Reinstalled Windows XP pro... everything not working

[Horsetuna]

BARELY, that is.

So on christmas day I did a full wipe and reformatted windows. Seemed to go ok. Then I couldnt get online. I somehow needed to reinstall the drivers (which I dont remember doing last time I reformatted, but after FOUR calls to my cable company, over which I admittedly got a little Sucky, I finally decided they were right and downloaded drivers from a nearby net cafe).

Then I tried to get the updates. Kept getting some sort of error... something about BITS.

Luckily, i had Serivce Pack 2 on CD thanks to dad... installed it... kept getting those popups, AND for some reason my internet is seriously restricted. now when I try to download something, my chats refuse to work, like it closes off all connections.

As well, I still can't get the updates for some reason :( And even though I've installed my sound and video, I still dont get sound (I get the PC going 'beep' out of the tower when I get an error) or even play my DVDs :cry:

It seems my entire systems' crippled itself somehow. any ideas? I tried to go through the XP cd and do a 'repair system' thing, but it didnt work at all. Just took all my programs off the start menu and reset my background.

I am SO getting a mac asap... grrr.

[Pedersen]

Yeah, but you're not going to like them. Here's what you likely need to do:

Go back to net cafe. Download Avast Antivirus (http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html) (and all of its updates), Commodo Firewall (http://www.personalfirewall.comodo.com/), and Windows XP Service Pack 2 (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx), and burn them all to a CD (not a flash drive, put them on CD).

Download any other drivers you will need as well, and put them on that same CD.

Go home. Disconnect your computer from all network connections, physically. When you are done with this, you should have only power, monitor, keyboard, and mouse plugged in.

Reformat/Reinstall Windows.
Install your downloaded drivers.
Install XP SP2 on top of that.
Install Avast, and its updates.
Install Commodo.

Only now can you reconnect your other connections, and get back online.

Why did I tell you to disconnect? There are numerous viruses out there which look for easily infected systems by scanning the network. If the last set of numbers I heard was still accurate, the average Windows XP PC put directly onto the internet receives a hack attempt every 20 minutes (that's the longest, I've heard as low as 7 minutes).

You are not capable of downloading and installing SP2 before the first attempt comes in. Nor am I, so don't think I'm insulting you. I'm not sure that anybody other than an MS employee can do so.

By the time you've got your machine protected, it's infected. You need to protect it before you connect to the internet.

Anything less, and you get to put up with another reformat/reinstall cycle.

[Horsetuna]

Sadly, the net cafe doesnt have a burn ability.

Can I burn it to my CDs now, then do all that?

[Pedersen]

I wouldn't recommend it. You can use a flash drive, but make certain not to plug it in until after the reinstall. And have the folks at the net cafe do a virus scan on it as well (before doing downloads) to make sure all is well.

[Horsetuna]

I'll see what I can do. *glares at computer*. I do have Norton Antivirus 2005 on CD already and some others. Think that may help if I put them on, then did the flash drive?

Btw, what's the problem with using a flash drive? Already infected?

[Pedersen]

Norton... I wouldn't use it. There was a time when it was high on the list of recommendations, but it's reputation has been declining for a long time. I would ditch it.

The problem with a flash drive is that it is rewritable, just like your hard drive. As a result, if your machine is infected, and you attach your flash drive to it, it could become infected before you even get the chance to realize it's happened. Furthermore, it could re-infect your computer after the reformat.

Basically, the CD is not re-writable, so the virus can't attack it. Those files will be the same files you downloaded, whether the virus likes it or not.

Oh, and one other step: Before installing all your other software, but after connecting up the internet, do Windows Update. You'll need to do it multiple times, but keep running it until there are no more updates to do. They've thrown in some obnoxious stuff, I'm sure, but they've fixed a lot of security holes, and you want all those fixes before you start surfing again.

[Horsetuna]

okay. Thanks. I'll see if the guys at work will let me download/burn the patches I need and stuff...



I hope the updates work.

[Horsetuna]

btw, the guys at work said I could bring in my pc and download what I needed while there, cause the router has a firewall or something. Would that help? I suppose it doesnt matter if I can just burn a cD there as easily.

[Pedersen]

Asking the local IT dept will almost always get you a "yes, please do bring it in and we'll help". They would prefer you having a clean computer, too.

If they're willing to let you use their bandwidth for Windows Update, go for it. Chances are good that their network is pretty safe. Do yourself a favor, though, and get those pieces I mentioned onto a CD anyway. Never hurts to have them should Windows need yet another reinstall.

[Horsetuna]

I work in a mac store, so I'm sure they wont mind if I at least burn the CD. They said though before I could bring in my TOWER to download the updates in a safe firewall-protected enviroment.

I'll get those peices on CD.

[Pedersen]

Wow, very cool. So, um, what would it take to get the best discount on a macbook pro, 17", maxed out config? ;) (don't worry, unless it's under $100, I don't have the money right now, I'm just kidding, and wouldn't ask that of you).

However, if you're in a Mac store, and they're willing to let you use the bandwidth, take that chance. You can be doing all of the pieces over the course of a day. Run Windows Update, wait an hour, and check on it, etc. Won't even get in the way of work, not really.

And, since the other computers on the network are Mac, and running OSX, there's no viruses that can infect. Basically, take it in, do it all. Make life somewhat easier on yourself :)

[Horsetuna]

I think since we're a kind of 'sub macstore' (Ie, we aren't called THE MAC STORE, but a different computer store that specializes in macware), I dont get the same discount. I'm told we only get things at 'cost'... which seem to be only 20-50 dollars less.

