Can I fix this myself?

[FuzzyKitten99]

OK I think I fixed my MIL's computer and her's was slow as hell at typing in certain programs.

I downloaded and ran AVAST and came up with 3 different viruses. 1 was the Blink Virus (I'm not sure what the other 2 were but I know 1 was a backdoor trojan and I think the other was a worm).

So Far it seems to be doing much better.

I would say to download different Anti Virus Programs and run deep scans using each (I know that certain Anti Virus programs may not catch things that others will).

I know that AVAST is good, So is AVG. I'm sure that you can get some good advice from others on good scanners as well.

I also downloaded Avast to see if my current ones missed anything. And apparently they did, because it came up with two. (see photo) All of the other ones that say "File Corrupted" are from a scrapbooking program that I haven't used in a while that is part of an online thing-I wouldn't miss it if I just removed it. If I delete it, will that take care of the 'corrupted file' status?

So far, I am still having the typing issue. I have noticed that it seems to happen more often when I have to backspace to correct something.

[Shabo]

I would say to download different Anti Virus Programs and run deep scans using each (I know that certain Anti Virus programs may not catch things that others will).

Make sure you completely uninstall EVERYTHING from the previous anti-virus before you install the new one. Otherwise you might fubar your machine and need a reformat.

The good thing is that if this is the problem, it's an easy and cheap fix for a techie. Probably doable for a non-techie with careful instruction.

Eesh... I don't know... it also involves re-applying thermal paste... I wouldn't be comfortable having a non-techie mess around with the CPU.

[Seshat]

He said that unfortunately the only way he believes he can fix this problem 100% is to do a PC restore or OS reinstall. Unfortunately, I have some things on my hard drive that I will lose and will be difficult to get back. I can back all my stuff up, but there are a couple things I can't and I have to reinstall and start over...

Consider doing this:

Pick up a second disk drive.

Install the new drive, unplug the old one.

Unplug off the 'net. Stay off the 'net with this computer while you work.

Install your OS on the new drive. Install your programs and stuff, too. Do a backup of this clean install, so next time you can just restore this backup.

Plug in the old drive, and make sure you're booting off the new drive (so you aren't booting any virus-corrupted OS).* You may need a techie to help you ensure you're booting off the new drive.

Copy all your data files onto the new drive. Everything you created - not programs, but your bookmarks, email, and every document you've made. Do another backup, just the data this time.

Check that you've got everything. Check that you've got all your antiviruses and so forth as well.

Plug into the net. Download updates for all your antivirals &etc.

Check you've got everything again, just because I'm a cynic.

Format over the corrupted hard drive. Use that as extra storage.



* There might be viruses, trojans or whatever that can propogate from the old drive to the new. I'm not currently aware of any, but I'm not a security expert.
If I were doing this for my own machine, I'd do the copying under a different OS. If you're comfortable working in Linux or Unix, do the copying while having booted with a Knoppix disk.

[Seshat]

Eesh... I don't know... it also involves re-applying thermal paste... I wouldn't be comfortable having a non-techie mess around with the CPU.

Good point. The CPU is also an expensive component to risk breaking. It's probably worth paying for a techie to actually do that.

[JustADude]

Good point. The CPU is also an expensive component to risk breaking. It's probably worth paying for a techie to actually do that.

Not really. AS a techie, I have to say it's nearly as simple as changing out RAM. Other than smearing a bit of conductive grease on the back of the thing, it's pop on/pop off as long as you take a bit of care not to bend the pins (assuming you have a processor from before they went to a pinless design).

[FuzzyKitten99]

Consider doing this:

Pick up a second disk drive.

Install the new drive, unplug the old one.

Unplug off the 'net. Stay off the 'net with this computer while you work.

Install your OS on the new drive. Install your programs and stuff, too. Do a backup of this clean install, so next time you can just restore this backup.

Plug in the old drive, and make sure you're booting off the new drive (so you aren't booting any virus-corrupted OS).* You may need a techie to help you ensure you're booting off the new drive.

