Tech-related problems

[JTRIX]

so I have finally get my new computer working and reinstalled Windows XP Professional to get it work. However right now I keep getting the following message:

Message from SYSTEM is send to ALERT, at time xx : xx xx/xx/xxxx
STOP! WINDOWS REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.
Windows has found CRITICAL SYSTEM ERRORS.
To fix the errors please do the following:
1. Download Registry Admin from: http://www.win32fix.com
2. Install Registry Admin
3. Run Registry Admin
4. Reboot your computer
FAILURE TO ACT NOW MAY LEAD TO DATA LOSS AND CORRUPTION!

I'm not sure if this is a real message from Windows but I have a feeling this is a spyware/adware and will cause me trouble if I do go to the site.

What can I do to delete the message?

[ebc]

Oh, it's definately not Windows.
You need to turn your Windows firewall on. (or some kind of firewall)
It's just a company exploiting the Messenger Service that is running in the background. You can disable the service:
Rightclick MyComputer go Manage then look for Services and in there look for Messenger, double click it and choose disable.
I'd just put the Windows firewall on though.

[maliciel]

Yeah, disable Messenger.

[frblckstr1]

so I have finally get my new computer working and reinstalled Windows XP Professional to get it work. ...
What can I do to delete the message?

Yup
1) firewall up,
2) Install SP2,
3) get the latest updates after that.

(but actually you might already be (re)infected....)

[chera]

^ hehe my laptop has been running 24/7 with 1 day rest in between here and there. Basically for seeding torrents.

Same for me, but mine is leaching torrents

It's a ThinkPad R52.  Here's what I do at night to try to keep it cool:

 - Turn off the screen
 - Make sure that no CPU intensive process are on (goto Task Manager - Processes to figure out which processes are using up CPU cycles)
 - Close down any processes that are using up lots of RAM, to minimize page file access (same as above)
 - Place the computer a few inches over edge of the desk, so that the hard disk (which lies under the right palm rest) floats in the air rather than be in contact with the desk surface.  This helps cool down the hard disk a bit
 - Take notice of your hard disk temperature.  I use a nifty utility called HDD Thermometer.  If it goes beyond 47C, then somethings wrong.  Ideally, it should be no more than 40-44 if the computer is just leaching, and in the high 30's if it's doing nothing at all.

Not related is the battery.  Laptop batteries have a usable lifetime of about 2-3 years, after which they're maximum charge will go down to 30-60 minutes.  Leaving your laptop on with power running through the battery degrades it.  Since I never move my laptop anywhere other than around my desk, I just take out the battery and tape the power connector to the power port to prevent any accidental unpluggings.

[Hazu]

- Turn off the screen

Is it through the screen saver thing?

- Make sure that no CPU intensive process are on (goto Task Manager

- Processes to figure out which processes are using up CPU cycles)

Mine usually is 00 accept for 99 on System Idle

- Place the computer a few inches over edge of the desk, so that the hard disk (which lies under the right palm rest) floats in the air rather than be in contact with the desk surface.  This helps cool down the hard disk a bit

Like putting the cooler under the laptop?

- Take notice of your hard disk temperature.  I use a nifty utility called HDD Thermometer.  If it goes beyond 47C, then somethings wrong.  Ideally, it should be no more than 40-44 if the computer is just leaching, and in the high 30's if it's doing nothing at all.

I'd love to have this.

Not related is the battery.  Laptop batteries have a usable lifetime of about 2-3 years, after which they're maximum charge will go down to 30-60 minutes.  Leaving your laptop on with power running through the battery degrades it.  Since I never move my laptop anywhere other than around my desk, I just take out the battery and tape the power connector to the power port to prevent any accidental unpluggings.

I didn't know this could happen. What else is there?

[chera]

Is it through the screen saver thing?

Nope.  Most laptops and all desktops allow you to completely turn off the screen.  On a desktop monitor, just hit the power button.  On a laptop, the shortcut varies: In ThinkPads, it's Fn + F3.

Like putting the cooler under the laptop?

A cooler is active cooling - it uses fans to pass air through the bottom of the laptop and cool it down.  My technique is passive cooling - it take advantage of the fact that air conveys heat better than the surface of my desk; thus, hanging the laptop over the edge of my desk should cool it more efficiently than just leaving on the desk.

I'd love to have this.

Grab it here: http://www.rsdsoft.com/hdd-thermometer/

Make sure you set up the emergency actions, e.g., if HDD exceeds 50C, then enter hibernate mode.

