Help with PC needed!

FreeRepublic ^ | TheRobb7

[TheRobb7]

First the setup: Computer is a Dell Dimension E521 running Windows Vista Home Premium.

My antivirus software is AVG free edition.

The other day, I ran the AV, using the "Rootkit scanner". The PC was acting slower than usual, even after a few complete scans.

The rootkit scan showed a file that was possibly malware. I chose to remove that file.

The AV then prompted me to restart for the change to take effect.

Now, Windows will not start. A black screen appears with this message:

"Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem: 1. Insert your Windows installation disc and restart your computer. 2. Choose language settings and then click "next". 3. Click "repair your computer".

None of the above is possible because the PC won't talk to the disk drive, even after pressing F12 or F2 or F8 during restart...it's just a constant loop.

Any help ya'll can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you :)

[Bigh4u2]

“The PC will go right up to the Dell logo with the F2 and F12
In the top right corner of the screen. Pushing those doesn’t do anything.”

It’s waiting for the hard drive to respond.

Unplug the hard drive and try rebooting to see if you can get into setup.

If you can, then the problem is the drives header block is corrupted.

[AFreeBird]

You need to make sure you’re powered down. The power switch on the PC is a soft switch, and does not usually fully cut power to the system. So unplug it and let it sit a minute or two, then plug back in and power on.

Now, if you bought this system new, there should be a Windows OEM install partition, with all of Vista on it. You need to get to that. It sounds ike you may have deleted, via your AV software, a vital system file. This also means that you’re running your system with SysAdmin privileges. And when you get you’re system repaired, you need to set up an basic user account that you run from unless you’re installing software.

Can’t really help you much more than that. I left the widows verse long ago.

[AppyPappy]

If it were me, I would upgrade to Windows 7. Check the BIOS and see if the CD drive shows up. Make sure the CD drive is the first drive in the boot sequence

[driftdiver]

There is a way to put a dell computer into a diagnostic mode on boot. I think you hold down the left function key when booting. This would allow you to run diagnostics on everything and determine if you have a hardware issue. IF you had a virus its possible it damaged your drive.

My bet is the OS is just messed up and you’ll need to reinstall. You can call Dell and they will walk you through the process, although you may have to pay $35 or so. Cheaper than taking it somewhere but you’ll lose the data.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Actually Vista Home Premium has been the biggest pain in the butt I've ever had. In 13 or 14 months I've reformatted and reinstalled 5 or 6 times. It is just unstable. Most of the time system restore won't work. It changes font size all by itself and rearranges my screen icons. Over a perioid of several months it just gets so bad I have to start over.

I pay 55 bucks a year for Carbonite and I've probably needed it more than any other account they have.

I'm stuck, changing the OS means new scanners, new printers and some of my expensive software.

If this computer would work with XP I'd go back to it in a heartbeat.

[floozy22]

Try this Vista forum. I've used a similar one for Windows 7 - there are good people on them with lots of knowledge. They will often walk you through or itemize each step of a solution.

http://http://www.vistax64.com/

[American Constitutionalist]

It sounds like whatever you deleted also deleted your boot sector file that windows needs to boot up.
I remember one time the memory was not seated right and it kept looping.
Try re-seating the memory.
Also ? if you can before it tries to boot windows to go to the restore console and see if you can do a non destructive restore.

[Bigh4u2]

From what I’ve read of Windows 7, all drivers and software are supposed to be ‘backward compatible’ with Vista.

You might want to research it and find out for sure though.

[Aevery_Freeman]

If you are unable to get the machine to boot from the CD drive and you have not prepared a boot disc, I would run it right back to where you bought it for assistance.

If that is not feasible, you will probably have to find a computer geek that can prepare you a new drive for your machine.

[herewego]

Try esc key to get you in at startup.

[Alice in Wonderland]

I don’t know how to restart your computer but I did have problems with AVG slowing down everything on mine. Got Avast! now and everything is fine.

[Eye of Unk]

I have a 4 or 5 year old HP with Vista bought from Walmart.

I don’t bother trying to save it when files go bad, I just go and buy another computer, to me they are totally disposable.

I made the mistake years ago buying top dollar, both on a PC and a laptop and both times I was bit in the rear, the Toshiba laptop was $3000 and lasted less than 6 months when it totally died, I still have it, I should just burn it.

Sorry I am not giving you any advice, its just that when the PC gets bad I just get another one because they are so cheap, and these cheap puters are more than adequate for any use I will put them to.

[TheRobb7]

Trying it now.

Thank you. I will keep you posted :)

[Howie66]

Since I don’t believe in supporting AlGore, I will not buy any Apple product at all.

If you want to stuff your money into his pockets, go ahead.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Could be that the AVG and/or virus messed up the Master Boot Record on your harddisk. Try booting from a windows install CD and see if you can run the fixmbr utility.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Keep F8 pressed while the computer starts.

[TomGuy]

But reloading all of my software was a nightmare.

I have posted this many times [Disclaimer, I have no connection with this software other than as a user]

Check out a disk/partition imaging software, such as Spotmau's Clonegenuis/Data Backup and invest in an external USB drive to store/backup the data and the image files. External drives are relatively cheap.

I use the earlier version of Clonegenius. It has saved me many times in the past few years. The beauty of an imaging program is that you only have to reinstall any new programs since the last cloning. It saves your programs and your tweaked Windows settings.

DO IT! You will be glad you did. Do a Google search for several 'free for home use' imaging programs.

Also, never store your data on the same disk/partition as your OS. And/or invest in an external USB drive and back up your data frequently to it.


[/lecture]

[raybbr]

I've upgraded all my PC's with 7. No problems with any hardware and, in fact, my HP scanner now works through the network whereas on XP it wouldn't.

W7 really works well and I have yet to have to reinstall the OS on any of the three machines running it.

[raybbr]

Why would you buy a PC that requires you to go through such pain to simply keep it running?? Get a Mac. No AV software needed. It will run for 10 years and be fun to use to boot.

If you had any integrity you would ask the moderator to delete your post. It does nothing to help the OP.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

We have 2 computers here running 7. I've got stuff that they can't run.

Keep in mind that I am heavy into photography, lots of old software programs.