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[Old Man [OFPR]]

It could be a coincident, but my comp is completely fucked now. While we played that other night my game froze then steam shut down and won't start up, but it doesn't stop there, it won't run the defrag, avast won't run, malaware won't run, kaspersky did run a full system scan but only detected a few minor things that didn't make a difference. Most programs won't run, my comp folder won't open. I tried to open the comp in safe mode by spamming F8 right after the "beep" but it won't start in safe mode. I was even going to run the recovery disc and lose every thing, but of course it wouldn't run. I'm ready to torch it!!!!
 

[deadatspawnmike]

If the Pc starts, look in your windows\System32 directory and filter by Date (make sure you have it on Details).  Look for any strange files that have popped up since the date this all happened.  If you see a strange .exe or .dll change it to .xxx.  That might help.  also check your windows\System directory.  also some virus hang out in your Temp files.   So remove them. 

Also another place they hide is in your local settings under your name.  Instead of deleting the files its easy to just change it to .xxx, in case your system becomes unstable you can put it back.

Defiantly try to get it in safe mode.  You can do it the BAD way if you are desperate.  The bad way is right when you see the Windows logo, hit the power button.  You might have to do this 2 times.  It should then pop up with a option to load in safe mode.

[Agent Orange]

It could be a coincident, but my comp is completely fucked now. While we played that other night my game froze then steam shut down and won't start up, but it doesn't stop there, it won't run the defrag, avast won't run, malaware won't run, kaspersky did run a full system scan but only detected a few minor things that didn't make a difference. Most programs won't run, my comp folder won't open. I tried to open the comp in safe mode by spamming F8 right after the "beep" but it won't start in safe mode. I was even going to run the recovery disc and lose every thing, but of course it wouldn't run. I'm ready to torch it!!!!
 

When you start SafeMode where does it get "stuck" at? you should see a bunch of files loading down a list. Also, what do you mean that the recovery disc won't run? You mean it just tries to still boot Windows instead?

[Old Man [OFPR]]

You don't see those files, it just loads windows. It won't acknowledge anything in the cd-rom, won't auto play, bring up the run screen and type F:play it just tells you insert disk.
When trying to get it to start in safe mode (spam F8), the menu will come up asking which device I would like to boot from, the 3 choices are a:floppy, b: pioneer drive (f drive, cd-rom) and c: the DVD-rom. I've tried all 3 with the recory disk preliadedin each drive, nothing, windows just starts up regardless. 

This comp has always been pretty good, it's about 5-6 years old, it's a Sony Viao, one of the first to have a Pentium 4, 3 gighrtz hyperthreading proccessor, 160gig hard drive, upgraded to 2gig memory, it has always done me well.

Side question, if I was successfull with the recovery disk, I always assumed it would put it back to factory settings, when I bought this comp, it came preloaded with a ton of programs including windows XP, would it still have windows? How about those other ore loaded programs? My guess
They were pobabaly loaded by the store (comp USA) and won't be there when it does successfully run.
When you do run the recovery disk will that kill off all viruses??

[hypnotics.]

It should have an option to load those files on the disc, if you choose advanced install

[Old Man [OFPR]]

Again, it won't run the disk.

Any other advice? Fire up the torch??

[deadatspawnmike]

Did you try hitting F1 to go into Bios?  You do that right when you turn the PC on.  When you are in Bios see if you can see your Hard Drive.  Also go into the boot settings a put your CD in as the first thing to boot from.

[Agent Orange]

Did you try hitting F1 to go into Bios?  You do that right when you turn the PC on.  When you are in Bios see if you can see your Hard Drive.  Also go into the boot settings a put your CD in as the first thing to boot from.

It has to see his HDD for it even to attempt to load Windows. The bootloader to load Windows is pointed to from the Bootsector of the HDD itself.

However, selecting the boot order for the CD to boot first makes sense. To me it sounds either like heavy corruption somewhere in the system files or it sounds like a virus.

I'm not sure why Old Man doesn't see the files being loaded during Safe Mode. It always prints them as it goes.

[deadatspawnmike]

AO, i don't think he has gotten to safe mode.  It didnt' sound like he got to the safe mode option screen.  He said he got to a screen that asked what he want to boot from. 

After changing your boot options to boot from CD first, put your restore disk in and do a windows Repair first.  That might get windows working again.

[Old Man [OFPR]]

Right, won't start in safe mode.

I did just that, tried get it to boot from the cd and it just ignores it and loads windows regardless

[deadatspawnmike]

did you try turning the power off when it goes to load windows?  Do that a few times, it should pop up and ask you if you want to start in safe mode.

Or you could do it the other way like AO said, go to start>run>msconfig and change the way it will start up.

[Vaj is for Fags]

got a spare CD rom you can swap out and try it with?

[Agent Orange]

Right, won't start in safe mode.

I did just that, tried get it to boot from the cd and it just ignores it and loads windows regardless

Where does it stop when loading safe mode? You should see a bunch of files listed.

Also, it will ignore the CD unless you change the boot order.

