Need computer help!!

[Jim Oaks]

Last Christmas I bought my son a Toshiba laptop. A couple of days ago he loses his internet connection, and there's no link to click on anymore to find one.

Also, when he tries to open a program a window pops up asking what you want to open it with. Whatever you click on (Internet Explorer is what's listed) it doesn't work.

Internet Explorer doesn't open

Windows Defender won't start

It states that a couple of files are missing when it boots up.

I tried to use the recovery disks, but it won't let me start the program to recover them.

I'm guessing he has a virus. Don't know what to do with this thing.

Any suggestions??

 

[Explorin94]

Have you tried "F8" when restarting the computer and going back to a date when it worked correctly. You should then be able to get what you need and download what you need to. Just after restarting the computer start to hit the "F8" button and you will get a menu screen.

 

[Jim Oaks]

There is a feature in the control panel to restore an earlier date, but it doesn't go back far enough.

 

[bobbywalter]

had to get ....sent my toshiba in to have it repaired...lost a bunch of stuff.


cant remember the actual fixes. some hard parts along with software though.

no internet was one of the issues.

 

[Spitfire1975]

Both Toshiba's I have owned had hardware issues. Never again will I get one of those piles.

Hopefully he has a virus.

Not being able to use the recovery feature happened both times with me. I couldn't even get the university tech guys to figure it out.

If I were you I would take the thing somewhere and shoot it.

Unless you are looking for misery, don't buy another one.

 

[Jim Oaks]

His computer has Windows 7, and won't open any .exe files. I'm starting to find information online, but it involves downloading a file as part of the fix, and his computer won't open IE to connect to the internet.

 

[Spitfire1975]

Can you download the file on your computer, save it to a flash drive and then load it onto his?

 

[mjonesjr]

Save as much info as you can save from it and try reformatting the hard drive. It sounds like a virus to me.

 

[Muscleford]

Do you have Norton internet protection? I got infected last Saturday and chatted with Norton Sunday morning using my work laptop and paid then $99.99 for assistance and they got me through the situation.

What you have sounds somewhat like my issue. I got hit by a Trojan that got through Norton 360 and not matter what program that accessed the internet in anyway a box would pop up telling me I had a virus and needed to purchase XP Internet Security Suite 2012 to fix the problem. Internet Explorer, Firefox, and and investment software package I use would not run, I would get the box and if I said continue with out purchasing the software nothing would happen.

My IT guy at work never heard of this one.

Good luck

 

[fyre82]

I have had a similar issue with Win7 not wanting to run .exe. I use Firefox, usually no issues there.

The last time I had the issue a disk cleanup helped get functionallity back then I ran all of my cleanup tools, defrag etc. I am still looking into why it does this periodically.

Usually the cleanup will run at the next reboot.
When you do a clean up tell it to fix whatever it finds.

If you are not familliar with the disk clean function;
open 'my computer'
right click on the 'C' (or whatever drive letter is the main hard drive)
choose properties
choose tools
choose disk cleanup
choose to fix (check both boxes)
restart and let the cleanup run

Defrag
virus scan

Hope that helps.

Rich

 

[Mark_88]

Virus...

You may need to reformat if you can't get a VP program to run even...but there are some CD's you can get that allow you to boot from the CD (or USB drive) and attack them that way...if you have the options for CD boot with restore from the restore disk or just CD boot with a VP disk...or USB drive boot...

You should make up a bootable drive for these events...it makes TSing much easier...

 

[Spitfire1975]

If you try to reformat and it takes, literally, HOURS...you are back to having a toshiba with messed up hardware.

You might want to think about (assuming there is information you don't want to lose on the hard drive) taking out the hard drive and sticking it in an external hard case. Get your info off, replace in the computer and reformat. I guess you would be running the risk of transferring a virus, but then again you might be losing your info in a reformat that will do no good. Run a virus scan on the hard drive while hooked to your computer.
I have been told anyone who knows whats what with computers can always get your info off the disk, but I don't know how true that is.....

Aggravated yet?

 

[Mark_88]

There are companies (or individuals) who specialize in data recovery...but they are expensive...and it is true...in most cases...I heard that some law enforcement specialists are extremely adept at this...probably why I've found some hard drives with bent pins...but if someone wants the info it wouldn't take too much to connect the drive to another controller...

 

[AllanD]

Don't lose sleep worrying about windows defender.

It is disabled by default in windows 7 as soon as you install any other AV software

As for Norton, Anti-Virus? For the life of me I consider Norton to BE a Virus.

AD

 

[Spitfire1975]

Jim, did you ever find out what the problem was?