Digital Paint Discussion Board
Digital Paint Community => Other Stuff => Topic started by: Rick on July 08, 2008, 02:27:33 AM
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Well, lately(3 weeks or so) my computer has been acting weirdly. After a while of using the computer, if i try to minimise/exit my windows, it doesnt draw the desktop. It's really hard to explain but what ever window i try to minimise/exit it stays up instead of the desktop, it's like it is freezing but if I press alt+tab it all goes away but you can not access anything on the desktop and you cant access My Documents, My computer, My music and so on from the start menu. (I have to get that search thing up, hit the dropdown arrow and go into them like that) I'm not sure whats going on and i can not take a screenshot because it wont let me.
After i reboot, it is fine again.
I'm not sure what is happening but i would like to fix it because its annoying :)
Im happy to answer anything you would like to know.
-Rick
p.s: I couldn't take a screenshot when it was happening but i took a screenshot of what it looks like.
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Half the stuff on your menu is either REALLY old or REALLY excrement, eg IE and Outlook. Didn't you think it had something to do with themes or something? Plus I did ask you to do this, reboot into safe mode and see if it does it in there.
Safe Mode: Reboot, keep hitting F8, take the menu when it comes up down to safe mode, don't use the networking or command whatever they are, and see if it does it. And you told me you had XP......
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Dude back up and whipe. then try again. if persistant change OS
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Basically what Loial means is get rid of Vista and go to XP.
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Basically what Loial means is get rid of Vista and go to XP.
I have windows xp, thats a theme.....
And Cam, are you suggesting leaving it in safe mode all day, because it only happens once or twice a day and not at the same time each day :)
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Well, see if it actually occurs in safe mode first, and go back to the XP theme, maybe thats why.
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Half the stuff on your menu is either REALLY old or REALLY excrement, eg IE and Outlook.
huh????
OK when it happens again, bring up task manager and take a look at the top 2 or 3 programs running using the most cpu resources. This will be a starting point.
Also, right click My Computer, select Manage, then look at the system event logs and see if anything weird is happening.
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huh????
OK when it happens again, bring up task manager and take a look at the top 2 or 3 programs running using the most cpu resources. This will be a starting point.
Also, right click My Computer, select Manage, then look at the system event logs and see if anything weird is happening.
Will do. Also what do you mean by anything "weird" i really don't know anything that were in the logs except for live update(Which i am disabling right now)
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KnacK, that version of iTunes is old, that version of Word is old, IE and Outlook are replaced by Firefox and Thunderbird on all of my computers, and I found out Solitaire is played by his Dad.
Wierd I think (u correct me here if i'm wrong knack) means look for something out of the ordinary, or look at the logs before it started happening and then when it started happening. Also you might want to check back on the System Restore thing and see if it finds a restore point where you installed something just before it started happening, etc.
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Wierd I think (u correct me here if i'm wrong knack) means look for something out of the ordinary
Close, the word you're thinking of is 'weird', and it means odd or unusual.
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lol, older programs won't disable his desktop... has anyone mentioned running virus scanners?
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Cameron,
People might prefer Open Office, Firefox and Thunderbird to Word, IE and Outlook, but they are all enterprise grade applications (even if they are a few revisions old) and when installed correctly will not cause issues.
He still needs to open task manager and see what his system is doing when it freezes up.
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try opening task manager (ctrl+alt+delete) and go to processes. End explorer.exe then under file>start task. type explorer.exe. This will restart the engine that runs the desktop. The issue problably stems from the theme program you have, having a theme program usually just makes your system slower and gives it issues with the GUI like your running into. If you like the aero theme so much, just get vista, it really isnt that bad.
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If you like the aero theme so much, just get vista, it really isnt that bad.
+1, and in my own opinion, vista runs smoother.
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depends, some people have no problems with vista, some have lots... at the end of the day for their to be a divided opinion means it must be unstable..
pot luck?
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at the end of the day for their to be a divided opinion means it must be unstable..
And costly to upgrade your computer to cope with it.
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try opening task manager (ctrl+alt+delete) and go to processes. End explorer.exe then under file>start task. type explorer.exe. This will restart the engine that runs the desktop. The issue problably stems from the theme program you have, having a theme program usually just makes your system slower and gives it issues with the GUI like your running into. If you like the aero theme so much, just get vista, it really isnt that bad.
I have that theme before all this was happening, like 6-10 weeks before this was happening.
Ill try what you said as well :)
-Edit: I did recently add some newer themes, ill go back and delete all of them.
Also, i will run a virus scan right now.
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stability issues and hardware/software compatibility issues are different. if you want stability microsoft isnt the answer regardless.
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Virus scanner didn't pick up anything and it hasn't happened since i deleted the themes, but I don't think it has gone, I think it will probably come back in a day or two :(
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Next time it happens check task manager
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Next time it happens check task manager
Will do :D
try opening task manager (ctrl+alt+delete) and go to processes. End explorer.exe then under file>start task. type explorer.exe. This will restart the engine that runs the desktop.
