Need Computer Help Update

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Need Computer Help Update

Posted: 12/19/2005 3:06:38 PM EDT

Just bought a new computer.

My problem is this.

When loading up,

I am getting about 16 file not found messages.

Then when I try to click on any of my programs, Instant messanger, Anti Virus, Adaware and essentially anything non- windows related when I try to open them I essentially get File not found.

As well as all of my music, and videos.

Also when I try to log off I get WinRAR not responding.

What say you Arfcom?

Posted: 12/19/2005 3:08:02 PM EDT

[#1]

Do you mean when booting up ?

Posted: 12/19/2005 3:09:05 PM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
Do you mean when booting up ?

Even after booting up I am getting all the File not found messages. Upon booting up when trying to load. And then if I try to open a program I still get the file not found

Posted: 12/19/2005 3:09:36 PM EDT

[#3]

if new and it works like describe take it back. new computer should have had OS and stuff installed. sounds like something ate your harddrive...

Posted: 12/19/2005 3:10:15 PM EDT

[#4]

Did you rename, move, or delete the c:\program files directory?

Posted: 12/19/2005 3:10:25 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
if new and it works like describe take it back. new computer should have had OS and stuff installed. sounds like something ate your harddrive...

It just started doing that yesterday, the computer is about three weeks old

Posted: 12/19/2005 3:11:34 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Did you rename, move, or delete the c:\program files directory?

nope it is still there, and I am showing 10 gigs of usage on my harddrive

Posted: 12/19/2005 3:14:45 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Quoted:
if new and it works like describe take it back. new computer should have had OS and stuff installed. sounds like something ate your harddrive...

It just started doing that yesterday, the computer is about three weeks old

1st guess. virus totally trashed your system.... complete format down to metal, reload OS and utils from install CD (i do this for a living (well its part of what i do)).

2nd guess. hard drive failure (part of the drive is bad).

Posted: 12/19/2005 3:26:26 PM EDT

[#8]

Step 1:

Back up your data to CD or other removable media. Remember that you may have things in other places besides "My Documents". Get them all.

Step 2:

Reinstall XP from scratch, removing the old partition and creating a new one. Install any necessary drivers from the disk that came with your PC.

Step 3:

Run all Windows Updates and any AntiVirus updates. Enable the software firewall.

Step 4:

Install any other needed programs.

Step 5:

Copy your data back to the hard drive.

-Troy

Posted: 12/19/2005 3:30:17 PM EDT

[#9]

Thanks for the help guys looks like it is going to be a long night.

Posted: 12/19/2005 3:49:54 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Step 1:

Back up your data to CD or other removable media. Remember that you may have things in other places besides "My Documents". Get them all.

Step 2:

Reinstall XP from scratch, removing the old partition and creating a new one. Install any necessary drivers from the disk that came with your PC.

Step 3:

Run all Windows Updates and any AntiVirus updates. Enable the software firewall.

Step 4:

Install any other needed programs.

Step 5:

Copy your data back to the hard drive.

-Troy

+1 on Step 1...oh...and on that other stuff too.

Posted: 12/19/2005 3:51:48 PM EDT

[#11]

Ohh yeah any way I could tell if the hard drive is bad before I go and start doing all of this stuff?

Posted: 12/19/2005 3:55:46 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Step 1:

Back up your data to CD or other removable media. Remember that you may have things in other places besides "My Documents". Get them all.

Step 2:

Reinstall XP Linux or *BSD from scratch, removing the old partition and creating a new one. Install any necessary drivers from the disk that came with your PC.

Step 3:

Run all ~~Windows Updates and any AntiVirus~~ yum or apt-get updates. Enable the software firewall.

Step 4:

Install any other needed programs.

Step 5:

Copy your data back to the hard drive.

-Troy

fixed.

Posted: 12/19/2005 4:01:49 PM EDT

[#13]

Check your path statement to make sure that c:\, c:\windows, c:\program files, and c:\windows\system32, and c:\windows\system32\wbem are in there. If you need help in editing, a quick search on the web will help.

