My same old berserk computer is at it again...

avatar/stryder,

are you saying that i can write NTFS drives if i have the admin pass?
what would NTFS on my windows drive improve?
why do i have to use a linux partitioner to make fat32s bigger than 20gb, is it a failsafe, or does it just stop the 16kb segments(most of my files on the large drives are 100mb+ anyway)

 

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... Mmmmm, it does tend to throw one. Probably the only serious disadvantage regarding XP is the lack of a proper disk maintenance programme. Don't worry though, it is doing its bits - after you've scheduled a disk scan and its done its stuff, go to Control Panel> Administrative Tools> Event Viewer and select Application from the types of event list available - it's top of a list of three.

Double click on and you'll get a list application events. Scroll down the list to Winlogon and double click on it to read - you'll get a status report regarding the outcome of the last disk scan you ran.

You'll also note an endless number of other info entries - with the read dialogue box still open, use the up and down arrows to scroll through them and have a gander at what's going on with your system - you'll get a brief description of everything basically which is going on with your computer - including problems and information regarding what they are.

Follow the links to anything you want more information about. If you've got net access, XP can send a report of the problem and hopefully dig you up some additional information regarding the problem.

Very useful for de-bugging software problems.

Run through the other information listed under the other tabs, particularly Services, as it'll give you a much better insight into whats actually going on.

As for FireFox bugging out, I have no idea. Try using IE instead and see if you have the same problem. Perhaps you're running a FAT 32 version of FireFox? Check out the version and cross reference with Mozilla to find any workarounds for what's going on there.

Don't know what version of XP your running, but you really need to install Service Pack 2 - If when XP is loading and the little tracking loading bar at the beginning is running green, it means you're running XP with service pack 1 only. Blue indicates SP2. May resolve a number of software problems, as well as bring your security up to date, if abscent.

If you need it, either order it on disk from Microsoft or pick up a computer magazine and check if its carried on the cover disk - don't[/i] download the Microsoft version from the net - I've never met a soul yet who didn't have a problem with it.

If you're scan disk results indicate no bad sectors and you've run the full check, XP formatted and installed the NTFS partition with no problems, then looks like you're HDD may be okay after all storage wise, but you may possibly be having a problem with its IDE. If it's old, much used and still giving jip, replace.

Check the status of all your hardware by running the Device Manager (right-click My Computer> Properties and select the Hardware Tab - see if anythings showing up there).

Best of British....

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Well, okay, I'll check things around. So far I find no log about checkdisk is around, and instead got bedazzled by Dr. Watson's report on my Firefox problem (of course, hell if I know what to do with those reports...) *sigh*

As for Service Pack 2.... okay, I'll see if anyone I know can give me any Windows Update CD then... thanks for warning.


For now, another problem coming up *sigh* For some reasons, sometimes when I'm starting up my PC, I immediately get an 'lsass terminated' error and my PC automatically restarts...... that is, when my PC is up, suddenly it says lsass is dead already, with code 128, and strangely, is initiated by "\" instead of SYSTEM, my name or else..... any idea?

Oh, and what's the use of lsass btw? When my PC's restarting that way, and I check the Task Manager, other than the System Idle Process process, no process has a name on it (i.e., username unknown).... so?

 

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I use process explorer by sysinternals, www.sysinternals.com

It can provide you with basic information like a performance chart to more advanced things like threads.

If you want me to copy the information on my lsass.exe then just tell me.

BTW, lsass is an exe by microsoft, The description i get in process explorer is: "LSA Shell (Export Version)"

 

Possibly Sasser (Virus/worm)
http://ask-leo.com/what_are_lsass_l...know_if_im_infected_what_do_i_do_if_i_am.html

LSASS is apart of the login process although if you want a detailed explaination you'll have to check the MS Knowledge base.

clean installs that are unpatched are always open to exploits that occured before the patches were made available. Although the online Update after SP2 should allow access to a spyware/worm removal tool.

 

Sigh.
You've had Sasser before. I clearly remember talking you through it all months ago.
You're hopeless, aren't you?

 

Yep.... and I'm proud of it

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Thanks anyway.

BTW, can someone suggest any antivirus (especially online) that's good to use and not too costly? Like I said, I gave up on my McAfee, andnow my PC is actually kinda defenseless.

 

Sorry if I offended. I didn't really mean to. But, it does get frustrating to spend so much time trying to educate someone (and I clearly remember spending a goodly portion of time on you back then) to find that it was all for naught...

Sasser worm.
Jesus Christ.
That was so 2004...

Heh.
Anyway.

A couple of things.
Are you on a broadband connection?
If so, then use a firewall. The best bet would be to get yourself behind a router, but a software firewall will do in a pinch. Windows has upgraded their firewall so it's a little more functional than it used to be. You might consider configuring it...

