Computer Issues

DagoodzDagoodz
edited January 2006 in Hardware
I'm having a problem with my desktop, which everyone else in my family uses (that's probably the biggest problems). It's running Windows ME (yes, that'll change after this), AVG antivirus, Zone Alarm for firewall, and some other spyware remover stuff (spybot and adaware).

A couple days ago, someone downloaded a poker game from Partypoker.com, I don't know if this anything to do with it. Last night, we turned on the computer, it took a little longer to startup, but it went through the motions, showed the Windows ME logo, made the startup sound, the wallpaper showed up, but nothing else. The start menu, desktop icons, everything is missing. When I hit ctrl+alt+del, the screen that pops up and tells you what is running is empty. Right clicking brings nothing up. I tried getting into safe mode, which I can do, but nothing changes, as everything is empty. I'm guessing I got hacked, but this is all very weird since I would've thought that some kind of error message would have come up with some key component being missing? I don't think it's a virus because I haven't downloaded anything else, I scanned the PartyPoker thing after it was downloaded, and I get regular updates. I'm hoping it's something funky with Windows ME that I can somehow fix, but I doubt it. I will probably play around with it for a few days, and then just do a system restore which will be a bitch, but I know we have some real smart computer people here, so I thought I'd see if anyone knew of something else that I could try.

Thanks for any input

Comments

  • GrayFoxGrayFox /dev/urandom Member
    edited January 2006
    Party poker installs lots of spyware and adware they most likely caused all these problems.

    Solution reinstall windows lose everything and never play party poker again !.
  • QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
    edited January 2006
    And, yes, Windows ME can be a difficult OS. Can your system support XP? If so I'd do it.
  • DagoodzDagoodz
    edited January 2006
    Grrr, the new annoying issue is that I can't open the CD drive, so I'm not sure as how I would even restore and start from scratch
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    Did your CD drive open before this event? Need to know whether it's a hardware or software (malware/spyware) problem.
  • DagoodzDagoodz
    edited January 2006
    In the past I was able to open it, including when I did a couple days ago. About a year ago I used to have an issue with it opening, where it'd be stuck, but you could hear a noise as if it was trying to open but couldn't. Then, after that was fixed, the only other weird thing is that a Create CD program that came with the computer would come up at startup by itself, which usually only comes up when a blank CD is in the DVD/CDR drive.

    That DVD/CDR drive opens, but nothing happens if putting the disc in there,

    I can get to a couple things while starting up, like I will hold F8 and have the options to start in Safe mode (but is also empty), start with a txt log, or have them ask confirmation for me for every move I do, but I don't know enough computer terminology to know what it asks me as it asks me about 15 different things that it wants to run, most of which ending with .vbs. I've tried playing around with different options, but no dice.

    The only other thing I noticed is that the 'improper shutdown scan' comes up if I turn the computer off with the surge protector rather than going through the control-alt-del screen. It just seems weird to me that that would work and everything else is gone.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited January 2006
    Dagoodz wrote:
    ...I can get to a couple things while starting up, like I will hold F8 and have the options to start in Safe mode (but is also empty), start with a txt log, or have them ask confirmation for me for every move I do, but I don't know enough computer terminology to know what it asks me as it asks me about 15 different things that it wants to run, most of which ending with .vbs. I've tried playing around with different options, but no dice...
    If your computer is wanting to run a bunch of .vbs stuff at startup, coupled with your other troubles, it sounds like you have a virus on there. What antivirus software are you running? Are the definitions up to date?

    As for the cdrom issue, try the drive in another machine. If it doesn't work there it likely is shot.
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