Ok, my friend has a laptop, which she has been using for a year with no anti spyware and no anti virus software.....

Now it won't start up.

It gets to windows logo on the black screen with the moving loading icon.
(blue (or green) bars moving across a box....you know the one:P)

After that the screen goes blank and it reboots. (guessing there's a system failure??)


It boots fine is safe mode, but not in normal mode.
It's running on XP. She doesn't know what a restore point is....so no, she's gone none of those set


Would a virus stop the laptop booting up fully??? (i guarantee she has at least a few)

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OGame FAQ

thats what you get for using windos ME

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In my view Kaldru is tirelessly stringent, but very fair - Lemon= GCHQ=
Kaldru - A mythical creature that descends upon the unworthy, banning them from the sacred
servers

i said XP

lol, our laser cutter at work all run off windows ME.
I put a floppy disk into the machine before starting the cuttin operation
and it shut down and refused to turn back on!!

ME is the worst

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OGame FAQ

Doesn't it creat random restore points anyway?

have a look mebe?

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-------------------------------------
-----------Johns=GCHQ=-------------
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worst case scenario

rescue disc, maybe?

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m
mmmmYou sir, are a swaggering addlepated jackanapes!
m

Been there and worn the T-shirt with someone elses computer. Honestly, you might spend hours trying to sort it and it still won't be fixed properly. Certain critical sytem files could have been infected or damaged (ran a full disk surface scan?) which is why it won't boot.

First I'd say back up all the files she needs to keep onto a disk, key drive or whatever, including backing up her outlook files, My documents and anything else. Install a virus killer and Ad-aware in Safe mode and run it. Sounds a bit terminal in my opinion.

A full re-install is really your only option in the long run.

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Didnt the MS Blaster worm do this though it should be patched if the OS wasa installed later then 2003.

Check in safe mode for dodgy stuff

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on the off chance anyone has gotten this blue screen i took a pic





Every virus scanner i've tried either
1) won't install in Safe mode (understandable-ish)
2) Won't run in safe mode (there's a wierd one!! )

I used Vcleaner, but it keeps closing down, renaming the .exe file didnt stop it happening...



recommendations on some virus software that can install and run in safe mode.


I want to try and avoid a full re-install if possible....

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OGame FAQ

format ftw... perhaps?

yeah it looks that way doesnt it

but a lesson has been learned, which is a good thing

Dr.Strangelove - still learning

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m
mmmmYou sir, are a swaggering addlepated jackanapes!
m

lol strangle

figured an overhaul of the system would be needed. Just making sure

thanks

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OGame FAQ

Quick google on the error:


http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827663

--> better one;
http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50966

However, no search matches your exact error

Did yout try last known good configuration?

Normally those Blue screens point to mem errors.


or go into safe mode and check the startup configuration (start>run>msconfig) and remove everything that you dont recognise

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http://www.savenetradio.org

been through all the standard ones


that second seems worth a look




Last good config didn't work.

I'll try the start up config though, thanks mate

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OGame FAQ

Hmm could be a boot sector virus?

Or if you want, have a go at inserting the windows disk and using the recovery console.

Try repairing the boot sector, that is if its the problem though.

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Just ownage.