Operating Systems:

[Rob]

I have Windoxs XP that came with my computer new in 2004, Window XP that is supplied with service pack 3, and a Vista package with service pack 1. All three copies are legit and not pirated and I have the appropriate numbers to authenticate each.

I'm not very computer savvy so don't really know which one to reinstall after I dump my machine later today.

Looking for thoughts, pros, and cons. I'm not a gamer or play on the teenie bopper sites, just mainly use the computer for business, and surfing the net with a touch of hasseling people on here.

Thanks,

Rob

[other dog]

I have Windoxs XP that came with my computer new in 2004, Window XP that is supplied with service pack 3, and a Vista package with service pack 1. All three copies are legit and not pirated and I have the appropriate numbers to authenticate each.

I'm not very computer savvy so don't really know which one to reinstall after I dump my machine later today.

Looking for thoughts, pros, and cons. I'm not a gamer or play on the teenie bopper sites, just mainly use the computer for business, and surfing the net with a touch of hasseling people on here.

Thanks,

Rob

I would go back with Windows XP before I would Vista. Old Bill has Windows XP Professional and I have Vista home premium. He told me many times that I should have my PC reformatted and have XP installed. I thought about upgrading to Windows 7, but it costs $119.95.

Vista has many issues- for the most part mine works ok, but my webcam just quit working one day and there are no available updates to fix it. Same with my scanner, but the printer still works OK.

My son has XP too and hasn't had any problems. I don't know that much about computers either, but from what I hear if I didn't go to the new Windows 7 i'd go with XP over Vista.

[ThaddeusW]

Rob,

I highly recommend installing XP and stay away from Vista. XP Pro was the best operating system to come out of Microsoft. XP home was a bit of a lame duck but compared to Vista is preferable. I have a windows 7 install running under VMware and was not all that impressed. Most people call it Vista with a new service pack and updated interface. XP isn't going to go anway anythime soon, updates will keep rolling out for quite some time.

[hatcity]

Have heard that XP with Service pack 3 will f-up your stuff. I think thats what happened to mine. Or maybe I picked up a virus from some xxx site

Vista inhales deeply.

Plain XP is great for normal use

[ThaddeusW]

Have heard that XP with Service pack 3 will f-up your stuff. I think thats what happened to mine. Or maybe I picked up a virus from some xxx site

Vista inhales deeply.

Plain XP is great for normal use

DO NOT use an unpatched XP. I have not had ANY problems with XP SP3 installs, even on "pirated" versions of the OS. Vista seems like it can really get screwed up worse than XP can when infected with malware. I have been able to clean out and restore badly infected XP systems, but the one time I tried to clean out a hosed Vista install, it was next to impossible. I had to reinstall Vista from scratch after backing up the users files with a live Linux CD and scanning them. Vista is a dog in some aspects, thankfully my install has been running fine for the past two years.

[Rob]

DO NOT use an unpatched XP. I have not had ANY problems with XP SP3 installs, even on "pirated" versions of the OS. Vista seems like it can really get screwed up worse than XP can when infected with malware. I have been able to clean out and restore badly infected XP systems, but the one time I tried to clean out a hosed Vista install, it was next to impossible. I had to reinstall Vista from scratch after backing up the users files with a live Linux CD and scanning them. Vista is a dog in some aspects, thankfully my install has been running fine for the past two years.

Hi Thad, my computer came new in March of 2004 with XP Pro installed so the disc I have is old but original. The last time something like this happened I dumped everything onto my external hard drive, and formatted the original internal drive. Never had another problem until this one popped through. It was my own fault by not keeping virus software current. This latest virus shuts off a lot of utilities and installed files/programs cannot be deleted.

I think I've got everything backed up onto the external again but need to check once more before dumping. I really don't want to lose some stuff and so far do not appear to have.

I'll go back with the XP Pro as I'm comfortable with it.

