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Help with Vista please!!

Bizibilder

By Bizibilder
in The Astro Lounge

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Bizibilder

Bizibilder

Posted
Posted

Help Please!! :(;):eek:

I've just started to get a problem with the computer - running on MS Vista.

The computer works normally all the time except:

On booting up after a full "close & switch off" the computer boots and goes through the usual blueish screen where you enter the system password. The computer begins to "load?" and then, instead of showing a screen of icons on the normal wallpaper, Just BLACK with a moveable (but non functioning) cursor.

Ctl+Alt+Del works and I can get task manager or close/restart etc to work. A restart (sometimes several restarts) will eventually get the thing up and running "normally".

If I have been using the machine for a while then a "restart" or "complete closedown and start" will both always work first time.

Two things that may help:

I have reloaded the graphics card drivers.

Ten days ago I removed Norton antivirus and replaced it with Kaspersky. BUT the problem I have started four days AFTER I swapped the AV software.

Any ideas??????

Thank you in advance :icon_salut:

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Ogri

Ogri

Posted
Posted

Norton writes itself everywhere, and doesn't exactly do a lot after it has.

Download superantispyware (free version) and do a full scan with that.

Then after superantispyware has cleaned everything up/out, download Ccleaner (free version) and run the registry cleaner. Let it do a backup of the registry first before letting it fix things.

Norton does so much in the registry, once it is out, it can leave a right mess behind it, that can take a few days to start throwing a real wobbler.

HTH

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Ogri

Ogri

Posted
Posted

Another thing that may well work, is go to start>accessories>command prompt - right click on command prompt, and run as administrator.

When you have the command prompt, type in:

chkdsk /f and hit return;

Usually you have to follow this by typing in Y and hitting return.

Restart the machine, and it will check and fix any broken links, etc.

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neilm

neilm

Posted
Posted

I think Microsoft have issued some upgrades, or should that be downgrades! Couldn't boot my laptop tonight either(vista), been working perfectly well for weeks, just sat with a blank screen and the indeterminate process indicator flashing. Managed to get it to do a safe boot by switching it off as its trying to boot, and "repair itself" , Ha! Firefox doesn't work now, I think it's a conspiracy.

Going to have to look through all of this now Windows Vista Solution Center

Argh!

Neil

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SlipperySquid

SlipperySquid

Posted
Posted

There are loads of things that could be wrong......as you have done a few things at the same time ...removed Norton...used cc cleaner etc.

But you can narrow it down to something that is trying to load has become corrupt or has a entry in the registry to something that isn't there anymore.

So....what I'd do first is.

Type msconfig into the run/search bar in the start menu and check what is loading up on start up. If there are things in there that you have removed, uncheck them so they don't load etc.

Also did you say you have reinstalled your graphics drivers? You could uninstall them reboot the pc and see if when vista boots and installs it's own vga drivers things run ok?

It could also be (as some one already mentioned) a corrupt update that's messed something up?

and finally some hardware could have failed.

Sorry I couldn't help more, but if yo uahve the ability to back up any files you want to keep you could always reinstall the operating system as a last ditch!

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Bizibilder

Bizibilder

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Right then!!!!! :icon_salut:

This is what I've done:-

Gone back to a windows restore point before I removed Norton. Result = system came up OK BUT had bits of Norton showing eg icons and a few empty files lurking.

Ran Norton uninstaller (again!!) to clear them. It appeared that Norton had finally gone:hello2: Kaspersky itself had disappeared from the task bar etc

Reloaded Kaspersky trial edition (I have the codes for full product but I was running the trial at the time of the problem).

Kaspersky FAILED!!!:eek::mad::(

No Idea at all as to what to do!! - Then BINGO:blob9: It struck me!!

I had NOT removed Kaspersky in the first place - so it was killing itself!! What a WALLY!! (No smiley for that!)

Uninstalled Kaspersky, reinstalled Kaspersky All OK:hello2::eek:

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ADVICE IT WAS MUCH APPRECIATED AND USEFUL - IT CERTAINLY SET ME THINKING ALONG THE RIGHT LINES. :(;)

Moral - Beware Norton!!!! It bites!!!!!

