Strange bootup problem

Topic

New Reply

I use WinXP SP3 + I’ve always much preferred the ‘classical’ Windows look – i.e. the predominantly grey one. A while ago, and for no apparent reason, when I booted up, the display was the XP blue. I remember thinking this was strange so I went to the Control Panel | Display properties | Appearance and saw that it now read ”Windows XP style’ and changed it back.

For the next couple of days, my display remained in ‘classical’ mode. Then it went back to XP style so I changed it back to ‘classical’ but the next day it was XP again! Ever since, it’s been totally random – there seems to be no logic as to when I can expect it to boot up in classical style or XP style.

Anmyone got any ideas how I fix this?

Reply | Quote

Replies

Whenever my XP has taken off down a dirt road, (done something stupid) I just immediately go to System Restore and go back to a previous time when things were the way I wanted them. The longer you wait, the harder it will be.

Sounds like you also need to use a good scanner to look for and remove any sort of Malware that you might have picked up.

Good Luck,
The Doctor

Reply | Quote

Doctor – thanks for responding.

I usually use System Restore too in cases like this – never had a problem. The trouble is, it happened quite a while ago, and, like a fool, I forgot to use SR. Now I suspect it’s just too late for that cos G-d knows what’s happened since!

As far as malware goes, I use Counter Spy on permanently with a weekly scan by Spybot and Ad-aware – never had a problem so far (touch wood!). Is that OK or do you use something else?

Any other ideas?

(PS Totally off subject – how does a guy from central Florida know about Dr. Who? I’m from London UK + I’ve watched it for years!)

Reply | Quote

Dr Who, the TV program, is not exclusive to England. It’s aired here on Public TV for years and the Dr Who followers total in the thousands.

I’m constantly saying “the best software in the world is FREE”.
In that category, AVG 2012 FREE is my primary AV software and I back that up with Malware Bytes, Spybot S&D, Spyware Blaster and even Super Anti Spyware.

AdAware is not in the running after they went silent for over six months, with no updates and no response to anyone’s attempts to contact them. “Fool me once, shame on you, but fool me twice, shame on ME!”

I bought a license to Malware Bytes, so I could have it run in the background in real time, just like AVG.
The paid version also gets daily updates and can run a daily scan, just like AVG. They do play well together.

Spybot S&D is a great program, IF it’s properly set up and run. Just having it on your PC does nothing for you. Every Wednesday you need to get the weekly updates and then run the Immunize function and then do a scan. The setup is very important too….so much so that I wrote up the complete setup that I use and put it on my web site. That program will never run right if it’s not set up right.

Another program that I’ve used for years is “Trojan Hunter”. It’s not a free program but for what it can do, it’s well worth the price.
It also runs in the background, keeping my PC safe from Trojans and gets daily updates and runs its own scans.

The ultimate protection against some malware or Windows screwup, or just plain old hardware (hard drive) failure is a good Backup of your entire C: drive. For fifteen years, I’ve used “Ghost” for that little job. I started out with the DOS version, run from a DOS boot disk (in 1997) and I still use the DOS boot version today, totally bypassing windows and any of its idiosyncrasies. Windows can be totally hosed and I can still back up the drive or perform a Restore of my last good backup, to a brand new drive.

To be 100% secure, you’ve got to get totally away from Windows.

Good Luck Mate!
The Doctor

Reply | Quote

Another program that I’ve used for years is “Trojan Hunter”. It’s not a free program but for what it can do, it’s well worth the price.

Sorry Doc, you can have T-Hunter. I was running the trial version some years back, and when I ran it on the LAST
DAY of the trial period, lo & behold it “found” the notorious KAZAA. This was an executable of some 12 MB size,
which would have taken a very long time to D/L on my then-dialup connection. How it got there is a mystery,
but it wouldn’t surprise me if it was put there by the good folk who market T-hunter., for the purpose of scaring me
out of $50. Well it worked; I forked it over, then I got to thinking and realized I’d been had. Okay, live and learn…

‘

Reply | Quote

Hi bodger99, go into the display advanced settings, change anyone of the colours, except the top one, Apply & Ok.

Reply | Quote

The easiest way to fix these personal setup problems is to install ERUNT. This saves your registry and personal settings for the last 10 days (or whatever you set). If you use the default it is saved to the WINDOWS directory in subdirectory ERDNT. If the problem wasn’t there when you booted yesterday (say) go to the subdirectory for this date and run ERDNT.EXE. When you reboot it should be fixed. I use it particularly when my toolbars get accidently deleted or I do something which messes up my desktop. If for some reason your personal settings are corrupted (or worse your registry gets corrupted) and you get the XP default desktop simply run a backup and it’s all fixed. If you have never had this happen it probably will someday.

The big advantage of ERUNT is once you setup you can forget about it until you need it and mostly you only have to go back a day or two. With Restore you may have to go back some time unless you make restore points regularly.

Reply | Quote

ERUNT can be downloaded at http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/
Read about it at http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/erunt.txt and http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/faq.htm

Reply | Quote

Also sometimes have this problem despite using MalwareBytes and Vipre Premium. Also agree that the excellent ERUNT program is more help than System Restore. I’ve noticed that this switch to Windows default desktop usually follows installation of M$ updates, so despite ‘turning the clock back’ it can be necessary to reset your chosen setting. Again, sigh.

Reply | Quote

bodger99 – I also, use Windows XP SP3 and love it. I too, have had this issue of strange things, not of my settings or choosing, change when I boot up. It wasn’t just my Desktop settings, but, things like ‘double click’ to open a page, when I have used ‘single click’ for opening pages, since I was a Windows 98SE user. Then, I began to notice, when I would do a Windows Update, it was then, that I would have ‘troubles’. Not bad ones, just very, very annoying ones!

I got thinking about the types of Updates and the one common Update, that was consistent, was the Windows Malware Software Removal Tool. I began to wonder, why on Earth would I really NEED to use this tool, when I had several already, at my disposal? I became suspicious, that the Malware Software Removal Update, was my problem. Looking for malware software, involves checking the Registry. All you have to do, is change one number in a Registry string and it affects many things. Plus, how many times has a Windows Warning popped up, saying that this program, does NOT have a ‘valid certificate’ or something similar? Doesn’t mean that the program isn’t safe or secure, but, for some reason it didn’t get or renew the Windows Certificate. Also, look how long it takes Windows to send out Update Patches, for their massive coded software???!!!

Bottom line, I do NOT update any of the Malware Software Removal Tools, for the month or anything. Since, I stopped updating the Tools, I haven’t had any annoying issues, with my computer. Not sure, if, that will help, but, I do know it has helped me, greatly.

Reply | Quote

There is a program called “Kazaa remover”. I’ve used it often.

Trojan Hunter,,,,, I’ve used it in the FREE 30 day trial mode to clean up dirty computers. Then I just uninstall it.
Once it’s been installed on a computer, even if it’s removed, it can not be reinstalled for another 30 days of FREE use.

I suppose I’ve had more experience with it than the average user, since I’ve been using it in both FREE trial mode and PAID mode for quite a few years, through many versions. In all that time, I’ve never had it miss-fire on me. NO, they won’t tell you there’s something there just to get you to buy the program. That’s a totally unfounded and unwarranted accusation.

Reply | Quote