NOT AGAIN! Problem is back - again!!!

sarymclary

Hi Guys,

Well, having reinstalled XP on my desktop, all was going well (for a week or two) until now.... the same error boxes are appearing. Starts as an AOL warning box saying there's a low memory problem. Then another comes up to say there is a problem with AOL and to restart. The problem is that the error box appears again, and again, and again........ a trillion times. You need to have your finger on the enter key for a few minutes until it eventually goes. While the error box is there you cannot access/close down anything. I had this before, uninstalled/reinstalled AOL believing there was a problem with that program, but it didn't resolve the problem.

The clock on the desktop keeps resetting itself to 2000 on startup, this is how my laptop reacted when the first AOL error boxes appeared, so I believe it's tied in, and perhaps not due to an internal battery problem (was fine for the past few days since XP reinstalled).

On startup an internet connection box appears asking if I want to connect to my ISP (is this an IE7 thing?). It's very persistent too.

When I do a search via AOL (which uses google) the text displays abnormally - in a very basic text format, like Times New Roman, not very comprehensive, and not appearing as I know it should.

I had all manner of problems downloading XP SP3 (SP2 wouldn't install at all), and then managed to get IE7. I thought that would resolve issues with online searches, images not always showing, even my online banking with Egg.com won't display all the accounts properly, etc., but it seems not.

It has all seemed to get a lot worse since a USB storage device, and a card storage device were plugged into the machine. I have read that this might cause problems. Why is this, and how can I stop it from knackering my machines?!

As ever, I am very grateful for any replies!

espresso

How do you connect to the internet? If you connect using a router, you don't need any AOL crap on your computer! If things have got much worse since adding the extra USB storage, disconnect these items. Do you have up to date anti-virus/spyware software installed?

fwor

It sounds like either a hardware problem or a virus - the latter depends on how you re-installed XP: if you deleted the partition and did a format you should have destroyed anything present, if not, you may still have one (some infect the Master Boot Record).

For hardware problems, I'd start with a check to see if you have memory problems, using something like Memtest which ships on most Linux liveCDs. Then try the website of the PC/mobo manufacturer to see if they have a diagnostic program that you can download.

And as espresso says, the AOL software is widely recognised as not being good - there are better ways to achieve the same things without being locked in to one ISP.

sarymclary

Hi,
thanks for the replies - we just had a power cut, which meant |I was forced offline.

I reinstalled XP from the Fujitsu Siemens recovery discs that came with my Scaleo T. I deleted the partition.

I don't have a router, I use a BT Voyager DSL connection to AOL broadband. My firewall is McAfee which I am subscribed to for £4 p/m, so updates whenever I go online. I use AOL spyzapper, I have Norman antivirus, but that is playing up now too. I am meant to have an inclusive AOL antivirus, but that keeps asking me to pay extra to reinstall!

The USB's are small storage devices (4gb & 2gb) that hold photos/music files, and my son's have their course work for GCSE's on their's. Otherwise, they sometimes connect their mobile phones to the PC to download their photos. I downloaded some photos yesterday from my Kingston memory stick, and after that it started to kick up a fuss big time. Is there a chance an infected file is on there, and it's got back onto the desktop? (these were files I tried to save from the desktop before it was wiped clean).

Does it sound likely that I'm going to have to reinstall XP again, and wipe the partition?

I'm going to try out the free computer scan suggested on a sticky on here, and see what that throws up.

fowr, what alternatives are there for me with ISP's? I tend to be logged on most of the day and evening, so need something that won't charge for surf time.

fwor

sarymclary wrote: »

Is there a chance an infected file is on there, and it's got back onto the desktop?

If the memory stick has been configured to be bootable and you have booted the PC from it then an infection could have been transferred back to the PC - but that is most unlikely - you have to do a lot of messing about to make one bootable!

If you ~only~ transferred photos then there is no realistic way that a virus could get back onto the PC.

BTW, I wasn't suggesting that you should change ISP, just that if you depend on AOL's software then you are stuck with them. There are lots of factors if you want to consider changing ISPs - I like Plusnet because of the customer service and relatively relaxed download limits. TalkTalk had some very attractive packages recently which bundled broadband with free off-peak telephone calls, but it all depends on your usage.

http://www.uswitch.com/

has a good broadband comparison section which I used before moving to Plus.

sarymclary

Thanks fwor.

I've used a couple of the free virus scanners and found a 2 trojans with that, but the problem is still lurking here somewhere.

I did only transfer a 'my photos' folder from the memory stick.

Someone mentioned previously that I should try to stop 'autorun' but I wasn't able to do that (dunno why). The stick is recognised immediately it was plugged in.

Is there a free antivirus/spyware download I should consider? I used the AVG free one before, but it didn't stop the desktop being rendered useless before. I had hoped the AOL inclusive ones would be worthwhile (especially as I pay extra to have them), but it seems I was conned!

I know that reinstalling again will make the system more stable, but it's taken many hours of faffing around just to get Windows SP3/IE7 downloaded and installed, and even then it doesn't seem that my web browsing is quite right, and what's to say it won't all go t!ts up again?!

fwor

AFAIK, Autorun only applies to CD/DVD drives. There's a simple tutorial here on how to disable it:

http://features.engadget.com/2004/06/29/how-to-tuesday-disable-autorun-on-windows/

The article is slightly out of date - it pre-dates SP2, and suggests that MS would disable autorun in that Service Pack, but they don't seem to have done in reality.

The feature that applies to memory sticks is Autoplay, and that can be configured so that it always asks you what to do, rather playing what is on it when you plug it in.

I've always been happy with AVG - I've been using it for several years and never had an infection. But there are several other good free ones, as shown in the Stickies section of this forum.

wakandem

it looks like you have conflicting virus progs as from you have said i don't think ioti s a virus & a scan with avast or avg should do it. though it could be hardware related.
Get rid of norton comp-letely and also mc affee completely *& cancel any payments.. If you are going to use the aol software then use that for security as well. If you have a problem like them asking you for money ring them up, it is what you are paying them for.
imo get rid of aol software & like said in an earlier post you can still use them to get internet without haveing any of their crapware, but if you want to use aol security/software then use it exclusively & get rid of everything else.