[Grea Lauren]

My mom is having some serious computer problems that even I can't find the answer to (I'm not a professional but I'm good at research) and I saw your answer to a post I had come across, and thought maybe you could help me.

My mom recently got a virus (Virtumonde x.x) from an ad off DeviantArt.com and we had to reformat her computer. She uses XP but the only disc we had was from an older version. She's also pretty much replaced every single thing in her computer so I'm wondering if some of the drivers didn't get replaced but I checked the Device Manager and only 4 things are showing up and they all say something about audio.. though 4 pops saying 'new hardware' every time she restarts is driving her nuts as well.

The problem she is having is that a lot of programs she uses, like Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Second life, freezes and crashes a lot. I just checked the error log thing (forgot what it's called.. I'm running on like 4 hours of sleep or so.) and I see all the errors but I can't find out what all the faults and hangups mean. That's actually how I found your post.

I also know she tried installing Windows XP SP3 so I don't know where she got it from and if it just made problems worse, or if Virtumonde just f*cked her hard drive up royally.
What information do I need to post here so that we can get some help? Tell me anything I need to post so it can get figured out fast.. she's been stressing out for days and I hate seeing her unhappy and frustrated =\

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Hey there just noticed you already started a topic here so I will try to assist you now.

First lets check the hardware and make sure it is all in good working order.

Run hard drive diagnostics: http://www.tacktech....ay.cfm?ttid=287
Make sure, you select tool, which is appropriate for the brand of your hard drive.
Depending on the program, it'll create bootable floppy, or bootable CD.
If downloaded file is of .iso type, use ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/ to burn .iso file to a CD (select "Write image file to disc" option), and make the CD bootable.

NOTE. If your hard drive is made by Toshiba, try the Hitachi DFT CD Image version of the software

Thanks to Broni for the instructions






If you have more than one RAM module installed, try starting computer with one RAM stick at a time.

NOTE Keep in mind, the manual check listed above is always superior to the software check, listed below. DO NOT proceed with memtest, if you can go with option A

B. If you have only one RAM stick installed...
...run memtest...


1. Download - Pre-Compiled Bootable ISO (.zip). If you prefer to use the USB version then use this link USB KEY
2. Unzip downloaded /memtest86+-4.20.iso.zip file.
3. Inside, you'll find /memtest86+-4.20.iso file.
4. Download, and install ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/
5. Insert blank CD into your CD drive.
6. Open ImgBurn, and click on Write image file to disc
7. Click on Browse for a file... icon:



8. Locate [b/memtest86+-4.20.iso[/b] file, and click Open button.
9. Click on ImgBurn green arrow to start burning bootable memtest86 CD:



10. Once the CD is created, boot from it, and memtest will automatically start to run. You may have to change the boot sequence in your BIOS to make it work right.

To change Boot Sequence in your BIOS

Reboot the system and at the first post screen (where it is counting up memory) start tapping the DEL button
This will enter you into the Bios\Cmos area.
Find the Advanced area and click Enter
Look for Boot Sequence or Boot Options and highlight that click Enter
Now highlight the first drive and follow the directions on the bottom of the screen on how to modify it and change it to CDrom.
Change the second drive to the C or Main Drive
Once that is done then click F10 to Save and Exit
You will prompted to enter Y to verify Save and Exit. Click Y and the system will now reboot with the new settings.


The running program will look something like this depending on the size and number of ram modules installed:




It's recommended to run 5-6 passes. Each pass contains very same 8 tests.

This will show the progress of the test. It can take a while. Be patient, or leave it running overnight.



The following image is the test results area:



The most important item here is the “errors” line. If you see ANY errors, even one, most likely, you have bad RAM.





Please Go to

1: START and the click on RUN
2: Type in devmgmt.msc
3: Click Enter


To do a screenshot please have click on your Print Screen on your keyboard. It is normally the key above your number pad between the F12 key and the Scroll Lock key
Now go to Start and then to All Programs
Scroll to Accessories and then click on Paint
In the Empty White Area click and hold the CTRL key and then click the V
Go to the File option at the top and click on Save as
Save as file type JPEG and save it to your Desktop


Attach it to your next reply

[rshaffer61]

Hey there just noticed you already started a topic here so I will try to assist you now.

