Help!!!! Computer problems.

Is there a new computer virus going around?  My desktop started shutting itself down and rebooting Sunday afternoon and will now only run for about 5 minutes in safe mode.

Then today, I was working on my laptop (because the desktop isn't working) and it shut down completely without a warning and now doesn't seem to be getting any power and will not even turn on.

If anyone has any suggestions, I would be very appreciative.

TIA,
Thad

Wow Thad, that sounds like a headache....  i haven't heard anything, yet, but have you tried a system restore ?

This symptom was a Windows 2000 problem. Hard to get rid of. In 2010 it is called a "Trojan Horse". Supposedly, it is possible to put the "System" disk in the drive and bootup in "Safe" mode and follow the prompts. This worked for me once in W2K. XP either provides or allows the owner to make a system backup disk. I didn't get anything like that with Windows 7. No explanation either. This is an older virus, but it may be recycled. Hackers do that.

The laptop sounds more like a coincidence. You don't say how old it is, but laptops get battery problems. If the "system" battery on the motherboard fails it loses everthing and shuts down. Even running on AC won't power the board.
MLB

MLB-

The laptop is a couple of years old but it is seldom used (once a week for a hour at most).  It isn't running on AC power either so it sounds like "system' battery.  I hope it was just a coincidence.   Will i loose all data on the laptop if i get a new battery?

I will look for the system disk for the desktop.  I'm not sure if I have a copy or not.  Is there any other way to salvage the data on the computer?  I do have backup of my data but it out by a month or so I'm just dreding having to load all the software again.

Thanks.

Removing the system battery only loses the system data, not files on the hard drive. The other way to salvage hard drive data is to remove the hard drive and connect it as a "slave" drive on another computer. I actually used to keep one older PC around that I never put the cover on. I used it for all these little "science Projects" because it had been "retired" as an active work station. I used to always keep the previous generation workstation as a backup strictly for this purpose. Now in "semi" retirement this is no longer as critical. I don't have folks running to me with problems all day long. But if you are in "active" status, you need backup for more than your data. You need a "fallback" set of equipment that needs to be in a state of ready maintenance, so you can keep your projects going.

Keeping project data backed up on another device is mandatory. You can get an automatic backup drive with terabyte capacity for $100. It will keep you current within a few hours automatically. You can even network multiple machines on some of these devices. Definitely worth the price.
MLB

Seems that your computer is also  doing just that ...  Machine in control.


RADU

RADU-
I will laugh at your comment after my computers are fixed.

I guess I asked for it- MACHINE CONTROL- no control over it or my wife.

Turns out the laptop only needs a new battery.

The desktop will start booting and then goes directly to the start in "safe" mode with other options.

It seems now Windows doesn't want to run.  Have I lost all my data from that computer? (At least what i haven't backed up?)

Asked and answered. Most if not all of the data on the hard drive is still there. If you take this compter to a repair shop make sure you tell them you want to save the data on the hard drive. Some repair shops just automatically wipe the drive clean before they reinstall the system. If you ask them to remove the drive and "slave" off the files it can get pricey. Remove the drive yourself. It's not that hard.
MLB

Thad Glankler:

Turns out the laptop only needs a new battery.

The desktop will start booting and then goes directly to the start in "safe" mode with other options.

It seems now Windows doesn't want to run.  Have I lost all my data from that computer? (At least what i haven't backed up?)

 

Thad, boot it up in safe mode and copy your data off to another drive like an external. If you can't get it to access that drive at all take MLB's suggestion and pull the hard drive out and have some one pull the files off of there.
Then go out and buy your elf a 1TB external and back up your data on a regular basis. After all isn't your data worth more than $150.00?

Rob M

Rob,
I do have an external drive to backup my data.  The problem is actually using it.  I will probably go with the internet automatic backup after I get this cleared up.

Thanks again everybody for all your help.

Desktop will not open in any mode now.  I will remove and try to get the data extracted without loosing it.

Another approach to rescue your files:  download the Linux operating system called Ubuntu and burn it to a CD.  Pop the CD in your desktop's drive and boot from the CD.  You will have the option of installing the operating system, or running it from the CD.  For your needs, just run it from the CD.  Ubuntu has a graphical user interface like Windows, so you should be able open up the directories on your desktop hard drive and copy them to an external drive.

Peter,
Thanks for the information.  I will try that first.