reformating

mhoc

Our second stand alone has something wrong with it, we suspect our youngest of downloading some rubbish or other. Anyway on the desktop now are shortcuts for platinum cards, free bingo etc. When we checked the CPU usage it was 100% this morning so its firing up very very slowly. Basically it needs reformating, everything taking off it and starting again, reinstalling.

What I want to know is can it be done at home without the computer man carting the cpu off?

Its got XP on it but it slows it down too much. Its a packard bell, 128 ram, and a 300 cerolon processor.

Basically its used as the second computer for homework and writing reports etc.

Advice please.

Mary

Browntoa

I think you can get away without a reformat

you need to download the microsoft anti spyware (FREE)

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

and run it in safe mode

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001052409420406?OpenDocument&src=sec_doc_nam

to clean things up

it may be worth downloading and installing a free anti virus like AVG (unless it already had one installed)

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5

and running that in safe mode as well

have a look in the Techie FAQ's...loads of good articles on removing stuff like this in there

rogerramjet

wow...running xp on a 300mhz celeron with only 128mb ram would make it slow to start with

You maybe able to clean it up just by running some spyware remover, (spybot, microsoft xp-anti spy, etc). however; if your looking to reformat and reinstal your first going to require the operating system disc. If you don't have a disc your not going to be able to reinstall a operating system. If you have a disc, win 98SE, XP, then basically all you need to do is place it in the cd/dvd drive and then restart your computer. Both these discs are bootable and as long as you have gone into the BIOS and change the boot sequence to boot from cd it will auto boot from the cd. Once itsbooted its just a matter of following the on-screen instructions.

Your biggest problem will be if you don't know how to access the bios to change the boot sequence or if the machine you have doesn't boot from cd.

mhoc

OK I will have a try of it but it has got this stuff already on. Also we have a wireless router which has a firewall so nothing is supposed to be able to get through it.

It has also got a new desktop item for a spyware checker we have never heard of

Mary

Browntoa

running it in safe mode is the answer, plus I forgot....turn OFF system restore as it will be hiding in there more than likely..

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001111912274039?OpenDocument&src=sec_doc_nam

the new spyware checker is probably the source....

once clean do a new CLEAN restore point

Mr_Skint_2

Do a scandisk first, Double Click, My Computer Icon, Right Click The C:\ drive, choose properties, Tools, Check Now, tick the Two Boxes then Yes then OK, This will perform a scandisk. When you restart the PC

Then do a defrag, Start, Accesories, System Tools, Disk Deframenter

This will speed PC up a Tad

mhoc

I thought it might be better to go back to Windows 98, less memory hungry but we dont have a disc for windows 98 and also we have a wireless router so everything needs to run on XP.

No idea how to get to the bio but I could find the XP disc and run it??? (Husband back at work tommorow so I can play computers all day!)

We had a problem with our wireless system so the chap came and changed the router for a newer shinier one and everything was lovey for a couple of weeks, all the computers could go online, both the laptops could get online but good things never last...

The second computer is quite slow but it was working fine until this happened...

Mary

mhoc

Mr_Skint wrote:

Do a scandisk first, Double Click, My Computer Icon, Right Click The C:\ drive, choose properties, Tools, Check Now, tick the Two Boxes then Yes then OK, This will perform a scandisk.

Then do a defrag, Start, Accesories, System Tools, Disk Deframenter

This will speed PC up a Tad

This sounds helpful, can do this

Mary

Mr_Skint_2

Browntoa is correct mind you

Go to the link he suggested

Browntoa

you normally get in the bios by hitting F2 or something as the PC first boots, you should get a message at the bottom of the screen telling you which key to hit

Mr_Skint_2

Browntoa wrote:

you normally get in the bios by hitting F2 or something as the PC first boots, you should get a message at the bottom of the screen telling you which key to hit

Or the delete key for the Bios, and Usually F8 for Safemode. :beer: