After System Reformat help

1950 Views 25 Replies 5 Participants Last post by samregi, Apr 9, 2011

samregi

Discussion Starter · Apr 1, 2011

Hello guys,

I have just reformatted my computer with a Windows XP Pro disk because it had a virus that was too hard for me to get rid of. 1st thing I had tried was to get onto the internet, but it comes up with this error: Your current security prohibits running ActiveX controls on this page. As a result, the page may not display correctly. I've googled this issue and none of the solutions seem to fix it.

Also, I tried opening Windows Media Player and see if that works fine, but when it opens a music file I get an error saying: Windows Media Player cannot play the file because there is a problem with your sound device. There may not be a sound device installed on your computer, it may be in use by another program, or it may not be functioning properly.
For this issue, I think I need to upgrade/update my sound Driver? But when I looked to see if I had any Drivers installed, they all said they were working fine. I'm really confused and I hope my computer isn't stuffed. Can someone help me with all of this so I can have my computer back up and running?

There is also this monor problem, when I get an error like the ones above, the computer gives off a loudish quick annoying beep. And before it contracted the virus, it would beep on MSN from people signing in. Anyone know what that's from?

Additional information: My computer is Alienware, and it has a few little stickers on it; 1st one says FUELED BY SAPPHIRE, and Intel Core`2 Duo.

Sorry if this is in the wrong section.

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1 - 20 of 26 Posts

CCT

· #2 · Apr 1, 2011

As to the activex issue - I take it you are getting connected but get the message that activex is blocked.

That being the case, with IE running, click Tools, Internet Options, Security, and verify Internet is the hilighted zone (should be blue).

Is the Custom Level box showing and the Default Level box greyed out?

samregi

Discussion Starter · #3 · Apr 2, 2011

Thank you for the reply.

Internet is highlighted in blue, and where it says 'Security level for this zone' it just says:

Custom
Custome settings.
- To change the settings, click Custom Level.
- To use the recommended settings, click Default Level.

Under that is has two boxes 'Custom Level...' and ' Default Level'. They are both able to be clicked on. And when I open IE, it comes up with that error stated in the 1st post, and says the webpage cannot be displayed. I clicked 'Custom Level...' and enabled almost all the ones that were to do with ActiveX, with no change to this problem.

CCT

· #4 · Apr 2, 2011

Default Level would be the appropriate setting.

So, the message is 'The webpage cannot be displayed', not just that some Activex won't run?

samregi

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 3, 2011

Yes that's correct. I clicked on 'Default Level' and it is now greyed out like you said, and the Security level is set to Medium.

And yes that's what is displayed on the webpage.
I tried to visit Google just incase it was the homepage, but when I go to search it gives an error message saying: Internet Explorer could not open the search page.

CCT

· #6 · Apr 3, 2011 (Edited)

In Control Panel, open Network Connections, tight click on your NIC and click properties, then click on Internet Protocol and click properties.

Is Obtain DNS Server Address set automatic?

edit: while you are on the comp, click Start, run, type cmd /k to open the DosBox.

Then type ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt .

Then, in c:\, copy ipconfig.txt and paste it here.

samregi

Discussion Starter · #7 · Apr 5, 2011

CCT said:
In Control Panel, open Network Connections, tight click on your NIC and click properties, then click on Internet Protocol and click properties.

Is Obtain DNS Server Address set automatic?

edit: while you are on the comp, click Start, run, type cmd /k to open the DosBox.

Then type ipconfig /all >c:\ipconfig.txt .

Then, in c:\, copy ipconfig.txt and paste it here.

With the Control Panel part, I go into the Start menu, click Control Panel, and it just comes up with Links to each category, and then when I click on Network and Internet Connections, it says 'Pick a task...', and down the bottom it has Network Connections as a link also, and when I click on that it takes me to the folder and there is nothing in it.

The ipconfig.txt says 'windows IP Configuration'.

spunk.funk

· #8 · Apr 5, 2011

Go to Start/Run and type devmgmt.msc and press enter. In the Device Manager, all devices with yellow marks require a driver to be installed. On an internet computer download the drivers for your machine onto a Flash Drive and install them on this computer.

CCT

· #9 · Apr 5, 2011

spunk.funk is suggesting/assuming, since your data search produced no data, that you reformatted and did NOT install the additional drivers for the NIC.

