Hard Drives

[intrigued]

Better...finally..you?

Wonderful, sufi!! We'll have to catch up when I'm a little more alert, OK? I've been at this since 4 this morning.
A little stressed, but all the things that matter most are so very good. In fact, it just keeps getting better and better.

Man, I am so tickled for you! And you're right, you were due a very long time ago.

I'm heading to bed, you have a good evening, sufi!

 

[sufisaint]

sweet dreams

 

[pop_54]

Mmmm

Yep sounds like a re-install of Windows is needed, 98SE is quite good but once corrupted it has to go and a fresh install take it's place.

Windows built in Scandisk should tell you if you have any HDD damage/errors, I have two HDD's "C" & "D" the second "D" is the back up and store for all the crap, along with a partitioned install of Linux. "C" just holds Windows and in use files, if I have to re-install I lose very little, it's all on "D" safe and sound.

pops..............

 

[intrigued]

Re: Mmmm

Yep sounds like a re-install of Windows is needed, 98SE is quite good but once corrupted it has to go and a fresh install take it's place.

Windows built in Scandisk should tell you if you have any HDD damage/errors, I have two HDD's "C" & "D" the second "D" is the back up and store for all the crap, along with a partitioned install of Linux. "C" just holds Windows and in use files, if I have to re-install I lose very little, it's all on "D" safe and sound.

pops..............

Thanks, pops! When you say " a reinstall of Windows is needed", do you mean to reformat, or what?

 

[pop_54]

Re: Re: Mmmm

Thanks, pops! When you say " a reinstall of Windows is needed", do you mean to reformat, or what?

Affraid so love, you can try inserting the 98 CD and trying to patch up your current OS, Windows will just try to install bits that are missing, but this rarely cures the problem, a clean HDD is the only safe way to get shot of corrupted systems.

I've had to wipe the "C" drive clean three times and re-install 98SE so far on my older office machine over the years.

This one's running Win ME and has yet to cock up, it seems a bit more stable that 98 at resisting major faults, if at times more crash prone in general freeze up terms.


pops.................

 

[intrigued]

Re: Re: Re: Mmmm

Affraid so love, you can try inserting the 98 CD and trying to patch up your current OS, Windows will just try to install bits that are missing, but this rarely cures the problem, a clean HDD is the only safe way to get shot of corrupted systems.

I've had to wipe the "C" drive clean three times and re-install 98SE so far on my older office machine over the years.

This one's running Win ME and has yet to cock up, it seems a bit more stable that 98 at resisting major faults, if at times more crash prone in general freeze up terms.


pops.................

Maybe I should try that first, it won't take as long as installing a new HD, right?

OK, that "cock up" was funny!

 

[intrigued]

Update. I tried to run a scan disk and defrag, but received a pop up that something else was writing to the disk and for me to close all programs. I have nothing open that I can see, and don't know what to do.

Side bar: Zone alarm has alerted me of 6 attempts at accessing my computer in the last few minutes. 5 are from the same ISP.

 

[sufisaint]

Gotta be careful who you interface with...

 

[Nora]

Intrigued, to run scandisk make sure that literally everything's off. The usual culprit is that you have a screen saver set to run. Change the screen saver option to "none".

Also, you should be offline and have your antivirus, firewall, messengers, etc all closed or incapacitated.

(MA_guy rocks, doesn't he??? *grins*)

 

[Rubyfruit]

I love when you talk hard drives, Nora. *dreamy sigh*

Why don't you come over today and we'll bake cookies. I'll put on a fresh pot of coffee.

 

[intrigued]

Intrigued, to run scandisk make sure that literally everything's off. The usual culprit is that you have a screen saver set to run. Change the screen saver option to "none".

Also, you should be offline and have your antivirus, firewall, messengers, etc all closed or incapacitated.

(MA_guy rocks, doesn't he??? *grins*)

Nora, thanks. I wasn't online, and had nothing running at all. Thats why I don't understand it.

He is pretty cool, yes!

sufi, lol!