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Toadeh

Toadeh

Posted
Posted

The joys of Norton :icon_salut: Whoever wrote that peice of **** should be shot! no virus checker needs that many resources.

As well as ccleaner, my first thought was malware, if this was the case, then Malware bytes would have helped.

If anyone wants a free virus checker thats got a low system footprint then look at Avira, once installed, google for how to remove the nag screen and it is one of the best virus checkers (paid or free) around.

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nebogipfel

nebogipfel

Posted
Posted

Can't help with your specific problem except to say that my own system sometimes does it. I tend to use "sleep" mode rather than full shutdown.

Vista was and still is full of bugs and IMO W7 should have been a free bug fix upgrade for Vista users (it's basically Vista anyway)

My Vista came pre-installed on a new system and I have seriously considered upgrading to XP :icon_salut:

On the subject of antivirus from several years use I can strongly recommend Avast Free Antivirus ....

avast! Free Antivirus - Download Software for Virus Protection

It is only a basic AV but uses low system resources, seems to work very well and often updates itself twice in a day. Combined with a good firewall such as Comodo (also free) which comes out better in tests than most commercial firewalls, your system would be well protected.

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Starflyer

Starflyer

Posted
Posted

On the subject of AV detection rates and the amount of system resources taken; ESET Smart Security - all in one solution, or Eset Nod32 - antivirus, are the best I've come across and from my experience are the main choice of IT professionals.

I used to use (and recommend) free solutions; Comodo, AVG, Avast, Avira etc, but I've seen all of these compromised so many times over the last couple of years that I now only recommend Eset. In two years I've only seen one system compromised, and that was by a teenage boy who'd disabled it because I'd forgotten to password protect the configuration :icon_salut: There was a few trojans and ~140 pieces of other malware on his PC within a few days of him disabling it.

Kaspersky is also a great choice, but heavier than Eset on system resources, nothing compared to Norton though.

Glad you got it all sorted out,

Ian

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Toadeh

Toadeh

Posted
Posted
are the main choice of IT professionals.

Are they? I get more people talking about Kaspersky than the others. Although, I have read good things about them, I don't know of any companies that me or my collegues work for that use them.

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nebogipfel

nebogipfel

Posted
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......I used to use (and recommend) free solutions; Comodo, AVG, Avast, Avira etc, but I've seen all of these compromised so many times over the last couple of years...........

Ian

ALL antivirus programs fail at some point, such is the nature of products trying to stay one step ahead of the virus writing scum.

I'm not convinced that your system is any more secure by paying regular sub's to the likes of Symantec and McAfee when there are very good free solutions available.

The recent firewall tests here illustrate my point very clearly -

Results and comments - www.matousec.com

Comodo comes out top with a perfect score and is FREE

I've had folk say to me "It's free so it can't be any good" :icon_salut::( Now't so strange as folk, say I.

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Beulah

Beulah

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Posted

I've had folk say to me "It's free so it can't be any good" :(;) Now't so strange as folk, say I.

80% of the software on my PC is legit, free programs.

I had a nasty argument at work with an IT tech who basically tried to rip me a new one because I used free software....:icon_salut:

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mark7331

mark7331

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Posted
80% of the software on my PC is legit, free programs.

I had a nasty argument at work with an IT tech who basically tried to rip me a new one because I used free software....:icon_salut:

100% with you. I'm a linux man, software engineer for 30+ years, and use free software pretty much for everything. Also it's far more reliable because it's made by people who care what they produce.

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aussi skywatcher

aussi skywatcher

Posted
Posted

Hi, I have recently bought myself a Mac Book - best thing I ever did - no Microsoft to worry about - no problems - boots up in 22 seconds shuts down in 5 seconds - pure bliss - it just works every time. Now if you really must have windows you can set up a virtual computer on the Mac and run windows as well - just wish that Microsoft was able to make it run on a PC as well as it does on a Mac. :o

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