[Closed] Computer help, Please?

Do you have a windows cd you can boot it from?
Start up in safe mode and run try and do a roll back from there?

I've installed firefox.

Do a google as I'm sure that was a reported problem (ie not accessing internet).

Do you have an ip addy if you type ipconfig/all in cmd prompt? If so can you ping www.google.com from cmd prompt? Simple windows fix remove widows and install ubuntu 😀

Thanks for the tips guys. I've managed a system restore bit it was a mightily convoluted method, I did some Internet searching on this laptop and read some stuff about automatic windows updates causing problems so I've stopped automatic updates. My theory being, if one or more of the three downloads that take place is causing the problem, stopping it downloading will prevent the problem.
The only thing is, we're too frightened to close it down now 🙂
Safari is going to be downloaded while it's working and we have the two cd's that came with it when we bought it last year so as a last resort (if safe mode doesn't work if it goes wrong again) I'll stick them in although I have no idea what they're for or what I should do when they're in.
One of them has a pretty serious looking lomng green bar cose label with a hologram on it and it is pretty well sealed in it's box so I'm guessing that could be a critical item?
Sorry monkeychild, that probably makes perfect sense to you but it's bonkers to me.

What anti-virus are you running?

Just in case it happens again - in Internet Explorer go to Tools, Internet Options, click the Connections tab and make sure "never dial a connection" is ticked.

Aaargh! Turned off auto updates, shut the laptop down and it tried downloading 13 updates!
A quick stab on the OFF button and switched it back on and all seems good.
Checked the above Thechunk (thanks) it it's already done.
Turned off auto updates again, turned it off via shutdown and it tried auto installing updates again!
Any tips on how I stop the crap thing trying to install updates?
Anti virus is Norton.

monksie, turning off automatic updates is a bad idea, it's just likely to cause bother in the future, for various reasons that are too dull to explain.

You seem suggest its a problem with a particular update, I suggest you pinpoint the number - all Microsoft updates have a individual KBxxxxxxxx number. Then when updating you can deselect that update, and ask Windows not to inform you of that update again.

That's a far better solution, although even more research might unearth a way of getting the update on without this symptom.

I know you say you switched off the laptop while [b]downloading[/b] updates, but be careful, if you switch it off when applying updates you can bork your whole operating system.

The Ubuntu suggestion above is a good one, but involves a steep learning curve and hence a prerequisite is a desire to spend lots of time learning to deal with issues until you're up to speed. Unless your lucky and it works fine.........

shut the laptop down and it tried downloading 13 updates!
A quick stab on the OFF button

NO!

It downloads them all the time when you are not noticing.. then when you shut down it starts actually installing them. Forcing it to switch off whilst it's in the middle of messing about with itself is a BAD idea!

There are unfortunately a lot of reasons why it could be messed up... you might have to take it into someone unfortunately.

Using safari or chrome or whatever won't make any difference. Windows is what does the connecting to the internet, Safari etc just use the internet connection to display websites. No connection, no websites regardless of what browser you have.

How old is the laptop? What make is it?

Some companies, HP for instance, have a forum where people post about their problems.

As above, bad idea to kill it mid-install. Why are you trying to stop it installing updates?

Another vote for the Ubuntu idea, it's a whole new world.

Just for laughs go to [url= http://www.thelinuxshop.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=236 ]Ubuntu "Windows" for nearly free[/url], order Mint and try it running from the cd as opposed to installing it to the hd and see how you get on...

Worst case, you lose £4! (you could technically get it for free but tbh I'd pay for the disc)

Ubuntu is rather good, I have it running as a server, 24/7, and a normal desktop at the same time, no problems at all so far, does everything I need and more.

Whenever I hit a brick wall like this (hasn't happened for the last few years, touch wood) I just back up all the important stuff and go for a destructive restart - saves so much faffing and has the added bonus that your daughter's laptop will run much faster.

Sounds like you have the boot disc so should be quite straightforward. One morning setting everything up again is a better option than several evenings trying to identify a problem by scouring incomprehensible forums inhabited by 18 year olds.... (not this one obviously!).

Thanks for the help everyone.
I'm going to go for the reboot option. Is there anything I need to do before I start or do I just put the disc in and follow the instructions?

If you do a clean install chuck norton in the bin and use avast.

I'm going to go for the reboot option. Is there anything I need to do before I start or do I just put the disc in and follow the instructions?

if its a 'restore disc' then no, if it's a plain Windows disc, then download Belarc Advisor (free) run it and print off the report it generates. Will be very useful if for example your network card doesn't have drivers built into Windows.

+2 getting rid of Norton. Reboot / reinstall is usually pretty easy, stick the disk in and follow the instructions.

Might be worth setting up users, if you haven't already - I make sure my kids don't run as administrators, they can't install anything without me sticking the password in. It's not perfect, but it cuts down on them filling the machine up with crap.

Could be a DNS issue. Try manually entering the DNS server addresses into your network adapter settings rather than letting DHCP set them.

A fresh reinstall will probably result in a faster running laptop, but it's not what I would do, potentially lots of work.

Anyhow, a few words of advice if you're following that route.

Check what programs have been installed on the laptop. Can you still get them, do you have the original install disk still? Do you have any media that has been paid for and once wiped is lost forever? Any games and saved games on there that you might lose? Perhaps you have a copy of microsoft office on there but no disk to reinstall? Consider backing up at least my documents onto a memory stick.

