[bobbyesox]

I have been having problems with things loading up really really slowly lately. I did virus scans, which found nothing. A few days ago, I did have a virus show up, but it was deleted successfully (according to my virus protection, and to the Panda scan that I ran).

Tonight, I was playing a game (online) and I logged out. I got the "not responding" error message. I clicked "end now"....nothing happened. Repeatedly. Finally, eveyrhting froze, so I tried control/alt/delete. Nothing happened. Still frozen. So I used the "panic button" to reboot.

When it rebooted, it went to the screen that says Windows did not shut down successfully, do you want to go to Safe Mode (three choices of that), try last known config that worked, or start in regular mode.

I tried ALL combinations, in safe mode, did a system restore, which it said was successful. But, when I tried to boot up, it would just sit and "whir" as it tried to load windows...the little green bar going around and around and around and....

Finally, the screen went completely dark. It whirred some more. And it did boot up. I'm trying as we speak to get some backup disks made of pics and things I don't want to lose.

What should I do to keep this from happening again? And what kind of corrective measures should I make?

Thanks,
Bobbye

[Advertisements]

for virus or spyware
try pest patrol or stinger, run them in safe mode...

stingers free, pest patrol you might have to "find" it somewhere for free

Edited by xxsinful1xx, 27 September 2005 - 01:38 AM.

[xxsinful1xx]

for virus or spyware
try pest patrol or stinger, run them in safe mode...

stingers free, pest patrol you might have to "find" it somewhere for free

Edited by xxsinful1xx, 27 September 2005 - 01:38 AM.

[darth_ash]

Lets try replacing the atapi.sys with a fresh copy.
Follow the steps below:

• In your BIOS set CD-ROM has 1st Boot Device.
• Insert XP Setup CD, to boot from CD.
• After the intial loading of drivers is over, on the Welcome to Setup Screen with 3 options; Press R key, to "Repair XP installtion using Recovery Console".
• On the next screen you will be asked to choose your Windows installtion, choose the one that is causing the problem by typing the number beside it.
• Now you will be prompted for the password of Administrator, enter it; If password is blank, just press <enter>.
  
• Below are two ways to recover from this problem from the Recovery Console, use any one of them.
  Use Method1 only if u downloaded and installed SP2.
  Use Method2 if u have installed SP2 from CD and u have the CD; or if u have'nt installed SP2 at all.
• Method1:
  Type the following commands:
  cd \WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386
  copy atapi.sys c:\Windows\System32\drivers.
• Method2:
  Type the following command:
  expand x:\i386\atapi.sy_ c:\windows\system32\drivers\atapi.sys.
  (where x: the drive-letter of ur CD-ROM drive and c: is the partition where XP was installed)