Thanks,

Rob

[Double L]

I agree about Vista, I have Vista on my laptop it came with Vista installed on it. I prefer XP but I want to try Windows 7 myself. I have a few programs I downloaded and use on a daily basis that make Vista much more enjoyable.

I recommend downloading Ccleaner, Auslogics disk defrag (faster and works better than the built in windows disk defrag), and Super Antispyware. The thing with the Super Antispyware is it has to be checked for updates daily.

http://www.ccleaner.com/ Ccleaner

http://www.auslogics...are/disk-defrag Auslogics Disk Defragger

http://www.superanti...m/download.html Super Antispyware

[Rob]

Right now I can't download, install, or delete anything but have lost no information. A message flashes up upon bootup that says AVG is corrupt, but it cannot be deleted through control panel. Instead of removing when the software is clicked to remove, it tries to reinstall but stops after a few seconds.

Most stuff can be run and worked with in "Safe Mode" but the resolution is very poor and all icons, and much of the screen is not displayed due to size.

Thanks,

Rob

[other dog]

Right now I can't download, install, or delete anything but have lost no information. A message flashes up upon bootup that says AVG is corrupt, but it cannot be deleted through control panel. Instead of removing when the software is clicked to remove, it tries to reinstall but stops after a few seconds.

Most stuff can be run and worked with in "Safe Mode" but the resolution is very poor and all icons, and much of the screen is not displayed due to size.

Thanks,

Rob

can you uninstall AVG through the control panel then reinstall it? You're trying to uninstall it, not just delete it? That's what I've had to do before- uninstall a program, then do a search in all files and folders for it, delete anything pertaining to it in the search, then reinstalled it. It still didn't work of course, but that's what I did.

Old Bill told me that when we used to chat on skype every Saturday morning, back when my webcam still worked. He said even when you uninstall a program sometimes it will still have parts and pieces floating around up in there. Well, he didn't say that exactly, but that's kind of the idea. Sometimes it won't uninstall completely. And the AVG itself might not be letting you complete the operation.

[Rob]

can you uninstall AVG through the control panel then reinstall it? You're trying to uninstall it, not just delete it? That's what I've had to do before- uninstall a program, then do a search in all files and folders for it, delete anything pertaining to it in the search, then reinstalled it. It still didn't work of course, but that's what I did.

Old Bill told me that when we used to chat on skype every Saturday morning, back when my webcam still worked. He said even when you uninstall a program sometimes it will still have parts and pieces floating around up in there. Well, he didn't say that exactly, but that's kind of the idea. Sometimes it won't uninstall completely. And the AVG itself might not be letting you complete the operation.

No, it cannot be uninstalled through control panel. When the uninstall button is clicked it goes into examining files to install AVG, then a window blows up saying it cannot be installed. Upon bootup of the computer a banner flashes that AVG is either corrupted, or the license is unrecognized. Either way it is useless and I can do nothing with it.

Rob

[other dog]

No, it cannot be uninstalled through control panel. When the uninstall button is clicked it goes into examining files to install AVG, then a window blows up saying it cannot be installed. Upon bootup of the computer a banner flashes that AVG is either corrupted, or the license is unrecognized. Either way it is useless and I can do nothing with it.

Rob

I sent Bill an offline instant message and relayed the problem to him. Even left a link to this post, so maybe he can help. I don't know anything about XP and very little about anything else.

Or find a neighborhood kid around 10-12 years old, they can prolly fix it...good luck.

[ThaddeusW]

No, it cannot be uninstalled through control panel. When the uninstall button is clicked it goes into examining files to install AVG, then a window blows up saying it cannot be installed. Upon bootup of the computer a banner flashes that AVG is either corrupted, or the license is unrecognized. Either way it is useless and I can do nothing with it.

