A computer question

KevinC · Senior Member

A computer question

Baz421 · Guru

KevinC wrote:
Can I chuck my two bob's worth in.
I like the posts which make saving data a priority. The hardware is easily replaceable, the photos, letters etc. are often irreplaceable. So look to your data first.
A home computer is a snack to open and remove the hard drive. They're only held together with phillips head screws. Take the drive and connect it to another computer, either a friend's (maybe Bob) or at a shop. Save all your personal files and photos. List all the software you have installed. This is usually much more than you remember.
Then with your personal stuff safely saved, run a virus scan and an anti malware scan on the offending drive. It may recover, but it may not. We can never be sure.
If you have to rebuild that drive, then you'll still have all your personal files that you can reload and a list of the software you like to use. The Recovery Console method will work, but not even Microsoft would guarantee that the My Documents folder won't be destroyed.

-- Edited by KevinC on Thursday 13th of February 2014 01:51:53 PM

AGREE if nothing else is working in safe mode. I have a "portable drive" (I think that's the term) wherby you take out the HDD and put into the portable drive and by USB plug into another PC/laptop and retrieve data ect as Kevin says.

You can also scan this drive with MS scanning software I showed before.

I used this method when viruses attakced my laptop THROUGH AVG FREE.

mickm · Veteran Member

Where are you as I can reset the windows password for you. I am in Brisbane. Have you tried setting the user to administrator and leaving the password blank which is often the default for XP. If you can get in under another user then you can possibly access your Stuart account.

mick

mickm · Veteran Member

I just saw that you are in WA and as I am in Brisbane I can't reset your password. What I use is a CD called the Ultimate Boot Disk for Windows. It allows to boot into a version of Windows on the CD but includes tools for all sorts of issues. I have used the password setting tool hundreds of times in a school situation where teachers don't logout when leaving their computer allowing students access to administrators accounts. One of their favourite tricks is to reset the teachers password creating the situation you have.

i have included the link to the site which gives detailed instructions to create your own disk. If you can do that I can send you instructions how to reset your password. You can also access the data on the HDD in situ to copy your files without deconstructing your computer.

http://www.ubcd4win.com

Mick

gooba53 · Guru

I can't get over the help being offered. You will see by the attached photo we have a new drama today. Our hot water service from 1989 died. So Stuart has been to get a new one and installing it. He may not feel like doing computer work after this, but first chance we'll get back to you. Thanks again!!!

milo · Guru

if worse comes to worse, you can reinstall windows and wipe out the old stuff on the hard drive
just hope there isn't anything on there that you were needing ie photo's

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

http://www.ubcd4win.com/

gooba53 · Guru

Just to let you know, Stuart couldn't work on the computer last night after installing the hot water service. Your advice is gratefully appreciated and we will keep you informed.

Happy Daze · Senior Member

I don't claim to have any special computer knowledge, but recently I kept getting asked for user name and password (I run Windows Vista Home Premium) and like you I've had this laptop for quite a few years now and I'd never been asked for a password before. I'm with Bigpond, so I rang the Bigpond Help number (132200) and after explaining the problem, I was asked to give the technician control of my computer and while they worked at it I stayed on the phone with them and did what I was occasionally asked to do, and the problem was eventually overcome. I know I couldn't have done it by myself, hope you get it sorted. Cheers.....

Annie

gooba53 · Guru

Annie, that's an interesting addition to our other help we've received. (Thanks again, everyone. ) How did you give Bigpond control? Was your problem like ours in that you couldn't get past the log in screen requiring password? Just can't figure how we'd give them control?

To anyone else following our saga, life is full of challenges! After the replacement hot water service was installed, hubby was just putting a new bathroom sink in. He required a brass fitting off the old plumbing, and he just dropped in down through the gap in the decking!!!

We clearly haven't had much time to sort the computer but we will definitely get onto it ASAP!!

