View Full Version : PC meltdown - help
Littlepeahead
11-04-11, 11:43 AM
A cry for help to the PC experts out there. I switched on my trusty PC this morning, I can get the desktop up and then it just won't open anything.
I ran a virus scan in safe mode and it didn't detect anything.
I cannot get into documents, Picasa, Photoshop etc, open Windows Explorer or Firefox. Even when I try to open My Computer it just waved the little torch at me in a mocking manor and then freezes.
I know this is a bit vague - but any advice appreciated.
Hello. So starting with basics...
Your mouse is working? i.e. the mouse pointer is moving?
Can you click on anything at all? Does the right mouse button bring up any menus?
Ctrl-alt-del bringing up task manager?
Littlepeahead
11-04-11, 12:08 PM
Yes, the mouse works, and if I ctrl-alt-del before trying anything else then it opens up the task manager and shows no tasks running.
Weird. Uploaded any new software recently?
Does the start menu open up? If so...
start > run > then type "msconfig"
go to startup programs and disable anything that looks odd. i.e. program names that are gibberish or their location shows in your temp folder.
Littlepeahead
11-04-11, 12:15 PM
I just got it to open up the my pictures folder - then it froze again. Don't think I've downloaded any software lately - then again, Mr LPH does that sort of thing without having any idea what he's doing. I think I shall lock it in future!
Oh and the other thing to check is that your harddrive has free space? I had a similar thing once and I found out I'd filled it up.
Littlepeahead
11-04-11, 12:48 PM
Just checked the hard drive and it has very little free space. Then had a closer look at the My Music folder - I don't save music onto my PC - over a hundred albums that replicate Mr LPH's 180gb ipod I bought him for Christmas and a folder called Iron Maiden 666 Movie which alone is 4.7gb! I think I know who the culprit is now. Going to try to delete all that lot and see if it starts working again. Then the next thing that will need fixing is my husband's head.
ThEGr33k
11-04-11, 01:02 PM
Apple, breaks another PC, thats their big plan :p
Anyway, hope it is a simple as a full HDD, other wise it might be pretty terminal.
startrek.steve
11-04-11, 02:28 PM
Yuo can safely delete the contents of all these folders:
c:\windows\prefetch\
c:\windows\temp\
c:\Documents and settings\yourusername\local settings\temp\
c:\Documents and settings\yourusername\local settings\temporary internet files\
or get a nice little program called CCleaner, its amazing how much garbage is on your Windows PC!
Also disable windows system restore, save, then re-enable it again, you may have a stack of old restore points taking up a lot of space.
Steve
startrek.steve
11-04-11, 02:30 PM
Just checked the hard drive and it has very little free space. Then had a closer look at the My Music folder - I don't save music onto my PC - over a hundred albums that replicate Mr LPH's 180gb ipod I bought him for Christmas and a folder called Iron Maiden 666 Movie which alone is 4.7gb! I think I know who the culprit is now. Going to try to delete all that lot and see if it starts working again. Then the next thing that will need fixing is my husband's head.
What? no Pron?
Littlepeahead
11-04-11, 02:39 PM
Right then, after deleting lots of rubbish Radiohead remixes that seem to have broken my PC it seems to be working again. It appears that Mr LPH had been saving CDs to the PC before transferring them to his ipod and then not deleting them. As I never save music on it I didn't realise he had managed to completely overload the hard drive with Thom Yorke's miserable warblings. As for the Iron Maiden movie - words fail me.
ThEGr33k
11-04-11, 02:53 PM
Glad it was an easy fix. So how much pain is awaiting him? :p
hongman
11-04-11, 03:16 PM
At least it was legit stuff and not porn ;)
Littlepeahead
11-04-11, 03:48 PM
I think I'd really rather porn than miserable Radiohead. At least in porn moves they pretend to be enjoying themselves.
hongman
11-04-11, 03:49 PM
rofl!
At least it was legit stuff and not porn ;)
Woah what non legit porn have you got on your HD? :p
hongman
11-04-11, 03:57 PM
Hush!
:smt016
Bluefish
11-04-11, 04:40 PM
Baaa ;)
Bluefish
11-04-11, 04:42 PM
LPH, did it not come up with warnings before, saying insufficient disc space or similar.
Littlepeahead
13-04-11, 11:52 AM
LPH, did it not come up with warnings before, saying insufficient disc space or similar.
Are you talking about my husband or the PC? Neither came with a warning that both could end up being about as much use as a cat flap in an elephant house.
Since clearing out all the music and junk - which was taking up nearly half the space on the hard drive - everything has been working just fine.
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