Copy all your data files onto the new drive. Everything you created - not programs, but your bookmarks, email, and every document you've made. Do another backup, just the data this time.

Check that you've got everything. Check that you've got all your antiviruses and so forth as well.

Plug into the net. Download updates for all your antivirals &etc.

Check you've got everything again, just because I'm a cynic.

Format over the corrupted hard drive. Use that as extra storage.



* There might be viruses, trojans or whatever that can propogate from the old drive to the new. I'm not currently aware of any, but I'm not a security expert.
If I were doing this for my own machine, I'd do the copying under a different OS. If you're comfortable working in Linux or Unix, do the copying while having booted with a Knoppix disk.

can the external hard drive operate off the wireless router? I don't want to have to connect my laptop to a cable every time I want to save/store data...

[Seshat]

Not really. AS a techie, I have to say it's nearly as simple as changing out RAM. Other than smearing a bit of conductive grease on the back of the thing, it's pop on/pop off as long as you take a bit of care not to bend the pins (assuming you have a processor from before they went to a pinless design).

To us, it's easy enough. To some non-geeks, it's doable. To other non-geeks, figuring out exactly how this particular combination of CPU + fan + CPU socket works is a daunting and scary task.

I don't want to have to connect my laptop to a cable every time I want to save/store data...

Gah. I forgot you're using a laptop. It's probably doable to connect some hard drives to some routers, but it's non-standard AFAIK.

The cost of a second hard drive may not be worthwhile, since you're on a laptop and can't just shove it in the tower to be available at all times.

[JustADude]

To other non-geeks, figuring out exactly how this particular combination of CPU + fan + CPU socket works is a daunting and scary task.

I just don't see it. Not trying to be arrogant, but I just REALLY don't see how someone could be daunted by popping some simple catches and swapping out some pretty-much plug'n'play items. The things only fit one way without forcing something. It's impossible to screw up horribly if you don't actively try to break the things. Even forgetting the Thermal Paste isn't a death-blow, since it's really just a performance enhancement, not a necessity, and can be applied later in any case.

The only reason for someone to be afraid of ANY basic change-out, be it Computer, Car, Shower Heads, Car Stereos, etc, is fear of the unknown.

[Pedersen]

I just REALLY don't see how someone could be daunted by popping some simple catches and swapping out some pretty-much plug'n'play items.

Well, maybe I can help out a bit: Many people are mechanically disinclined. Now add in the fact that computers are expensive, costing (for cheap ones) $300+. Throw in the mysterious bits about how people have to spend their whole days working on these things and still can't always fix them. Give a healthy dash of the stories people tell about how the computer just never works right for them.

And now, you're suggesting "popping some simple catches and swapping out some pretty-much plug'n'play items". You've crossed the fear threshold of many many people. They're terrified that they're going to open this mysterious box up, void their warranty, trash their computer, and be screwed over when they go to get a real repair done.

Now, sit down with someone. Tell them you're going to be there to guide them through it, but that you know they can do this if they wish to. Fear factor plummets, since they now have a safety net in case something goes wrong.

Will it? Most likely not, but they don't know/understand that.

Yes, it amounts to no more than a fear of the unknown. But that is what people feel when told to open their computer. That's also why USB sells like hotcakes: It's simple stuff. You plug in the cable here, it goes in one way, and you're done. Again, perception, since we both know how much can go wrong, but that's how it's viewed.

Fear of the unknown is an extremely paralyzing fear.

[RichS]

I just don't see it. Not trying to be arrogant, but I just REALLY don't see how someone could be daunted by popping some simple catches and swapping out some pretty-much plug'n'play items.

You didn't get the customer my former boss got last week.

I was in the shop with him (he still lets me use the high-speed 'net ). Lady brought in a computer locking up because of overheating. He opened it up. CPU fan got so clogged with dirt that it came off of the housing. Not the fan part came off of the heatsink part - the fan blades came off of the housing.

Boss gets replacement (Socket 370 fan/heatsink, old Pentium 3), says for $50 he could install it and also clean out the system, both the physical system and the OS. Customer refuses, says she can do it herself. She asks a few questions, boss repeats that she should pay and have him install it if she's unsure, she refuses. Repeat for a couple more times, she pays and leaves.