Hopefully your recovery disk will have all the drivers required. Drivers are little programs that bolt onto Windows to make it 100% compatible with your hardware. You can check this by navigating to Device manager within the control panel after installation. Any warning symbols usually means a driver issue. You then have to source a driver from the hardware manufacturer on the net, unless you can get windows to download the driver automatically also via device manager. All the issues in this paragraph may well not occur but I'm mentioning them so you know where to start if they do.

When you connect the laptop back to the net chances are you'll have lots of Windows updates to download. The amount depends on how old the recovery disk is really. Set some time aside for this - updates are your friend, they help keep you secure.

Mogrims advice on user accounts is a good one.

+3 for chucking Norton. There are better free packages out there. I'd recommend Microsoft Security Essentials as it doesn't slow the computer down much, although Avast and AVG free are fair recommendations.

To be honest, if someone is struggling with Windows then Ubuntu is such a bad idea. It may be simple but it's a different world, and that's not going to help anyone.

+3 for ditching Norton. It's awful.

Or get a Mac???

I'll get my coat.

😳

It's like another language to me, all this but thanks anyway.
Its an Advent Laptop. 12 months old from PC World.
When I system restore to a date before the downloads, it works fine but when she turns it off properly, it downloads (now) 13 downloads and then that's it, it's buggered again!
She can still get on to MSN which is just about keeping her sane but Farcebook is beyond the sodding thing and she's starting to simmer 🙂
I think I'm going to bottle it and take into the local repair shop.
Justin Beieber is doing something online over the weekend and she'll have to borrow my little laptop thing.
No doubt I've "officially failed"... again.
How much are Apple Macs?

How much are Apple Macs?

Another learning curve, and they go wrong too.

You should be able to roll back each download in turn to see if you can fix it. It'll probably be one of the ones to do with your PC or its components, rather than windows itself.

If she can get to MSN though, it's not the internet connection. So that's another interesting point. It's probably a setting somewhere in internet connections - so if you do take it to the repair shop, it shouldn't be expensive.

Apple macs are about double PCs 🙂

Don't resort to a shop yet.

I presume the laptop has Vista as it's a year old.

First;
Go to Start/Control Panel. In classic view go to System/Device Manager. Look for a + next to Network Adaptors, click to expand. Any warning symbols showing here, a yellow exclamation mark? Post back the result.

Second;
Go to here [url= http://www.mozilla-europe.org/en/firefox/ ]and download and install Firefox.[/url] It's better than Internet Explorer broadly speaking, and if it works fine that tells us something. If you don't want to keep it you can subsequently remove it via Control Panel/Add and Remove Programs. Post back the result.

Third;
Historically there have been problems with IE7 and updates. But IE7 has been superceded by IE8, so accepting all updates from Microsoft could resolve the issue. Be aware you get a Window offering IE8 and you can reject it with a click - could someone have done this in the past? In any case, open Internet Explorer, click Help/About Internet Explorer. What version are you using? Post back the result.

You mention you have a second computer. It is entirely feasible to download and save either Microsoft Explorer 8 (if it's not already on the troublesome machine) or Firefox onto that machine, copy the install file to a USB stick, and transfer it to the machine without Internet. Then just double click on the .exe file to install a new browser.

The exact model number of the laptop would help also.

Thanks heaps Waderider! I'm at work at the moment but I'll go through your stuff this evening and pin the results on here if that's OK?
Thanks loads for your help.
Steve

Sure, I'll look back later when on my weekend bottle of vino. Mental performance is usually okay for the first few glasses 😀

Haha! Tremendous! Thanks again Waderider (and all). It's much appreciated.

No warning markers Waderider. It somehow ran scandisk and it seemed to be completely fixed and then during an Internet surfing session, it started downloading 8 instals and it's back to how it was again 🙁
Managed to download Firefox but it just keeps saying "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage" although the computer itself says it is connected to the internet and the signal is excellent.
I also mamaged to download IE8 but again, it won't display the web page.
It's doing my sanity in now.
It's an Advent 5711 with Vista installed

Okay, other browsers don't work. You need to eliminate a problem with your firewall. A firewall monitors internet traffic in and out to stop nefarious activity. There are many communication protocols that it may of may not allow; it might be allowing messaging services to work but not regular internet.

Go to the security centre in the control panel. Does a firewall show as being on? Click the expansion arrow. What firewall is it?

In the first instance switch the firewall off and see if you can access the net.

I am suspecting Norton. On my computer with your problems I'd remove Norton. If you can't do this by control panel/add and remove programs you need to go to the Norton (symantec) site and download a removal tool for whatever Norton version you have. Once done, reboot, and download and install the free Microsoft Security Essentials. That's better for antivirus on balance, and go back to the security centre in the control panel and make sure the standard windows firewall is activated.

Post back, I'm happy to keep going until I run out of ideas.

You might want to move in this direction waderider.

[i]Managed to download Firefox but it just keeps saying "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage" although the computer itself says it is connected to the internet and the signal is excellent.[/i]

Ask yourself why the computer is trying to use internet explorer instead of firefox. My guess is either PEBCAK or an association issue.

Samuri- I presumed that monksie just mistyped the error message above, so you may well be right......

Definitely "Internet Explorercanot display the webpage" fella's.
I tried the reinstore disc and it sets off running and then says it needs the correct disc inserting even though it's in.
Your help is much appreciated and a donation will be on its way to Singletrackworld.