Computer crashes--started during virus scans, then itunes, then during back-up

chamblin · 04-21-2008, 05:49 AM

SPECS: Compaq Presario R3000 running Windows XP, service pack 2. Virus/Spyware protection is AVG free.

(When I say crash below, I mean black screen, no noise from system fan or processor--like totally turned off. When i restart, it crashes almost immediatly the first couple of times.)

I'll try to be brief but i've tried so many things to fix this issue it is difficult. It began with AVG I think. When i would virus scan, AVG would hang up on a particular dll file (in my system32/drivers/ folder that i identified as a Windows Media Player file. Then the system would crash. I was able to work around this problem by scanning portions of my system at a time. This was the only problem I had with my system.

Then last November. I installed Skype and the system would crash when using it. So I uninstalled Skype but the problem persisted.

iTunes was where it hit next--just crashing when i tried to import a cd from my own collection. at this point i started thinking i didn't have enough RAM so i installed an extra 1. this seemed to speed things up but that's all.

Then it started crashing when i tried to sync my ipod. Then it would crash when I downloaded purchased music from iTunes. During the last couple of months of the iTunes issue I tried numerous things:

defrag--crashed the computer
scandisk--crashed the computer
system restore--nothing, except ruined my broadband connection.
itunes own diagnosis--did nothing
reinstalled itunes (twice)--did nothing
avg virus scan--crashed the computer
avg spyware scan--crashed the computer
safemode, windows harddrive scan thing--crashed the computer

I thought it was defo an itunes issue so i installed Windows Media Player. same crashing issues so now i think it's not.

i've been through Windows online chat help, Compaq online help and iTunes online help and nothing they've suggested worked. in fumbling around, i found a Compaq online diagnostic tool. when i went through it, it told me i might have a major problem with my harddisk and should back up immediately.

i tried. i copied my files from my old computer onto 8g usb sticks--crashed the computer. When i put the usb stick back into the machine, it shows four of the same folder for each one and when i try to delete the extras, it tells me they are corrupted. i decided to hell with this and got another computer. i want my files from my old computer but, besides the problem of actually being able to get anything off, i don't want to infect my new computer if my old one is infected.

then i tried the five steps for posting a hijack this log on my old machine:
i was able do steps one through four. I got 20% through a full system pandascan but then it crashed. i got through an entire quick pandascan and it found one cookie. when i tried to download dss, it crashed. it is in crash mode now.

i don't know if i'm posting in the right place because i don't know if it's actually a hardware problem or a virus manifesting itself that way. Can anyone help?

Many thanks- carrie

Madcatz · 04-21-2008, 07:43 AM

I would say this sounds more like a hardware problem than a virus. there are virus's that will shutdown or restart a computer, but they will completely shut it down.

one thing you could do, update your virus protection on the new computer, shut it down, take the hard drive out of the old and hook it up to your new one, run a scan on it, if nothing comes up, then copy over the data that you need, once your done, unhook the the drive from the new PC.

chamblin · 04-23-2008, 12:54 PM

Hmmm. I don't know if that is comforting or not. But I think you are right because I seem to have exhausted most of the non-hardware possibilities. The other thing that I noticed when I lifted the laptop off the desk the last time it died was it was absolutely ROASTING on the bottom righthand side. I mean really, really hot. So maybe it is overheating.

Can you advise me (or direct me to a page that can advise me) how to perform the manouveur you suggest above removing and connecting up the harddrive to the new machine. I've never operated on a laptop (except installing the RAM) and I wouldn't even know where to begin.

Thanks for the advice

Carrie

Madcatz · 04-25-2008, 12:29 PM

sorry for taking so long to get back, actually been busy at work, lol.

for hooking the hard drive up to another computer (gotta be a desktop), it depends on what interface your hard drive is, either IDE (ATA-6) or SATA. if its sata, you would need another PC with sata connectors. if its IDE then that is where you would need an adapter. the adapter would go from IDE to ATA-6 and it has a power connector on it so the laptop hard drive can get power.

