Weird Problem

[Duane]

Here it goes.

The cat jumped up on the computer and I knocked him off. When I did that the computer restarted - no big deal.

When the computer comes back on my desktop is totally blank (no icons or shortcuts) and Windows acts like this is the first time it's been installed - I have to load drivers for devices that have been on the machine for over a year. On top of that my D drive says it needs to be formatted - it was being used right before the crash.

So any ideas of what happened?

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Here it goes.

The cat jumped up on the computer and I knocked him off. When I did that the computer restarted - no big deal.

When the computer comes back on my desktop is totally blank (no icons or shortcuts) and Windows acts like this is the first time it's been installed - I have to load drivers for devices that have been on the machine for over a year. On top of that my D drive says it needs to be formatted - it was being used right before the crash.

So any ideas of what happened?

Never heard of such a thing.

 

[Yeagermeister]

You corrupted your profile is the only thing I can think of. If you look in your c:\doucments and settings folder you'll probably see two folders named for your login.

 

[Dallas]

In all honesty it sounds like your Master Boot Record for XP has been messed up. To repair this...follow these directions.

Description -
Problems with the master boot record (MBR) of a system may prevent the system from booting. The MBR may be affected by malicious code, become corrupted by disk errors, or be overwritten by other boot loaders when experimenting with multiple operating systems on a host. This recipe describes one method of repairing the MBR for an XP host using the recovery console.

Directions -
Boot with the XP installation CD.

When prompted, press R to repair a Windows XP installation.

If repairing a host with multiple operating systems, select the appropriate one (XP) from the menu. If you have only one operating system, enter 1 to select it.

Enter the administrator password if prompted.

To fix the MBR, use the following command:


fixmbr

This assumes that your installation is on the C:\ drive. You will be presented with several scary warning lines the reading of which will make you want to say no. Microsoft is exceptionally vague regarding the conditions under which fixmbr can cause problems although they are clear about the consequences (losing all data on the hard drive), so use this at your own risk.

Type y and ENTER to fix the MBR.

Type exit to leave the recovery console and reboot.

 

[Hostile]

Here it goes.

The cat jumped up on the computer and I knocked him off. When I did that the computer restarted - no big deal.

When the computer comes back on my desktop is totally blank (no icons or shortcuts) and Windows acts like this is the first time it's been installed - I have to load drivers for devices that have been on the machine for over a year. On top of that my D drive says it needs to be formatted - it was being used right before the crash.

So any ideas of what happened?

Your PC got a cat scan.


:scram:

 

[Dawgs0916]

lol Hos

 

[iceberg]

In all honesty it sounds like your Master Boot Record for XP has been messed up. To repair this...follow these directions.

Description -
Problems with the master boot record (MBR) of a system may prevent the system from booting. The MBR may be affected by malicious code, become corrupted by disk errors, or be overwritten by other boot loaders when experimenting with multiple operating systems on a host. This recipe describes one method of repairing the MBR for an XP host using the recovery console.

Directions -
Boot with the XP installation CD.

When prompted, press R to repair a Windows XP installation.

If repairing a host with multiple operating systems, select the appropriate one (XP) from the menu. If you have only one operating system, enter 1 to select it.

Enter the administrator password if prompted.

To fix the MBR, use the following command:


fixmbr

This assumes that your installation is on the C:\ drive. You will be presented with several scary warning lines the reading of which will make you want to say no. Microsoft is exceptionally vague regarding the conditions under which fixmbr can cause problems although they are clear about the consequences (losing all data on the hard drive), so use this at your own risk.

Type y and ENTER to fix the MBR.