Rob

Ugh, looks like you have one of the dreaded root-kits. Those are very nasty as they hide themselves deep within the system and choke off most of the systems function to prevent removal. The worst part is they tend to lock up the computer after only a few minutes of use or prevent you from opening anything in the control panel or delete infected files. They can sometimes be cleaned out, I did it twice on a XP system, failed on a Vista system. Could have been three different kinds of root-kit though, the Vista one being the nastiest kind.

If you cant copy certain files because they are locked you could do it off line with a live Linux CD. An Ubuntu 9.04 CD will boot your computer without installing itself, it runs from memory. It has the ability to read and write FAT32 and NTFS Windows file systems. While your windows install is screwed as long as Linux is running instead of Windows the virus has zero effect BUT it could still be present in your backup. So you can dump everything to an external USB disk and unplug it. Then install windows, and keep running the update program until your fully patched with the latest Service packs (SP3 for XP and SP1 for Vista). Then install an antivirus program and update it. Then install a free anti-root kit removal program. Only after your system if fully protected do you plug that USB disk in and then immediately run full scans on it to ensure its clean. Only after you have completely cleaned out the disk can you safely copy your data back. A live Ubuntu Linux CD can be downloaded for free since Linux is free software.

I will say that most media files are pretty safe from infection. PDF, MP3, AVI, MPG, MOV, ASF, WMA, WMV, TXT, DOC files are all media files that cant easily carry a virus payload but there have been some scares with MP3 and I believe PDF but those attack vectors have since been fixed. EXE files are the executable files that are the principal payload carriers in the Windows computer world. Avoid copying programs or installation files during your backup, they can be re downloaded from a trusted source and reinstalled later.

Linux could also be an alternative but beware it cannot run windows software natively without WINE (windows compatibility software). And WINE is not perfect since the WINE team is writing windows compatibility from scratch by reverse engineering the windows API's. Brutal work. But Linux so far is free of Viruses because of its security model and relatively low user base. IT has lots and lots of software to allow you do do the same kind of work you enjoy on your computer. You could always give it a try from the Live CD if you can get someone to download an ISO image file and burn it to a CD.

[Rob]

I sent Bill an offline instant message and relayed the problem to him. Even left a link to this post, so maybe he can help. I don't know anything about XP and very little about anything else.

Or find a neighborhood kid around 10-12 years old, they can prolly fix it...good luck.

Appreciate the help. I'm out of town in preparation to consume massive amounts of my mother in laws holiday cooking. Momma, and Momma's Momma are in the kitchen making grub for ole Rob and a few others.

So much for my diet.

Rob

[Rob]

Ugh, looks like you have one of the dreaded root-kits. Those are very nasty as they hide themselves deep within the system and choke off most of the systems function to prevent removal. The worst part is they tend to lock up the computer after only a few minutes of use or prevent you from opening anything in the control panel or delete infected files. They can sometimes be cleaned out, I did it twice on a XP system, failed on a Vista system. Could have been three different kinds of root-kit though, the Vista one being the nastiest kind.

If you cant copy certain files because they are locked you could do it off line with a live Linux CD. An Ubuntu 9.04 CD will boot your computer without installing itself, it runs from memory. It has the ability to read and write FAT32 and NTFS Windows file systems. While your windows install is screwed as long as Linux is running instead of Windows the virus has zero effect BUT it could still be present in your backup. So you can dump everything to an external USB disk and unplug it. Then install windows, and keep running the update program until your fully patched with the latest Service packs (SP3 for XP and SP1 for Vista). Then install an antivirus program and update it. Then install a free anti-root kit removal program. Only after your system if fully protected do you plug that USB disk in and then immediately run full scans on it to ensure its clean. Only after you have completely cleaned out the disk can you safely copy your data back. A live Ubuntu Linux CD can be downloaded for free since Linux is free software.

