What should I do?

Bash

Should I reinstall windows or reformat my computer:

Here is the deal:

Ok, I was not able to get on my normal sites lately (ebay, google, and some others) I have not been able to access them lately, anyways, I have virus checked and such.

MentalMadness

just reformat it. it could still be a virus and reinstall windows would not kill the virus.
you could also clear your hosts file. its in C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc.

BOD

u checked that connection properties are right etc?

RN

Reformat it.

Bash

hmmm, brefore i reformat, I think i should clear my hosts file

BOD

formatting is a bit drastic just cos he cant access the net. we might as well try to fix the problem first

Bash

oh great.. how do i clear my host file?

BOD

what its the hosts file??

Bash

ok here is an idea, I have VNC activated, if you want to help me, just IM/PM me within the next 30 minutes

Thump

You could try to install Ad Aware and run it.
Someone did that recently and it worked.
Or you could delete all your cookies and temp
files and that might work. I'm assuming you
can get on the net but when you try to go to
your regular sites that it trys to take you
somewhere else instead. It might be worth a
try. In Internet Explorer click Tools and then
select Internet Options and delete the files or
I think in some versions it's under View.
Good Luck
Thump

Bash

oh i forgot all about adaware, but i think i shiould also run S&D

DevilsJim89

Run spyware/adware progs and see what happens then try to access the sites and if it works then your fine, if not

- check your hostsfile see if anything in there is listed as blocked
- backup everything and then perform a clean install. that always does the trick.

Q

I'm gonna guess that you're on an NT Kernel...

*Moved to Support area*

-Q

Bash

Thanks Q, I forgot to say that I was on Windows XP.

BTW I have tried restoring, no luck though.

Ka0s

start, run, c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts


Take anything but localhost out. If that doesnt work, reformat, it never hurts to reformat.

BOD

flush the dns cache

start, run, type "cmd" without quotes

ipconfig /flushdns

Ka0s

Thats flushed every time you reboot :P

BOD

worth a try tho

wingzeroismine

yeah, when XP is going downhill you might as well just format and install again. Then install all your protections programs. Did you upgrade to SP2? Maybe the firewall is causing problems.

Bash

no I havent installed SP1 or 2 yet. Last time i installed SP1, my computer screwed itself up. I am a little leary because of SP2.

Anyways, lemme do those things (flush dns cache and ill try to remove everything from hosts) anyways, Q volenteered to help me via VNC.

Anyways, I am trying to stay away from reformat unless I can transfer some of my programs to my slave HDD and backup the registry (of the programs) and still have the programs that took me a LONG time to get running.

Bash

Ok, Is it possible my computer cant access some sites because i failed to unstall FFX .8 before installing FFX .9?

Q

That might do it...

Try uninstalling both and then installing Ffx .9.3

-Q

PS. Sorry for not being there, I was braindead tired @ 2.15 and figured if I waited untill 5.15 I'd do something stpuid and fuque it all up.

Bash

Ok, I have copied m HDD to my external with my brothers PC and my laptop scanning it. (I split the drive into 2, half my brothers PC will do, the other half, my laptop)

Anyways, I will
R E F O R M A T

but this time, I will give windows only 8GB (swap too) and the rest to progrAMS