Plastic Nev

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. Yes you can download it from the Microsoft website and it will automatically reinstall whatever bit that isn't right. You don't need to mess with the original Windows disk at all. Nev.

Hi Zara and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. Run the Malwarebytes and then copy and paste the results here, direct from the notepad page that opens when it has finished, and we can go from there. If needed I or another staff member will alert security guys to come have a look. Glad to see you have taken advice from our notes by running the TFC and looking to run the Malwarebytes, as it does help us to help you. Nev.

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. If you removed the heatsink, you must clean off the old thermal paste and replace it with new paste, if you didn't do that then that is the main reason for the overheating, which is of course why it is shutting down. I doubt anything will be wrong with the heatsink itself as it has been OK up till now, so a replacement of paste should see a great improvement. There is though a slight possibility that the first time of overheating or even since, may have damaged the CPU, but do try the paste replacement first. Nev.

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. Please be aware that we cannot offer help regarding bypassing passwords as it is against forum policy in general, and for security purposes. However, from what you say, I have to assume the CD was a rewritable one, yes? If so, you may have overwritten the files on it with an empty folder by clicking on "Write to CD", so now there is nothing to open. Nev.

The partition side of things is entirely up to you as to how many and for what purposes, though some folk will create and use one for backup in case of a corruption of Windows requiring a reinstall, though personally I always recommend external drives for backups. As for what the machine can work with in operating systems, Microsoft have some info available for Windows 7 as for minimum specs, so if it doesn't match those, forget Windows 8, have a look here- http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/system-requirements Nev.

Hi again, the drive mechanism to open the drawer is only made up of plastic gears and plastic rack strip, if teeth get stripped off either the gears or the rack, then it sticks as yours has done and the only recourse is a new drive, fortunately they aren't too expensive. One thing I will ask, is to have a look at any warranty paperwork if it is just less than a year old it may still be covered so you can get a new one fitted free. Nev.

Just to add, considering the computer itself has only a DVI output, that is the best actual video quality the computer itself can provide, although adapter cables are available, they cannot improve the quality of picture, the rest is as Synapse says, down to the resolution settings. Nev.

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. It sounds like the mechanism has either jammed or plain broken. Have a close look at the drawer front, do you see a small pin hole? (some don't have one) If so, a straightened out paper clip pushed through the hole may unjam it if that is all it is. Otherwise it may need a new drive fitting. Nev.

Hi, once you get the new drive, if you want to add or move partitions you can try Easeus partition manager, I have used this one with good success, download the free version from here- http://www.partition-tool.com/download.htm

Hi, is this one of the smaller tablet type PC's? I am guessing it is as you state Windows 7 starter. Have you tried a total shut down, and then remove all power, the battery as well and leave it for say ten minutes. Press the start button which should drain any remaining flea power, then replace the battery and any other power connections, see if that helps first. Nev.

I can see the connector on the end of the cable, but what is the odd small disk thing? Is that the connection that broke off the old wireless card? If so, there should be a similar connection on the new card, so are you saying the connection on the cable end is now loose on the new card? try a gentle squeeze of the connection on the cable with a pair of pliers, perhaps might make it a tighter fit. Nev

Hi, the only thing I can see now is a faulty CD/DVD drive, as being the cause. You say you have tried different hard drives, so having been inside the case, check that all connections to the disk drive haven't been disturbed, and make sure they are correctly and fully pushed home, take each one off and inspect for bent or broken pins before fully pushing back on. If that doesn't help, then it just may be the drive itself has died. They can still run up and make the appropriate noises, but if the read head has burned out, it can't read the disk. Nev.

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. Have you set the disk drive in BIOS to be the first in the boot process? Is the disk you have a system recovery disk that came with the computer, or a full Microsoft Windows XP disk? Nev.

No Ray, those are drivers which are just downloads, you need to look for recovery disks which can be posted to you. Nev.

All good advice so far, but if you do wish to go further yourself and risk it, remember it has been pointed out it is a difficult task, especially as it is the first time you will have tried it. However, first of all have a look at the link below, this is a laptop repair site, but the hints and tips are going to be generalised as the guy who runs this site may not have worked on a similar model or make. Check out all the categories listed on the right. http://www.laptoprepair101.com/ My next advice is trawl round as many second hand shops, or even scrap merchants that you can find, for at least a similar model that isn't working. Even if you wreck that one, at least you will find out how to get the good one in bits to fix it. Nev.

OK I have asked our security and antivirus guys to have a look, one will be along as soon as they can. Nev.

Done that now Jim, and the newer posts were just spam, now deleted. Nev.

Hi and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help It is possibly a reset button. But don't know for sure, if it was custom built for you, why not ask the folk who built it? Did it come with any sort of manual, if so anything mentioned in there about it? Nev

Hi Martyn, and welcome to Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help. You say it is a bit warm there, doyou know how warm in either degrees F or C ? If ambient temperature is above 30C then not surprising the fans are kicking up regularly. However we can take a look at what the system temperatures are if you will please download Speccy by Piriform from this link- http://www.piriform.com/speccy Just click on the green download button, and also once downloaded, during the install, make sure any tool bars or other unwanted stuff is not ticked, just install Speccy. When it is installed, open it and on the general page it should show most of the temperatures of your system, please either take a screen shot or copy and paste those details. At the start, and when the fans kick up to speed as well. Thanks, Nev.

OK thanks, and lets see if that makes a difference then. If any further problems, ask her to join and then we can work directly, it saves time in her sending you details, then on to us and again going back the other way. Nev.

Hi, OK at least the file check turned out as clean, but those entries are worrying in the Malwarebytes log, so I will as one of our security people to take a look. I will say yes please do clean all those entries that Malwarebytes found as the security guy will want a clean start to see if anything else is lurking that hasn't been found. Nev.

Hi, be aware the hard drive will be the older IDE type, whereas now most things are SATA, you may still be able to find a motherboard with both ports or sockets. However, my advice is to go the full distance and buy a new and therefore much bigger hard drive, plus a Windows 7 disk. Also obtain an IDE caddy to put the old drive into so you can run it as an external drive if all that is needed is data off it. One of the reasons for saying this is that the windows XP on the old drive will refuse to boot when it sees a new environment of modern motherboard. You can get round that by doing a Windows repair, but you need a full Windows XP disk to do one. Nev.

Hi, a bit difficult to advise without full details of the RAM she bought. I can only ask first did she use the Crucial scanner to identify the type of RAM needed? Secondly did she actually buy what was recommended? Thirdly, it may be that it will work at just 2GB installed by removing that odd 500MB stick as there could be a miss match between the old and new. Nev.

Hi, if you can post all the full details of those 4 items you have disabled, we may help to find which one is the problem one. I don't have Vista, so it may be different to what I have in Windows7 for making a repair disk, but have a look and see any way. open control panel and then select "System and Security" Next is "Backup and Restore" When that page opens, on the left hand side column, see if there is an option to "Create a System Repair Disc" You will need a DVD disk to put in the drawer and just follow the instructions. Nev.

I agree with BeeCeeBee, it will be fine and should give no trouble now. Once applied and the heatsink locked in place, the thermal compound is there for either life, or until disturbed again. Nev.