Serious computer problems

[rgsaffron]

Hi guys. I've been looking for the intro thread so I could introduce myself properly but alas no luck. Not much to say about me, I'm an amateur writer,at computers but if you want to know about things ago about, like, Japanese music and pop culture, I'm your girl!

So, here is my problem:

A few days ago my computer was operating fairly normally (for the past few days it was a bit slow), when it suddenly said my c drive was very low and I needed to run a defrag. It all looked genuine so I ran it, but it soon said there was a major problem. Very soon everything went wrong, I can't access Control Panel or a lot of things properly, and it's pretty much like having half a computer.


Right now I can access Word, image galleries, Chrome, IE, Firefox and Safari without any problem, but it gives the same 'hard drive problem' if I try anything else, even notepad.

This is what I've been getting constantly.

It also appeared that all of the items in my documents were erased, but I've found that if I open the basic programme that an item was saved in I can save the items(e.g. opening word means I can save all my word docs when I go to Open and select Move To my memory stick) but I haven't saved those documents to my x-hard because if it is a virus then I might infect the HD.

I really have no idea what it is or what to do, is it a virus or a genuine hard drive problem? What should I do?

Honestly, I don't even want to turn off my laptop because I'm not sure it'll come back on.

All suggestions are appreciated!

 

[richc46]

Welcome
Sounds like you were a victim of malware
Run a full antivirus scan
Download and run malwarebytes and run the full scan

If that is negative
Go to start and type event viewer; in event viewer look for errors that happened at the time of the problem

If that does not show anything and you are sure that there are no virus etc. Make a system restore from a week before the problem started.
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/76905-system-restore-how.html

You can go to the website of the manufacturer of your hard drive to test the drive.

Some will say you can save your stuff with a virus, but it is my choice not to unless necessary.
You can use ubuntu to back up your stuff. After use you may have to reinstall the OS. This will depend on several factors but is a possibility
http://www.ehow.com/how_6981853_back-up-windows-ubuntu.html

 

[rgsaffron]

Okay I've run a full malware scan and it seemed to clean up the problem! Is there anything else I can do?

Also what is the best antivirus to get? I was using Mcafee security scan plus.

 

[richc46]

For you
on Windows
Microsoft Security Essentials and guess what free too, unlike Mcafee.

 

[jp07764]

You should run the sfc scan just to make
sure no system files were damaged in the removal
of the infection.
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/66978-system-files-sfc-command.html

Jimmy

 

[WindowzVista]

I've got a question to ask. Why would my computer blink? I'm asking because I don't want that in the near future.

 

[richc46]

I answered one of your questions in someone elses thread. You can ask as many as you like and you will get helped. It is not fair to you or to other posters to hijack their thread. Ask the question in a new thread and give as much information as possible and you will be helped.

 

[WindowzVista]

Seriously 0_0