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Thanks for your responses. In order to check for an error message I clicked to install the update again (making it the 6th attempt over a number of weeks). Guess what? Yes… it installed! So far there have been no adverse effects.

Anyway, many thanks for your responses. My apologies for the trouble. Next time I have a problem I’ll just report it here and you guys will fix it by remote control! (Wouldn’t that be nice?! Well, we live in hopes!)

Thankyou

Thanks for your responses. In order to check for an error message I clicked to install the update again (making it the 6th attempt over a number of weeks). Guess what? Yes… it installed! So far there have been no adverse effects.

Anyway, many thanks for your responses. My apologies for the trouble. Next time I have a problem I’ll just report it here and you guys will fix it by remote control! (Wouldn’t that be nice?! Well, we live in hopes!)

Thankyou

Thanks, guys, but I’ve had no success. I changed the boot order to my USB stick but when I go to create the system repair disk I get the same message saying that there’s no CD burner, even though the BIOS is set to start with the USB stick.

Maybe an email to Acer might come up with something. Thanks for your help.

zzzzzz! zzzzzz! Sorry! I know I really needed to know this.

AussieMike asked if it would not be simpler to restore from an image backup – (as I have seen advised by Ask Leo and many others as a good way to recover from an infection).

However there is one form a malware which while not the same as the subject of this article, is similar. This is the type of malware that encrypts files, and has been reported as encrypting the backups on attached external drives as well. Advice on this subject often includes “do not leave the external drive connected”.

With backup programs which are scheduled there is an obvious operational conflict. I have been looking for reasonable solutions to this but have not found any. Having a routine to only have the external drive connected when disconnected from the internet would work, but its use is problematical, particularly with daily (or even more frequently with some data backup programs, including that in Windows 8).

It may be that for selected files, cloud backup is a solution, as even if what is there gets replaced with an encrypted version, a program which keeps earlier versions (e.g. Dropbox) would let the material be recovered.

Thanks, Dean-S, for your comment. Here was I thinking how smart I am with my system images, which I do fortnightly only to find they also might be at risk. That’s a bit of a blow!
Something else I also do, infrequently, is to copy my system image to a portable HDD which I keep in my car (just in case I get burgled or have a fire). The problem is to make sure I do it as often as I should (which I usually don’t!). But at least I wouldn’t lose everything. Cloud storage is useful but has its problems. It seems to me that the best we can do is to keep everything up to date, do frequent backups, keeping some off site, have a good armory of AV/malware tools…. and then hope for the best!!
Thanks for the interesting comments.

Many thanks, Paul. You’ve put my mind at rest. I’m using MSE and Malwarebytes. I’ll keep in mind to make sure the Windows Firewall is on.

Thanks for the great article. It just shows how careful and attentive we have to be before we madly click away! One thing that Woody didn’t mention as a solution was the matter of backups. Wouldn’t the easy answer be to restore the system with a system image restore, or am I missing something? I do regular system images plus daily folder and file backups. Surely this would fix SPP?

I’m not sure if it’s OK to pick up this thread again after it seems to have been fixed, but if not please re-direct my post to the appropriate place.

Having the same problem I deleted the blastcln.exe file from:
C:WindowsServicePackFilesi386 as suggested above.

C:WindowsSystem32dllcache (doesn’t exist on my PC, even with hidden files shown).

The thread also said to delete it from C:System32Prefetch but this doesn’t exist on my PC. (WindowsPrefetch does but the file isn’t in there either).

When I then delete the file from C:WindowsSystem32 it regenerates itself within seconds.

Can anyone give me a simple solution, short of ignoring it on the Secunia scan? Thanks.

Thanks for your responses. I had hoped that it might be possible to encrypt stuff on SkyDrive but had the feeling it might not be possible without encrypting before uploading files. It’s the Dropbox security flaw that gets me a bit edgy about encrypting stuff. Anyway, I really only want to store stuff for access while away from home so I guess I’ll just do it that way. It’s not a major inconvenience. 7 GB is a bit on the small side, but then it’s free so I’m not complaining.
Thanks again for the comments.

It looks like I’ve solved my own problem. In spite of considerable searching previously I came across something that said that JavaScript also has to be enabled in IE, which I don’t use. I tried it and it worked.

I’d appreciate any comments on SkyDrive. How secure is it? Do I need to encrypt files before putting them on SkyDrive? Are there any better options for cloud storage, etc?

Thanks

Thanks for the helpful info. As both my bank and ISP’s webmail uses https it look like I’ll be OK. I’ll just have to remember not to use websites that I have to log in on which won’t be a problem. I use a software firewall and keep everything patched and up to date so it looks like “she’s apples!” (to use an Aussie term).

Thanks very much.

Hi Guys

I tried RetiredGeek’s F12 idea but with no luck I’m afraid. Jerry’s link to ifitjams.com/lcd.htm certainly looks like it might well be the solution. I don’t feel confident to try changing the backlight so I’ll let my local friendly PC shop have a look.

Thanks

Thanks. I’ll try both ideas.

Thanks for your responses. After posting I eventually came across the Microsoft page and the Fixit. I used it and the problem was fixed. Thanks for your help.

Thanks for the suggestions. The idea of cutting off the screw flanges had already occurred to me. I tried it but unfortunately all it does is to destroy the connector as this involves cutting thru the metal that holds the thing together. The website suggested also gave no joy. I’m really coming to the conclusion that I’m looking for something that simply doesn’t exist. I’ll talk to a friendly local computer shop to see if they can come up with some sort of work-around that might do it (I won’t hold my breath!).

I suppose I’m just being plain lazy in not wanting to simply change over the connectors when necessary, but that’s human nature, I suppose!… to say nothing of not wanting to be told that something can’t be done.

What really irritates me is why would HP place two sockets so close together that using one obviates the use of the other? However, I suppose it is possible that there’s some technological reason why both can’t be used together, but that’s way beyond my expertise! Perhaps a Lounge expert can expound on that one…. please?