I will say that most media files are pretty safe from infection. PDF, MP3, AVI, MPG, MOV, ASF, WMA, WMV, TXT, DOC files are all media files that cant easily carry a virus payload but there have been some scares with MP3 and I believe PDF but those attack vectors have since been fixed. EXE files are the executable files that are the principal payload carriers in the Windows computer world. Avoid copying programs or installation files during your backup, they can be re downloaded from a trusted source and reinstalled later.

Linux could also be an alternative but beware it cannot run windows software natively without WINE (windows compatibility software). And WINE is not perfect since the WINE team is writing windows compatibility from scratch by reverse engineering the windows API's. Brutal work. But Linux so far is free of Viruses because of its security model and relatively low user base. IT has lots and lots of software to allow you do do the same kind of work you enjoy on your computer. You could always give it a try from the Live CD if you can get someone to download an ISO image file and burn it to a CD.

You are prolly correct in the root kit virus assumption. If the computer is brought up in "Safe Mode" everything can be worked with except the operating system utilities such as software removal. I've spent several hours copying files that we have generated and stored so I really don't think anything will be lost when all is said and done. I don't have any pirated software and what I do have/use is purchased, or supplied with the computer so it can be reloaded. I just hate to go through the many hours it takes to do this.

Rob

[ThaddeusW]

You are prolly correct in the root kit virus assumption. If the computer is brought up in "Safe Mode" everything can be worked with except the operating system utilities such as software removal. I've spent several hours copying files that we have generated and stored so I really don't think anything will be lost when all is said and done. I don't have any pirated software and what I do have/use is purchased, or supplied with the computer so it can be reloaded. I just hate to go through the many hours it takes to do this.

Rob

I hear ya Rob. Its a pain but ultimatly needs to be done. I have done countless installs of windows, mainly for experimenting or building computers for friends/family. Once your used to it, its a breeze.

[other dog]

Ugh, looks like you have one of the dreaded root-kits. Those are very nasty as they hide themselves deep within the system and choke off most of the systems function to prevent removal. The worst part is they tend to lock up the computer after only a few minutes of use or prevent you from opening anything in the control panel or delete infected files. They can sometimes be cleaned out, I did it twice on a XP system, failed on a Vista system. Could have been three different kinds of root-kit though, the Vista one being the nastiest kind.

If you cant copy certain files because they are locked you could do it off line with a live Linux CD. An Ubuntu 9.04 CD will boot your computer without installing itself, it runs from memory. It has the ability to read and write FAT32 and NTFS Windows file systems. While your windows install is screwed as long as Linux is running instead of Windows the virus has zero effect BUT it could still be present in your backup. So you can dump everything to an external USB disk and unplug it. Then install windows, and keep running the update program until your fully patched with the latest Service packs (SP3 for XP and SP1 for Vista). Then install an antivirus program and update it. Then install a free anti-root kit removal program. Only after your system if fully protected do you plug that USB disk in and then immediately run full scans on it to ensure its clean. Only after you have completely cleaned out the disk can you safely copy your data back. A live Ubuntu Linux CD can be downloaded for free since Linux is free software.

I will say that most media files are pretty safe from infection. PDF, MP3, AVI, MPG, MOV, ASF, WMA, WMV, TXT, DOC files are all media files that cant easily carry a virus payload but there have been some scares with MP3 and I believe PDF but those attack vectors have since been fixed. EXE files are the executable files that are the principal payload carriers in the Windows computer world. Avoid copying programs or installation files during your backup, they can be re downloaded from a trusted source and reinstalled later.

Linux could also be an alternative but beware it cannot run windows software natively without WINE (windows compatibility software). And WINE is not perfect since the WINE team is writing windows compatibility from scratch by reverse engineering the windows API's. Brutal work. But Linux so far is free of Viruses because of its security model and relatively low user base. IT has lots and lots of software to allow you do do the same kind of work you enjoy on your computer. You could always give it a try from the Live CD if you can get someone to download an ISO image file and burn it to a CD.

Geez, how did you gain all this computer knowledge? If I empty the recycle bin without something screwing up it's quite an accomplishment for me!