Type exit to leave the recovery console and reboot.

not to sound like i'm starting an argument, because i am NOT and i really hope we don't dive back into insults here, but if the MBR were roached, he'd not get into windows to have to reinstall drivers and it would really not have anything to do with the D drive needing to be formatted.

the corrupted profile is probably closer to the truth and would explain the lack of "software" installed on the system simply because a new profile would be starting new and needing all the drivers and so forth reinstalled, as well as any software he may be wanting/needing to use.

if the profile is corrupt you really are better off just nuking it and starting a new one - but since you already started one, you're kinda on your way now. : )

also, while the profile problem can explain having to reinstall everything, it has nothing to do with the D drive going bye bye. neither would the MBR on the C drive. possible virus and such - when you reformat the hd, make sure you do a FULL format so i can find and mark bad sectors possibly and not try to use them. a quick format won't check each sector.

then go to http://www.grisoft.com and get their free AV software and run it in a SAFE mode as well as 2-3 antispyware packages.

if i misunderstood any details, please let me know.

 

[Duane]

Thanks guys. I'll check on both this evening.

 

[Dallas]

not to sound like i'm starting an argument, because i am NOT and i really hope we don't dive back into insults here, but if the MBR were roached, he'd not get into windows to have to reinstall drivers and it would really not have anything to do with the D drive needing to be formatted.

the corrupted profile is probably closer to the truth and would explain the lack of "software" installed on the system simply because a new profile would be starting new and needing all the drivers and so forth reinstalled, as well as any software he may be wanting/needing to use.

if the profile is corrupt you really are better off just nuking it and starting a new one - but since you already started one, you're kinda on your way now. : )

also, while the profile problem can explain having to reinstall everything, it has nothing to do with the D drive going bye bye. neither would the MBR on the C drive. possible virus and such - when you reformat the hd, make sure you do a FULL format so i can find and mark bad sectors possibly and not try to use them. a quick format won't check each sector.

then go to http://www.grisoft.com and get their free AV software and run it in a SAFE mode as well as 2-3 antispyware packages.

if i misunderstood any details, please let me know.

Well then Duane - it looks like Ice has all the answers.

Good luck w/ your problem bro.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Well then Duane - it looks like Ice has all the answers.

Good luck w/ your problem bro.

I have to side with ice on this one...I really don't think it would be the MBR as normally (at least in my dealings with them) windows never loads when I have had MBR issues with computers at work.

It either stops at load up OR it goes into an annoying boot loop.


Now on to something that I am curious about and what I meant by never heard of such a thing.

What combination of keys could the cat have hit to cause this problem?

 

[Dallas]

Now on to something that I am curious about and what I meant by never heard of such a thing.

What combination of keys could the cat have hit to cause this problem?

The virus creating key strokes which caused the problem in the first place. Duh!

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

The virus creating key strokes which caused the problem in the first place. Duh!

So was this virus made be a cat somewhere who fell in love with another cat that was a stripper but he was so painfully shy and geeky that he could not express his love at the time so with his skills instead he made a virus named after miss kitty to profess his love?

Also, is that one of the longest run on sentences you have read in a long time?

:laugh2:

 

[Duane]

So was this virus made be a cat somewhere who fell in love with another cat that was a stripper but he was so painfully shy and geeky that he could not express his love at the time so with his skills instead he made a virus named after miss kitty to profess his love?

Also, is that one of the longest run on sentences you have read in a long time?

:laugh2:

LOL

It wasn't the keyboard, it was when he hit the tower and the tower tipped and hit the wall.

 

[Dallas]

I think I found the problem.

Virus ID: Devil Cat
Date Launched: 10-15-05
Likely Suspects: All Zone participants
Cause of Virus: Pissed off ***** Cat not getting enough attention
Cure: Unknown - Possible cure - Tech Zone
Symptons: Total befuddled pc operator. Hairballs on your keyboard

Picture of Virus

 

[iceberg]

I have to side with ice on this one...I really don't think it would be the MBR as normally (at least in my dealings with them) windows never loads when I have had MBR issues with computers at work.

It either stops at load up OR it goes into an annoying boot loop.


Now on to something that I am curious about and what I meant by never heard of such a thing.