[cool_kickin_dude]

silly question, but got an ipod for Christmas. probably have to charge it first, right?

[Ayabie]

silly question, but got an ipod for Christmas. probably have to charge it first, right?

Yes.

[cool_kickin_dude]

here's another. what program should I use to play a .ogm file?

[tiny]

I'm lazy so: Lazy Man's Guide to Ogg Media (OGM Files).

[frblckstr1]

here's another. what program should I use to play a .ogm file?

To prevent further questions like that, try a search like this:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=file+extension+ogm

[chera]

I use external USB drives (thumb drives and such) a lot, but when I want to unplug the drive, I hit Safely Remove Hardware and get a "The device can not be stopped now.  Try stopping the device against later" error.  Sometimes the culprit is a Windows Explorer window accessing the drive - shutting down explorer allows a safe removal.  But some times no applications seem to be running and yet the drive still refuses safe removal.  I'm cringe at just unplugging the drive for fear of loosing data.

So can anybody recommend a utility that identifies the location of files being accessed by running processes?  I've tried Process Explorer, but that only locates DLL files that are being accessed.

[tiny]

^ I experience the same thing. Usually if I wait a few seconds after the first error message I try again and the USB drive stops fine.

With Process Explorer you can search for Handles and DLLs. You should try the first. Alternatively there is the command line tool "Handle" which does the same.  http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/ProcessesAndThreads/Handle.mspx

Also don't forget to get the latest version of Process Explorer:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/ProcessExplorer.mspx

[thatguy]

^
unlocker v1.8.5 [link]
will just about identify and offer to unlock or kill any process or thread that's locked to the file or device in question.

[Masabi]

Okay.. So, Yahoo! Messenger won't let me call someone.  Whenever I try to use voice in chat it says I'm behind a firewall (I'm not) and whenever I try to call, she can hear me but I can't hear her???

[reine]

Anyone knows what I should do when I find that my HD has CRC error, whenever I try to write something the file (usually bigger than 1GB, stranglely smaller files seem to be ok) gets corrupted and gets CRC error. It happens with both downloaded files and local files. I tried chkdsk found some error and fixed it (just file system error, no bad sector), but the problem persists.

[frblckstr1]

^ That sounds like a temperature/ driver/ cable/ motherboard/ memory problem something gets corrupted.

When CRC errors do not happen in the same place, unless its an old drive its mostly not the drive itself.

If its in the same place: you can try a shortterm solution: rename the file with the error and move it to some unused place. Then the next writes will not hit that part of the disk.

But you should 'low level' check your drive (download a utility from the manufacturer and test it with that)

[reine]

thanks frblckstr, turned out to be bad sector in the HD after all. I just forgot to type the /R parameter while doing chkdsk *doh* is it normal for a new HD to have bad sector already, I only had it for around 1.5 years. My old HD (6 years old) never had any problem, is it  because I put the HD in external storage device without fan?

edit: gah looks like I spoke too soon, no more CRC error but my HD writes realllly slow now, usually takes only a couple of sec to write 200-300mb of files now it takes 30 secs or more T.T. Defraging right now. only 32 hours to go T.T . But if anyone has any suggestion, I'd appreciate it.

[NAzu]

thanks frblckstr, turned out to be bad sector in the HD after all. I just forgot to type the /R parameter while doing chkdsk *doh* is it normal for a new HD to have bad sector already, I only had it for around 1.5 years. My old HD (6 years old) never had any problem, is it  because I put the HD in external storage device without fan?

edit: gah looks like I spoke too soon, no more CRC error but my HD writes realllly slow now, usually takes only a couple of sec to write 200-300mb of files now it takes 30 secs or more T.T. Defraging right now. only 32 hours to go T.T . But if anyone has any suggestion, I'd appreciate it.

New HD's shouldn't have any bad sectors and I recommend that you RMA it. External storage device? You mean that it's outside the case in some kind of HD rack? Anyway it's good to have some kind of airflow around the HD that it doesn't overheat. You can feel it with your hand that if it's too hot also programs like Speedfan or Everest can show the temps of your HD. If your case doesn't have any free 3.5" slots I recommend buying a external usb case for the hd (quite cheap like 30-40$).

edit. frblckstr1 mentioned the manufacturers own utilitys. Samsung has HUTIL, Maxtor has PowerMax, Seagate has SeaTools and Western Digital has Data Lifeguard Diagnostic. Use one of those and check if they find anything wrong with the HD.