-White Horse

Posted: 12/19/2005 4:06:21 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Ohh yeah any way I could tell if the hard drive is bad before I go and start doing all of this stuff?

part of install should allow for format of drive. during this step choose complete format (as opposed to quick or some similar wording). That should pick up (fail) disc problems.

BTW.. be careful about restoring the backed up stuff. Some things cannot be detected by any normal anit-virus, firewall, and anti-spyware software.

once you get back up, google rootkits....

the way i fix computers like yours, is to mount the 'problem' disk in a second computer and scan. after that clears, i reinstall the disk and run hijackthis. But i know what to look for in hijackthis (a fairly arcane program). in your case, since you are actually missing files you are probably beyond this type help.

finally, if you dont do so, install and use firefox instead of ie. firefox is not perfect but it is tougher than ie...

Posted: 12/19/2005 4:11:07 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Ohh yeah any way I could tell if the hard drive is bad before I go and start doing all of this stuff?

part of install should allow for format of drive. during this step choose complete format (as opposed to quick or some similar wording). That should pick up (fail) disc problems.

BTW.. be careful about restoring the backed up stuff. Some things cannot be detected by any normal anit-virus, firewall, and anti-spyware software.

once you get back up, google rootkits....

the way i fix computers like yours, is to mount the 'problem' disk in a second computer and scan. after that clears, i reinstall the disk and run hijackthis. But i know what to look for in hijackthis (a fairly arcane program). in your case, since you are actually missing files you are probably beyond this type help.

finally, if you dont do so, install and use firefox instead of ie. firefox is not perfect but it is tougher than ie...

Pisses me off I have been updating my antivirus software everyday, running behind Zone Alarm Pro.

Posted: 12/19/2005 4:11:31 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Ohh yeah any way I could tell if the hard drive is bad before I go and start doing all of this stuff?

start -> run -> cmd -> ok

run check disk with slash f like so:

c:\some_stuff_about_the_directory>chkdsk /f

it'll ask you something, and hit "y"

reboot.

Posted: 12/19/2005 4:15:38 PM EDT

[#17]

Take that pile of crap back to the store and get your money back. Then go buy an Apple.
Trust me, you will thank me in a few years when Macs take over the market share and even more large companies start making the switch. A superior product. I have both and find myself using the Mac most of the time.

Posted: 12/19/2005 4:17:49 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
... Then go buy an Apple. Trust me, you will thank me in a few years when Macs take over the market share and even more large companies start making the switch...

roflol.

certainly you jest.

ever replaced parts in an apple?

Posted: 12/19/2005 4:22:01 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Quoted:
... Then go buy an Apple. Trust me, you will thank me in a few years when Macs take over the market share and even more large companies start making the switch...

roflol.

certainly you jest.

ever replaced parts in an apple?

roflol

EXACTLY!!! You don't have to!!!

I rest my case. NEXT!!!

Macs: 1
pc's: 0

Posted: 12/19/2005 4:23:14 PM EDT

[#20]

Sig,
I have my stuff all backed up JUST IN CASE...it's like my SHTF for my PC lol...you should do that too.

I don't know what else to say but I'd give tech support a call...

Good luck bro

Deej

Posted: 12/19/2005 4:24:56 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
... Then go buy an Apple. Trust me, you will thank me in a few years when Macs take over the market share and even more large companies start making the switch...

roflol.

certainly you jest.

ever replaced parts in an apple?

roflol
EXACTLY!!! You don't have to!!!

I rest my case. NEXT!!!

that's not what our customers seem to experience.

dude, one word: i-mac.

i rest my case

Posted: 12/19/2005 4:28:02 PM EDT

[#22]

david_g17,
Stop hijacking. I'm trying to solve this guy's problem.

Posted: 12/19/2005 4:32:12 PM EDT

[#23]

I haven't had any problems out of XP. This is the smoothest machine I have ever had...better than the IBM Thinkpad I started my ARFCOM time with.

I have used Apples...the grammar school I attended had an Apple IIGS(and no I'm not that old, I'm going to be 20 in less than a month). In Junior High we had I-Macs and we even used an Apple IIE.

I sometimes use my sister's Ibook.

Posted: 12/19/2005 4:42:50 PM EDT

[#24]

sounds like you didn't get a new computer.