04-21-2008, 05:49 AM	#1 (permalink)
chamblin Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 2 OS: WinXP service pack 2	Computer crashes--started during virus scans, then itunes, then during back-up SPECS: Compaq Presario R3000 running Windows XP, service pack 2. Virus/Spyware protection is AVG free. (When I say crash below, I mean black screen, no noise from system fan or processor--like totally turned off. When i restart, it crashes almost immediatly the first couple of times.) I'll try to be brief but i've tried so many things to fix this issue it is difficult. It began with AVG I think. When i would virus scan, AVG would hang up on a particular dll file (in my system32/drivers/ folder that i identified as a Windows Media Player file. Then the system would crash. I was able to work around this problem by scanning portions of my system at a time. This was the only problem I had with my system. Then last November. I installed Skype and the system would crash when using it. So I uninstalled Skype but the problem persisted. iTunes was where it hit next--just crashing when i tried to import a cd from my own collection. at this point i started thinking i didn't have enough RAM so i installed an extra 1. this seemed to speed things up but that's all. Then it started crashing when i tried to sync my ipod. Then it would crash when I downloaded purchased music from iTunes. During the last couple of months of the iTunes issue I tried numerous things: defrag--crashed the computer scandisk--crashed the computer system restore--nothing, except ruined my broadband connection. itunes own diagnosis--did nothing reinstalled itunes (twice)--did nothing avg virus scan--crashed the computer avg spyware scan--crashed the computer safemode, windows harddrive scan thing--crashed the computer I thought it was defo an itunes issue so i installed Windows Media Player. same crashing issues so now i think it's not. i've been through Windows online chat help, Compaq online help and iTunes online help and nothing they've suggested worked. in fumbling around, i found a Compaq online diagnostic tool. when i went through it, it told me i might have a major problem with my harddisk and should back up immediately. i tried. i copied my files from my old computer onto 8g usb sticks--crashed the computer. When i put the usb stick back into the machine, it shows four of the same folder for each one and when i try to delete the extras, it tells me they are corrupted. i decided to hell with this and got another computer. i want my files from my old computer but, besides the problem of actually being able to get anything off, i don't want to infect my new computer if my old one is infected. then i tried the five steps for posting a hijack this log on my old machine: i was able do steps one through four. I got 20% through a full system pandascan but then it crashed. i got through an entire quick pandascan and it found one cookie. when i tried to download dss, it crashed. it is in crash mode now. i don't know if i'm posting in the right place because i don't know if it's actually a hardware problem or a virus manifesting itself that way. Can anyone help? Many thanks- carrie

04-21-2008, 07:43 AM	#2 (permalink)
Madcatz Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 178 OS: 98se/XP Home/XP Pro/Vista My System	Re: Computer crashes--started during virus scans, then itunes, then during back-up I would say this sounds more like a hardware problem than a virus. there are virus's that will shutdown or restart a computer, but they will completely shut it down. one thing you could do, update your virus protection on the new computer, shut it down, take the hard drive out of the old and hook it up to your new one, run a scan on it, if nothing comes up, then copy over the data that you need, once your done, unhook the the drive from the new PC.

04-23-2008, 12:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
chamblin Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 2 OS: WinXP service pack 2	Re: Computer crashes--started during virus scans, then itunes, then during back-up Hmmm. I don't know if that is comforting or not. But I think you are right because I seem to have exhausted most of the non-hardware possibilities. The other thing that I noticed when I lifted the laptop off the desk the last time it died was it was absolutely ROASTING on the bottom righthand side. I mean really, really hot. So maybe it is overheating. Can you advise me (or direct me to a page that can advise me) how to perform the manouveur you suggest above removing and connecting up the harddrive to the new machine. I've never operated on a laptop (except installing the RAM) and I wouldn't even know where to begin. Thanks for the advice Carrie

04-25-2008, 12:29 PM	#4 (permalink)
Madcatz Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 178 OS: 98se/XP Home/XP Pro/Vista My System	Re: Computer crashes--started during virus scans, then itunes, then during back-up sorry for taking so long to get back, actually been busy at work, lol. for hooking the hard drive up to another computer (gotta be a desktop), it depends on what interface your hard drive is, either IDE (ATA-6) or SATA. if its sata, you would need another PC with sata connectors. if its IDE then that is where you would need an adapter. the adapter would go from IDE to ATA-6 and it has a power connector on it so the laptop hard drive can get power.