i've seen what it does before.

And hopefully two of my flatmates said that they'll have a look later this afternoon.

Obviously it's not preventing you from typing here.

Internt cafes?

So,anyway,what do you think i might have done?

you may have a virus or spy ware or it may just be some other annoying computer thing that pisses everyone off. you could try and re install windows but you will have lost everything you saved unfortunatly.

Isn't there a repairing install option, which doesn't format your hard-drive? I don't think I've had to reinstall my windows xp yet.

Damn it,i have some recent music saved on it that didn't back up.Most of the rest is all backed up.

So how do you do it?My flatmate just said before he went that it wasnt hardware but add/spyware probably.

I believe it's possible to boot the computer up in safe mode (by hitting F8 when you see the first loading screen) and remove viruses etc somewhat better from there. So I'm told.

edit: this page may be helpful: http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.c...id=1643&page=2

I tried that but it wont let me.Thanks for the information anyway.

do you have virus/spyware pretection?


does anyone know of any good ones? i have avast and a few others are there any better? and free?

The best I used was Avast, I dont use any now because I run a Apple machine, but my parents constantly call me because their pc has died or what not.

If it just loads the background and nothing else, then there's something preventing explorer.exe from opening. You can still back information up though. Try reinstalling XP, you won't lose your data. If it's a virus it may persist.

If you have floppy disks USB drive, or external hard drive you can transfer your music using dos, (To boot in dos it's one of the "F" keys and press it at startup, mine is F9). The script is:

COPY [d:][path]filename+[d:][path]filename2[...] [d:][path][newfilename]

Use CD to move through your folders

ex: cd C:\Program Files\Warcraft\

And use DIR to see all the files in a folder.

The best antivirus is Ad-Aware http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

You can't do anything? Can you right click? Can you hit ctrl+alt+delete and get the task manager?

It is hard to help without knowing the exact problem.

I thought everyone here is a computer geek... ;)

I can't right click and the keyboard doesnt really respond at all but if i put a data cd on it accepts it.I thought of reinstalling windows xp.It says that it takes about 90 mins is that right?

go buy a back up hard drive, back up what you want to keep, wipe your existing hard drive, reinstall xp, and put your files back on your existing hard drive.

Yeah but i can't get to the files,damn it!!!!

buy a new computer.

Is there anything that you can't get a hold of again. I thought you said you backed some of it up?

Most of the music files are all backed up(as well as photos,programs etc).It's only a chunk of my music that might get wiped off.If i put the windows xp cd in it seems to slowly connect to the internet too(i have broadband).Is there a way to get rid of adware or spyware?Both my flatmates havent come back yet so we'll see.

[quote=Cantankerous]buy a new computer.[/quot
Hush up Saturnine!

i'll pay.

Depending on what music and how much and whether or not they could easily be replaced, I would probably reinstall anyway. But wait for you flatmates before you do anything.

I am.Why does it take so long to reinstall windows?

that's a lot of shit to reinstall. it's a fucking operating system.

By the look of it,it will take a good hour and a half.

That's what happens when you fuck around with rightwing extremists pork.
Those bitches have taught you a little lesson. :D
Nah! It's probably you knowledge about computers that's causing that.
Deal with it.

Sod off.

oh no, a whole 90 minutes of your time.

Is that all you can say. Hush up, Sod off.
I was only teasing you. Reeelax.
Tongue and cheek, remember?
What's the problem? Maybe I can help.

It only took my computer about 30 minutes. It took more time reinstalling things like the video card, and sound card.

Tokolosh,read the thread,damn it.My flatmate reckons that it's fixable.Never had to deal with this before so.............

You're reinstalling windows so now it doesn't matter.
You should get a good firewall and regularly delete your cookies and temporary internet files?
It could also be your Harddrive that's maybe seen it's days.
Once you've reinstalled windows it should be ok, otherwise let us know.

I'll try that but my hardrive is fairly new.Thanks anyway.

Hmm... Never heard of anything like that. A while back my computer was starting up windows and allowing me to log on but then the screen would go black. I started it in safe mode and ran a virus program and it fixed whatever was wrong I guess. Try just letting your computer chill. Sometimes, after being on for long periods of time, they just fuck up like that. Shut it off for a few hours.