I would reinstall windows as posted above, although i would not suggest deleting the partitions. dells use these partitions as part of thier diagnostics. hp's and others use a hidden partiition to reinstall windows. so just run the cds if provided and not worry about deleting partitions.

Posted: 12/19/2005 4:47:28 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
sounds like you didn't get a new computer.

I would reinstall windows as posted above, although i would not suggest deleting the partitions. dells use these partitions as part of thier diagnostics. hp's and others use a hidden partiition to reinstall windows. so just run the cds if provided and not worry about deleting partitions.

if its a dell, comes we a re-install disk. that disk will reinstall the diagnostic partitions and software. in fact for the average person, having the dell disk that basically does it all for you is better than taking an off-the-shelf copy of xp and going through the install..

of course 12 or months out and that disk now is out of date so's you have to go to ms and do a fairly obnoxious 'windows update'.....

Posted: 12/19/2005 5:55:35 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
Quoted:
sounds like you didn't get a new computer.

I would reinstall windows as posted above, although i would not suggest deleting the partitions. dells use these partitions as part of thier diagnostics. hp's and others use a hidden partiition to reinstall windows. so just run the cds if provided and not worry about deleting partitions.

if its a dell, comes we a re-install disk. that disk will reinstall the diagnostic partitions and software. in fact for the average person, having the dell disk that basically does it all for you is better than taking an off-the-shelf copy of xp and going through the install..

of course 12 or months out and that disk now is out of date so's you have to go to ms and do a fairly obnoxious 'windows update'.....

not what i see everyday. all the dell cd's are is a windows xp cd with a dell logo on it.

Posted: 12/19/2005 6:04:08 PM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
sounds like you didn't get a new computer.

I would reinstall windows as posted above, although i would not suggest deleting the partitions. dells use these partitions as part of thier diagnostics. hp's and others use a hidden partiition to reinstall windows. so just run the cds if provided and not worry about deleting partitions.

if its a dell, comes we a re-install disk. that disk will reinstall the diagnostic partitions and software. in fact for the average person, having the dell disk that basically does it all for you is better than taking an off-the-shelf copy of xp and going through the install..

of course 12 or months out and that disk now is out of date so's you have to go to ms and do a fairly obnoxious 'windows update'.....

not what i see everyday. all the dell cd's are is a windows xp cd with a dell logo on it.

you did not get a sytems or 'dell utilities' CD?

to tell the truth i always bought dell up to about 2 years ago. then i started building my desktop, servers, work stations. last dell purchase was a laptop about 2 years ago.

but every dell (and i 've had a bunch) came with said cd.....

Posted: 12/20/2005 8:55:09 AM EDT

[#28]

ONe update and fresh instal later and I didn't even lose my old Avatar

Posted: 12/20/2005 9:32:40 AM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
ONe update and fresh instal later and I didn't even lose my old Avatar

There's that thread in team if you want your new one back...

or mine is the same and you can use it Sig.

Posted: 12/20/2005 3:42:40 PM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:
Step 1:

Back up your data to CD or other removable media. Remember that you may have things in other places besides "My Documents". Get them all.

Step 2:

Reinstall XP from scratch, removing the old partition and creating a new one. Install any necessary drivers from the disk that came with your PC.

Step 3:

Run all Windows Updates and any AntiVirus updates. Enable the software firewall.

Step 4:

Install any other needed programs.

Step 5:

Copy your data back to the hard drive.

-Troy

Troy, you forgot to make sure he has a chrome lined barrel.

Posted: 12/20/2005 6:34:01 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Step 1:

Back up your data to CD or other removable media. Remember that you may have things in other places besides "My Documents". Get them all.

Step 2:

Reinstall XP from scratch, removing the old partition and creating a new one. Install any necessary drivers from the disk that came with your PC.

Step 3:

Run all Windows Updates and any AntiVirus updates. Enable the software firewall.

Step 4:

Install any other needed programs.

Step 5:

Copy your data back to the hard drive.

-Troy

Troy, you forgot to make sure he has a chrome lined barrel.

Doh!

Okay:

Step 6:

Go CHROME or go home.

-Troy

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Need Computer Help Update

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