If that's the case, did you install the chipset drivers? They should be the first thing after the operating system install.

samregi

Discussion Starter · #10 · Apr 6, 2011

spunk.funk said:
Go to Start/Run and type devmgmt.msc and press enter. In the Device Manager, all devices with yellow marks require a driver to be installed. On an internet computer download the drivers for your machine onto a Flash Drive and install them on this computer.

The yellow marks come under 'Other devices', which are all marked. They are: Ethernet Controller
PCI Device
SM Bus Controller
Video Controller
Video Controller (VGA Compatible)

And sorry is a Flash Drive like a USB? Because that's all I got. I guess I'll use that since it sounds like its for the same purpose. And I assume you mean install them onto the computer which got reformatted?

CCT said:
spunk.funk is suggesting/assuming, since your data search produced no data, that you reformatted and did NOT install the additional drivers for the NIC.

If that's the case, did you install the chipset drivers? They should be the first thing after the operating system install.

After I reformatted it, I hadn't installed anything, I'm not even sure what a chipset driver is haha. I figured I could download all of the drivers (which I'm not too sure about) from the internet and go from there, but didn't realise that there was a lot more to it.:4-dontkno

samregi

Discussion Starter · #11 · Apr 8, 2011

There are so many Drivers I don't know which ones to download, or which model I download it for. Can someone help me with that?

spunk.funk

· #12 · Apr 8, 2011

spunk.funk said:
On an internet computer download the drivers http://support.alienware.com/Support_Pages/Restricted_Pages/driver_downloads.aspxfor your machine onto a Flash Drive and install them on this computer.

Go to the download the drivers link and type in your Make, Model and OS and it will take you to the drivers download page for your specific machine. Then download just the drivers with the yellow marks in the Device Manager. If you download the Chipeset, and the Ethernet (Network) Adapter first and install them, You can download the rest directly to that computer once you have internet.

[email protected]

· #13 · Apr 8, 2011

which alienware you have?? what is the exact model?

samregi

Discussion Starter · #14 · Apr 8, 2011

I don't suppose there's a way to find out the Make and Model system from the computer without having to dig up old booklets that came with the system?

samregi

Discussion Starter · #15 · Apr 8, 2011

[email protected] said:
which alienware you have?? what is the exact model?

All I know is it has SIDEWINDER on the side of it. The person I got it off which happens to be my brother, doesn't seem to have much clue of all the booklets and such. Its approximately 5 years old.

[email protected]

· #16 · Apr 8, 2011

is it desktop or laptop?

spunk.funk

· #17 · Apr 8, 2011

There should be a model # on a sticker on the back or maybe the bottom. Download Everest and install it on the Alienware computer it should tell you all you want to know about your computer.

samregi

Discussion Starter · #18 · Apr 8, 2011

[email protected] said:
is it desktop or laptop?

Its a desktop.

I googled how to find the Make and Model, and it said to do this:

* Start > Run
* Type msinfo32 and click ok
* note the system manufacturer and system model

And this is what it gave me:

OS Name............ Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Version.............. 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2, v.2055 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer....... Microsoft Corperation
System Name........................
System Manufacturer .....GBT___
System Model............ AWRDACPI
System Type........ X86-based PC
Processor................... x86 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 6 GenuineIntel~2127 Mhz
Processor................. x86 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 6 GenuineIntel~2128 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date......... Award Software International, Inc. F2, 8/11/2006
SMBIOS Version............ 2.3
Windows Directory......... D:\WINDOWS
System Directory............ D:\WINDOWS\System32
Boot Device............... \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale................. United States (although I live in Australia)
Hardware Abstraction Layer............ Version = "5.1.2600.2055 (xpsp_sp2_beta1.031215-1745)"
User Name..............................
Time Zone..........Pacific Standard Time
Total Physical Memory............. 1,024.00 MB
Available Physical Memory......... 806.56 MB
Total Virtual Memory.......3.40 GB
Available Virtual Memory..... 3.09 GB
Page File Space ......... 2.40 GB
Page File ..............D:\pagefile.sys

I hope that information helps.
Edit: at spunk.funk, I shall do that now.

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spunk.funk

· #19 · Apr 8, 2011

spunk.funk said:
Download Everest and install it on the Alienware computer it should tell you all you want to know about your computer.

That doesn't tell us the manufacturer of the computer try Everest.

samregi

Discussion Starter · #20 · Apr 8, 2011

It comes up with Computer, Motherboard, Operating System, Server, Display, Multimedia, Storage, Network, DirectX, Devices, Software, Security, Config, Database, and Benchmark. I'm not sure which to click to find out the Manufacturer?

1 - 20 of 26 Posts

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