Computer question --how to get rid of Kitro Worm

cp1969 · Nov 13, 2007

The 160 Gb drive that's in it only cost $59. I don't think it's dead. When I ran chkdsk on DOS, it found it had one bad sector that it said it repaired.

Tig · Nov 13, 2007

Have you tried to install windows since you ran chkdsk? If it was the boot sector that was repaired you should be good to go and reinstall windows.

cp1969 · Nov 14, 2007

Tig, thanks for the tip on the little hole in the cd drive. that worked.

Yes, I tried the reinstall after I ran chkdsk. That's when it went belly up.

I have been reading up on Ubuntu and Linux. If I have to format and reinstall (which will mean I will lose a bunch of stuff) and start from scratch, it will probably not be with Windows.

Tig · Nov 14, 2007

If chkdsk still runs then I think a bootable Ubuntu CD will not only read the drive it will be able to copy files across your network to another machine where they can be put on CD. Make sure that other machine has an up to date virus scanner to check each file.
After that you can use the Ubuntu CD to install Ubuntu on your hard drive. I would also recommend Firefox as a browser and Open Office for word processing etc. These Linux equivalents look and feel similar to what you might use on Windows.

SnowRidge · Nov 14, 2007

Before doing anything else, I would check the CMOS ram settings. They can be corrupted by a worm or virus. Run SETUP on your machine and set everything back to the defaults. You have nothing to lose by doing so. The key combination that lets you get into SETUP usually flashes on the screen when the machine is first powered on. Give it a try.

Soundguy · Nov 14, 2007

Tig said:
There is a small hole in the front of the CD drive. Straighten out a paper clip and put it in the hole. When you feel the bottom of the hole poke the clip in gently but firmly. That will manually eject the CD.
Sounds like your hard drive has gone to the great bit bucket in the sky. When you power on do you hear a drumming noise after the disk spins up?
I have used Ubuntu Linux for email, chat and surfing. It's a great alternative.

In the 'old days' when IDE just came out.. drives seemed to last forever.. nowadays I'm replacing drive in mine, my wifes and brother's computer seemingly every few years... that's backwards.. technology is suposed to get more reliable.. not less reliable!!

Soundguy

SnowRidge · Nov 14, 2007

Soundguy said:
In the 'old days' when IDE just came out.. drives seemed to last forever.. nowadays I'm replacing drive in mine, my wifes and brother's computer seemingly every few years... that's backwards.. technology is suposed to get more reliable.. not less reliable!!

Soundguy

When the drive makers went to 7200 RPM drives, the bearings couldn't take it. The newer drives have fluid bearings instead of ball bearings. They are supposed to hold up better.

Tig · Nov 14, 2007

SnowRidge said:
Before doing anything else, I would check the CMOS ram settings. They can be corrupted by a worm or virus. Run SETUP on your machine and set everything back to the defaults. You have nothing to lose by doing so. The key combination that lets you get into SETUP usually flashes on the screen when the machine is first powered on. Give it a try.

Good point.

cp1969 · Nov 14, 2007

If only I could get that far. The first thing to appear on the screen is the message "a disk read error occurred....."

I took the thing to a techno-geek place today and dumped it off with the express instructions not to spend a lot of time on it. I would rather spend the money on a new computer as that one is about 6 or 8 years old.

I'm using my daughter's Apple notebook. I could get very used to this thing. On paper, it's specs would not appear to be much better than my old dead desktop but it is fast and easy to use. I guess if you make efficient use of things, you don't need so much RAM and processing power.