My PC is broken

[Bellydancingcaroline]

My PC at home stopped working yesterday and I feel so lost . It is a bit old, and needs more memory inserted in the C drive, plus the virus checker and firewall packed in last night also. I had moved lots of files off the C drive to try to defragment it, hoping it would give a bit more memory, but what I've inadvertently done is delete some crucial files, and now even MS word won't work. I don't want to trust my baby to a stranger to fix, so am now trying to locate a friend who can sucessfully remove the virus (es), and upgrade the memory without loosing won't delete anything.

I feel quite isolated as a result of not being able to bhuz , and no being able to check email (we can't at work).

[Bellydancingcaroline]

I tried to run the virus checker last night and a little alarm went off, sending me into a panic, it said "you have a virus, it's unsafe to operate with a virus, click here to let Avasti restart your computer and deal with the virus", then I clicked OK, and it said "cannot restart", so I paniced, and turned the thing off, and I've been too scared to switch it back on again....

[sumayasaahir]

Oh you poor thing. I go bonkers without my internet connection, as I live in the boonies. Ifeel your pain. Here is hoping for a quick recovery of your baby :)

[suzyq52]

Gosh, if my computer was down, I'd sure miss it! I think it is attached at my hip!!!! lol

Hope you get yours up and running before long!

[Bellydancingcaroline]

Hello - just to let you all know my computer is still out of action, which is why I haven't been on the board recently. Miss you all - Caroline

[rosey]

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...emrestore.mspx

If your computer can be turned on at all, you can use system restore to get the virus out. The link above explains how to do it for windows xp. If you have a different system, just google system restore with the name of your operating system.

It won't do any harm to try this, and sometimes it works miracles.

The link above doesn't mention that you can also get to System Restore by turning your machine on and hitting (I think) F8 when the machine wakes up, which is handy in case nothing at all is accessible.

[waldim10]

Yikes you have my sympathy, but given what you've done you might need th help of an IT support professional. Somebody who knows what they're doing.

I hate to be ageist here, but as you've said your pc is older, dont talk to any body under 30. I'm probably too far to be any use but if you get really desperate I can probably get it sorted, but it'll cost you about £100 in petrol.

[Bellydancingcaroline]

I am too scared to do anything else myself. I think it was the "whoop whoop" alarm on the virus checker that frightened the living daylights out of me. I can't update my website or anything until it's fixed. I have located a friendly repair shop who will take a look, and they sell spare bits as well, so hopefully I'll be up and running again in a week or so....

[asim1]

Yes, take it to the repair shop. Unless it's the Geek Squad, whom I do not recommend in the slightest.
My only other advice is to backup what you can before you let them have it, just in case. :)

[Bellydancingcaroline]

I have left my PC in the shop, and they say I should get it back on Saturday. I sincerly hope it ain't no geek squaddy working on it. Instead of working on the intornet, I have been reading books, and have tidied my house from top to bottom (well sort of) got the duster out and everything. Gosh, all this spare time.