Appraisers' Free Forum

I have a bad computer problem.

Yesterday am my computer screen was in (I think) DOS mode and it said windows could not recognize my hard drive. I hit the enter button and it shut down. I turned it on again. This time (after a weird DOS looking screen) it brought up my desktop. I quickly used a mapping program, during which time the screen went blue with a brief error message and shut down.

I went to class and hoped/prayed for the best.

I came home, turned on the computer and got the same weird DOS screen that said something about a boot agent but it started and the desktop appeared again. Using a sync software, I synched some files to my laptop to keep from redoing what I've done since the last sync (my version of a backup). I then updated and ran Spybot, CW Shredder, and AdAware.

Spybot SD.exe indicated a corrupt file (\Docume~1\administrator\recent is corrupt and unreadable. Please run the chkdsk utility). On checking c:\program files\microsoft Intellitype Pro\mshwLog.txt, the computer then froze and I got a message "External Exception 0000006" and it shut down. I turned it on again and that chkdsk utility ran on its own.

Running Spybot again revealed three bad boys: Cassava, CouponBar, Win32.Iroffer.af, and StatCounter. All three were reported to be erased except Cassava. I was asked if Spybot could run immediately on startup to try to remove it. I answered yes. I turned the computer off.

Now when I turn the computer on, I get that DOS looking screen with Boot Agent message then the Gateway Logo and have the optionto hit F10 for a boot or some other F key. However, nothing happens when I do.


Any suggestions? Yes, I know I should have updated things sooner. What I need to know is what do I do NOW!

Sounds like you have a BIOS infiltration .. download and run the AVG Root Kit on your computer and see what you get ....

Wow, you've got problems!! You are well beyond my minor computer skills. I'd pack it up in a box, and humbly ax for help from my local computer guru.

Mel, that's exactly what I intend to do unless someone here tells me what I can do.

Doug---the computer won't boot up. How can I download or run anything?

Can you get into the BIOS and run auto detect hard drives?

Well bro ... I presume that since you are posting here, you have another computer that you CAN use to download the program, burn it to a bootable CD and then put it in the drive of your ailing computer, turn it on and press F8, F1 or F10 (yes, you may have to try it 3 times to find out what the BIOS trigger is) and set your BIOS to first boot from your CD drive, rather than your HDD, and run the root kit program from the bootable CD you made ....

At least that is what I would try before I turned it over to someone who is going to erase the HDD and start all over again, while apologizing for losing all of your data and saying it couldn't be helped ... trust me ... I have seen it ....

Call if I can help you in anyway ... but you knew that already .... didn't you?

If you have your original Windows OS CD, you might also try booting from it and entering "Recovery" and see if you can boot it from there and then run your BIOS repair program ...

what the heck is bios and how do i get there?

actually, I turn the computer on, the screen doesn't let me do anything.

It says F1O (boot) and F2 for BIOS.

I hit the F2. Nothing. Again.......nothing.

Screen went black, "the hard drive was not found. Consult the troubleshooting section of your users manual.

Press the esc key to prevent displaying this warning in the future.
Press the Enter Key to continue.
Press F4 to run setup.

Pressing F4 does nothing but make a funky buzz sound from the CPU. Pressing Enter does the same thing.

Turned off and back on, same message.

Sounds like your hard drive has fragged.

Starting to sound like your HDD has tanked ....

Great minds??








..... or Echo <echo> <echo> <echo>

Joker wrote:what the heck is bios and how do i get there?

I thought a bios and hard drive was something you lose around about 40 years old??

Same theory .... but a little different application ....


His HDD has gone floppy ...

Well the consensus is that the HD is toast. You guys, Gateway tech support, and the local computer guru all say the same thing.

Now.....
Since I am looking at replacing my 80 gig HD, is there anything I need to know or think about?