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AR15.COM
8/2/2008 3:40:29 PM EDT
guys i have a strange situation- a friend of mine's labtops been actin funky

when its loading up, it gets JUST before the login screen, the screen goes black. the computer will only load up into safe mode. when he tried to install pc protector, it wouldn't it said, "contact tha administrator LOLLL!!"  he ran spybot, malwarebytes, and regcure, nothin. nothin's worked. he thought it was malware, nothin he's done is working.

is it a fried graphics card? no?

thanks for your help guys!
8/2/2008 3:42:04 PM EDT
[#1]
Grats, he has a virus.

What laptop?  I suggest wiping it and installing Linux.
8/2/2008 3:42:37 PM EDT
[#2]
Format it and reinstall its the only way to be sure
8/2/2008 3:48:39 PM EDT
[#3]
F disk.
8/2/2008 3:49:31 PM EDT
[#4]
boot into safe mode.   open device manager,  open display devices  > right click on the video adapter installed > click uninstall then restart the computer
8/2/2008 4:41:15 PM EDT
[#5]
Graphics driver. uninstall it and reload.
8/2/2008 4:49:51 PM EDT
[#6]

Quoted:
boot into safe mode.   open device manager,  open display devices  > right click on the video adapter installed > click uninstall then restart the computer
8/2/2008 5:39:39 PM EDT
[#7]

Quoted:

Quoted:
boot into safe mode.   open device manager,  open display devices  > right click on the video adapter installed > click uninstall then restart the computer


alright guys he tried it, it booted and all, and then he installed the video driver again from nvidia (nvidia GEforce 7800GTX) - then he started it again, and- the same thing happens. he assumes his graphics card is fried, another friend of mine said, you might as well reformat.
8/2/2008 5:41:27 PM EDT
[#8]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:
boot into safe mode.   open device manager,  open display devices  > right click on the video adapter installed > click uninstall then restart the computer


alright guys he tried it, it booted and all, and then he installed the video driver again from nvidia (nvidia GEforce 7800GTX) - then he started it again, and- the same thing happens. he assumes his graphics card is fried, another friend of mine said, you might as well reformat.


If his GFX card is toasted, a wipe/reinstall won't help.  Though it might be worthwhile to try to narrow it down to a hardware issue.
8/2/2008 7:18:40 PM EDT
[#9]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:
boot into safe mode.   open device manager,  open display devices  > right click on the video adapter installed > click uninstall then restart the computer


alright guys he tried it, it booted and all, and then he installed the video driver again from nvidia (nvidia GEforce 7800GTX) - then he started it again, and- the same thing happens. he assumes his graphics card is fried, another friend of mine said, you might as well reformat.
I suspect he has set the resolution too high for the computer.. Re install windows,, should fix it.. I have done the same thing before.. So it works fine under safe mode?
8/2/2008 7:36:10 PM EDT
[#10]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:
boot into safe mode.   open device manager,  open display devices  > right click on the video adapter installed > click uninstall then restart the computer


alright guys he tried it, it booted and all, and then he installed the video driver again from nvidia (nvidia GEforce 7800GTX) - then he started it again, and- the same thing happens. he assumes his graphics card is fried, another friend of mine said, you might as well reformat.
I suspect he has set the resolution too high for the computer.. Re install windows,, should fix it.. I have done the same thing before.. So it works fine under safe mode?


he hasn't done anything else yet- yes it works fine in safemode
8/2/2008 7:38:51 PM EDT
[#11]

Quoted:

he hasn't done anything else yet- yes it works fine in safemode


hell try a system restore then. wont hurt.

ETA make and model please
8/2/2008 8:23:40 PM EDT
[#12]

Quoted:

Quoted:

he hasn't done anything else yet- yes it works fine in safemode


hell try a system restore then. wont hurt.

ETA make and model please


tried a system restore already.

DELL XPS M170
8/2/2008 8:25:40 PM EDT
[#13]

Quoted:
Grats, he has a virus.

What laptop?  I suggest wiping it and installing Linux.


  Yeah, get maybe a Ubuntu Live CD.  Gnome partition manager is your friend in a case like this.  
8/2/2008 8:29:51 PM EDT
[#14]
The Dell laptop I use at work did something similar. I sent it to the repair guys and they said one of my memory dimms was bad. I have new memory on order.
8/2/2008 8:31:48 PM EDT
[#15]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:

he hasn't done anything else yet- yes it works fine in safemode


hell try a system restore then. wont hurt.

ETA make and model please


tried a system restore already.

DELL XPS M170


You cant boot into the diagnostics. F12 select  diagnostics and run it.

Its probably software related though since it works in safe mode just fine. Did you install a newer driver or just let it re detect the old one?  
8/2/2008 8:37:24 PM EDT
[#16]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:

he hasn't done anything else yet- yes it works fine in safemode


hell try a system restore then. wont hurt.

ETA make and model please


tried a system restore already.

DELL XPS M170


You cant boot into the  diagnostics. F12 select    diagnostics and run it.

Its probably software related though since it works in safe mode just fine. Did you install a newer driver or just let it re detect the old one?


he unintalled the driver - then while in safemode downloaded a new one
8/2/2008 8:40:47 PM EDT
[#17]

Quoted:

he unintalled the driver - then while in safemode downloaded a new one


how about the chipset drivers


run system file  checker  ie click run then type in sfc/ scannow. may need XP disc though
8/2/2008 8:42:32 PM EDT
[#18]
"contact tha administrator LOLLL!!"

Is this actually what appears on the screen? If so then it is probably some type of virus.