Hi Wendy - Just wanted to mention that since you run Vista I don't see any reason that your daughter's external USB hard drive wouldn't work for you. The only reason it wouldn't if it was used on a mac system? Anyway, when you get your PC working a little better, just plug in her HD and see if it doesn't popup as a drive in Vista.
I dunno much about Apple or Macs, but I do believe you're a lot safer from viruses than with a PC. Other than that I can't comment on them. Good luck, Donk On 3/16/2011 9:53 PM, Wendy Schofield wrote: > Thank you again Donk, you and Mike have given me a lot of great information > and I sure do appreciate it! I'll try the safe mode/Avast and see what I > find from that, and if I can't get it running enough to access my drives we > have a friend coming by tomorrow and he programs computers, so I might have > him take a look at it if he has time. > I got my printer to temporarily work, so now I can print your messages and > work from them in the morning before our friend gets here - hopefully with > all the help you guys have shared with me I won't need his help at all : ) > > Oh, I'm running Vista - I don't really care much for it - but it was on the > computer when I bought it new, and about the time I realized how much I > disliked Vista, the company I bought the computer from closed down (Circuit > City). > I really preferred Windows XP and 98. In your opinions is Windows 7 any > better than Vista? > Sometimes I wonder if I'd have fewer issues with a Mac? I've never used one, > but I've heard good and bad........ > > > Thanks again guys! > > Wendy > > --- On Wed, 3/16/11, Donk<[email protected]> wrote: > > > From: Donk<[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [A-1-Computer_Tech] Re: My computer is slow and I'm getting > error messages. > To: [email protected] > Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 9:30 PM > > > Hi Wendy - > > It sounds like your PC is very seriously infected. If you can't even > open your drives in My Computer it's going to be hard to back anything up. > First, some AV programs have an option to wake a PC from sleep - I dunno > if Avast does, but I kinda doubt it. Windows has a built-in task > scheduler which you might be able to use with Avast. But not knowing > your version of Windows I can't be sure. What version are you running - > is it Windows 98? > > The thing about your external HD and FAT32. I'm guessing the problem > might be that the HD is formatted with NTFS (which is normal for today's > drives) - and Win98 or WinME can't access NTFS drives. So, if you're > running Win98 or ME you'd have to reformat the HD with FAT32 - and doing > that would erase all her music files and everything else on the drive. > But if you are running a later version of Windows, like WinXP, Vista, or > Win7, you should be able to access the drive just fine. > > I dunno which AV program is best. A lot of people say Avast is good. > You could go with one of the ones Mike Bader suggested. I'm using AVG > Free right now, but they do nag you a lot to buy the full version. I've > heard good things about Microsoft Security Essentials. It's free with > no advertising at all: > http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/ > Whichever one you choose, be sure to look at its system requirements and > that your PC meets them. My experience is that NO one AV program will > catch everything - you've just gotta be careful when browsing the web, etc. > > So, you can't really think about backing your files up until you can > access the drives to copy the files. And it sounds like you've got a > LOTTA infections. I would try going into Safe Mode and running a > complete AVAST scan. Safe Mode will prevent some or all of the viruses > from interfering with the scan: > Press the power button and keep tapping the F8 key until you come to a > boot menu that offers Safe Mode. You'll come to the Safe Mode desktop. > Just run Avast as you normally would. The scan could take a long time - > maybe a few hours - and you'll get a report at the end. Hopefully it'll > clean enough stuff so you can access your drives in normal mode and back > up your stuff. > > Good luck, > Donk > > > > On 3/16/2011 5:10 PM, Wendy Schofield wrote: >> Thank you Donk! I think I have some blank DVDs, and I also have an external >> USB hard drive. My daughter downloaded some music to my external hard drive >> from her computer, but she said that she had to do something (reconfigure it >> to fat 32 files? does that sound right?), and I'm clueless as to how to use >> it. >> Also, when I go to my computer and try to figure out what's on each of the >> drives as soon as I click on one my computer just stops and I get a spinning >> blue circle. At that point the only thing I can do is use the power button >> to shut the computer down, which I'm sure is not good. >> I have another question - we have Avast as our anti-virus protection, but >> it's missing a lot of viruses. When we did a scan it found 8 Trojans on the >> hard drive, then we ran a boot scan and there were pages of viruses on that. >> My question is this - is Avast unable to scan while the computer is in sleep >> mode? We leave our computer on at night and Avast is scheduled to run at >> 3:00am, but I'm wondering if it's unable to scan at that time because the >> computer goes into sleep mode ( I think) after 20 minutes of not being used. >> Is Avast a good anti-virus program? If not, can you recommend one? And, >> should I try to disable the sleep mode if that is what's interferring with >> Avast? >> >> Thanks! >> >> Wendy >> >> --- On Wed, 