Computer HELP needed again!

[Mithrandir]

Now now, let's not get O/T on machine/platform bashing...

[MillyFan]

GRRRRR. You know that scene in the ending credits of FLCL where Haruko takes a baseball bat to the Vespa?

I feel like doing that to my PC now.

So two nights ago, 4 icons disappeared from my desktop when I booted up. I looked in the Unused Desktop Icons folder-not there. Recycle bin-not there either.

Anyway, then last night I tried to play a disc in my DVD-RW drive. It was a Hoyle Games disc, I wanted to play WordYacht for a while-anyway, the drive starts whirring like mad and pushes the CPU usage to a constant 100%-it almost crashed the PC, and that had never happened before when I used the same disc.

Anyway, I tried it in the CD-R, same thing happened. >.<

Later, I booted up the PC again, and the fan exhaust had a slight burning smell. . .I turned the comp off and unplugged it at once.

:comp::comp::comp::comp: Can someone PLEASE tell me what is wrong with it?

[animenewstoday]

GRRRRR. You know that scene in the ending credits of FLCL where Haruko takes a baseball bat to the Vespa?

I feel like doing that to my PC now.

So two nights ago, 4 icons disappeared from my desktop when I booted up. I looked in the Unused Desktop Icons folder-not there. Recycle bin-not there either.

Anyway, then last night I tried to play a disc in my DVD-RW drive. It was a Hoyle Games disc, I wanted to play WordYacht for a while-anyway, the drive starts whirring like mad and pushes the CPU usage to a constant 100%-it almost crashed the PC, and that had never happened before when I used the same disc.

Anyway, I tried it in the CD-R, same thing happened. >.<

Later, I booted up the PC again, and the fan exhaust had a slight burning smell. . .I turned the comp off and unplugged it at once.

:comp::comp::comp::comp: Can someone PLEASE tell me what is wrong with it?

Bad problem you might of either messed up the disc or you motherboard didn't start to read it right did you try it again when you restarted your computer? And make SURE you always leave you computer unpluged after you smelled that and then it's to turn it back on in 5 minutes other wise "this is what happened in my school" you will blow out the power supplie! Oh wait do you have a virus scan because that could be the monkey virus!

[Mithrandir]

Given that she's in the area where the fires in So Cal were, I'd be more inclined to think that's the monitor than the MB. Try this, MF. Turn off the computer for a few hours, and when you turn it back on, only turn on the tower. Don't turn on the Monitor. If you don't smell it, turn on the monitor, and see about that. Come to think of it, it's probably just dust you are smelling. Does it smell like when you first turn on a heater for the winter after a long summer? That's dust in the system. You would really need a good blow out for that.

[MillyFan]

Yeah, I did that-and it didn't smell like it was burning. Maybe it isn't the motherboard. . . but I have no idea why my drives still are acting up.

I've tried running Norton WinDoctor, which is supposed to find and fix bad DLLs, but it comes up absolutely fine. I guess I'll try ScamDisk next.

[inkhana]

>I guess I'll try ScamDisk next.

Yes, I KNOW she meant ScanDisk, but I just can't help myself...

Yes, another fine Microsoft product: ScamDisk. Searches your drive replacing all .doc files with popup banners.

[animenewstoday]

Yeah, I did that-and it didn't smell like it was burning. Maybe it isn't the motherboard. . . but I have no idea why my drives still are acting up.

I've tried running Norton WinDoctor, which is supposed to find and fix bad DLLs, but it comes up absolutely fine. I guess I'll try ScamDisk next.

did you virus scan

[Straylight]

If I were in your situation, MF, I'd reinstall Windows. It sounds like your computer has become "clogged up" -- things have been installed and left a bit of a mess on your system.

Here's something you could try

Hit <start>, <r>
type in msconfig, hit <enter>

Hit the "startup" tab and take a look down that list. You'll notice a lot of program names -- these all start up when Windows boots. Nasty programs like to hide in here. Anything you suspect? Google the filename -- it might be some nasty spyware. Uncheck the boxes for anything that you find dodgy. Some things like to pretend that they are made by Microsoft.

Also, hit the Services tab, and check the "Hide All Microsoft Services" box, and have a look down that list. Uncheck anything that looks unfamiliar, and if you're not sure Google the name again.

A lot of Windows slowness problems can be solved this way

[MillyFan]

Just so everyone knows, that PC isn't online, and I don't have the system discs. ^sigh^

However, I *did* solve the disappearing icons mystery. It turns out that when I chose to dock the Norton System Doctor window, it rearranged my icons-and they remained rearranged even when I undocked it.

The burning smell also seems to be from dust or something-looking inside the fan grate and the side slots as best I could with a flashlight, the comp is full of dust.

[MillyFan]

ScamDisk? Yeah, I meant ScanDisc, but that is SO funny Inkhana!

Hahahahahahaahahaahahaahahahaha

[inkhana]

Here's something you could try

Hit <start>, <r>
type in msconfig, hit <enter>

Hit the "startup" tab and take a look down that list. You'll notice a lot of program names -- these all start up when Windows boots. Nasty programs like to hide in here. Anything you suspect? Google the filename -- it might be some nasty spyware. Uncheck the boxes for anything that you find dodgy. Some things like to pretend that they are made by Microsoft.

...

And to think, all this time I was doing that the hard way through the registry...oh well...pays to know how to hand edit the registry anyway...solved a lot of probs like that...he he

[Mithrandir]

While I agree with DJ about re-formatting, that doesn't appear to be an option because:
1. The data on the machine has not been properly backed up.
2. She doesn't have the install disks.

