Help please.

smashey

There are just too many threads to search here regarding my problem. Also, I don't like the tracker mutt.

Anyway, I need advice urgently and I will try to give all the details of my problem.

On Saturday, I downloaded one of Microsoft's updates, switched the computer off and went away for the night. (Maybe this is connected with the problem I now have, I don't know). I came home yesterday evening and turned the computer on (after plugging in a new mouse). It took one (1) hour to come on. :eek: While this was happening, I kept getting boxes on the screen telling me that McAfee virus scan and personal firewall needed verification while connected to the net. Everything I tried to do took ages. I have also noticed that when the computer is trying to boot up, the clicking noise from the CPU is like a stuck record. It just keeps making the same few clicks over and over and over. I decided to re-start it and this took another 45 minutes. Tonight when I came home, it took almost an hour to boot up after switching on. (Note: I want to in-install McAfee but can't seem to do so).

Also, I thought it was just a notion to me but I ran a defrag. one night last week and I thought that the computer wasn't the same since. The computer is less than a year old.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated and please bear in mind that I am nowhere near as knowledgeable as most of you guys.

Anti

if it is the MS update that is causing this problem , you can remove it with ease.

Boot into safe mode ( usually f8 )

Then start>control panel>add & remove programs >

The updates should be listed in here, and you can simply remove them. But i think this only works if you have enabled system restore. Even if its not in there and you do have system restore enables, go back to a date just before you downloaded the update.

Hope this solves it for you, As i know this would really irritate me.

smashey

Right, I did as told and no good. It has taken me 90 minutes to get back on-line. Does anybody have any idea as to what my problems are. Thanks

smashey

Update. I tried to defrag again and I got the following message. "This version of Disk Defragmenter does not support running more than one instance". Also, the hard drive is still making the noise like a stuck record.

Anti

Sounds like the hdd is fcuked then. Download and run hdtach form here:

http://www.simplisoftware.com/Public/index.php?request=HdTach

And try and use a third party disk defragmenter, there are a few listed on this site. They all work better then the stardard one that comes with XP:

http://www.thefreecountry.com/utilities/defragmentation.shtml

Hope this helps again.

smashey

Thanks. I will try them soon. First I must back up.

Ruu_Old

You could try turning off the Indexing Service for a start, its constanting running in the background, it might help. Right click C drive in My Computer and untick the box Allow Indexing Service (only use is if you use the Search function in Windows), it might take a few minutes for that to come into effect. Any ideas what other programs are running in the background? The noises regarding the hard drive don't sound good. Backup what you can incase the hard drive is about to fail.

smashey

The noise in the background is the "tapping/whirring" that I think I hear on all computers when they are switched on. It isn't very loud, more of a soft tap. Only in this case it sounds like it is stuck. It has gone for the moment, but as soon as I try to get into anything from the start menu, it will start again.

Ruu_Old

It sounds like the read head on the hard disk is trying to move back and forth but is struggling I would imagine.

smashey

Ruu wrote:

It sounds like the read head on the hard disk is trying to move back and forth but is struggling I would imagine.

Ruu and anti,

Thanks for the help.

I don't know much about "read heads", but it seems to me that something is struggling. It is a bit like trying to start a car with a damp problem. It turns but just won't catch.

Anyway, I have unticked the indexing service and am just backing up my AutoCad drawings. After that, I will try again.

It is still under warranty so I may make a call tomorrow.

Anti

ahh the good old warrenty

Well best of luck with it either way.

And dont owrry about the hdd, I have some that are 6 years old that still work, and have tens of thousands of hour son them, Then i have had others that have lasted days. Its just the luck of the draw really

quaidox

sounds like your hard drive is about to fail.
have you checked the system log for drive errors?
if not, right click my computer, click on manage, expand event viewer, and click on system.....this should tell you if there's problem with the hard drive.

smashey

Sods law. I got a letter last week telling me that the warranty would be expiring on November 3rd. I shredded it.:o

smashey

quaidox wrote:

sounds like your hard drive is about to fail.
have you checked the system log for drive errors?
if not, right click my computer, click on manage, expand event viewer, and click on system.....this should tell you if there's problem with the hard drive.

Jaysus. One or two errors. I'm thinking this is bad.

Ruu_Old

smashey wrote:

Ruu and anti,

Thanks for the help.

I don't know much about "read heads", but it seems to me that something is struggling. It is a bit like trying to start a car with a damp problem. It turns but just won't catch.

Anyway, I have unticked the indexing service and am just backing up my AutoCad drawings. After that, I will try again.

It is still under warranty so I may make a call tomorrow.

The arm thingy there is the read head. It goes from one sector to another on the disc platter to find your data and it moves very, very quickly. It is trying but just not getting there. Hopefully you will get it sorted as its under warranty.:)

Anti

nooo, all them errors are good. Nothing wrong there, move along..........

in comparison :

quaidox

start copying onto cd,dvd,usb key,quick! dead drive imminent!!!

smashey

Thank you all. I'm copying furiously here. I might not be able to log on for a while after tonight.