Ryan S
Ok I have a computer that is old and it's slow and it's got lots of spyware and viruses. I just want to wipe it clean, start from scratch. I can't find any factory reset things. I tried the F1 and F8 button pressing at the start up, but it did nothing, it just continued the start up. I also don't have any of the computer disks so that can't be an option. Can anyone help me out here for completely wiping out my computer?
This is all the info I can find on my computer:
System:
Microsoft Windows XP
Media Center Edition
Version 2002
Service Pack 3
Computer:
Generic
Generic
488 MB of RAM
emachines
3000+ AMD Athlon XP Processor
160 GB hard drive
CD-RW 48x max write
NVIDIA gforce4 mx graphics
if you need anymore info let me know and i'll try to find it
thanks alot guys!
Answer
You can use a free utility called DBAN to wipe the hard disk:
http://www.dban.org
But that still leaves you with a problem...no drivers for the motherboard and no operating system.
1). Identify your make and model of computer and see if you can download the same drivers. Consult your Device Manager and write down all the current drivers and versions. If you cannot get the device drivers, you are in trouble. One way you can do it is to BUY the drivers by signing up for something like Drivers Guides, google DRIVERS and then pay the $29.95 yearly fee and download the drivers from one of these databases.
You still have not solved your final problem...an operating system.
You can still find copies of XP for sale out there, check out Newegg and Tiger Direct and google it too. You will have to BUY A COPY.
If you don't want to buy a copy of Windows...you can always try out a version of Linux. IT's free and a good alternative if you don't have money and you have an old computer. Try UBUNTU, SUSE or FEDORA CORE.
You can use a free utility called DBAN to wipe the hard disk:
http://www.dban.org
But that still leaves you with a problem...no drivers for the motherboard and no operating system.
1). Identify your make and model of computer and see if you can download the same drivers. Consult your Device Manager and write down all the current drivers and versions. If you cannot get the device drivers, you are in trouble. One way you can do it is to BUY the drivers by signing up for something like Drivers Guides, google DRIVERS and then pay the $29.95 yearly fee and download the drivers from one of these databases.
You still have not solved your final problem...an operating system.
You can still find copies of XP for sale out there, check out Newegg and Tiger Direct and google it too. You will have to BUY A COPY.
If you don't want to buy a copy of Windows...you can always try out a version of Linux. IT's free and a good alternative if you don't have money and you have an old computer. Try UBUNTU, SUSE or FEDORA CORE.
My computer keeps restarting itself once it gets to the windows load screen?
The Don
I don't know what is going yet but I will try and list the stats later I read up on W32/ircbot.worm!ms05-039 , however mine is windows 2007. As an addition I was doing a forced windows update when this occurred. Looking for all help with info provided.
Thanks for all answers so far, this is the new situation the technician I sent it to said that I downloaded a virus and that it is whst is creating all the problems. He said in my present situation that mmy only chance to get rid of the virus would be to wipe my computer clean and lose all my previously saved data. Is there any way that I can at least copy some of the data already on it, like through hacking my drive through another computer or such because I have tonnes of stuff saved on it that I really don't want to lose. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Answer
It's Hot in There
Sometimes this can be caused by an overheating situation. Itunes, RealPlayer, Windows Media player, etc. require a lot of processing power to decompress and decode music
files, which can cause the processor or hard drive
to get hot.
f your CPU is running at over 60 degrees (C) you might be at risk of burning it out. Some systems shut down automatically when the temperature reaches an unsafe level. Every few
weeks I open my system unit and clean the fins on the heat sink
that sits under the CPU. When they collect dust it restricts the airflow and prevents proper cooling. You can use a can of compressed air (look at your local office supply store) or
an old toothbrush. I just did that on my system and the CPU temperature dropped by ten degrees!
Download the free Speedfan utility and it will tell you the temperature at which your CPU and hard drives are running.
Memory Fails Me...
If you determine that overheating is not the problem, the most likely suspect is bad memory. Trying to access a bad spot in your system memory (RAM) can cause the computer
to freak out and restart. The best way to find the culprit is to pop open the system unit, remove (or replace) one RAM stick and see if the problem is solved. Run your system for a
while and if the problem goes away, you win! If not... lather, rinse and repeat for each RAM stick until you find the one that's misbehaving.
Don't Do Me Any Favors
There's a setting buried in Windows XP that tells your computer to restart when a system error occurs. If you turn off that option, you may solve your automatic reboot problem.
? Click Start, then open Control Panel
? Click Performance and Maintenance
? Click System
? Click on the Advanced Tab
? Click Settings in the Startup and Recovery section
? Uncheck Automatically Restart in the System failure section
Note that this may prevent the system from restarting, but it can also mask the true problem. As an alternative to this measure, consider what has recently changed on your
system. If you have installed new hardware or software, remove it and see if the annoying restart persists. Sometimes downloading the latest driver software from the manufacturer's
website will fix hardware incompatibility problems that cause restarts.
Computer Restarts After Download?
Some folks have written to me complaining that their computer automatically restarts itself after every download. And interestingly, most (if not all) mentioned they were using the
Firefox browser. If you are using a download manager or download accelerator, this could be causing the problem. Check all the settings in the download manager and tweak if
necessary. Or get rid of the download manager and see if the problem remains.