She, of course, comes back. She's gotten the old heatsink/what was left of the old fan off, and somehow can't figure how to get the new one on.

One look, and we saw - she must've yanked off the old one with a lot of force, because one of the locking tabs on the socket was broken clean off. She got upset, of course, didn't outright blame my boss, but her tone of voice definitely implied it. I guess he was able to get something rigged, and told her that she could run the computer long enough to get her info off, but that's as far as he would trust it.

After she leaves, I told him that she couldn't blame him - he told her that he should have done the install at least 4 times. Oh, well...

[JustADude]

Fear of the unknown is an extremely paralyzing fear.

Okay, let me rephrase that a little: While I understand the whole chain of logic and emotions that leads to it, in a purely cognitive sense, I just can't seem to grok it at an instinctual level. I've NEVER been afraid of the unknown, the strange, or the different. Period. It's just not on my list of reactions.

I devour knowledge like a 5yo devours candy. My first instinct is always to try to understand things, as deeply and in as much detail as I can, and I guess some part of me keeps expecting everyone else to seek that same understanding of the world I look for. I guess the fear of the unknown and different is why people seem to always fall short of my eternally high hopes for them.

[Shabo]

I devour knowledge like a 5yo devours candy. My first instinct is always to try to understand things, as deeply and in as much detail as I can, and I guess some part of me keeps expecting everyone else to seek that same understanding of the world I look for. I guess the fear of the unknown and different is why people seem to always fall short of my eternally high hopes for them.

There are 3 kinds of people in this world... there are those that know, those that can learn, and those that should never try. (And this applies to everything, too)

You fall into the "those that can learn" category. We are assuming that the non-techie is falling into the "those that should never try" category, in which case, no, I wouldn't let them even try to open their case. But for someone who is eager to learn, I wouldn't mind showing them or sticking around and making sure they do it right. Those people aren't "non-techie" but rather "soon-to-be-techie".

[Seshat]

I devour knowledge like a 5yo devours candy. My first instinct is always to try to understand things, as deeply and in as much detail as I can, and I guess some part of me keeps expecting everyone else to seek that same understanding of the world I look for. I guess the fear of the unknown and different is why people seem to always fall short of my eternally high hopes for them.

I'm a learner too, which is why I have a list of skills that impresses and frightens the non-learners. I'll give anything a go if the risk/reward ratio is acceptable. (IE: I won't mess with mains electricity, and if I want to sew expensive fabric, I'll practice on cheap fabric first. That sort of thing.)

But I've learned (ha!) that there are non-learners out there.

I braid my hair. Almost every time I go out in public with a braid, someone asks me, with awe in their voice, 'How do you do that?'

I explain. If I have time, I'll pull my braid out to show them - it's simple enough, no big deal to me. If I'm just killing time, I'll let them try it in my hair.

The most common response is 'I could never do that!'

I repeat. They're telling me they could never braid their hair.

We're not talking mains electricity here. We're not talking about making a structurally sound piece of furniture. We're not even talking about wrecking expensive fabric by screwing up making a kimono.

We're talking about a simple, easy hairstyle. And they 'could never do it'.

[JustADude]

We're talking about a simple, easy hairstyle. And they 'could never do it'.

Same as braiding rope, right? Left-edge strand (locke in this case) to middle, then Right-edge strand/lock to middle, NEW left-edge... etc... etc... until you run out of hair or rope, then tie off with a little twisty-stretchy thing instead of melting the ends together?

Yeah, that made me go . I guess lowering my expectations on people's adaptability is the one thing I've never learned to do.

[Shabo]

The most common response is 'I could never do that!'

I repeat. They're telling me they could never braid their hair.

I used to be able to braid my hair, but now I keep it too short to really bother. I could even french braid it myself. Of course, it never looked as good or was as tight as when someone else did it, but still!

Those people who claim they can't do it probably tried once and gave up. It takes some time to get the feeling of it down.