Vista finally rears its ugly head for me

[DontSayBanana]

Any of you guys know of any nasty Vista viruses going around? I tried to start the laptop this morning and I haven't been able to start it normally yet. McAfee services won't start because of errors, the service for Toshiba's "Config Free" wireless utility is giving me stop errors, and the whole damn thing is running slower than molasses.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Have you tried installing Linux?

[DontSayBanana]

Have you tried installing Linux?

Honestly, I like Vista; my big gripe is that it was a cheap laptop, so naturally, no OS disc, and not even a restore disc.

I've got Xandros 3.0.2 around here, but that seems a bit dated to be running on a QL-65 system.

[Grey Fox]

Just get a Win 7 RC iso.

[DontSayBanana]

Just get a Win 7 RC iso.

I'm tempted. I've already got 7 ordered for October, so it'd just be prep, right?

[Cerr]

Any of you guys know of any nasty Vista viruses going around? I tried to start the laptop this morning and I haven't been able to start it normally yet. McAfee services won't start because of errors, the service for Toshiba's "Config Free" wireless utility is giving me stop errors, and the whole damn thing is running slower than molasses.

Can you boot into safe mode?

[DontSayBanana]

Nuked McAfee and it's starting OK, including the wireless utility, but its still running slow- of course, Toshiba ships its laptops with so much bloatware that I found 82 running processes earlier- only about 5 to 7 of the extra, roughly 40 to 45 processes could have been security software.

I'm running AdAware and HijackThis to see if something infected McAfee itself and spread.

[Darth Wagtaros]

McAfee has been fucking up computers around here lately.  I'm not sure why, but it is pissing me off.

[DontSayBanana]

McAfee has been fucking up computers around here lately.  I'm not sure why, but it is pissing me off.

It looks like the affected elements were the services for "personal information protection" and "instant message protection."

Anyway, I'm working on picking up the Windows 7 RC- trouble is that I need the laptop working to get the install disc ready; it's my only computer with a DVD+RW!

[Razgovory]

Have you tried installing Linux?

Why not suggest he just shoots him self in the head.

[Cerr]

Nuked McAfee and it's starting OK, including the wireless utility, but its still running slow- of course, Toshiba ships its laptops with so much bloatware that I found 82 running processes earlier- only about 5 to 7 of the extra, roughly 40 to 45 processes could have been security software.

I'm running AdAware and HijackThis to see if something infected McAfee itself and spread.

McAfee is a piece of crap. One of the first things I did when I got my last laptop was get rid of all traces of McAfee. I don't think AdAware is as good as it used to be, try using Malwarebytes.
I'd run msconfig and check what's running on startup if you haven't done so already

[derspiess]

I'm tempted. I've already got 7 ordered for October, so it'd just be prep, right?

Dunno-- if you've pre-ordered an upgrade copy, it may require you to have Vista installed first before you can install that copy come October.  Unless there is a work-around like there was with Vista-- but even with that you might have to reinstall the OS.

If you can't get the thing to boot at all, you may want to just re-install Vista & tough it out until October.

And for all you Linux-heads, I have had more boot problems with Linux distros than I ever did with Windows-- and the Windows problems were easier to fix.  Don't get me wrong, I love me some Ubuntu, but Linux is not always more reliable than Windows.

[derspiess]

Anyway, I'm working on picking up the Windows 7 RC- trouble is that I need the laptop working to get the install disc ready; it's my only computer with a DVD+RW!

Can't you get someone else with a DVD burner to burn it for you?  Hell, I would do it if you didn't mind waiting a few days to get it in the mail.

[DontSayBanana]

McAfee is a piece of crap. One of the first things I did when I got my last laptop was get rid of all traces of McAfee. I don't think AdAware is as good as it used to be, try using Malwarebytes.
I'd run msconfig and check what's running on startup if you haven't done so already

I'll check on MalwareBytes. I'm planning on double-checking msconfig; I looked at the startup services earlier, but Vista's got so many more services than XP that I'm going to double-check to make sure I didn't screw anything up.

[Darth Wagtaros]

If you really wanna get indepth run a HijackThis scan and post the log on the webpage, someone will go through it and tell you if there is anything in there that shouldn't be.

Malwarebytes is pretty good. 

Don't leave your computer without AV protection. Put AVG Free on there if you have to.

Run a chkdsk, preferably from a BartPE disk/