computer ideas and help

[dejibo]

I have struggled with my old computer for some time now. I got my new computer, and have taken the time to really clean up the old one. its SLOOOOW! it take 12 to 15 times of clicking IE or Mozilla before you can finally get one to open up, after an extended wait. some programs will open, some wont. I have run AVG, AVIRA, McAfee, KAspersky, Malwarebytes, superantispyware, nortons, and several others. Malware found some trash and removed it. kaspersky found something and removed it. it was still amazingly slow. in frustration I reset it to OUT OF THE BOX condition. I did a reboot back to factory presets. Clearly it didnt erase all files, cause I still had some icons on my desktop, and it saved some passwords....weird.! so, I decided to completely format the whole damn thing. After the format, it started, and I loaded all win updates incl Ser pack 3. updated IE and mozilla. was doing FFXI and it shut itself off. wouldnt restart. then next day, it restarts like nothing was wrong, but IE and mozilla are excruatingly slow! I have to start and restart them numerous times to get them to open.

I am frustrated and ready to put a bullet in this thing. I did a complete format of the HD of C: I am wondering if D isnt corrupt, even tho all scans show it to be clean. I have been advised that whatever virus I had caused the mother board to corrupt itself, if that is even possible.

Ideas? suggestions? I bet I have tried most of them, but am willing to listen. I am NOT willing to pay ANY money into this machine. I am NOT willing to pay the $50 to send it in for diagnostics. All the diagnostics I have run say all sectors are intact and fine, the whole RAM is being seen, the HD is being seen, and so forth. Should I just say this mid level machine did its best, and gave its all? is there something i am missing?

[Yvondith]

First off, forget FFXI. If this is the comp you're sending to me... don't bother with FFXI because I'll just uninstall it.

Secondly, why aren't you willing to get it checked out? I'm a little disappointed because this was supposed to be given to me for giving you Yhamuna, and never mind all the work I put into the old Dejibo. Of course, assuming this is the computer we agreed on. At least here, diagnostics for a computer is quite inexpensive. The repair on the other hand, isn't always the case.

There may be something wrong with the RAM... just going by past experience, I installed a new RAM stick in an old Win 98 computer, after the old one got fried by an electric surge, and the thing ran like utter crap after that. However, I'm not the expert here.

When you come down to NC, and if it's still not working, let me have it as-is, and I'll tinker with it. Good practice for me anyways.

[dejibo]

First, thank you for allowing me to borrow yha when you couldnt play or wanted to change characters. I did the same when I left Hume Dejibo/yhamuna this last time. I think we have both loved, and enjoyed her. I lost and gained in that transaction as well. I ALWAYS pass my old computers to you regardless of what was going on in the game. As for yha, she is sleeping soundly with an empty account, no gear, and ...nevermind. This isnt about yha anyway. It never was.

You KNOW that If I can get this thing up and popping I will. My point about not wanting to sink more money into it is that I paid to upgrade the RAM, and have already checked, the RAM is being reccognized. I spent $75 upgrading the RAM already. I had it in two shops already. One local guy at $50 told me that "motherboard had been affected by something viral and he couldnt help me, unless I wanted to replace the board" I put it in the Professional repair shop where I was told that their diagnostics didnt pull up anything, and they reccomended a complete HD format. I allowed them to do that once already, and it didnt help. That was $75. So, I am already $200 into a computer that I am giving away. That $200 could have been better spent going towards a NEW system vs a system that has issues that leave you scratching your head. I am also spending countless hours pecking, poking, and pulling apart this bad boy.

Please, dont think i am trying to cheat you, you know if this bitch can be fixed, I will fix it, but you reach a point of throwing good money after bad, and have to say to yourself that its better to invest in a new system vs continueing to throw money on this fire. Make sense?

Please know that I am forever grateful for all of the help I received on Dejibo, both mithra and hume. This computer was NEVER about any character in any game, it was ALWAYS yours with or without game characters. I dont believe I have ever left you standing with an empty hand, and want to reassure you that I am trying my best. IF this can be fixed, it will be on the truck when I come down, if not, we will work something else out.

I am just hoping maybe someone here is gonna think of something that I havent already thought of.

[Yvondith]

OK, I understand. I wasn't aware that you had already spent money on diagnostic work, and a RAM upgrade. I recant my previous statement! I apologize for any hard feelings.

I honestly don't know... are you using the restore disk to do the reformat? I may have to take it apart myself one day and replace the motherboard. Would be costly, but would be excellent practice for me.

[dejibo]

I dont think its the motherboard, I think maybe a "sector" of the HD is affected, but maybe such an obscure peice of the HD that the scans are not doing it. I am going to REPLACE the current RAM sticks with the old RAM sticks and see if its faster, and then do a complete wipe of the HD. I may install Ubuntu just too see if maybe its a windows thing, and well, gonna tinker with it. I have till January when I come down there to figure it out. If fixable, yeah! if not, we will go shopping to get another one. I simply am not putting another dime into "this" machine. its like a puzzle, that I KNOW I can fix, but till I figure out the correct thread to pull, its gonna make me insane! I can and will figure this bitch out.

Thank you for the apology. That meant alot. I think I have been pretty generous all of your young lil life, and couldnt figure out why you were feeling cheated. I have never left you hanging with empty hands, so...thanks, it meant alot that you apologized.

now, back to the machine. I promise to fix it.

[masaia]

The motherboard can't be infected by a virus... If the system has been fully formatted and is back to nothing but windows, then it's possible that the hard drive itself could be bad. I know you said you ran diagnostics, but sometimes they are misleading. Did you run an internet based diagnostic, or one that came with the computer itself?

A second possibility may be that they put the wrong kind of RAM in. I hate to say that's the case, but it's also a possibility if it freezes straight after a format. Did you have any problems during the format process?

Those two options seem the most legitimate. It also could be the processor, but I'd like to rule out hte hard drive first. Do the computer fans run high and fast? Does it sound like a vacuum cleaner most of the time? That could be a sign of overheating, which could be a old/bad fan...

If you were closer I could take a look at it @_@

EDIT: For not reading a paragraph correctly!