 

[Nora]

I love when you talk hard drives, Nora. *dreamy sigh*

Why don't you come over today and we'll bake cookies. I'll put on a fresh pot of coffee.

You just want me for my tech support, love. *leers* I'll *so* take that coffee. A sexy li'l princess and a cabana boy kept me up all night.

What kinda cookies? anything but oatmeal!!


Intrigued, try rebooting, then turning everything off, then starting scandisk?

 

[intrigued]

You just want me for my tech support, love. *leers* I'll *so* take that coffee. A sexy li'l princess and a cabana boy kept me up all night.

What kinda cookies? anything but oatmeal!!


Intrigued, try rebooting, then turning everything off, then starting scandisk?

Ahh, that rebooting thing is scary, thats what started all this mess. How do I know whats running that needs to be closed? All I see is the task scheduler (a maintenance program), winzip, my speakers volume, and the icons for Zone Alarm. When disconnected, none of those run anyway.....

 

[Nora]

right click on task scheduler and choose "pause task scheduler".

right click on zone alarm and choose "Shutdown zone alarm".

I wouldn't worry about winzip or your volume.

But then you gotta hit control-alt-delete ONCE and make sure nothing's running in the background that shouldn't be. Basically, look for things that are pretty obviously not system-related functions. I can't tell you specifically what to look for, cuz i don't know what's on your machine.

Other things that might be causing it are the MS Office toolbar, if you use it, and programs like Gator that always run in the background.

 

[intrigued]

right click on task scheduler and choose "pause task scheduler".

right click on zone alarm and choose "Shutdown zone alarm".

I wouldn't worry about winzip or your volume.

But then you gotta hit control-alt-delete ONCE and make sure nothing's running in the background that shouldn't be. Basically, look for things that are pretty obviously not system-related functions. I can't tell you specifically what to look for, cuz i don't know what's on your machine.

Other things that might be causing it are the MS Office toolbar, if you use it, and programs like Gator that always run in the background.

OK, I'll give it a try, and thank you.

 

[Nora]

You're welcome. I hope it helps!

 

[pop_54]

Ha that's a point

right click on task scheduler and choose "pause task scheduler".

right click on zone alarm and choose "Shutdown zone alarm".

I wouldn't worry about winzip or your volume.

But then you gotta hit control-alt-delete ONCE and make sure nothing's running in the background that shouldn't be. Basically, look for things that are pretty obviously not system-related functions. I can't tell you specifically what to look for, cuz i don't know what's on your machine.

Other things that might be causing it are the MS Office toolbar, if you use it, and programs like Gator that always run in the background.

That's a point, well spotted Nora, bloody Gator shit spyware.

Go to find files/folders intrigued and type in Gator to see if some net site has given you a nasty little spyware programme called Gator, not all firewalls etc stop it because it comes in disguised among something you've chosen to look at.
If you choose to install Gator it can behave and let you have some control over it, but if it gets in by the back door it runs all the time and screws with your PC big time.
If you've got it, it can be a nightmare to get rid of because it's running 24/7 Windows won't let you delete it.
I had to use McAfee uninstaller to get rid of it.

The big prob with Gator it keeps logging itself onto the Gator corp advertising site and downloading crap to your PC whether you want it or not, and if you're trying to do something memory heavy or run scandisk or such, Gator cocks it all up.

To be honest I feel outfits like Gator who invade your PC without permission should be prosecuted.

pops............

 

[Nora]

Pops, Gator is just one of my many pet-peeves. I was de facto tech support at my last job, and one of the women couldn't understand why her computer was always so slow. I *begged* her to get rid of Gator, but she wouldn't.

Now that I actually get paid to do tech support, it's usually one of the first things I mention when someone's having unexplained glitches.

The absolute first thing is emptying caches. By hand. The old fashioned way. It a) clears out their crap and b) gives them a bit of confidence in poking around their windows files.

My other pet peeves include comet cursors and the aforementioned MS Office toolbar (which sucks up resources like a drunken whore giving her first blowjob).

