Help, pensioner needs help with PC

springs65

Hi
Hope someone can help out a pensioner here. I have Vista basic and for quite a few months now I keep getting a problem with my PC not booting up

Sometime it will and sometimes not. I get the black screen with just the Microsoft green bar running at the bottom. It can take up to 5/6 times turning on and off before it starts.

I have often let it run the the repair process and again sometimes it will boot up and sometimes not.

Any help would be greatly appreciated in terms I can understnd please. It's now beginning to be a nuisance

Many thanks in advance for any help

googler

What do you keep on your PC in terms of data?

Pictures, Word processing Documents, Spreadsheets, Music files....???

What else do you use your PC for?

Do you still have an install or restore disc for the Vista Operating System, and do you have install discs for any other programs that you've loaded onto the machine?

busenbust

springs65 wrote: »

Hi
Hope someone can help out a pensioner here. I have Vista basic and for quite a few months now I keep getting a problem with my PC not booting up

Sometime it will and sometimes not. I get the black screen with just the Microsoft green bar running at the bottom. It can take up to 5/6 times turning on and off before it starts.

I have often let it run the the repair process and again sometimes it will boot up and sometimes not.

Any help would be greatly appreciated in terms I can understnd please. It's now beginning to be a nuisance

Many thanks in advance for any help

Sir, this could be a potential virus/malware infection ; if u can be a little bit more patient wait for Rik -- he's v. good on cleaning a machine from infections -- if he doesn't mind me saying so

Knarf44

This problem of Vista booting and then black screening is a well known issue that has been around for almost as long as Vista itself.

Googling the problem brings up a variety of fixes from downloading an MS hotfix, restoring to last known good configuration to doing a complete recovery/reinstall of the OS. I haven't researched the problem in depth but anyone of the above remedies may fix it permanently or not.

Probably the easiest way to fix it permanently is to change to another OS, either upgrading to Win 7 or downgrading to XP.

Sorry, can't be more helpful than that.

springs65

Thanks all very much for your promt reply.

googler, yes I have all those things you mentioned but only have the disc for Vista, a friend installed all the rest for me so don't have the disk
I use the pc mostly for the internet

busenbust I only have AVG and have run several scans but not showing anyhting up

knarf44
It doesn't boot up at all from the Dell logo just the black screen as said and the green running bar at the bottom.

A bit reluctant to wipe it and start again as no disk so will wait to see if anyone else can help. Many thnaks for all your help.

The_Grandmaster

Hello - I'll post the same advise you would get from alineRIK below:

Firstly I'm very sorry to say AVG is not especially good at detecting all viruses. Is it a free version you use? Would you be happier to change it to other free alternatives?
But before we consider all this, may I ask you to do the following:

Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.46 - FileHippo.com Download malwarebytes from this link (DOWNLOAD LATEST VERSION). Install the programme. Go to the UPDATE tab, click CHECK FOR UPDATES then run a FULL SCAN. Remove anything it finds and post a log here.

Restart your computer. Download hijackthis from this link (DOWNLOAD LATEST VERSION): Download HijackThis 2.0.4 - FileHippo.com Install the programme and press DO A SYSTEM SCAN AND SAVE A LOGFILE. Copy the log onto here.

We shall advise according to what we find.

springs65

Thanks Grandmaster, I have just downloaded Malwarebytes and now running a full scan and already showing infections.
I will come back to you here when I know what the results are from what you suggested

Many thanks, not very computer literate so any help will be greatfully received

closed

Let malwarebytes fix anything found before closing, and make sure you are doing a full scan, not quick, and have updated definitions.

uninstall avg, and replace with avast 5 free

do you backup your data?

If it didn't come with a disc, it's probably got a factory restore partition, but using it will wipe all your data

davester

desktop or laptop? if a laptop the hard drive could be loose in the socket, I fixed a friends computer that had intermittant booting, and I checked the hard drive and it was loose, pushing it back in and retightening the screws and it worked. I found some malware but it was all common spyware and browser redirection stuff.

Then again a Desktop data cable could be loose

busenbust

busenbust wrote: »

Sir, this could be a potential virus/malware infection ; if u can be a little bit more patient wait for Rik -- he's v. good on cleaning a machine from infections -- if he doesn't mind me saying so

^^U mind having a look Rik -- if u have time ?? thanks

springs65

Thanks Grandmaster

I have done as you suggested and saved the log on highjackthis then clicked analyze this but it won't let me copy and paste plus I can't find it again once I closed it.
As I said I am not very computer literate and only know very basic(senior female ) Could you pleasea advice what to do next

Many thanks