[Cerberus_e]

It all started yesterday, when a certain CD program I normally don't have problems with rebooted my PC. Because part of the program (a background process) starts when windows starts, the whole PC rebooted again after starting the PC, WITH system repair.
So I just went to safe mode and disabled the program.
But what was noticable is how there were NO system repair points, altough the option is turned on, and automatically makes a system repair point every 24 hours.

Well, everything worked fine again then, so I made a system repair point myself. I'm sure internet and sound worked afterwards, since I was on the internet and played a game before I went to sleep.

Today everything still worked, but my father noticed that Norton Antivirus doesn't start up with windows anymore.
so he did a system repair with the repair point I made yesterday, and left (away from house).
went on the computer then and saw Norton antivirus still didn't start, I don't care about that program, but then other programs started and it told me it couldn't make a connection. I tried to go on MSN Messenger but also can't connect. Neither can Mozilla, IE, the norton updater I manually started, ...

And there isn't any sound as well.
I tried to go to system volume but everything was greyed out.
So I went to my sound driver and there it says I have to plug speakers in green, microphone in blue, etc etc...
The problem is: they ARE connected. But the program keeps telling me: "not connected".
I'd redownload drivers if I could go on internet But I doubt that's the problem, there has to be something bigger involved.
Possibly the system restore point I made yesterday is corrupt? Since my father used that one hoping his Norton would return. And now that one doesn't exist anymore too. Only one system repair point of today (the one he makes every 24 hours). No use to try that one, since it's corrupt too, it's made when my windows already had problems.

Maybe it's also worth mentioning that when I reboot my computer (talking about the past now when everything was still normal, not about the problem), I couldn't go on internet immediately, instead I had to wait before Norton was started.
But now it doesn't start at all so what to do?
I can't uninstall anything, since it tells me I don't have access to Windows Installer, "this could be because your computer has started in safe mode or because it isn't installed properly".

So this could be why there is no sound and internet: The computer thinks I'm in safe mode!
But then the problem is: how do I boot in normal mode? Since this is supposed to be normal mode: full resolution and color, graphical acceleration, most programs start (in real safe mode nothing starts except windows)...
I checked msconfig and it says "normal boot" is turned on.

So basically normal mode is half safe mode, half normal.
I was indeed in safe mode yesterday, between all the system repairs etc... to disable DirectCD.
So maybe because the system kept repairing itself, in normal mode, and I went to safe mode by rebooting during the third system repair or so, safe mode could have mixed into normal mode?

That safe mode is safe mode, and normal mode is a mix between normal mode and safe mode now?

If so, it's going to be tricky to fix, any help appreciated

I'm running Windows XP, sp2, for more info see my profile, or wherever this forum software stores my system specifications I filled in when signing up here.

[Advertisements]

Use a PC to download and save this to disc then load on to your PC

http://www.geekstogo...n=download&id=7

Re-install the installer from here

http://www.microsoft...&displaylang=en

Install lusetup.exe, 2nd down from here

http://www.symantec....iles/lu/lu.html

Run Live Update

Download and install Everest Home Edition

Run the programme, click + next to computer then summary

Look on right for multimedia / audio adapter

Look at the manufacturer’s site for the suitable drivers for your Operating System

If you are unable to find them, please post the make and model here before you download anything

Please set a system restore point before you install anything

[Retired Tech]

Use a PC to download and save this to disc then load on to your PC

http://www.geekstogo...n=download&id=7

Re-install the installer from here

http://www.microsoft...&displaylang=en

Install lusetup.exe, 2nd down from here

http://www.symantec....iles/lu/lu.html

Run Live Update

Download and install Everest Home Edition

Run the programme, click + next to computer then summary

Look on right for multimedia / audio adapter

Look at the manufacturer’s site for the suitable drivers for your Operating System

If you are unable to find them, please post the make and model here before you download anything

Please set a system restore point before you install anything

[Cerberus_e]

Thanks for your help, but none of these things worked. But they helped me further locate the problem though! They told me they didn't want to install because certain services (like windows audio service) are turned off.

I partially fixed the problem.
Apparently lots of my windows services were turned off.
you know in the control panel => system tools => services.

Audio services was turned off for example, but when I tried to turn that on it said it's dependant on other services (which are also turned off).
So I clicked on dependancies, but it told me the "dependancy service isn't turned on so I can't see the independancies"
I turned on various services, after I while I could see the dependancies.
I managed to turn on the audio service, and immediately afterwards I was having sound.
Getting internet to run was a lot more tricky. I turned on lots of services that looked like they had something to do with the internet (DNS services, various network services, ...). After I while I could go on the internet (well, I'm posting from my computer now that was broken). I don't know which services, but at least it works now.
There is only one problem left, and that's how I can't go on Windows network.
I used to have that problem not so long ago (a month or two). And I solved it by turning off windows firewall.
I'm messing with various firewall settings now. I once had it turned off but it still didn't work.
So I have two questions left:

- Any ideas of what might prevent me to go on the network? It gives me the entwork group in explorer, but not the individual computers connected to it. I turned on all services I could in the service screen. Thee is only one service that doesn't want to turn on, and that's "net logon". When I turn it on it tells me it was turned on but immediately turned itself off "because it had nothing to do" I'm not sure if you need Net Logon to browse my other computers and use the printer via LAN though.

- What caused all my services to be messed up and turned off? The one for scanner/webcam was also turned off.

[Retired Tech]

I would still run winsockfix

Do you have the option to view workgroup computers



You could consider checking for malware if there isn't a good reason why the services would be turned off

Please go here:

Malware Removal Guide

Run all the programmes as advised then post a current Hijack This Log in a new topic in the Malware Forum

For the purpose of accurate malware analysis, Hijack This Logs are only dealt with in the Malware Forum. Posting them anywhere else will result in a delayed response

If you are unable to run any of the programmes, ask for advice in the Malware Forum

[Cerberus_e]

I'll do that, but I also need to turn off windows firewall.
I turned it off but somewhere else it tells me it's turned on.
Sorry for the foreign language (Dutch), but you may recognize the screens.
The first one is "safety centre" (roughly translated), and you find it in the control panel.
The other one is called windows firewall (or configure windows firewall) and is found in control panel => network & internet.

See attachment.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Retired Tech]

If you click the word firewall it should drop down and tell you which firewall is on

[Cerberus_e]

Thanks to your winsock repair utility, it works now.
It's weird it says "cannot clear ARP cache" though, when I tried to repair it by richt clicking it in explorer and clicking "repair connection".
Windows told me to do that because he gave an error saying the reason I couldn't browse other Pcs via lan was because I didn't got an IP assigned by my router.
What to do about that "cannot clear ARP cache"? Maybe I'll need it in the future

[Retired Tech]

Winsock is better than the windows repair, worth downloading and saving to disc

Did you click the word firewall, it should say that the third party firewall is on

[Cerberus_e]

Yes I did and it says Norton Internet Security, altough it's not installed anymore.
But it's not a problem, since it'll get reinstalled anyway.

Edited by Cerberus_e, 08 April 2006 - 03:23 AM.