Computer Problems

[Bernd]

Hey guys,

If I dissapear for a couple of days don't worry. The computer I do all my work on decided to get sick. The power supply is acting up. It got hot and quit. I took it a part to take a look and the power supply was so hot I couldn't even hang on to it at one end. So I took all the covers off to help keep it cool. Looks like it will work for a while. I do have a spare computer right next to it with a more modern board and such but haven't go all the drives right yet. Meaning I've got one old drive to make it work.

On top of all that I've lost some pictures in my camera. Seems like when I put the memorey card in the computer one or more pictures are lost and I get told there is a trojan horse on the memorey card. So I started to do a scan of the copmuter and that's when it decided to get a hot power supply and quit on me.

Like I said I have the other computer but it needs to be hooked up to the rest of the stuff for doing my pictures that get posted to the forums. I'll still be able to get on and post. Just the build thread will take a while to get going until I switch everything over to the other computer.

Bernd

[Bernd]

Well I did a scan of the whole computer. No virus. So that's good. Power supply is running cool again with all the covers off, but don't know how long.

This is the virus that is plaquing my card Exploit-MS04-028. McAfee site shows as this coming up in 2004. I have no idea were it came from. Almost seems like the camera itself was programmed to do this. It started acting up about a couple of weeks ago. Can't remember when I bought it. Has to be close to 5 years ago. Ya, I know get a new one. I have. I'm using the wifes new Kodak camera. The one I have is an Olympus D-390 with a 16meg card. Worked great for what I'm doing with it.

Anyway looks like I'll get a bit of a repreve here for a while.

Bernd

[bogstandard]

Bernd,

I had a nasty dropper trojan on my machine a couple of weeks ago. No idea how it got on there as normally I am very stringent on control of what gets onto my computer.

I think it was part of an old program, and because the virus software is updated daily, it started to pick up old 'viruses' even though they aren't.

It got on my nerves so much, I just saved all my data and cleaned the machine down software wise and reinstalled windows, it has been perfect ever since.

BTW, for perfect virus removal, you should always turn off system restore before doing your scan. Even though you can't restore back after you turn it back on, as the files are destroyed, it ensures that viruses are not 'trapped' in the system restore files that the virus scanner can't get to. Because if you don't do that, they are liable to pop back up again some time in the future.

For curing overheating, I usually take the comp outside and give it a good going over with a blowgun from my workshop air supply. It is amazing how much crap gets stuffed into crevises around the processor and power supply fans and cooling fins, and usually the graphics card is full of it as well if it has a fan.

John

[Bernd]

John,

I almost believe it's the camera itself. I'm going to use the wifes camera for a while and see what happens.

Will have to look weather I have restore turned on or not.

Right now the whole equipment seems to be working fine so I'm not going to mess with it until I get my other computer up to par.

Thanks for the info though.

Bernd

[Circlip]

On another tack, make sure the fans are actually ROTATING. My old system started to run a bit slower than normal at one point, so I thought it might be a hard drive overload and time to reformat and clean down. Took the covers off the beast, not only had the PSU fan ceased to rotate, but the CPU cooler fan had given up in simpathy. Replaced both fans (DON'T squish Rocket in despite what some folks say) and upand running again. And yes,I did give it the full rehash.

  Another thing you might want to try Bernd, Have you got the latest software installed in the camera for that model ?  If you go to the manufacturers homesite you should be able to check there. The bug may even have originated on a software download.

  Regards Ian.

[Bernd]

John,

I turned off the system restore and did aother scan. Nothing came up, all clean. So I'm thinking it must be either in the camera or the printer. The printer has the memory card port to plug it in.

Perhaps I'm being told to buy a new camera. 

I'm using the wifes camera in the mean time. she doesn't use it so I might as well use it. I just hope she doesn't find out or I'll get    several times over. 

Thanks for the heads up on the restore system. Never knew that.

Ian,

I cleaned the whole works out. I don't think the fan ever stopped. Some how it seems that computer takes a bit more power to do some things and it just over heats. I don't think they put a heavy enough power supply in it. It's just boarder line.

The camera is over 5 years old and like I told John, I think it's time to get a new one. I'm on the second printer, both being HP's Photo Smart's. I never up graded the software. Tried that once and it totaly screwed things up. I don't want to spend time trying to get the computer going. I've got enough headach's.

Everything is working for now so I'm not going to mess with it. Thanks for the heads up anyway.

Bernd

[bogstandard]

Bernd,

Printer software is the nightmare of computer users.

I have to turn off all my anti virus when installing the software for my all in one Epson, otherwise the scanner part won't work.

HP are renowned for putting all sorts of garbage onto your hard drive. All in a bid to get you to buy stuff on the internet, sharing photos and having prints made etc.

I usually get the latest drivers from their site and hope it comes down as bare bones, but if not, I try to not install most of the stuff by doing a custom install, but sometimes that doesn't work, they stick the stuff on your comp anyway. Then it is a matter of going thru and uninstalling the crap they stuck on there.

Why can't they just have a basic driver install, without all the garbage that no-one uses anyway.

John

[Brass_Machine]

Bernd,

Printer software is the nightmare of computer users.

HP are renowned for putting all sorts of garbage onto your hard drive. All in a bid to get you to buy stuff on the internet, sharing photos and having prints made etc.

I hear that. I have been help my FIL install a HP all in one for a Doctor friend of his. Nightmare!

Eric