Bummer. Let us know what "Scamdisk" tells you.

(That's funny enough to rank up there with "Microsoft Works" as the ultimate oxymoron!)

[animenewstoday]

While I agree with DJ about re-formatting, that doesn't appear to be an option because:
1. The data on the machine has not been properly backed up.
2. She doesn't have the install disks.

Bummer. Let us know what "Scamdisk" tells you.

(That's funny enough to rank up there with "Microsoft Works" as the ultimate oxymoron!)

Good idea BUT BUT BUT your not anwsering my question did you virus scan your computer?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[MillyFan]

YES I did virus scan my PC, not that there was any way for it to get a virus.

And animenewstoday, look on the ground before you take one more step. You're getting very close to stepping on something you don't want to step on ~.^ >.<

I'm running Scandisk tonight, and I'll get back to you on it. -^.^-

[animenewstoday]

YES I did virus scan my PC, not that there was any way for it to get a virus.

And animenewstoday, look on the ground before you take one more step. You're getting very close to stepping on something you don't want to step on ~.^ >.<

I'm running Scandisk tonight, and I'll get back to you on it. -^.^-

ok i'm sorry i just be mad latly i was just wondering if you did because you could have the monkey virus

[MillyFan]

Monkey virus???

^sigh^ That's a lot of help. Not.

[animenewstoday]

Monkey virus???

^sigh^ That's a lot of help. Not.

The Monkey virus is a virus that's in windows based os and it fools around with your settings it can do anything open a program, change time stuff like that

[MillyFan]

OK. I ran ScanDisk and it came up with nothing.

I ran Norton DiskDoctor, which detected security key problems or something like that. I rebooted the PC, and it fixed those when I did.

Thinking my problem had FINALLY been fixed at no cost and minimal trouble, I popped in my last blank CD to write my files-and the problem wasn't fixed. I just have another ruined CD and no files.

I think I can make backups on 3 1/2 floppies of my latest stuff. . .and I have months-old backups on CDs before this started happening.

Oh, one other thing I *did* notice: Whenever the CD-R or DVD-RW drive is in use for writing OR reading, the entire computer vibrates. I mean, the drives rattle and the entire PC tower shakes as if there were an earthquake inside it.

[MillyFan]

[lexicalunit]

If you use nero or something like it make sure to uncheck the "test" or "simulation"

These options make it seem like it's doing something, when it's really not doing anything; thus leaving you with the feeling that your CD is ruined when actually it's just blank and untouched.

[MillyFan]

I don't use nero or anything like that. I have no idea what is wrong with this thing

[Mithrandir]

Oh, one other thing I *did* notice: Whenever the CD-R or DVD-RW drive is in use for writing OR reading, the entire computer vibrates. I mean, the drives rattle and the entire PC tower shakes as if there were an earthquake inside it.

Hmm. You know, this may be a hardware problem afterall. That's indicative of a misaligned motor. (Think playstation vibrating controller). If there is gunk in the motor, it can do that. Out of curiosity, do you have a cd-rom that is bootable (perhaps a virus or norton disk?) If you can boot from that, it's probably a windows error, if not, is almost certainly hardware.

[MillyFan]

I've tried one last thing: setting the write and read speeds as low as I possibly can. I'm going to chech the disc I attempted to write last night today-if it's worked, then my problem's fixed.

Otherwise, it may be the hardware.

LOL, I don't know how to boot from a disc without losing all my stuff, hehe

[MillyFan]

OK, I am officially a pudding head. . .LOL.

It turns out the read and write speeds on the DVD-RW were set wrong, and that I have to reset the write speeds at 1x and 16x to successfully write data and the read speeds a little less than the fastest.

The CD drive that I thought could write turned out to be CD-ROM only.

As for the CPU usage, I found that *any* combined graphics and sound intensive application (from watching a DVD to playing a game) causes the usage to stay at a constant 100 percent simply because of the integrated graphics and sound. The only cure for that is to get a better computer with actual graphics and sound cards LOL.

Thanks everyone for all your help, anyway. . .

[Mithrandir]

Glad to hear it all worked out! YEAH!

[Mithrandir]

Cool! It works? Excellent! Woo-hoo!

[Tycho]

OK, I am officially a pudding head. . .LOL.

Congradulations. You have learned an important lesson in computing. 99.99% of errors are stupid mistakes. Spoken from an assembler programmer who likes to overwrite his base register.

[Mithrandir]

*starts joke* All your base registers are

*everyone in room: SMACK*



><

On my first assemble program I entered the wrong location register for the start of the code. It tried to execute a random (to me) data block in RAM. It must have been a section of debug code there, or something, because it overwrote some fun files on my disk. (No HD in the machine, so it was just one floppy). Files overwritten? command.com, a.out, program.asm *sigh*

[Tycho]

*starts joke* All your base registers are

*everyone in room: SMACK*

Urusai yo!!! Bakanahito!!!



><

On my first assemble program I entered the wrong location register for the start of the code. It tried to execute a random (to me) data block in RAM. It must have been a section of debug code there, or something, because it overwrote some fun files on my disk. (No HD in the machine, so it was just one floppy). Files overwritten? command.com, a.out, program.asm *sigh*

Yep, my current poison is overwriting a subroutine's base register and wondering why I spin off into uncharted memory.

[MillyFan]

Lol!