Did that, now its working like normal. It will probably happen tomorrow aswell though :/
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What's with all the internet explorage?
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What's with all the internet explorage?
Yeh, who the intercourse would do that with the new tabbing thing that they have.
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I didnt even have iE open....
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It took your memory up though. Excrementloads of it.
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It took your memory up though. Excrementloads of it.
What could be causing iE to suddenly open alot of itself? I remember that iE sometimes kept coming up (twice or three times) and wouldn't stop coming up. I had about 93 iE's open and it wouldn't stop until i rebooted :( but this hasn't happened for 4-5 months
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1. go download a copy of spybot search and destroy. run it in safe mode.
2. download and run adaware from lavasoft.
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1. go download a copy of spybot search and destroy. run it in safe mode.
2. download and run adaware from lavasoft.
Will these affect norton in anyway?
and I know norton is bad but i only have 61 days left of it, then ill be getting free onling ones :D
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disable Norton first then run the above programs.
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Will these affect norton in anyway?
and I know norton is bad but i only have 61 days left of it, then ill be getting free onling ones :D
And i'll hate you when you do... Pay for em, ZoneAlarm or Trend Micro i've had/have and are great, although Trend Micro's scans are really slow. They cost about $40 - $50 a year but its worth it.
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And i'll hate you when you do... Pay for em, ZoneAlarm or Trend Micro i've had/have and are great, although Trend Micro's scans are really slow. They cost about $40 - $50 a year but its worth it.
I thought the free online ones were good?
Anyways, ran adaware while in safe mode and it found 1300 infections(Most were tracking cookies >.>) but there was 230 critical issues...There was spyware and a trojan. I've deleted them and am going to run spybot a bit later. Shows how good norton is at fidning viruses/other things
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Then just meddling remove it... I don't see why people dont. If its un-removable then delete the female dogy files.
Haha, love the word filter :).
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Then just meddling remove it... I don't see why people dont. If its un-removable then delete the female dogy files.
Haha, love the word filter :).
What the hell are you on about?
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Remove Norton. Simple as that.
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Remove Norton. Simple as that.
i will after the 61 days, like i said. I don't want to go wasting money.
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But if it does like the excrementtest job ever and doesn't pick up that stuff its worth removing and buying something else. Imagine what could happen during those 61 days without a good firewall... My friend did the same and ended up reinstalling XP because he downloaded something and Norton just sat there and said everything was fine.
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But if it does like the excrementtest job ever and doesn't pick up that stuff its worth removing and buying something else. Imagine what could happen during those 61 days without a good firewall... My friend did the same and ended up reinstalling XP because he downloaded something and Norton just sat there and said everything was fine.
Whats a good firewall program?
And i think im going to use adaware and spybot for running scans now :) all i need is another firewall :D
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ZoneAlarm or Trend Micro.
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I'm using Bitdefender total protection (something like that) and I like it.
It detects all the viruses and you can put it in "Game mode" when you play so it doesn't use that much memory.
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Same with ZoneAlarm. Trend Micro is slow on scans and chews excrementLOADS of memory and takes forever to scan as well, but it does the job.
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If I were going to pay for a total protection package here's my list:
1. Trend Micro ( I run this at work and we used it at Shell with over 50,000 people on it)
or
2. AVG ( pay for it and the added features are great)
Norton and McAfee are loaded with so much bloat it's pathetic.
Both of the above proggies are very non intrusive.
Windows firewall is decent if you don't have anything else.
Zone alarm, in the past few years, has been know to have issue, especially with connection speeds.
The paid version of ad aware is also nice, but more and more av programs are taking up its responsibility. Even the free version of AVG does a lot. I would still recommend running it. BUT DO NOT RUN ITS LINK SCANNER!! It takes up so many resources it will bring your c to a crawl.
Spybot search and destroy is still #1 in removing all of the hidden baddies.
Also, if you want to have some great online protection, use OpenDNS as your dns server. It does a hell of a job at blocking phishing sites, malware sites and a few others. Also, very great for the parents out there. If you register ( free) its very customizable)
Not only do I use it here at home, I also use it as a backup dns server in case my web blocker softwar eon my firewall at the office goes south.
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Avira is probably the best freeware virus scanner.
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Well i'd like to thank everyone that has helped me and the problem has not happened for a couple of days, so it seems that it's all gone! And Thankyou very much Knack, i am getting avg this week sometime because norton seems to of killed it self >.>
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norton seems to of killed it self >.>
Rick, it destroy's itself when it is made :P. It never works, unless you don't get it in the first place.
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http://www.avg.com.au/index.cfm?section=downloads&action=detail&file=12&type=Full
Is what i downloaded, but it doesnt include a firewall for me...i don't know what happened but it just didnt download the firewall for me :(
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I would try removing it and reinstalling it and see what happens.
Dont forget to reboot after you remove it.
