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iiidavidiii
03-06-2005, 02:46 PM
I have about a 2 year Toshiba laptop and I am having extreme trouble with it. I am about to throw it out my third story window but I thought I should post here to see if any if you guys could help.

It all started about a month ago when my computer was running very slowly and one day. I got a message saying message saying windows have to shut down due to a critical error. So it shut down and when I tried to reboot it said windows could not run because of a missing windows directory and to run the recovery console on the windows XP CD. Well the problem was that I don’t have the window XP CD just the Toshiba recovery CD which formats the drive and automatically installs windows XP.

Well, so I tried using the Toshiba Recovery CD but kept on getting either a bad system partition error, it installed but when I restarted all I got was a blank screen like no operating system was installed, or that same windows directory error. About after the 8th try of using the Toshiba recovery CD I got windows installed successfully. However it ran very very very slow, even at the boot up. I managed to run ad aware and a virus scanner and it found spy ware and viruses on it even though it was a clean install. That’s not my main problem though every time my computer went to sleep (automatically after 1 hr or so) and came back up it would show that same windows error. Saying that windows could not start because the windows/system32/config/system directory is missing. So I ran the recovery CD again, and the same thing happens, once I finally get windows installed it goes to sleep and never gets back up successfully. This has been an endless process.

So I got a couple questions to ask in order to attempt to fix this before I throw the damn thing out the window.

1. Anyone ever heard of this problem and a solution of windows not starting up properly after it automatically goes to sleep.

2. How it is possible for me to still have spy ware and viruses after I format it with the Toshiba recovery CD.

3. My CPU usage fluctuates from about 10% to 100% constantly, I assume this is because of the spy ware and virus's but I ran ad-aware and it said I had 42 processes and 1200 process modules. What exactly are process modules and what are other reasons for my CPU usage to be so high.

4. I am running off a local area university connection connecting with my USB port, is it possible the virus's and spy ware on getting on through there after I run the Toshiba recovery console.

5. Is there any diagnostics software program that can tell me the condition of my hard drive, ram, etc.. can of like a benchmarking program.

That’s about it for now, if you have any idea how to get my laptop back to normal health please respond. Also can you give some tips and any routine maintenance you perform to prevent from something like this happening.

Thanks for your help
David

Ardvrk571
03-18-2005, 01:43 AM
Not sure if I can help, but will give it a go.

1. Sounds like a virus or spyware. Although Windows does weird things for no reason.

2. It depends what the Toshiba CD does. Are you sure that it formats the hard drive? It might be a recovery CD that tries to fix the existing OS (not format). This will probably leave the viruses and spyware.

3. Again most likely viruses and spyware. Process modules are running programs (some are for OS). There is a process that is called "System Idle Process". It is normal for this one to fluctuate.

4. Yes. If you don't have Windows updates and you have Internet access through your University.

5. Search the Internet. I can't remember the name of one. Sandra rings a bell so search for that first.

As soon as you use Toshiba CD run <a target="_blank" href=http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com>Windows Updates</a>. Using Ad-Aware is good. Also get Spybot Search & Destroy (anti spyware). Install Sygate Personal Firewall.

You might be able to contact Toshiba and see what the CD does.


PS Welcome to Winguides

<font color=green> I blame Bill for everything!
Lets all thank Bill </font color=green>

tom_keefer
03-18-2005, 08:51 AM
David,

If all the good suggestions provided by Ardvrk57 don't pan out you could purchase a new, full (not upgrade) retail version of XP Home.

<font color=purple>Tom</font color=purple>

ya'aa'tey

homeflash
03-18-2005, 01:11 PM
I think your hard drive is cooked.

I suggest if you could get the pc up, try to run some defragment software like diskkeeper

You may have lots of bad sectors in your hard drive.

I believe diskeeper has a lite version which is free

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=1207

Try that first and if it is indeed your hard drive although I don't rule out the possibilities of virus.

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