 

[intrigued]

Thank you pops and Nora! Nora, I was able to do the disk scan, though I really needed to do some research online, so I stopped it about half way through, it had only reached one million sectors since I last posted. I'll do it when I go to bed. Thanks very much for your help.

pops, I tried to locate gator, but when I typed it in the box, I got a "cannot find server". I had Gator over a year ago when I was doing freebies, because it filled out forms for me, and since I did about 75 forms a day, it was pretty helpful. I don't recall having much trouble getting rid of it, but then again, this hard drive has been reformatted since.

Nora, where do I find this MS program you mentioned? If I have it, I'll see it as a task bar near the browser? Also, what do you mean by emptying the cache the old fashioned way?

 

[Nora]

The Microsoft Office Toolbar is a scaleable, moveable toolbar that contains shortcut buttons to MS Word, Excel, and the rest of the MS Office suite. It's an option in MS Office to load it to your machine, and if you don't have it loaded, DON'T. If you do, get rid of it. It's just not that hard to open Word/Excel/Access, etc the "hard" way by clicking a couple of times.

As far as cleaning your caches, the easy way is to go to start-->program files--->accessories--->system tools--->disk cleanup. Select your C: drive. Make sure that Temporary Internet Files, Downloaded Program Files, Recycle Bin and Temporary Files are selected. Hit ok.

There's another easy way. Presuming you're using IE6, go to Tools on the top of a browser window and select "Internet Options". The second section down of the general page is marked "Temporary Internet Files". Click "delete cookies" and click "delete files". Then move down a section and click "Delete history". If you use IE5, then you're not going to have the option of deleting one of those, but I can't remember which.

Doing all of that still leaves one folder untouched, "TEMP" which is why I prefer to do them all by hand aka "the old fashioned way":

Right click on the start button and choose "explore"

In the explorer window that opens, go to C: drive on the left hand pane and click the and make sure the little box next to it is a - sign, not a + sign. If it's a + sign, click it and it will reveal all the goodies stored on your C: drive.

Underneath the C: drive is a folder called WINDOWS. Again, click to turn the + to a - and reveal the doodads in your WINDOWS folder.

As you look at the folders underneath, you'll come to one called "Cookies". Double click it and the cookies will open on the right hand pane. Find the one called index.dat (or just index if you don't show file extensions). Click index.dat once to highlight. Go to "edit" on the top toolbar and choose "invert selection". Now everything except index.dat will be highlighted. Delete.

Go down the list on the left hand pane 'til you find "history". Select all. Delete.

Go back down the list on the left again. Hit the file called TEMP. Select all. Delete. Yes, you really do want to delete every single thing in it, even if it warns you that it's a program and you use it and you won't be able to. Cuz that's not where the actual program is located. It's just where it stuck an .exe file when you installed it. DELETE IT ALL.

Go back to the list again. Go to Temporary Internet Files. Select all. Delete.

Voila. Done. Spankin' clean and you've learned not to fear your windows files.

 

[intrigued]

Nora, wow! Thanks for taking so much time on this...I've done everything up to the part about the temp folders and "explore". I'll try that, and will go slowly because this is scary stuff! In fact, I'm leaving this open so I can follow your directions precisely..

You have been very helpful, I sure appreciate it.



PS: I don't have the Microsoft Toolbar, thank goodness.

 

[Viper Vic]

Why are you up so early, Intrigued?

 

[intrigued]

Why are you up so early, Intrigued?

I don't sleep much, and usually wake up around 5. Plus, I have alot to do to my computer.

 

[Viper Vic]

I build and repair them on the side. But I have to see them in person. RH isn't that far away. You need some help?

 

[intrigued]

I build and repair them on the side. But I have to see them in person. RH isn't that far away. You need some help?

Thank you, thats very kind of you. I have pretty much decided to try reformatting it first, so right now I'm trying to clean it up, delete stuff, and save whats important to me. Trail is coming next weekend, and we'll reformat then. (Providing it doesn't die before then...)

I appreciate you offer, a lot. Thanks!