First lets check the hardware and make sure it is all in good working order.

Run hard drive diagnostics: http://www.tacktech....ay.cfm?ttid=287
Make sure, you select tool, which is appropriate for the brand of your hard drive.
Depending on the program, it'll create bootable floppy, or bootable CD.
If downloaded file is of .iso type, use ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/ to burn .iso file to a CD (select "Write image file to disc" option), and make the CD bootable.

NOTE. If your hard drive is made by Toshiba, try the Hitachi DFT CD Image version of the software

Thanks to Broni for the instructions






If you have more than one RAM module installed, try starting computer with one RAM stick at a time.

NOTE Keep in mind, the manual check listed above is always superior to the software check, listed below. DO NOT proceed with memtest, if you can go with option A

B. If you have only one RAM stick installed...
...run memtest...


1. Download - Pre-Compiled Bootable ISO (.zip). If you prefer to use the USB version then use this link USB KEY
2. Unzip downloaded /memtest86+-4.20.iso.zip file.
3. Inside, you'll find /memtest86+-4.20.iso file.
4. Download, and install ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/
5. Insert blank CD into your CD drive.
6. Open ImgBurn, and click on Write image file to disc
7. Click on Browse for a file... icon:



8. Locate [b/memtest86+-4.20.iso[/b] file, and click Open button.
9. Click on ImgBurn green arrow to start burning bootable memtest86 CD:



10. Once the CD is created, boot from it, and memtest will automatically start to run. You may have to change the boot sequence in your BIOS to make it work right.

To change Boot Sequence in your BIOS

Reboot the system and at the first post screen (where it is counting up memory) start tapping the DEL button
This will enter you into the Bios\Cmos area.
Find the Advanced area and click Enter
Look for Boot Sequence or Boot Options and highlight that click Enter
Now highlight the first drive and follow the directions on the bottom of the screen on how to modify it and change it to CDrom.
Change the second drive to the C or Main Drive
Once that is done then click F10 to Save and Exit
You will prompted to enter Y to verify Save and Exit. Click Y and the system will now reboot with the new settings.


The running program will look something like this depending on the size and number of ram modules installed:




It's recommended to run 5-6 passes. Each pass contains very same 8 tests.

This will show the progress of the test. It can take a while. Be patient, or leave it running overnight.



The following image is the test results area:



The most important item here is the “errors” line. If you see ANY errors, even one, most likely, you have bad RAM.





Please Go to

1: START and the click on RUN
2: Type in devmgmt.msc
3: Click Enter


To do a screenshot please have click on your Print Screen on your keyboard. It is normally the key above your number pad between the F12 key and the Scroll Lock key
Now go to Start and then to All Programs
Scroll to Accessories and then click on Paint
In the Empty White Area click and hold the CTRL key and then click the V
Go to the File option at the top and click on Save as
Save as file type JPEG and save it to your Desktop


Attach it to your next reply

[Grea Lauren]

Okay, now that I finally got the thing to burn correctly.. she has SATA drives so we chose option 2 like the guide said (she has hitachi so I got the one you pointed out).. but when it comes to the device list it says EMPTY. This is odd in itself because not only is she of course using one.. she also has another one plugged in that we still need to add anyway.. the computer wasn't recognizing it before but it's been years since I've added a second hard drive to a computer so I forgot how to do it. What could be wrong that it's saying the device list is empty?

[rshaffer61]

OK lets step back for a second. Try this instead for right now on the hard drive diagnostics.

Go to

Start and then to Run
Type in Chkdsk /r Note the space between k and /
Click Enter ...It will probably ask if you want to do this on the next reboot...click Y
If the window doesn't shutdown on its own then reboot the system manually. On reboot the system will start the chkdsk operation
This one will take longer then chkdsk /f

Note... there are 5 stages...
It may appear to hang at a certain percent for a hour or more or even back up and go over the same area...this is normal...
DO NOT SHUT YOUR COMPUTER DOWN WHILE CHKDSK IS RUNNING OR YOU CAN HAVE SEVERE PROBLEMS
This can take several hours to complete.
When completed it will boot the system back into windows.

