Computer is Crashing

[freddie2]

I have a Toshiba Satellite, Intel Celron, Windows XP Home, Service Pack 4. I know that I am operating with 95% of my memory full. I do not have recovery disks that came with this Toshiba but I DO have an XP console that came with my Dell--if that matters.

I booted up this morning and the windows error message "the file or directory C is corrupt & unreadable. Please run CHKDSK utility' came up, first thing.

I get back from work and while attempting to upload files onto a site for back up Firefox displayed this message:

Firefox has detected errors.

We recommend that you clean your system immediately to prevent a system crash and/or loss of data.

Install RegCure (Microsoft® Certified Partner) and clean system

Technical Information:

Could not initialize: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{H2BKL0-7548-11CF-A520-0080N99LF58A}

Could not initialize: HKEY_SYS_CORE\VAR\{WL43320-7677-GFH4334K}

Corrupt entry: HD_SYSTEM\ID\{HF49480-7JF77-SD33H49}

I have no clue what I am doing. Please help if you can. :)

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

A few things...

• there is no Service Pack 4 for Windows XP, at least not from Microsoft; please check again
  
• when you say 95% of your memory, do you mean hard disk?
  
• did you run CHKDSK when you were prompted?
  
• do you have antivirus / antispyware installed, is it up-to-date, and did you recently run a scan on your computer?
  

That "RegCure" pop-up indicates that your computer may be infected with malware.

[freddie2]

Thank you :) I am breathing now.

*It is 3

*Yes, my hard disk

*No, researched it and found I need the recovery console

*Ran MAlwarebytes and Avast scans--nothing found (defragged about a week ago w/defraggler)

I just read about that regcure prompt and learned that I closed the window down properly by right clicking--phew!

So, I have windows telling me that it's corrupt through my task bar, I am assuming, but now with the 'scareware' prompt...I am wondering about the former prompt. My computer seems to be running fine...but dang right I am backing up what is not already!

Thank you. :)

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

You can run CHKDSK by opening a Command Prompt, then type

chkdsk C: /r

where C: is your hard disk or partition where Windows is installed. It will ask you to reboot, and the CHKDSK is performed during boot time. It can run for quite a while if you have a large hard disk.

P.S. see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265/ for more information on CHKDSK.

[freddie2]

Thanks for pointing me to that. Everything else that I read...was in a language I cannot comprehend. So, do I have to back up all of my files before doing this? That I could not find in the article.

[rong]

It always pays to backup any files you don't want to lose before doing repairs

[freddie2]

I figured as much, and have begun copying to a source online. I just did not want to be forced into doing it when all of my files are not backed up yet--especially if deleting is a standard part of the process. I am still copying but my connection is wacky so it's taking some time.

CHDSK came up by itself while booting up this morning--though too briefly for me to get an idea of what was going on. Now all is running smoothly. I do intend on running it through the prompt next but what I am wondering is if I have to be here the whole time it is going or if I can run away like I can with defragmenting.

[MANEMAN]

Hi there.

what I am wondering is if I have to be here the whole time it is going or if I can run away like I can with defragmenting.

Run away if that is your previous strategy. :) Just remember your previous strategy got you into this situation in the first place. :(

It's a computer not a television. ( So many people forget that fact, until they realise they are about to lose all of their files. :0 )

With computers keep your finger on the pulse all of the time. (Anti-Virus, Anti-malware, a good backup system in place, A Disk Image prepared in the background for emergencies, etc; etc; etc.)

Pay good attention to the information given to you by "Pat" and "Rong" in the last few posts.

Dont rely too heavily on a backup that is stored on the net. (Cloud).

A "hard" backup in the future to external Hard Drive or DVD Disk will serve you well. Uploading files to an online backup is good, but like watching gloss paint dry. To external disk or DVD is fast, - and you can make duplicate copies which can be stored both in the home, and other locations outside of the home, - fast !

Get it backed up, - and then someone here will help you to sort out you operating system problems.

John.

[freddie2]

Hi John!

I think perhaps you misunderstood me. I did not want to run away from the problem itself, just wanted to know if there were steps that I had to confirm, or something, during the process and had to be present in order to do it. I'd say that 80% of the data on my computer was backed up (90% of that on CD) prior to this incident, which I venture to claim is more than the average person has. It's just that I have not backed up what I've accumulated over the past month. That is all. :)

So far as getting an external hard drive is concerned, I have considered it. The biggest issue is that I live in an environment that eats up anything electrical or metal very quickly, especially if it is not powered on a daily basis. Then there is the increase in robberies on my street...and the fact that welfare will not be distributed over the next couple of months, which really makes me want to not have much on anything that is physically present at all and rely solely on internet storage. I know that may seem silly on a security level, but I'd much rather it be compromised over the internet than in my own small, talkative community. Reading what's on my profile will explain that more. :)

I am almost finished backing up....