ponyplayerdotca
07-10-2008, 07:24 PM
This one's a long story, so get comfortable guys! :ThmbUp:
Here's my situation:
PC System
MICROSOFT XP HOME EDITION Version 2002
Service Pack 3
(always updated to current fixes)
Intel (R)
Pentium (R) 4 CPU 2.40GHz
1.80 GHz, 512 MB of RAM
System Restore turned ON
Here's an issue that started about 2 years ago, went away for a year, but has now resurfaced, such that it keeps happening 1-3 times a week.
After my computer shuts itself down from WINDOWS, and the power light on the front of the computer goes off, I "switch at the back" turn off, and "power bar" turn off my computer every night.
To fire it up the next day, I turn on the power bar, flick the switch for power on the back of the computer on, and then push the power button on the front of the computer on to get it going.
This is the problem:
After I switch on the power bar on the floor, and I flick the power button on the back of the computer, instead of waiting for me to press the power button on the front of the computer, it just starts itself up automatically (as if I don't have control, so to speak).
Usually flicking the switch on the back of the computer simply turns on some green lights inside the casing, but not actually fire it up until the button on the front is depressed.
This message comes up now upon booting instead of going to the "black WINDOWS XP with progress bar" page and "welcome" sequence:
Black page, INTEL at the top with information, then this message:
===
"A 533 MHz system bus processor is installed. This processor is not supported on this desktop board, and will run at reduced processor clock speed. System performance will be affected.
Do you wish to continue to boot at 400 MHz system bus and reduced processor speed? (Y/N)
Press Y to continue, or N to shut down."
(Note: I have no idea if this technical info is TRUE or not, or is simply part of the suspected issue or virus that gets me to do what it ultimately wants.)
===
Now, the result of which has been I select Y, then the system usually says (paraphrasing because it didn't happen this way today): "Can't run, press F4 to run setup."
That would then take me to a page where it showed me that my computer's clock was set to Jan. 1, 2002. It allowed me to reset the clock to whatever time and date it was that day, then hit F10 to save changes. Then it would proceed to the "black WINDOWS XP with progress bar" page and "welcome" sequence.
That would start up WINDOWS with the proper clock and date settings.
This fix lasted for a year or so the first time. Then it mysteriously re-appeared again one day last year. It has recently happened about 7 times in the last 3 weeks.
Today, however, is the first time it didn't quite follow the same procedure.
Instead of telling me to press F4 to run setup after I pressed Y, it started WINDOWS up normally on its own, but once launched, I noticed the time and date were December 31, 2001.
So, I right-clicked the bottom right hand corner of my screen and selected ADJUST DATE/TIME, and changed it to today's date and time manually. Then, I restarted my computer.
It booted up no problem, and when WINDOWS started, today's date and time were there as I had just set them.
===
Long story longer....I think I have some sort of embedded virus from two years ago still affecting my computer.
I have KASPERSKY anti-virus, and update it religiously everyday. It seems to catch things all the time, so I believe it to be working well.
However, this "message and time altering" issue now leads me to believe otherwise.
I will say that if I don't switch off my computer at the back after it shuts itself down, then I can simply push the power button on the front the next day, and it starts up fine, without losing its clock memory.
I am not much of a computer technical person, but I do understand some basics. Any info or help you may have is appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Here's my situation:
PC System
MICROSOFT XP HOME EDITION Version 2002
Service Pack 3
(always updated to current fixes)
Intel (R)
Pentium (R) 4 CPU 2.40GHz
1.80 GHz, 512 MB of RAM
System Restore turned ON
Here's an issue that started about 2 years ago, went away for a year, but has now resurfaced, such that it keeps happening 1-3 times a week.
After my computer shuts itself down from WINDOWS, and the power light on the front of the computer goes off, I "switch at the back" turn off, and "power bar" turn off my computer every night.
To fire it up the next day, I turn on the power bar, flick the switch for power on the back of the computer on, and then push the power button on the front of the computer on to get it going.
This is the problem:
After I switch on the power bar on the floor, and I flick the power button on the back of the computer, instead of waiting for me to press the power button on the front of the computer, it just starts itself up automatically (as if I don't have control, so to speak).
Usually flicking the switch on the back of the computer simply turns on some green lights inside the casing, but not actually fire it up until the button on the front is depressed.
This message comes up now upon booting instead of going to the "black WINDOWS XP with progress bar" page and "welcome" sequence:
Black page, INTEL at the top with information, then this message:
===
"A 533 MHz system bus processor is installed. This processor is not supported on this desktop board, and will run at reduced processor clock speed. System performance will be affected.
Do you wish to continue to boot at 400 MHz system bus and reduced processor speed? (Y/N)
Press Y to continue, or N to shut down."
(Note: I have no idea if this technical info is TRUE or not, or is simply part of the suspected issue or virus that gets me to do what it ultimately wants.)
===
Now, the result of which has been I select Y, then the system usually says (paraphrasing because it didn't happen this way today): "Can't run, press F4 to run setup."
That would then take me to a page where it showed me that my computer's clock was set to Jan. 1, 2002. It allowed me to reset the clock to whatever time and date it was that day, then hit F10 to save changes. Then it would proceed to the "black WINDOWS XP with progress bar" page and "welcome" sequence.
That would start up WINDOWS with the proper clock and date settings.
This fix lasted for a year or so the first time. Then it mysteriously re-appeared again one day last year. It has recently happened about 7 times in the last 3 weeks.
Today, however, is the first time it didn't quite follow the same procedure.
Instead of telling me to press F4 to run setup after I pressed Y, it started WINDOWS up normally on its own, but once launched, I noticed the time and date were December 31, 2001.
So, I right-clicked the bottom right hand corner of my screen and selected ADJUST DATE/TIME, and changed it to today's date and time manually. Then, I restarted my computer.
It booted up no problem, and when WINDOWS started, today's date and time were there as I had just set them.
===
Long story longer....I think I have some sort of embedded virus from two years ago still affecting my computer.
I have KASPERSKY anti-virus, and update it religiously everyday. It seems to catch things all the time, so I believe it to be working well.
However, this "message and time altering" issue now leads me to believe otherwise.
I will say that if I don't switch off my computer at the back after it shuts itself down, then I can simply push the power button on the front the next day, and it starts up fine, without losing its clock memory.
I am not much of a computer technical person, but I do understand some basics. Any info or help you may have is appreciated. Thank you in advance.