[deadatspawnmike]

Right, won't start in safe mode.

I did just that, tried get it to boot from the cd and it just ignores it and loads windows regardless

Where does it stop when loading safe mode? You should see a bunch of files listed.

Also, it will ignore the CD unless you change the boot order.

lol again AO, He has never ATTEMPTED safe mode.  He hasn't had the option for it.

[Agent Orange]

Right, won't start in safe mode.

I did just that, tried get it to boot from the cd and it just ignores it and loads windows regardless

Where does it stop when loading safe mode? You should see a bunch of files listed.

Also, it will ignore the CD unless you change the boot order.

lol again AO, He has never ATTEMPTED safe mode.  He hasn't had the option for it.

He said it won't run in safe mode. I figured he meant that it won't boot up after telling it to go to safe mode.

Old Man you should go into Safe Mode. :p

[Old Man [OFPR]]

in the past i have spammed the F8 key as soon as I hear the beep and then the screen will turn to black, run a bunch of files or commands, then it will stop and ask you if you would like to start up in safe mode. well, i never see any of this now. after spamming the F8 key the screen turns to blue and it askes which device you would like to boot from.

so bottom line i am trying differnt things to get it to start in safe mode, or find an appropriate bon fire totoss it in. maybe i should just take it in to the Geek squad!

[Agent Orange]

in the past i have spammed the F8 key as soon as I hear the beep and then the screen will turn to black, run a bunch of files or commands, then it will stop and ask you if you would like to start up in safe mode. well, i never see any of this now. after spamming the F8 key the screen turns to blue and it askes which device you would like to boot from.

so bottom line i am trying differnt things to get it to start in safe mode, or find an appropriate bon fire totoss it in. maybe i should just take it in to the Geek squad!

That's because your BIOS is asking you which to boot from. If you want to use your Restore CD, you'd tell it CD/DVD, if you want Safe Mode, select Harddrive and keep hitting F8 again.

[Old Man [OFPR]]

And I did chose cd/DVD option with the recovery disk in place and it ignored it and started up windows any way.

What I didn't try was hitting F8after that screen, and that was the trick!!! Thanks AO, I am running a Malwarebytes scan now, when that is done I was going to try running super antispyware scan then kaspersky or avast, we'll see how that goes. If I still have issues I will ask what you suggest next.

Thanks again for letting me pick at your hatholder, you to mike, thanks for the advice, I read it all

[Agent Orange]

No problem. My head is hard, so you have to smack it pretty hard for me to understand things sometimes.

Anyway, if you are in safemode, that generally means that your hardware is good to go. So you can either try reformatting from your recovery CD while in Safe Mode, or you can try to fix the problem. One of the things I suggest is going to:

START > Run... > Type: msconfig > Click StartUp Tab > Click Disable All > Click Apply > Restart

[Old Man [OFPR]]

Ok, I'm still running the malware scan when it's through I'll do that. 

What will that do?

[Agent Orange]

Ok, I'm still running the malware scan when it's through I'll do that. 

What will that do?

Stop all programs that start up when Windows starts. That way you'll see if its one of those. Running something like HijackThis! and posting on a HijackThis! forum will have many people that will scrutinize your system and tell you what's probably causing what problems.

[Vaj is for Fags]

Hijack This! is wonderful.  Here it is if you want it.  Just change it from .jpg to .exe

[Old Man [OFPR]]

Well I had partial success, thanks to you guys. I got it back to almost normal. I mean I was able to play CSS but slot of the MS Windows things don't work like Explorer, screen saver, desk top backround. I'm sure slot of these were just corrupt files that got deleted.

Well, how tough is it to completely replace your OS without losing all your stuff? I know I don't have a disk for windows unless it is on that recovery disk. Everything came preloaded when I bought this thing.

[Vaj is for Fags]

Well, first off, do you have an external Hard Drive?  If you don't, go buy one.  They are wonderful and they are cheap.  Then just backup all your documents and whatever else you want onto it. 

Then it is time to reformat.  It will probably take you about a day to restore everything.  You'll have to reinstall XP with your disk.  Select the programs you want to put back on.  Update all your drivers.  Go through all of the XP updates (depending on when your backup disk is from it may or may not include Service Packs 1 and 2 which will each take awhile to download and install). 

[Agent Orange]

Well, how tough is it to completely replace your OS without losing all your stuff? I know I don't have a disk for windows unless it is on that recovery disk. Everything came preloaded when I bought this thing.

Well you can do two things right off the bat to fix yourself up. You need a Windows disk for one of these. I would suggest just doing both anyway.

#1 Click START > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore.

Restore back a day or two before everything screwed up.

#2 Click START > Run... > Type sfc /scannow

It may or may not ask for the Windows CD. What this does is scan all of your Windows System Files and compares them to checksums of the original and such. If these do not match, it then knows that they are corrupt and will attempt to replace them from your cache and/or your Windows CD. I'm not sure which Windows OS you have, but if sfc gives you some problems, there's certain work-arounds you can do.