dell studio one

[mij]

My wife's DELL STUDIO ONE has started playing up. The last time I came here was when the dvd/cd drive was not working - luckily it was still in warranty and that sorted it.

 

Now it's out of warranty and it wont do a thing.

It started yesterday by not connecting to the net. It also refused to work the printer that came with it.

Today it wouldn't work at all so we replaced the batteries in the mouse and the keyboard (been in there since new - try the easiest things first).

Still no go.

It wont open 'restore'

It wont open 'help/search'

It wont connect to the net, doesn't see any router activity anywhere.

It wont open the BE Box window that this computer opens and shows all is well on the router front.

There are two computers which work off this network fine. This one which also uses vista home and a laptop on vista home.

 

The Dell Studio One uses vista home and Int Ex. A wireless router connection, mouse, keyboard and printer are also wireless.

cheers

jim

[Plastic Nev]

hi Jim.

That is surely a bit of a mess at the moment, just so we can understand a little better, can you list what it will do, I assume it boots up OK, but what comes after that, can you open programs, documents etc. or does it do nothing more?

We will need to know that much to direct you in hopefully the right direction.

Nev.

[mij]

My wife's DELL STUDIO ONE has started playing up. The last time I came here was when the dvd/cd drive was not working - luckily it was still in warranty and that sorted it.

 

Now it's out of warranty and it wont do a thing.

>snipped>

The Dell Studio One uses vista home and Int Ex. A wireless router connection, mouse, keyboard and printer are also wireless.

cheers

jim

 

Update

This morning I tried 'repairing' Vista operating system with the 'installation'/'repair' disk. Well , afetr that it did let me get to the 'control' panel and to the device manager where it showed that there was nowt wrong with the hardware - suposedly. But it didn't get me anywhere else.

 

The computer wont go online and it wont find the restore point (not surprisingly some might say if it's a 'back to the beginning' repair - there wont be any restore points......

 

Anyway if there is no hardware probs is it time to do a re-installation?

cheers

jim

[mij]

dell studio one problems

 

hi Jim.

That is surely a bit of a mess at the moment, just so we can understand a little better, can you list what it will do, I assume it boots up OK, but what comes after that, can you open programs, documents etc. or does it do nothing more?

We will need to know that much to direct you in hopefully the right direction.

Nev.

 

My wife has mangaed to copy the files she wants onto a cd/dvd which she can transfer to her laptop - so thanks be those are all ok.

 

I have managed to open and use:-

Solitaire (the card game) but does not recognise that a game is over like it should in vista.

MS calc

Ms word takes for ages (10 mins to open)

The camera works fine and shows a fine figure of a gentleman on the keyboard (:D)

Device manager opens and says all is well with the hardware - i.e. no yellow x's

 

All others require an online facility which is not availabe. It does not sense any router signals in this area including our own, which has a very strong signal.

Any thing like 'control panel' opens but hangs when requested to do anything thereafter

I.ei. runbox (email facity) Int Exp (browser) Belarc advisor.

The other diagnostic tools which I saved to a folder have all disapeared with the exception of Belarc advisor.

We are able to use other computers ATM.

cheers

jim

[BeeCeeBee]

All this seems like classic malware. The fact that you cannot perform basic tasks goes well beyond the initial problem. If this really is just a secondary PC with little of "you" in it, reformatting and reinstalling windows is an option.

 

Personally I would let the Malware specialists here have a look first.

 

Special thanks to Karl Benn for a wonderful job of copying and pasting Plastic Nev's post. Isn't it nice to see that spammers know how to do that.

[mij]

Yes it sounds very much like mal-ware. My wife has been on the 'ancestry' site looking up her ancient rellies and ordering certificates etc.

 

Ok I'll take this to the de-tox zone and put it up there.

Many thanks and cheers

jim

PS Ok on the cut & paste spammer - they get everywhere now that school has broken up again.

[Plastic Nev]

OK Jim, let one of our experts take a look, I do agree it sounds like malware of one sort or another. It is up to you of course, but if there is nothing of importance now on the drive, a full reformat would possibly be a sure way to sort it out.

However it can sometimes be interesting to find out what exactly has caused the problem, and how it got there in the first place, by submitting a log to our security guys.

Spammers?? oh him, I got rid.:D

[Synapse]

I beg to differ on the diagnosis of this one - as is typically my style :)

 

Not connecting to the Internet could be caused by malware, not seeing a wireless router perhaps not malware related.

 

Printer not working - USB connection? if so not a common malware related issue.

 

To have everything go at once without any indications from a malware source doesn't sound right

 

I'd say its either an OS corruption or a hardware fault.

 

Try going into the BIOS and running a hard disk and memory check - Del build those diagnostics in.

 

If all shows ok and you have no documents/email you wish to save run a reinstall and see where you get to.

[Plastic Nev]

MIJ, has now submitted logs in our security section, Starbuck is currently dealing with it. Until that is finished, and to avoid any confusion, any other problems arising can then be looked at here afterwards. Thanks,

Nev.