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Vista finally rears its ugly head for me

Started by DontSayBanana, August 17, 2009, 09:10:18 AM

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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.
Experience bij!

Darth Wagtaros

PDH!

DontSayBanana

Quote from: Darth Wagtaros on August 17, 2009, 09:16:49 AM
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.
Experience bij!

Grey Fox

Colonel Caliga is Awesome.

DontSayBanana

Quote from: Grey Fox on August 17, 2009, 09:26:21 AM
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?
Experience bij!

Cerr

Quote from: DontSayBanana on August 17, 2009, 09:10:18 AM
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.
Experience bij!

Darth Wagtaros

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

DontSayBanana

Quote from: Darth Wagtaros on August 17, 2009, 09:57:13 AM
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!
Experience bij!

Razgovory

Quote from: Darth Wagtaros on August 17, 2009, 09:16:49 AM
Have you tried installing Linux?

Why not suggest he just shoots him self in the head.
I've given it serious thought. I must scorn the ways of my family, and seek a Japanese woman to yield me my progeny. He shall live in the lands of the east, and be well tutored in his sacred trust to weave the best traditions of Japan and the Sacred South together, until such time as he (or, indeed his house, which will periodically require infusion of both Southern and Japanese bloodlines of note) can deliver to the South it's independence, either in this world or in space.  -Lettow April of 2011

Raz is right. -MadImmortalMan March of 2017

Cerr

Quote from: DontSayBanana on August 17, 2009, 09:53:40 AM
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

Quote from: DontSayBanana on August 17, 2009, 09:40:59 AM
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.
"If you can play a guitar and harmonica at the same time, like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, you're a genius. But make that extra bit of effort and strap some cymbals to your knees, suddenly people want to get the hell away from you."  --Rich Hall

derspiess

Quote from: DontSayBanana on August 17, 2009, 10:00:19 AM
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.
"If you can play a guitar and harmonica at the same time, like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, you're a genius. But make that extra bit of effort and strap some cymbals to your knees, suddenly people want to get the hell away from you."  --Rich Hall

DontSayBanana

Quote from: Cerr on August 17, 2009, 10:01:06 AM
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.
Experience bij!

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/
PDH!