What combination of keys could the cat have hit to cause this problem?

guess i'll just put dallas on ignore - don't need the sarcasm pointed at me either in here.

what could have caused it? very tough to say. fixing the mbr would nuke an int13 virus which could cause a problem w/the MBR, or any device using the int13 process.

the MBR is called "master boot record" and in general, controls the bootup process for the machine. if ANYONE can find a cooralation between it and a now missing FAT on the D drive, please let me know. also, if the MBR were roached - could it cause a profile corruption? not likely, it's just not in that circle of information for the overall computer. a corrupted FAT table, sure. but you'd likely see A LOT more "other" nagging issues happening. GP faults, illegal instructions, and so forth. you'd also see other information missing since attacking a profile is the same as finding a needle in a haystack. more likely targeted than randomly hit.

now, depending on what the computer was doing when hit, or what type of fall it took, you'd normally physically hurt the system more than hurt the software. the reason i'd suggest a full format of the drive is a quick format just marks everything 'writable' and if there are bad spots on the hard drive (which can also cause ALL of this) it couldn't mark them as bad and would eventually write on them again and you'd see a new set of problems with the same end result.

so, without asking a lot more questions about the system itself and configuration we're flat not gonna know and even then, probably not. best guess based on limited info:
1. virus (doubt int13)
2. bad spots on the hard drive
3. possible flakey cache or ram. if not very frequent, cache, possibly on hd.
4. fall made HD have a mini "concussion" and it's possible it just hit a spot on the drive to wipe out D and C just lost a profile, so my guess is it got corrupted in memory due to changes being made in the system to the profile and it couldn't get written back to the hard drive, so it became a "lost" cluster of random info on the C drive.

or you can believe the MBR story if you'd like.

 

[Dallas]

guess i'll just put dallas on ignore - don't need the sarcasm pointed at me either in here.

Oh its :war:


hheehe ee:


:tongue:

 

[iceberg]

great - then show me the link between a roached MBR, or even an MBR "issue" and the D drive needing to be reformatted and/or a profile becoming corrupt.

if you reach you can find one - but not based off the info we now have. so drop the 12 year old impersonation and simply show me how one can cause the other.

 

[Dallas]

great - then show me the link between a roached MBR, or even an MBR "issue" and the D drive needing to be reformatted and/or a profile becoming corrupt.

if you reach you can find one - but not based off the info we now have. so drop the 12 year old impersonation and simply show me how one can cause the other.

Hey - your supposed to be ignoring me! Now add me to your list already.

 

[iceberg]

heh, what i choose to do and why isn't up to you man.

at this point anyone who's read this thread should know whether or not to listen to what you say. while rewriting a MBR isn't all that difficult or usually causes problems, it would never fix anything that was mentioned as a problem and most won't know where the differences are in the system.

i do. no idea if you do or not, but if you do and you're being "wrong" intentionally, people need to know before accepting help from you.

if you're wrong and don't mean to be, you may wanna preface your "advice" with a bit more of a warning cause so far you've been wrong on the (2) issues i've seen, and on this one, NOT EVEN IN THE SAME BALLPARK with your advice given the issue.

either way, anyone needing real help will learn who to trust. that's something we do for ourselves. : )

 

[Dallas]

heh, what i choose to do and why isn't up to you man.

at this point anyone who's read this thread should know whether or not to listen to what you say. while rewriting a MBR isn't all that difficult or usually causes problems, it would never fix anything that was mentioned as a problem and most won't know where the differences are in the system.

i do. no idea if you do or not, but if you do and you're being "wrong" intentionally, people need to know before accepting help from you.

if you're wrong and don't mean to be, you may wanna preface your "advice" with a bit more of a warning cause so far you've been wrong on the (2) issues i've seen, and on this one, NOT EVEN IN THE SAME BALLPARK with your advice given the issue.

either way, anyone needing real help will learn who to trust. that's something we do for ourselves. : )

Why debate you back and forth? We both know it could be either or. Its apples n oranges really as are most things PC related. Give me a Solaris environment any day. Cides..Im having more fun just kinda goofing off in this thread w/ you. You do seem to take things far to seriously. You really shouldnt do that. :laugh1:


At some point I expect BrainPaint will show up and tell me to "knock it off". Im just waiting on that signal from on high.