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most anti-virus wont work if ur pc is already infected
nothing like installing anti-virus and as soon as u do the anti-virus itself becomes infected
oOo
ive had the w32.jeefo.A virus for months actually and its never done a thing too me, and nothing picks that excrement up, one day windows 2003 told me i had it ,and i went and got a 3rd part removal tool, and it found it in my memory, my svchost. and cleaned it all out.
if you know what its called, look it up on this site
http://www.bitdefender.com/site/Downloads/browseFreeRemovalTool
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most anti-virus wont work if ur pc is already infected
nothing like installing anti-virus and as soon as u do the anti-virus itself becomes infected
oOo
ive had the w32.jeefo.A virus for months actually and its never done a thing too me, and nothing picks that excrement up, one day windows 2003 told me i had it ,and i went and got a 3rd part removal tool, and it found it in my memory, my svchost. and cleaned it all out.
if you know what its called, look it up on this site
http://www.bitdefender.com/site/Downloads/browseFreeRemovalTool
Um .... ok? I think its just not installing the firewall because of the serial code im entering(torrented IM SORRY) I'm just going to buy it now. and i don't think i have anymroe viruses...knoc.
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Rick, use the free addition. it works just fine.
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Avira > AVG
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AVG is horrible. It picks up so many false positives. I don't know how well it actually detects malware though, as I have never bothered to have it installed for too long.
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Both of the above proggies are very non intrusive.
Zone alarm, in the past few years, has been know to have issue, especially with connection speeds.
Were you talking about Trend Micro there being non-intrusive?
And thats what I hate about ZoneAlarm. But in my opinion ZoneAlarm > Trend Micro.
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That's what I love about ZoneAlarm though: the alerts (not the network-intrusion-detected ones, which I disable). All the other firewalls raise too many popups or raise too little, or lack something equivalent to the OSFirewall. I just need the popups so I can stop malware before they can activate, so I don't have to run A/V. :) darn A/V is useless. Either the malware is so absolutely simple I could have detected it and removed it myself, or it's too complicated so the A/V can't detect it entirely, and the computer gets ravaged.
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So many opinions...
Trend micro was only $33 :D So im getting my mom to pick it up today. If its excrement, i can uninstall it and try another(because its so cheap)
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Were you talking about Trend Micro there being non-intrusive?
And thats what I hate about ZoneAlarm. But in my opinion ZoneAlarm > Trend Micro.
ZA is not even in the same class as TM nor does it have all of the functionality as ZA is a completely different product than TM.
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KnacK, Trend Micro is just a little annoying bug on your computer that BRINGS up a window saying IM UPDATING and also its Virus scans if you bother to run them take about 5 hours to complete, or more. And the amount of Popup things that come up as sk89q said, i got one EVERY time i played Paintball and it just wouldn't save it in its settings. I sit there with ZoneAlarm and it blocks basically everything that I don't want. And remembers stuff to allow.
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This is really bs. I got my mom to go to the computerstore today (centrecom) and they said that it's illegal to sell us TM...unless we take our computer in for them to put it on. For me, i don't think its worth it...because I will have to pay for the labour...
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AHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAAH etc.
Buy it online. Enter your credit card info and install it using the .exe files they link you to. That's what I did when I had it.
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WOWOWOOWOWOWOWOW.
A windows update came up, and i let it install. It asked me to restart my computer now i CAN'T BOOT INTO THE NORMAL MODE!!!
Atm, im using safemode with noetworking.
It was called um, Windows xp service pack 3.
When i try to load up in the normal mode, it say's that it failed to start windows normally and gives me options.
Safemode
Safemode with Networking
Safemode with cmd prompt
Restore windows to previously ok point-doesn't work
Start windows normally-Doesn't work
I really need help quickly
Edit:
Alright, i searched in google for some answers.
Apparently there is a bug of some sort in the *Service Pack 3* which can affect AMD processors and make them continuely crash while booting.
I found a great site that helped me if anyone has this problem.
http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jesper/archive/2008/05/08/does-your-amd-based-computer-boot-after-installing-xp-sp3.aspx
Just start reading through that. Worked for me:D:D:D
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Rick,
You really need to start paying attention to what I post ;D
I made a post 2 months ago about the problems with SP3.
Glad you got it fixed though, I bet you were sweating bullets.
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I'm never getting SP3 on mine, NEVER. And KnacK's thread told me that as well :). That thread will tell me when to get it as well. Lucky I have a Intel somethingorother.
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Rick,
You really need to start paying attention to what I post ;D
I made a post 2 months ago about the problems with SP3.
Glad you got it fixed though, I bet you were sweating bullets.
Ah, Well i didn't really know what sp3 was until this happened.. So i might not of taken notice in the past Sorry. And yes i was sweating bullets :P
But it was a good learning experience :)
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The SP3 issue wont effect home builders or those that do not use system build disks from their manufacturer.
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Im pretty sure all of the problems are fixed so...
Locked.