[scrabbler1]

Daffy, I tried your program and it did work, at least it ran to completion.

That did appear to erase the HD and then I reinstalled Windows. The windowbomb remains. I plugged in an external mouse (as Ron suggested in the Malware thread) and disabled the built-in one. The windowbomb remains.

Is it time to replace the HD again or perhaps throw the whole laptop into the trash? NOTHING is making the windowbomb go away.

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Sorry, I didn't review your malware topic, but I have a couple of suggestions:

1) Did you try the fixmbr command from the recovery console?

2) If so, you can return your hard drive to factory condition using something called a low-level format. It's generally best to use the tool from your hard drive mfg. Here's a list of the popular ones: http://www.ariolic.c...vel-format.html

Edited by admin, 27 July 2010 - 05:29 PM.

[admin]

Sorry, I didn't review your malware topic, but I have a couple of suggestions:

1) Did you try the fixmbr command from the recovery console?

2) If so, you can return your hard drive to factory condition using something called a low-level format. It's generally best to use the tool from your hard drive mfg. Here's a list of the popular ones: http://www.ariolic.c...vel-format.html

Edited by admin, 27 July 2010 - 05:29 PM.

[scrabbler1]

Sorry, I didn't review your malware topic, but I have a couple of suggestions:

1) Did you try the fixmbr command from the recovery console?

2) If so, you can return your hard drive to factory condition using something called a low-level format. It's generally best to use the tool from your hard drive mfg. Here's a list of the popular ones: http://www.ariolic.c...vel-format.html

Rkinner had me do something with the MBR. AS for the hard drive, I don't know which manufacturer made it. It was a replacement HD installed at the end of last December after the original one failed for unrelated reasons.

[scrabbler1]

Sorry, I didn't review your malware topic, but I have a couple of suggestions:

1) Did you try the fixmbr command from the recovery console?

2) If so, you can return your hard drive to factory condition using something called a low-level format. It's generally best to use the tool from your hard drive mfg. Here's a list of the popular ones: http://www.ariolic.c...vel-format.html

Admin, I was able to figure out the HD manufacturer, it is Western Digital. I downloaded their Lifeguard Diagnostic program and ran it on the ailing laptop. There was an option to write zeroes to the selected drive (what you indicated in the quoted text), but when I tried to select that (C:) drive I got a message back saying that because it was the windows drive it could not write zeroes to it.

Is there some way to run that program so it will write zeroes to the HD? I suppose I need a command prompt without starting windows. I tried the boot CD which got me a DOS prompt but only for the D: drive, unable to switch it to C:. How do I get this program to run so it will write zeroes to the C: drive?

[dsenette]

you need to download the "Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for DOS (CD)" version of the product. it comes as an .ISO file. you can burn that to disk and boot from it.

here are the instructions on how to do a format with their tools

[scrabbler1]

you need to download the "Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for DOS (CD)" version of the product. it comes as an .ISO file. you can burn that to disk and boot from it.

here are the instructions on how to do a format with their tools

Thank you. This appears to be what I need to overcome the obstacle I described above.

Because I am not sure whether the problem is with the HD or with the BIOS. Before I try this one, I will try the BIOS update first. If that doesn't work, then I will try this. I already downloaded the .iso file and burned it to a CD using software I successfully used for another .iso file. I will use it if the BIOS update fails to solve this problem.

Thank you for nudging me in this direction.

[scrabbler1]

123Runner, I was able to use the BurnCDCC program a few times to burn other .iso files. However, when I tried to do it to burn a BIOS update file from the Gateway website, the laptop did not boot up from the CD, instead booting up Windows normally along with the ongoing windowbomb.

Here is the ReadMe file which provided instructions how to burn the CD with the ISO file.

Edited to add: The CD was blank, nothing got written even though the BurnCDCC process gave no errors.

**********************************************************************************************

Information and Instructions about this download file.

=======================
File Description: Gateway® 400VTX BIOS
Version: 38.00.35
Operating System: Not applicable
Part Number: 9522818
Date: 3/21/2003
=======================


Table of Contents
=======================
Overview
Identification
Installation
Removal
Troubleshooting
Reason for Update
Applicable Part Numbers
=======================


Overview

This is BIOS version 38.00.35 for the Gateway 400VTX notebook computer.


Identification

If you have a Gateway 400VTX notebook computer, upgrade to this BIOS.


Installation

The BIOS should be flashed if:

1. You are updating to a newer BIOS revision.

2. A Gateway technician has told you to flash or re-flash the computer.


Perform the following steps to flash or re-flash the computer using a floppy disk drive:

1. Copy all of the BIOS files except 9522818.iso from the C:\Cabs\9522818 folder to a blank floppy disk.

Note: Do not format the floppy disk. Delete the contents of the disk rather than formatting the disk. It is best to use a new blank pre-formatted disk.

2. Place the floppy disk in the floppy disk drive, and then restart the computer.

3. At the A:\ prompt, type: 380035.exe. Press the ENTER key.

4. The BIOS flash process runs automatically. Do not press any keys or turn off the computer during this process.

5. When the flash is complete, to restart the computer, press ENTER.

6. Remove the floppy disk from the drive.

Perform the following steps to flash or re-flash the computer using a CD burner drive:

1. Burn the C:\Cabs\9522818\9522818.iso file to a blank CD using your CD burning software.

2. After creating the CD, place the CD in the CD/DVD drive, and then restart the computer.

3. At the A:\ prompt, type: 380035.exe. Press the ENTER key.

4. The BIOS flash process runs automatically. Do not press any keys or turn off the computer during this process.

5. When the flash is complete, to restart the computer, press ENTER.

6. Remove the CD from the CD/DVD drive.

Removal

Because a computer must have a BIOS to operate, there is no removal process. The BIOS cannot be removed after it has been upgraded.


Troubleshooting

If you have trouble flashing the BIOS, try the process again following the steps listed in the Installation section of this document. If you are still unable to flash the BIOS, verify that you are actually attempting to flash the BIOS on a Gateway 400VTX notebook computer and not on any other computer. If this process still fails, contact technical support.


Reason for Update

This is the latest BIOS and was qualified to ship with Windows 2000 by Gateway.


Applicable Part Numbers

3501331, 3501335, 3501337, 3501341

***************************************************************************************************

123Runner, why did this .iso file not work? I did not unzip the files, or else the CD burn would not have worked.

Edited by scrabbler1, 03 August 2010 - 10:56 AM.

[scrabbler1]

Dsenette, your idea did not work, either. When I tried to boot from the CD, I received a message stating that it was "Unable to locate the License Agreement file, DLGLICE.TXT!!!" I checked the CD and that file along with a few others starting with DLG and IBM are there. I also got a message stating that I should make sure the EULA is located in the same path as DLGDIAG.EXE (which it is).

I also received a message stating that the file A:\COMMAND.COM could not be loaded. This laptop has no A: (floppy disk) drive. The CD drive is not A:, either. Why can't the system look for and find these files which are present on the CD?

[scrabbler1]

Good news! After some searching, I found the way to solve this annoying problem. It was really quick and simple.

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/ikey.htm

Modifying the behavior of "internet" key in Internet keyboards
Published: Sep 12, 2005
Introduction
Internet Keyboards helps you access the Internet (web browser) and e-mail with the touch of a button. There are situations where you may want to disable this key, or alter its behavior.

Disabling the "internet" key
Start Regedit.exe and navigate to the following location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ AppKey \ 7

In the right-pane, double-click Association
Set it's data to a null string "" (the default is "http")
Close Regedit.exe