3/16/11, Donk<[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> From: Donk<[email protected]> >> Subject: Re: [A-1-Computer_Tech] Re: My computer is slow and I'm getting >> error messages. >> To: [email protected] >> Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 5:43 PM >> >> >> It's hard to give step-by-steps without knowing your exact setup. First >> you need something to put the back-ups on. >> Mostly your options are: >> 1. another computer (if it's got enough room on the hard drive to hold >> your backups) >> 2. blank CD's or DVD's that you can burn the backup files onto. >> 3. a USB thumb drive which you can buy for maybe $10 to $30. >> 4. an external USB hard drive which will cost anywhere from about $50 up. >> 5. upload the backup files to a backup website. You'd have to google >> "online backup" to find one (I don't know much about them). >> >> So it's impossible to give exact instructions without knowing which >> method you choose. As for "what" to backup - mainly your personal files >> - like your pictures. Also any music files you bought or downloaded. >> Any documents you've created like letters, or business correspondence. >> Also, but not as important, you might wanna backup your internet >> bookmarks, and email. If you use an online email like gmail or MS >> Livemail, or Yahoo mail, you don't need to back it up since your mail is >> all online. >> >> Personally, I use an external USB hard drive that I plug in about once a >> month and copy all my personal files onto. I also back them up onto a >> USB thumb drive. (Always a good idea to have 2 backups - just in case). >> >> So once you figure out which method you wanna use, repost for more >> instructions. >> >> Good luck, >> Donk >> >> >> On 3/16/2011 3:10 PM, Shawn and wrote: >>> Wow! Thank you Donk and Mike! I sure appreciate the information. I'm going >>> to try what you suggested and I will let you know how it turns out. >>> I have another question - I know this sounds silly but how do I back up my >>> files, and what all should I back up? Computers are great, but I have no >>> idea what I'm doing when it comes to the technical workings, and I am >>> really worried about doing damage that can't be un-done. I have a LOT of >>> pictures on my hard drive that I don't want to lose. Could you tell me >>> please, step-by step, how to back my stuff up? >>> >>> Thanks so much! >>> >>> Wendy >>> >>> --- In [email protected], mike bader<mdbader@...> wrote: >>>> Belklin IMO is a good router. >>>> I agree check for viruses. >>>> Use more then one program. >>>> Roku sometimes needs to be rebooted as well. >>>> Vista and printers have issues. >>>> Make sure you have the latest updates. >>>> Defrag the hard drive etc. >>>> Clean your startup and temp files. >>>> Have you contacted AT&T? >>>> They have problems in this area and can check it quickly remotely >>>> as to speeds and history. >>>> There could also be a neighbor with a wireless router on your channel. >>>> >>>> mike bader >>>> >>>> On 3/14/2011 6:53 PM, Donk wrote: >>>>> Hi - I'm not sure you really have a router problem. You mentioned that >>>>> even before the router switch you were getting connection errors when >>>>> surfing? So, maybe it could be an At&t problem? Anyway, here are some >>>>> things to check about your wireless (I'm assuming it's all wireless?) >>>>> network: >>>>> 1. If you have any cordless phones in the house (not cell phones, but >>>>> cordless land-lines) it's very possible their signal is screwing up your >>>>> router's signal. Also, any other similar electronic device - like a >>>>> baby monitor, maybe, can mess you up. Also, if you have nearby >>>>> neighbors with cordless phones, etc., your signal can be affected. I've >>>>> seen it happen more than once. >>>>> The fix for this can be either changing the freq channel your phones use >>>>> (if possible), or changing your router's channel by accessing its setup >>>>> utility in your browser. There should be maybe 10 channels that you can >>>>> experiment with - some might make it worse. >>>>> >>>>> 2. Some of the other stuff you mention - like not being able to attach >>>>> pics to email, or just opening pics on your hard drive - wouldn't have >>>>> anything to do with your router or At&t. Stuff like that would suggest >>>>> either a virus infection, or a dying hard drive, or maybe just some >>>>> corrupted Vista system files. To try to sort out which of those 3 >>>>> things, I would first try running a test of the Hard Drive. But first - >>>>> be SURE to backup any personal files you don't want to lose! If a hard >>>>> drive is already going south, sometimes running a test will finish it >>>>> off for good. In Vista: >>>>> >>>>> Go to Start button, click on Computer. >>>>> Right-click your C: drive, and choose Properties. >>>>> Click the Tools tab, and click "Check Now". >>>>> Make sure both options are checked: Autofix errors, and Attempt Recovery >>>>> of bad sectors. >>>>> >>>>> It can take quite a while to finish - especially if you've got a big >>>>> drive. You might be asked to reboot, but when it's done you'll see a >>>>> report. If you see any errors or bad sectors listed, it's time to >>>>> backup and start thinking about a new hard drive - even if the errors >>>>> were "fixed". >>>>> If the drive checks out 100% fine, then I would maybe suspect a virus >>>>> infection. You can run a bunch of AV and Malware apps to try to clean >>>>> it. But you might eventually just have to reformat the drive and start >>>>> fresh. I think your HP has a hidden recovery partition on the drive >>>>> that will restore it to factory default in just a few minutes. Of >>>>> course "everything" you've added since you bought it will be lost. But, >>>>> try hitting the power button, and immediately holding down CONTROL, and >>>>> keep rapidly tapping F11. You should come to a menu giving you options >>>>> to restore the hard drive. >>>>> >>>>> The printer thing might be related to the above mentioned probs. But, >>>>> IMO, windows has never been very good working with printers. The print >>>>> queue is always getting jammed up and it's sometimes impossible to clear >>>>> it - even by rebooting. If you Google something like "how to clear >>>>> Vista print queue" you'll find instructions on how to clear the queue. >>>>> Other than that, your print prob might be related to a virus or bad hard >>>>> disk. >>>>> >>>>> Good luck, >>>>> Donk >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On 3/14/2011 3:44 PM, Shawn and wrote: >>>>>> Hello! >>>>>> >>>>>> I have an HP w1907 with Vista. I know, you're probably laughing and >>>>>> thinking that's the problem entirely, but seriously I could sure use >>>>>> some knowledgeable help. >>>>>> 1.We have AT&T for our Internet service, the second fastest level (the >>>>>> fastest isn't available in our area yet), and we've got a Belkin Surf >>>>>> N300 wireless router hooked up so that we can watch movies through a >>>>>> Roku device. When we first started using the Roku it was great, but then >>>>>> our old router quit and we bought the new Belkin. It seemed to work okay >>>>>> at first, but now our Internet is painfully slow (not much better than >>>>>> dial-up) and the Roku keeps losing the signal from the router. That we >>>>>> can deal with, but I guess the biggest problem is something that started >>>>>> before the router swap. When we are on the Internet and try to open a >>>>>> new page, or click on a link to go somewhere, we get messages saying >>>>>> that either we've lost our connection, or that Internet Explorer has >>>>>> stopped working and will now close. >>>>>> 3. We can no longer attach pictures to our e-mails, or upload them to >>>>>> places like Facebook and we sometimes get messages when trying to access >>>>>> the pictures stored on our hard drive - I can't remember the exact >>>>>> message but it seems like it had to do with comm (?). >>>>>> 4. Getting our printer, a Kodak ESP 5250, to work is sketchy at best and >>>>>> usually involves shutting the system down - sometimes we have to push >>>>>> the power button on the computer to do this because it won't shut down. >>>>>> Even after getting it all shut down and re-started the printer still >>>>>> sometimes will not print. If we're lucky the printer starts printing >>>>>> whatever is waiting in the printer folder(?)when the computer finishes >>>>>> booting up. If not, we start the shut-down/re-start process again. >>>>>> Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm guessing we need a different >>>>>> router - but I really don't know what to look for when we do buy one. >>>>>> For now we would only be using the router for the Internet on one or >>>>>> possibly two desktop computers and for the Roku player. >>>>>> Any help would be greatly appreciated! >>>>>> >>>>>> Thanks so much! >>>>>> Wendy >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> ------------------------------------ >>>>>> >> ------------------------------------ >> >> If you have any questions or problems with any aspect of this site, please >> feel free to contact me directly [email protected] Please do not post >> personal issues directly to the group. >> >> To unsubscribe from this list, send an email to >> [email protected] >> >> Thank you for using A-1 Computer TechYahoo! Groups Links >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >> >> >> >> ------------------------------------ >> >> If you have any questions or problems with any aspect of this site, please >> feel free to contact me directly [email protected] Please do not post >> personal issues directly to the group. >> >> To unsubscribe from this list, send an email to >> [email protected] >> >> Thank you for using A-1 Computer TechYahoo! Groups Links >> >> >> >> >> >> Internal Virus Database is out of date. >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >> Version: 8.5.426 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2692 - Release Date: 02/16/10 >> 19:35:00 >> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------------------ > > If you have any questions or problems with any aspect of this site, please > feel free to contact me directly [email protected] Please do not post > personal issues directly to the group. > > To unsubscribe from this list, send an email to > [email protected] > > Thank you for using A-1 Computer TechYahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------------------ > > If you have any questions or problems with any aspect of this site, please > feel free to contact me directly [email protected] Please do not post > personal issues directly to the group. > > To unsubscribe from this list, send an email to > [email protected] > > Thank you for using A-1 Computer TechYahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > Internal Virus Database is out of date. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.426 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2692 - Release Date: 02/16/10 > 19:35:00 > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ If you have any questions or problems with any aspect of this site, please feel free to contact me directly [email protected] Please do not post personal issues directly to the group. 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