-- Edited by gooba53 on Saturday 15th of February 2014 04:24:22 PM

native pepper · Senior Member

gooba53 wrote:
Annie, that's an interesting addition to our other help we've received. (Thanks again, everyone. ) How did you give Bigpond control? Was your problem like ours in that you couldn't get past the log in screen requiring password? Just can't figure how we'd give them control?
To anyone else following our saga, life is full of challenges! After the replacement hot water service was installed, hubby was just putting a new bathroom sink in. He required a brass fitting off the old plumbing, and he just dropped in down through the gap in the decking!!!
We clearly haven't had much time to sort the computer but we will definitely get onto it ASAP!!

-- Edited by gooba53 on Saturday 15th of February 2014 04:24:22 PM

They only ask you to give them control, they already have access to your computer any time they like. That's why early release Win users are getting these messages. No matter what anyone tells you, microsoft has already stated it intends shutting down all previous release before win7 over the next 18 months.

You don't own the system, only have a licence to use it, they can do what they like and take what they like, when they feel like it from your computer and they do.

The reason they are doing this is their current and future releases will get worse and worse, because they are still using the same code from last century and only about 2% of microsoft users have taken up Win8.1. So the only way for them to increase their profit growth, is to eliminate the problem, which is Win users sticking to earlier more stable systems. When they shut all previous releases down, you will no longer have access and be forced to go to the current release and boost Microsoft crashing profit growth. You will also lose everything you have, if you don't have it stored on a separate drive.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

WEEKLY BACKUP to a separate drive, WEEKLY BACKUP to a separate drive, WEEKLY BACKUP to a separate drive, WEEKLY BACKUP to a separate drive, WEEKLY BACKUP to a separate drive,

THE ONLY WAY TO GO IMHO

Happy Daze · Senior Member

Hi again Gooba53, I've sent you a Private Message with a bit more information. Cheers, Annie

grae and deb · Senior Member

hi mate i may be a bit late but try , admin for your password
definitely recomend perserverig with xp , much better than win 8

PeterD · Guru

Dianne, I note you have not been able to restore your system yet. Is the data on its disk valuable? If you can get a system restore disk to operate it will in all probability format your disk and everything will be lost. If you value your data then get someone to put your disk in their computer and recover your data before doing anything else.

For help you may try to see if there are any computer clubs around, their members are generally available to assist. Many of the seniors clubs around here have computer training they would possibly be able to help. Here is a list of clubs in Vic.

When you have saved your data you need to access the BIOS to see if it has been altered and also to check to see if your DVD drive is set as one of the boot up drives. However you don't seem to have enough training to do this. You also have been reticent to reveal your computer make. That will be making it difficult for people to assist. You access the BIOS at start up by tapping the Escape or Delete key whilst starting the computer. You then need to find out which disks are available in the start up sequence, they should be A: DVD and C: in that order.

Another way out is to go to one of the local computer shops and get another (cheap) computer. It should work with your existing keyboard, mouse and monitor. Get him to install your disk from the existing computer and you can access the data from that in the new computer.

Santa · Guru

Lots of issues coming up with XP now, I've seen a gradual deterioration in the operating system over the past few months, already problems with MS updates even though its supposed to be supported until April this year.

I decided to make the move to 8.1 a few weeks back while the data was still accessible, the PC was still operational but seemed to be getting less and less stable, fortunately got everything transferred across.

Trying to hang in with XP will only result in increasing drama, 8.1 is fine, just a little different.

My suggestion, take it to someone who knows what their doing, if they can get it to boot up, buy a new PC and transfer the data across while you still can. smile

Baz421 · Guru

I'll repat this post of mine as it is a solution to get the data back.

AGREE if nothing else is working in safe mode. I have a "portable drive" (I think that's the term) wherby you take out the HDD and put into the portable drive and by USB plug into another PC/laptop and retrieve data ect as Kevin says.

You can also scan this drive with MS scanning software I showed before.

I used this method when viruses attakced my laptop THROUGH AVG FREE.