[ToniB]

I'm confused...

I thought this was how you reset it to default?

To reset CMOS to the default:

http://support.dell....0.htm#wp1132466

Note: It is a good idea to go into the BIOS ahead of time and write down the settings so that if it doesn't work you can put it back to the way it is now.

But have no idea how to get the settings that are there now. That was what I was supposed to do at the F2 screen, right?

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Found this somehow while looking for how to access BIOS settings.

Check CMOS Clear Jumper: Some systems have a jumper that will let you clear the contents of the CMOS memory, something that is needed most often when a system password is set and then forgotten. Make sure that this jumper is set to the normal or default position, or you won't be able to set any BIOS settings.

I DID have a password on the system & I then disabled it. Might that have caused some sort of issue?

[ToniB]

Found this somehow while looking for how to access BIOS settings.

Check CMOS Clear Jumper: Some systems have a jumper that will let you clear the contents of the CMOS memory, something that is needed most often when a system password is set and then forgotten. Make sure that this jumper is set to the normal or default position, or you won't be able to set any BIOS settings.

I DID have a password on the system & I then disabled it. Might that have caused some sort of issue?

[ToniB]

Might have found part of the problem. wdfme.exe, wdsc.exe, etc that were all running in background (having something to do with the backup, an internet search tells me). When I disabled them the sound stopped with the "feedback-type" noise & cpu use seemed to decrease considerably

As it seems the backup was potentially what caused the expanding hard drive(s) issues, might something there be corrupt?

[RKinner]

Quite possible. If the backup was getting stored on the disk it was backing up then it would be backing up itself and the disk would quickly get full.

[ToniB]

That (the backup being stored on thedisk it was backing up) would account for the doc files only being on the C rather than the G (backup) drive & its expansion but seemingly not the G drive's rapid (& larger) expansion.

So... uninstall that software, it seems? Should I reinstall it or just let it go for now? (Think I prefer to let it go until I figure out the rest of this mess if that seems a reasonable option.)

Should I still try to flash and/or restore the BIOS? If so, the confusion, questions from the previous 2 posts still stand.

Edited by ToniB, 20 February 2012 - 01:53 AM.

[ToniB]

Upon working with it a little longer, that doesn't stop the other slow downs so I don't think that's the only problem...

[RKinner]

Might as well flash the BIOS. Maybe we will get lucky.

[ToniB]

Am still working on cleaning out junk so that I won't lose anything I need but so that c drive gets more space to wok in.

Noticed something really strange. I have the folder options to show hidden files but when I've deleted some of the duplicate files that were created 1/26 on C: drive, the folders aren't empty. They show nothing put the properties show 1 file per folder with some size to each (not 0 bytes).

Any ideas what this might mean?

And should I be concerned about moving those folders to another drive (i.e. might those "hidden files" cause problems there too)?

Edited by ToniB, 23 February 2012 - 11:39 AM.

[RKinner]

My guess is that it is a thumb.db file:

Close all programs so that you are at your desktop.
Open the Control Panel menu and click Folder Options.
After the new window appears select the View tab.
Put a checkmark in the checkbox labeled Display the contents of system folders.
Under the Hidden files and folders section select the radio button labeled Show hidden files and folders.
Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide file extensions for known file types.
Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide protected operating system files. <== Suspect this is what you need to do.
Press the Apply button and then the OK button and exit My Computer.
Now your computer is configured to show all hidden files.

You can delete any thumb.db file. It will be recreated if the folder thinks it has any pictures in it the next time you look at the folder in Explorer.

[ToniB]

Ran search for "thumb.db" but none were found in C: drive. Ran search just for "thumb", found about 6 thumb database files (I presume that's what the other search should have shown?) Total size is only ~ 155 KB.

There were also some (~ 40) thumb files of .png type but those seem to be related to programs. I presume I shouldn't delete those.?.

Just realized my Kaspersky Anti-virus from my laptop covers 3 computers. Want to try it on this desktop unless there is some reason I shouldn't?

[RKinner]

Sounds about right.

Go ahead and install Kaspersky. It's usually the top-rated anti-virus in most tests:

http://www.av-test.o...ts/novdec-2011/

Just make sure you uninstall your current anti-virus.

[ToniB]

will do. so I should delete the thumb database files but not the others?

[RKinner]

You can delete the thumb.db files if you want. Next time you look at a folder with pictures in it, at first you will just see generic pictures icons but after a few seconds it will start to replace the icons with small pictures as it rebuilds the thumb.db databse.

The others may be something else so I would leave them.

[ToniB]

Will delete them but don't think it'll make much difference since they are so small/few. WIll let you know if Kaspersky finds anything.

Thanks for hanging in there with me!

[ToniB]

Here's what Kaspersky found. From a quick search, Trojan.Win32.Diple looks like it could be pretty bad? Not sure if the info I found is accurate or an advert, though. Only thing is, these are all files that would have been on there for a while & probably weren't accessed in a year or two.

Was thinking of downloading the trial version of the more complete kaspersky & see if it finds anything else but it doesn't seem as if it adds anything in way of detection -- just firewall, etc. Their site says to run the virus check while off-line & I didn't disconnect before I did that. Will do that in the meantime.

It DID mention the computer making odd noises for no reason as I potential symnptom & it did do that one night (at least) last week.

Any other suggestions based on these findings?

Type: adware (23)
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Perfnav.c Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Perfnav.c Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Altnet.c Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Gator.4104 Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Cydoor Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Cydoor Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Cydoor Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Altnet.a Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Altnet.a Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Altnet.p Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Altnet.b Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.BrilliantDigital.1007 Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.BrilliantDigital.1007 Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Altnet.h Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Altnet.h Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Altnet.h Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.MyWay.j Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.MyWay.j Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Altnet.b Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Altnet.b Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Altnet.i Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Altnet.j Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.BrilliantDigital.3039 Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
Type: Trojan program (10)
Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Keenval.f Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Keenval.f Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Keenval.f Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Keenval Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Keenval Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Keenval Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Keenval Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
Trojan-Downloader.Win32.Keenval.f Deleted 2/25/2012 12:47:16 AM
Trojan.Win32.Diple.vjb Deleted 2/25/2012 12:02:23 AM
Trojan.Win32.Diple.vjb Deleted 2/25/2012 12:02:22 AM

Edited by ToniB, 25 February 2012 - 12:46 PM.