You know. It should be configured automatically...
Once service pack 2 has been installed anyway. Do you have SP2?

Anyway. You might consider using ZoneAlarm as there used to be a free version and as far as I know there still is. I haven't used a software firewall in a long time as it's mostly unnecessary behind a router.

As far as antivirus goes... I use Avast!
There's also AVG. Both have free version. I can't say which is better although I think that AVG uses less resources... not entirely sure on that though.

 

Gosh, looks like making people feel bad is my skill afterall..... but let's quit that...

I think my entire school network uses DSL, and I don't use the net connection wizard provided by Windows, ssince even my school's networking is way off safe, and as for firewall, I'll try, since the last few times I used firewalls, it's such a mess to configure I nearly can't use any network related softwares at all (I can't use MSN, for example)

And SP2? Well, I haven't got it, since like Anonymous suggested, I haven't found any recommended SP2 source, though maybe I'll download it somewhere from the net just in case of emergency measure.

And the anti-viruses? Hmm, I tried AVG before, but either I'm such a hasty or what, I can't tell if that free version of AVG can actually delete infected files or not (first time I scan my PC, it said there's a trojan.... in a file I can't find using Windows Explorer.. *sigh*). Thanks anyway.

 

Hmm.
Strange that Anonymous says that people have had problems with SP2. I never have. I don't know what the difference would be between one on disk than the one you've downloaded from the net... The only difference would be that the downloaded version (from either Windows Update or Automatic Update would only download those portions you need rather than the whole thing.)

And. He's also mistaken about the loading bar... I can't be 100% sure, but I am 99% sure that my bar was always blue... Of course, I'm on Pro, not Home. That's kind of a moot point though.

As to deleting viruses... Yeah. AVG should do it. I've never actually had a virus though...


As to configuring your firewall... Well. It's pretty easy, actually, but then again I've always found learning software to be pretty easy... Always been the guy to set people's clocks on their VCR's too. Heh.

Anyway. Here's what I'd do.
Reinstall. Turn ON windows firewall... I'm relatively sure that the way to do that is to go to the Control Panel, Network Connections, Right-click the internet connection, Properties, Advanced Tab. The basic windows firewall blocks all external traffic from coming in. This will work fine will downloading updates from the Windows Update site.

Update. SP2 first. Then all the remaining critical updates and whatever other updates you feel you might need. (To show how little problems I've ever had with SP2, I've NEVER used the backup option, and I also don't use system restore....)

Then. Once you have the updates, you can configure your firewall... which I can't explain as I've never used Windows Firewall... I'm sure if you google it, you can find a million and one tutorials. Maybe someone here can give you one first-hand.

I don't know where you're getting viruses from. Like I said, I've never had one. My anti-virus is pretty much a waste of resources, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. When I hear stories about people that have like a hundred viruses... Yeesh. I just don't get those people. Some might be worms, like Sasser, which bounce around the net jiggling handles, but many are from other sources... I suppose it helps that my email list is small.

Anyway...
I'd actually suggest Zone Alarm if it's still free. It always worked fine for me. Easily configurable.
The question on configuration is which ports to open... And that's a bitch. MSN messenger is notorious for needing MANY MANY ports open. Way too many. WAY too many. Bill Gates should be shot for his lax security.
I have tried configuring it in the past, and must admit that many times when trying to send and receive files and a few other tasks I ended up having to shut down the firewall altogether... It's been a while since I've used any chat client, so had hoped that things would have improved, but it doesn't surprise me that it hasn't.

Again. There are sites that provide tutorials on how to configure firewalls for various applications. Which ports to open and blahdy blah.

The simplest solution is a router. A router with UPNP is especially good as it can open and close ports dynamically.

But. Then you need to configure the router... change the default username and password, etc....

Good luck.

 

Okay, thanks a lot. I'll do all the necessary things, and I've just visited MS site and searched, dl-ed and installed SP 2, so that should be one less problem. And I'll try getting more defenses up since my PC's been, more than likely, invaded...... (like a new, unexpected internet gateway when I get to the Network Setting folder, Task Manager not showing up after some time when I try to run it)

 

Windows internal firewall really is quite awful. Besides it doesn't control outbound traffic from its' services (or no outbound traffic at all).
You'll need a non-ms firewall. I suggest Sygate Personal Pro or Agnitum Firewall
(check Google and your favourite warez distributor if you don't wish to buy).

 

Curiouser and curiouser, said Anonymous. I could have sworn I'd posted an entry here last night... Must be all that heroin I injected into the capillaries of m'eyeballs first...

Yummy.