This can also be a virus or spyware problem. I suggest you go through your Control Panel / Add or Remove Programs list and remove any programs you don't need, then run
thorough anti-virus and anti-spyware scans. It could even be your anti-virus program fighting with the browser or download manager. Switching to a new anti-virus might help also.
See my recommendations for the best free anti-virus software for help with that.
Other Things to Consider
Failing or under-rated power supplies can also cause your computer to restart at seemingly random intervals. Switching out a power supply is really not too hard. Turn off the
computer, open the case, disconnect the power cable from the power supply to the motherboard. Unscrew the power supply from the case, and reverse the process to install a new
power supply. A 300-watt power supply will be fine in most computers.
And as one reader kindly pointed out, bad capacitors on the motherboard can also cause random reboots. But unless you're kinda geeky and handy with a soldering iron, it's tough
to identify and fix this problem. You can find lots more helpful info on bad capacitors at badcaps.net. For most mere mortals, replacing the motherboard as a last resort will be
easier than replacing a capacitor.
I also encourage you to read ALL of the comments below, before you rip your hair out, or rip your computer to shreds. It boils down to this... most restart problems are caused by
overheating, bad ram, malware, or some other failing component. It can be difficult and time-consuming to identify WHICH of those things is the culprit. The only good solution is to
test each one, in sequence (removing and replacing components if necessary), to identify the problem.
<--http://fix-pc-freezing.com/Clean_Up_Center.htm
It's Hot in There
Sometimes this can be caused by an overheating situation. Itunes, RealPlayer, Windows Media player, etc. require a lot of processing power to decompress and decode music
files, which can cause the processor or hard drive
to get hot.
f your CPU is running at over 60 degrees (C) you might be at risk of burning it out. Some systems shut down automatically when the temperature reaches an unsafe level. Every few
weeks I open my system unit and clean the fins on the heat sink
that sits under the CPU. When they collect dust it restricts the airflow and prevents proper cooling. You can use a can of compressed air (look at your local office supply store) or
an old toothbrush. I just did that on my system and the CPU temperature dropped by ten degrees!
Download the free Speedfan utility and it will tell you the temperature at which your CPU and hard drives are running.
Memory Fails Me...
If you determine that overheating is not the problem, the most likely suspect is bad memory. Trying to access a bad spot in your system memory (RAM) can cause the computer
to freak out and restart. The best way to find the culprit is to pop open the system unit, remove (or replace) one RAM stick and see if the problem is solved. Run your system for a
while and if the problem goes away, you win! If not... lather, rinse and repeat for each RAM stick until you find the one that's misbehaving.
Don't Do Me Any Favors
There's a setting buried in Windows XP that tells your computer to restart when a system error occurs. If you turn off that option, you may solve your automatic reboot problem.
? Click Start, then open Control Panel
? Click Performance and Maintenance
? Click System
? Click on the Advanced Tab
? Click Settings in the Startup and Recovery section
? Uncheck Automatically Restart in the System failure section
Note that this may prevent the system from restarting, but it can also mask the true problem. As an alternative to this measure, consider what has recently changed on your
system. If you have installed new hardware or software, remove it and see if the annoying restart persists. Sometimes downloading the latest driver software from the manufacturer's
website will fix hardware incompatibility problems that cause restarts.
Computer Restarts After Download?
Some folks have written to me complaining that their computer automatically restarts itself after every download. And interestingly, most (if not all) mentioned they were using the
Firefox browser. If you are using a download manager or download accelerator, this could be causing the problem. Check all the settings in the download manager and tweak if
necessary. Or get rid of the download manager and see if the problem remains.
This can also be a virus or spyware problem. I suggest you go through your Control Panel / Add or Remove Programs list and remove any programs you don't need, then run
thorough anti-virus and anti-spyware scans. It could even be your anti-virus program fighting with the browser or download manager. Switching to a new anti-virus might help also.
See my recommendations for the best free anti-virus software for help with that.
Other Things to Consider
Failing or under-rated power supplies can also cause your computer to restart at seemingly random intervals. Switching out a power supply is really not too hard. Turn off the
computer, open the case, disconnect the power cable from the power supply to the motherboard. Unscrew the power supply from the case, and reverse the process to install a new
power supply. A 300-watt power supply will be fine in most computers.
And as one reader kindly pointed out, bad capacitors on the motherboard can also cause random reboots. But unless you're kinda geeky and handy with a soldering iron, it's tough
to identify and fix this problem. You can find lots more helpful info on bad capacitors at badcaps.net. For most mere mortals, replacing the motherboard as a last resort will be
easier than replacing a capacitor.
I also encourage you to read ALL of the comments below, before you rip your hair out, or rip your computer to shreds. It boils down to this... most restart problems are caused by
overheating, bad ram, malware, or some other failing component. It can be difficult and time-consuming to identify WHICH of those things is the culprit. The only good solution is to
test each one, in sequence (removing and replacing components if necessary), to identify the problem.
<--http://fix-pc-freezing.com/Clean_Up_Center.htm
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