bdwing
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 288
Registered: 02-16-2003
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For the past several months, my PC has been acting extremely wonky.

It reboots itself at random for apparently no reason. Sometimes it freezes requiring a forced hard reboot. I have seen more BSOD than I can count.

McAfee never finds a problem. PC Diagnostics never finds a problem.

Is this malware? Is it some part going bad?

Lately I have noticed that installed software vanishes. The executable disappears although the directory remains.

Is there hope or should I just bite the bullet and buy a new PC?

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[Last edited by bdwing at 12-16-2012 09:36 AM]

navithmastero
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 597
Registered: 01-03-2012
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What OS are you using?

-nm

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Banjooie
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1645
Registered: 12-12-2004
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> mcafee

What.

First, go use Trend Micro Housecall.

Second, is it rebooting or restarting? Because if it's just restarting, I'mma look at the quality of your power supply.

And the /executable/ is disappearing? Like, does only the .exe file disappear, or do you see just an empty folder, or...?

bdwing
Level: Master Delver
Rank Points: 288
Registered: 02-16-2003
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I am using Windows Vista.

Thr PC is a Hewlett Pckard Pavilion.

By the way, Windows Startup Repair tool doesn't actuaqlly fix anything.

=========================================================
What's wrong with using McAfee Internet Security?

I don't know what the distinction between reboot and restart is. The computer goes to a black screen, then the opening screen when I first turn it on appears, then it asks if I want to boot into Windows Safe Mode, finally the Windows login page appears and I have to log back in.

TrendMicro did not find any problems.

My Drod4 directory has: a Data folder and uninst000.dat.
The Data folder has: a Bitmaps folder, a Help folder, a Licenses folder, a BuyDrod_GatEB internet shortcut, Drod4_0.dat, and a readme text file.
The executable isn't there and the icon on my desktop has disappearred.
I'm guessing that this might have to do with Windows Startup Repair running System Restore and putting my computer back to a state before I installed the Drod 4 demo.

The demo installation file has also disappearred.

____________________________
In the words of Cyndi Lauper:

"Until it ends, there is no end."

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[Last edited by bdwing at 12-16-2012 11:12 AM]

skell
Level: Legendary Smitemaster

Rank Points: 3734
Registered: 12-28-2004
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I wouldn't trust McAfee.

If you have a genuine copy of windows, install and run - http://windows.microsoft.com/pl-PL/windows/security-essentials-download
You can uninstall it later if you feel like it.

If you know someone computer saavy, install this: http://greatis.com/security/download.htm and let that person go through the clean-up on windows startup. It is only for experienced windows users though! It is easy to break something with this tool!

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slimm tom
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1228
Registered: 10-14-2006
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Rebooting at random could be a power supply issue, as Banjooie points out. It could also be an overheating issue. Have you opened up and cleaned the computer of dust recently? Is it in a place where it can 'breathe', preferably an open space where no air vents are blocked?

Some symptoms of overheating are reboots after extensive use and reboots while using intensive programs or games. When you continue to use the computer after a forced reboot, it should also reboot even faster, because it didn't have time to cool down.

navithmastero
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 597
Registered: 01-03-2012
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Does your computer run slow, or does it just randomly stop?
It might well be a power issue, does this rebooting only happen when the computer is not plugged into AC or when it has just been unplugged from AC?

-nm



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Penumbra
Level: Smiter

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Registered: 02-17-2005
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Windows got a pretty bad rep for blue screens, even though they supplied useful information. To "fix" this they made the blue screen immediately restart. So you don't get any of the useful error codes.

You can turn off the auto reboot on system failures in the control panel. Then, the next time it happens you should get a failure code that you can google for more details.

You could have faulty ram, or a hard disc error in some more important OS section.

I would, in either case, test your RAM first and then your hard discs, since faulty RAM can make a working hard disc look faulty.

Maurog
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1501
Registered: 09-16-2004
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This is a nifty program that lets you see the temperature in all your computer sensors (click the SpeedFan 4.47 to install it). Try running it and seeing if you have extreme temperatures.

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