Well done with downing SP2 old man, obviously you have broadband. You're going to need that thar Zone Alarm chappie. Great to here they've fixed whatever bug it was it had too - down our neck of the woods for weeks following its initial release we were fixing up screwed systems left right and centre. Personally never had so much of a twitch of a problem with the thing m'self, but then I installed from a magazine cover-disk edition - which, not unsurprisingly, was what we used to fix subsequent screwed up PC's...

(And yes nexus, I'm talking the Home Edition. Think pro's always been of the blue variety, status bar wise...

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)

I think I'm begging to twig what's been happening here - originally you were relaying how you're PC was reporting bad or unreadable sectors on your HDD, and at the time you had McFee installed - taking it off seemed to relieve a number of problems.

XP on a FAT 32 drive, as we've established, isn't terribly stable. Tarts out at the slightest thing. I'm willing to bet here, when you ran those initial disk scans the unreadable sectors being detected were actually you're anti-virus softwares virus vault partition - in order to deal with infected or suspect files, neutralise and deal with them safely, all antiviral software sets up a small data partition, the contents of which it encrypts and denies access to the encryption routine to the operating system - thereby rendering the nasty useless.

That, as far as check-disk is concerned, means unreadable data.

Perhaps McFee was actually doing its job and trying to stop something doing its business, and equally, because of the act-like-a-tart inbuiltness of any Microsoft product installed on a FAT 32 partition, windows starts pitching a fit.

Either way your up to date, system wise and getting there. AVG 7 is fine, highly recommend. Back it up with ad-aware SE, SpyBot - Search & Destroy 1.4 and SpywareBlaster (all available from www.download.com) and you'll be quids in on all scores, being as how they're all perfectly free and do what they say on the tin.

If you have found a worm, which by the sound you have, block it by denying its access via-windows firewall, track it down via Search and kill the bastard if software isn't doing the job - you'll probably locate the divers and .exe responsible located in the folder Windows> Pre-fetch.

Also use search to locate your Winlogon results if still having a problem finding the things.

One more chore - after you've flushed whatever's taken a liking to your computer and killed it, go My Computer> Properties>Hardware and select the System Restore Tab.

Turn off system restore by ticking the off box and apply. This will flush all of your existing system restore points. Once done, boot down, boot back up again and re-initialise. The reason for this is system restore backs up your settings, registry and a couple of other critical bits and bobs - inadvertently backing up whatever nasty it was you've just gotten rid of in the process.

It'll be inert, but there, and will reinfect your system if returned to that point.

So flush the lot. That way y'don't re-infect.

 

I'll read that, thanks.... for now, I have a lot of problems I don't feel like posting them right now..... sorry, please wait til I get up tomorrow and I'll tell you everything about the mess I'm having now... *sigh* why all the stupidest things happen to me...

 

You know.. a nice axe can solve all your computer related problems.

 

What kind of motherboard and RAM? Intermittent errors usually result from (a) damage (b) power supply (c) overheating or (d) cheapshit hardware.

 

(e) bad computer karma

 

lol. i have several things ducttapes in(damage)
i only recently got a stable PSU(PSU)
my stupid fan even with its 7000rpm cant keep my CPU under 45degrees when in use(overheating)
all of my parts were secondhand shits i got for 1/2 retail price(cheapshit)
Karma? well my comp hasnt been to church in a while(last time was about a month ago when i took it through the grounds on the way to a LAN

 

Uh, well, my MB is an ASUS X series, P4S533, and Kingston RAM (IINM)

Anyway people, sorry for replying a bit late. I just did a, kinda, semi-thorough make over of my PC. I formatted the HD again, tried to trust McAfee one more time, but still lacking of Windows Update stuffs.

So currently, I have my McAfee 6.02 running (with the NT On Access Scanner server, hopefully, forever disabled), also with the firewall. The virus definition is quite up to date, but I may still look for firewall softwares since, as you know, McAfee 6.x is an ancient product, and the main McAfee site no longer give clear help on how to update those old stuffs.

And looks like one of the culprits of my latest troubles may also have been an SDBot variant worm, so other than running my AV, I also googled for a specific SDBot removal tool, and tried F Bot..... not sure if it's gonna work, but I've given it a try anyway....

And looks like I really, really need that service pack 2 now.... Indeed as I feared, my McAfee 6.02 firewall is already too old to do its job, because I keep getting invaded with viruses and spywares, and even unauthorized files (here are a few: hellmsn, taskgmr.exe instead of taskmgr, and gnome.exe)....... *sigh*


PS: I think I know Anonymous's reason for trying to find the Service Pack in a CD. The Windows Update site uses ActiveX, and if I remember correctly, ActiveX is very prone to attacks...

PS2: using taskmanager, I find 2 svchost processes run by System (the other svchosts are run by Local Service and me) in my PC, one larger than the other.... which one is evil? Help

 

i have about 4 of them. but AVG doesnt detect anything and it crashes when i kill them