Reboot after your done running chkdsk /r...
then Go to Start...Run and type: eventvwr.msc press Enter
When Event Viewer opens, click on Applications... then scroll down to Winlogon and double-click on it. This is the log created after running Checkdisk...copy and paste the log back here


We will advise after studying the log.

[Grea Lauren]

Checking file system on C:
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Volume label is XP.

A disk check has been scheduled.
Windows will now check the disk.
Cleaning up minor inconsistencies on the drive.
Cleaning up 335 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 335 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.
Cleaning up 335 unused security descriptors.
CHKDSK is verifying file data (stage 4 of 5)...
File data verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying free space (stage 5 of 5)...
Free space verification is complete.
CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the
master file table (MFT) bitmap.
Windows has made corrections to the file system.

153043222 KB total disk space.
34656432 KB in 71377 files.
27596 KB in 7632 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors.
192414 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
118166780 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
38260805 total allocation units on disk.
29541695 allocation units available on disk.

Internal Info:
00 d7 01 00 ac 34 01 00 d5 c2 01 00 00 00 00 00 .....4..........
72 00 00 00 02 00 00 00 d6 06 00 00 00 00 00 00 r...............
e0 51 68 06 00 00 00 00 d0 71 68 46 00 00 00 00 .Qh......qhF....
98 19 d8 11 00 00 00 00 02 af 99 cb 02 00 00 00 ................
2c 77 41 94 04 00 00 00 ca fb d5 c5 07 00 00 00 ,wA.............
a0 25 5f b2 00 00 00 00 88 38 07 00 d1 16 01 00 .%_......8......
00 00 00 00 00 c0 42 43 08 00 00 00 d0 1d 00 00 ......BC........

Windows has finished checking your disk.
Please wait while your computer restarts.


For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft....ink/events.asp.

[rshaffer61]

CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the
master file table (MFT) bitmap.
Windows has made corrections to the file system.

OK now we are getting someplace.
Please try the memtest86 instructions but for diagnostics purposes please skip the single memory test and run the program with all the memory present. From there I can advise you on how to proceed.

[Grea Lauren]

Oh. My. God.

So I'm watching this as it's doing it and it starts off okay and then all of a sudden WHAM! Sheets of red. It's only been 1 minute and it's at over 1000 errors and it keeps growing.....

[rshaffer61]

I think you have found your problem.
Now as I said this is where we have to work a little. Do you know if there are more then one memory module in the system?
If so you will need to remove one and start the test over. Now we have to determine if it is all the memory or just one module. If there is only one then we have found the main issue I'm sure.

[Grea Lauren]

There is 4. So take one out, run test, if errors pop out then put that one back in and take another out? Could bad ram really be the case for so many errors? :S

Edited by Grea Lauren, 17 August 2011 - 04:55 PM.

[rshaffer61]

There is 4. So take one out, run test, if errors pop out then put that one back in and take another out?

Actually take all but one out and then run the test. If it passes then repeat with the next in the same slot.

[Grea Lauren]

K, we're doing that now. So by testing it in the slot we're testing both the memory and the slot, correct? So if it's not actually the memory, it might be the slot, and in turn might be a problem with the motherboard?

[rshaffer61]

No you have to use the same slot only because that is the way the motherboard works. Not knowing the type of memory you have there is a possibility that your motherboard will need two sticks installed at the same time to work correctly.

[Grea Lauren]

Found it! XD Was the fourth one we tried, of course! Is there anything else we need to do, or should we try the programs that usually crashed for a while and if it doesn't crash, that resolved the problem? It wouldn't take long anyway, the programs usually crashed within 10 minutes.

[rshaffer61]

OK then put the other 3 back in and see if your system now runs correctly. If so then you are lucky that it is only one stick.

[Grea Lauren]

Seems to be going okay so far. So what do we do about the 4 'you have new hardware' things that pop up every time she restarts her computer? Did we miss downloading a driver? Like I said before, they all say something about audio I think.