Heck, the on sale Imacs for 900 dollars each are cheaper than my employee discount.

I'll ask the techs... I'm a little bit paranoid still of upsetting them. I /am/ rather new still. And shy.

[Pedersen]

Like I said, I was joking about asking for a discount. I wouldn't do that to anybody here. And in case you're thinking "Well, I'd just be doing a favor for someone who gave me some advice" then I'll tell you a far better way than giving me a discount: Pay it forward. Help out somebody else, and let them benefit too.

I ain't rich, but I ain't wanting, either. And helping out people here is fun. No discounts for me, okay? Yes, I'm serious.

As for asking the guys at the store, most every IT type group I've ever seen or been in has been a sucker for people that were interested in getting things done right with their computers. You go in, and ask them how to get your computer cleanly installed correctly, and they'll likely hand over a set of connections for you to plug in and get to work.

Just be nice to them. And, once all is said and done, don't forget thanking them. If you can afford it, send them a pizza for lunch one day. You'll get more help than you know what to do with in future.

Yes, I'm telling people how to manipulate my department (I work in IT at my job). I'm hoping people from work read this, and take my advice :D

[Horsetuna]

Heheee.

I'll try to remember that. If anything I have cookies.

[Shabo]

And, since the other computers on the network are Mac, and running OSX, there's no viruses that can infect. Basically, take it in, do it all. Make life somewhat easier on yourself :)

Not necessarily true. I have seen macs infected with Windows viruses. Didn't do anything for the Mac, but would certainly hurt a Windows machine.


And yes, we accept payment in the form of cookies, too. I've gotten all sorts of goodies from working my job. The most important thing to remember is humility. If you don't know how to do something, tell them. They will be more likely to explain it to you then if you pretend you understand, then go home and fubar the machine. Good luck. Drivers can be a pain to download sometimes. Especially from the new (D)ell website format. Royal PITA.

[Pedersen]

Not necessarily true. I have seen macs infected with Windows viruses. Didn't do anything for the Mac, but would certainly hurt a Windows machine.

Wow, I've not seen those yet. Thank you for that warning, I will be on the lookout for them. Any recommendations on how to find/prevent them?

The most important thing to remember is humility. If you don't know how to do something, tell them.

I have to take issue with saying people need to remember humility. Too often, humility is associated with shame. I agree with the second part, in every word.

Basically, I prefer to say "admit you don't know something. Computing is a huge field. I've been doing something with it for 20+ years, and I don't know everything. I doubt I ever will. It's okay not to know it all."

And it really is, for anybody out there reading. I can make computers and programs do things their designers never intended. And I still don't know even a major fraction of the totality of the computing industry/field. I'll be surprised if it's even 10%.

[Shabo]

Wow, I've not seen those yet. Thank you for that warning, I will be on the lookout for them. Any recommendations on how to find/prevent them?

Um, good luck. Most mac users are smart enough to not click on every single link that comes through their email, but for a while we had a virus that was being transmitted through an email attachment named joke.insertfileextensionhere. (I can't remember what the exact file extension was though). It was one of those classic *I'm gonna use your address book to spread myself to all your friends* viruses, hence how it made it on to the mac. I had seen it on numerous other PCs, too, but that was the only mac I saw it on. So your only real way of preventing them is preventing stupid people from being stupid. So again, good luck.

I have to take issue with saying people need to remember humility. Too often, humility is associated with shame. I agree with the second part, in every word.

Basically, I prefer to say "admit you don't know something. Computing is a huge field. I've been doing something with it for 20+ years, and I don't know everything. I doubt I ever will. It's okay not to know it all."


Ok, maybe not humility, but be humble. Don't be a vain ass. And no, no one will ever know everything there is to know about computers. Even if you think you do, there's some technology or programming language that is out there being developed right now that you know nothing about. So admitting to not knowing something is part of the territory, even for the most experienced techs.

[Pedersen]

but for a while we had a virus that was being transmitted through an email attachment named joke.insertfileextensionhere.

Ah, those types. Yeah, they can work on a Mac, too. I was referring to the type that does active network scanning and infects a computer automatically. Those types can't run on OSX (though a Mac running Windows can run them), and those are the types I was more worried about when taking an unprotected computer into another network.

[MadMike]

I just had a thought -- you didn't happen to click on links from popups that told you your registry was corrupted, did you?

I know you're supposed to burn SP2 to a disc and upgrade your XP installation before allowing it to connect to the internet, but I don't always do that, and I haven't had a problem, other than the annoying Messenger spam I mentioned above.

Granted, the one time was with my wife's computer, and all of ours are behind a router, but I also did an upgrade for my friends recently, using a pre-SP2 copy of XP, and they were not behind a router.

I know, it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but nothing bad happened. Maybe I just got lucky.

[Horsetuna]

Never clicked on a one.

[Horsetuna]

Well, so far, so good. For some reason though Comodo will not install. I keep getting errors when I try.

As well, I can't seem to change my background (though that's not as important).. the 'properties' thing keeps freezing.

[Pedersen]

What errors for Comodo?

And for the background, try downloading a slightly older driver. They're usually available.

[Horsetuna]

a slightly older driver for the desktop picture?

I'll try to get the error message.

[Pedersen]

Sorry, meant to say download a slightly older version of you video driver (as I'm assuming you have the newest version already).

If you don't have the newest version, then consider this to be an official, certified, grade A hint to try it out :)