Well, i think the worm i stuipdly opened killed my computer. It won't even run unless it is in safe mode. If i start it up normally, it goes fine, then i log in, and then it starts to mess up. It will run in windows for a few seconds after i log in, then it will just lock up. I won't be able to open any programs, clicking on icons brings no response, and ctrl-alt-delete works about half the time on letting me close programs, and sometimes lets me restart the compute. Most of the time i end up restarting it by turning off the power if i want it to go again. In safe mode it will start up and run fine, but i can't do anything from there.

So, any expert opinions on what i should do to try to get it operational? It is a dell PC, and still has Windows ME on it if that helps.

Thanks in advance...

Sounds like you need a low-level format

windows me or as i like to refer to it as windows many errors. first lowlevel it, program can be gotten from a maxtor hdd or online, max blast 3 i do believe ive got a copy here some where, next pending specs go with xp 2k or 98 se no me, its got some of teh luxuries of xp but none of the security

need help im around most of the time
just gimmie a call or im me
8714

I have an HP machine (was cheap, and has a warrenty), and it has an auto-recovery function, which is pretty much a low-level format. If you can open your comp in normal mode, see if you can run a virus checker. You should be able to remove most of it, and delay that format. But ya, best/only bet is to format.

Are you sure?

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/L/LLF.html

Just wipe every trace of WinME off your computer and go with WinXPPro if your comp can handle it, Win2KPro if it can't. You can get copies off of seek at \\sackchaser\shared\iso.

And, before the linux guys start yelling about how stable Slackware 9.1 is, that is horridly hard to install, and no version of linux has near the program support as MSWindows does.

Sorry, just wanted to put some reasons for going with WinXPPro.

-jkpq45

Am I sure that I said what I meant to? Yes... now why these people agreed with me, that's I'm not sure on.

I've had no problems installing Slackware. However, installing programs not included with the distro is another thing...



Visit that link for a definition of what a low-level format is. I seriously doubt it would improve this guys situation.

yea a lowlevel format is a complet rewrite of the drive. it goes through and writes 0's to every spot on the drive multiple times. this is a guranteed way to eliminate all information on the drive, so if you have say a boot sector virus, that resides in the boot sector, or a virus that resides in the master boot record they will be eliminated without any possibility of retuning, unless they found a way to write to the flashable cmos, then all you have to do is reset you cmos.

any questions????

That's a high-level format. A low-level format performed on a modern IDE drive by a PC would destroy it.

this is called a "zero fill" and is simply the most extreme example of a high-level format

is it, hehe its all ive ever seen with "llf's" from maxtor and wd, dont use scsi so my views are distorted, but now that i think about it its close but not quite there.

hehe my bad

Ok, well i understand about half of what was said, lol. Computers aren't really my thing....

Anyway, i got the Network Associates update from UMR via floppy from my roomates computer, updated it, and am running the virus check in Safe Mode....if this dosen't work, i will try the low-level format mentioed above. I have ME, but i haven't got around to upgrading to a better version yet....

Thanks for the help!

I know what a low-level format is, that's why i said it. It was in jest

Well, a little update.

I ran the virus scan in safe mode, and removed 2 trojans.

No difference though, still after i log in it loads for about thrity seconds to a minute and then it just locks up.......

I may just grab my boot discs this weekend, and re-install Windows, then ditch ME for XP.....