-----Original Message-----
Windows XP Pro has become very unstable. It crashed on me
2 weeks ago and I had to totally reload it and all my
applications. Now it has become unstable again with only
the bare bones installed. My data is backed up to a
server, but I can't backup windows and the apps because
the MS Backup Utility won't recognize a CD-R drive for
backups. I need a complete backup or I loose a whole day
reloading. Can I buy a better backup utility or is there
something I don't understand about the Windows version?
Any ideas?
HP Pavilion ZE5200 P4-2800, 512MB, 60GB HD
.
I also have an HP Pavilion (a330n, 512Mb, 120Gb drive plus
another 120Gb drive that I added later) running XP Home
(OEM install) and it's been great.
If I read you right your computer was stable - then it
crashed (two weeks ago) - then you re-loaded everything
and it was stable for a time - now it's unstable again.
If this is right then the computer itself is probably OK
and your problem originates in a program you loaded or
you've picked up a virus or trojan or ??other??.
Did you check to see if the programs you loaded were
compatable with Windows? Run Help and Support and
search 'compatability' (without quotation marks).
Have you installed all the Windows service packs and etc.?
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp
Do you have a good anti-virus program and do you update
and run it weekly and is its auto-protect feature always
on? If not you should get one and in the meantime you can
get online virus scans at:
http://www.coledata.com/virusalert.htm
http://www.cybertechhelp.com/html/misc/av.php
http://www.pandasoftware.es/activescan/activescan-com.asp
http://www.ravantivirus.com/scan/
http://www.bitdefender.com/
Online trojan scan at:
http://www.trojanscan.com/trojanscan/scanner.htm
If you find a trojan the following may help - it comes
courtesy Kent W. England, Microsoft MVP for Windows
Security
*** ***
Trojans are stealthy and not always found by anti-virus
software. If you find suspicious processes running or task
manager or regedit is being killed after opening, you
might want to try one of the following tools to check for
trojans (after scanning with at least two anti-virus tools
to get rid of the easy stuff).
DiamondCS TDS-3 - Trojan Defence Suite (TDS), leading anti-
trojan system for Windows:
http://tds.diamondcs.com.au/
Agnitum: Products: Tauscan: Home:
http://www.agnitum.com/products/tauscan/
Mischel Internet Security - TrojanHunterT: Finds and
removes trojans:
http://www.misec.net/trojanhunter.jsp
MooSoft Development Presents The Cleaner:
http://www.moosoft.com/thecleaner/
Hacker Eliminator. - Advanced Hacker Protection:
http://hacker-eliminator.com/
*** ***
Are you behind a firewall? If not you can download Zone
Alarm (find via Google) or you can activate the one that
comes with XP (run Help and Support and search 'firewall'.
Ad-Aware and SpyBot can also be found via Google. Update
and run daily.
Other sites that may have info that will help:
http://aumha.org/a/tshoot.htm
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/Security.htm
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/
Bill
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