[other dog]

Appreciate the help. I'm out of town in preparation to consume massive amounts of my mother in laws holiday cooking. Momma, and Momma's Momma are in the kitchen making grub for ole Rob and a few others.

So much for my diet.

Rob

So much for my diet too-the boston butt I smoked is delicious. I pulled the bone out and just pulled the meat apart, removing most of the fat and yucky stuff, and put it in an aluminum pan. Very easy to reheat, but hard to stop nibbling on. Wrapped the loin in wreynolds wrap and put it in the fridge, haven't tasted it yet.

I also bought a quart of oysters I couldn't afford. Oh well, Chrismas only comes once a year, eh?

That's enough to have plenty to fry (my favorite) and for oyster stew. Jo likes the stew best, I can take it or leave it. Mostly leave it.

[other dog]

So much for my diet too-the boston butt I smoked is delicious. I pulled the bone out and just pulled the meat apart, removing most of the fat and yucky stuff, and put it in an aluminum pan. Very easy to reheat, but hard to stop nibbling on. Wrapped the loin in wreynolds wrap and put it in the fridge, haven't tasted it yet.

I also bought a quart of oysters I couldn't afford. Oh well, Chrismas only comes once a year, eh?

That's enough to have plenty to fry (my favorite) and for oyster stew. Jo likes the stew best, I can take it or leave it. Mostly leave it.

Bad news about the oysters-they were on the top shelf in the fridge and froze. The jar is cracked all up the sides. Jo's in favor of cooking them anyway, but i'm worried about glass slivers in them. I wrapped duct tape around the jar, but I just don't know...they cost $22 and I hate to throw 'em out, but when in doubt...

[Bollweevil]

Bad news about the oysters-they were on the top shelf in the fridge and froze. The jar is cracked all up the sides. Jo's in favor of cooking them anyway, but i'm worried about glass slivers in them. I wrapped duct tape around the jar, but I just don't know...they cost $22 and I hate to throw 'em out, but when in doubt...

Don't cut yourself throwing them in the trash. It is not worth taking the chance. You can come up with $22, a lot easier than we can come up with another other dog.

[ThaddeusW]

Geez, how did you gain all this computer knowledge? If I empty the recycle bin without something screwing up it's quite an accomplishment for me!

Too many years of use! My first computer was a Franklin, an Apple IIe clone. But i really started learning on an AT&T 8088 system and later strait to a 486. My father was always amused when he saw me playing on the computer, he said I knew more than he did. For years I have had a few computers around to experiment with things like other operating systems such as Windows server, Linux, BSD and recently Solaris (painful).

[other dog]

Too many years of use! My first computer was a Franklin, an Apple IIe clone. But i really started learning on an AT&T 8088 system and later strait to a 486. My father was always amused when he saw me playing on the computer, he said I knew more than he did. For years I have had a few computers around to experiment with things like other operating systems such as Windows server, Linux, BSD and recently Solaris (painful).

So you could prolly look under the couch cushions, go through the junk drawers, clean out the closet, and build a computer with what you find...that's good to know!

[Double L]

I wonder if they can teach Other Dog to learn new tricks?

[Rob]

I wonder if they can teach Other Dog to learn new tricks?

What would give you that idea? We've been trying to teach him to get out of that Pete for sometime and it ain't working. I think walking from the breakdown point is part of his exercise routine.

Rob

[Double L]

What would give you that idea? We've been trying to teach him to get out of that Pete for sometime and it ain't working. I think walking from the breakdown point is part of his exercise routine.

Rob

He can't control having to drive the Pete. He should ask his boss for a Mack.

[other dog]

What would give you that idea? We've been trying to teach him to get out of that Pete for sometime and it ain't working. I think walking from the breakdown point is part of his exercise routine.

Rob

Yes, it'll ne good to get back to work and get some excercise. All i've done is sit around and get fatter for a week.