Computer savvy people? Help required!

[Riley 0]

I'll keep this as short and sweet as I can...While the PC is working!

 

Sony all in one pc with windows 7 and google chrome/IE9.

 

A couple weeks ago I noticed that when browsing websites in IE9, any standard drop down menu's had become very spaced out (Space above and under the text within the select boxes) I thought it strange and presumed it was an IE9 update or something. It wasn't anything to do with the screen zoom (Set at 100%)

 

Anyway I left it alone, but yesterday Google chrome did the same thing. Wrongly (I now know) I thought something must have gone wrong with the PC. So i tried a system restore, I went back a few days.

 

Started up all fine, and the drop down boxes on any website were back to normal. All good.

 

Until google chrome updated and it started again...So It then clicked that it was just browser updates that were causing it rather than a problem with the PC.

 

So I then thought well, I may as well UNDO the system restore.

 

This is where things went wrong...It went through it all, but at the end said there was one error and it couldn't complete. I clicked ok, and though fair enough, I'll leave it as it is.

 

This morning the PC wouldn't start without going into a 'Start up repair' thing, looked like it was in safe mode too. It ran for like 5 hours!:scratch: And at the end it said, startup repair could not repair the computer, click ok to restart your computer.

 

I did just that, and it started up just fine. Not in safe mode or anything. I've shut it down a few times and all seems ok, but will it really be ok? Is there any way I can check things out?

 

I need reassurance because I work on this thing for my job. Can anyone advise? I'm currently running vaio hardware diagnostics, cpu passed, memory passed, and currently checking the hard drive via a funnel seek test?

[Riley 0]

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Edited November 8, 2012 by Riley

[Riley 0]

Pics added above. How about a scandisk/disk check? Worried that things have become corrupted/broken even though it does seem to be working.

 

 

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Edited November 8, 2012 by Riley

[Kevin Bacon 5]

With stuff like that I tend to backup all my important stuff and do a clean install of the OS.

 

Have you tried a virus scan to make sure nothing is lurking in the background?

[Riley 0]

Aye, I have a paid mcafee total protection and nothing has shown up. Just trying to remember if the pc came with a disk or not, I don't think it did because it seems to back up onto my external HD.

 

When I have a look, there's an icon 'Neil-vaio' which when I right click, it gives the option to 'Restore, from this backup.

 

Will that be the OS?

 

 

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---------- Post added at 5:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 4:57 PM ----------

 

Is that known as the system image? Maybe restore from that?

 

 

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[Supercharged 2]

If it's ok now then I wouldn't worry to much, I'd download and run Malwarebytes though as that seems to find things that normal Virus checkers don't.

 

Re-install of the OS is a bit drastic unless things are really corrupt or you can't boot the OS, most spyware I've seen recently is fairly easy to get rid of...

 

You could post a screenshot of the processes running in task manager - I'll see if there is anything odd in there.

[guildmage 11]

I'd download and run Malwarebytes though as that seems to find things that normal Virus checkers don't.

 

That is so very true. There is nothing better than Malwarebytes check every now and then. It finds "stuff" than no other antivirus will.

 

Think you may just experienced a glitch with restoration process. If things working fine now, leave it as is.

You should still make sure you backup all your data! Especially before doing any other system restoration in future :)

 

ps. Additionally to check for any odd errors you may want to open Event Viewer and check System and Application section.

[Riley 0]

Cheers lads. I just wanted reassuring really, and hopefully everything seems ok. I've done all the inbuilt Vaio checks, all ok. And I've done a disk check, all ok there too. Seems to be running fine so far, just worrying!

 

I've never really used the event viewer before so unsure what to do with it, but here are a couple running task screen shots, anything untoward?

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[Riley 0]

Thank god all still seems well this morning!

[G60 CS 0]

I work in IT, whilst Malware bytes is very good HitmanPro is better MUCH better it can be found at http://www.surfright.nl if it says its clean it is. As for your your system files you could always run system file checker launch an elevated command prompt and type the following: sfc /scannow

 

or look here if that didnt make sense : http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

 

Sony's tend not to come with recovery media these days. when you first power up a new sony it prompts you to take a full system backup this would be what you would need to do a system restore. If you didnt follow this procedure then you will have to contact Sony who will charge you £50 for set of recovery disks

 

cheers Simon

[Supercharged 2]

There's a lot of stuff running - probably at start-up like most off the shelf PC's these days - but nothing I can see that looks dodgy...

 

If it takes a while to boot you could try and disable some programs that run at startup and sit in the system tray

[guildmage 11]

...and to do that you can:

* Go to Start (Windows icon) -> All Programs -> Startup (and just delete all shortcuts there)

* Go to Start (Windows icon) -> In search field type "msconfig" -> Startup tab -> and you can also disable from there any software you think should not be running on startup

 

Additionally, go to Google, search and download software called Defraggler (it's free). Get it installed and defrag your system/data drive. Defraggler is much better than windows defrag but in effect does the same thing.

You can also, download software called Ccleaner and clean your registry and generally whole system of unused drivers, etc... but please be wary as you may remove something that should not be removed!

 

In the end no matter what you do, you will never get this PC to its former glory - the only way to do it - is by doing clean re-install of the Operating System... that is the way of Windows I'm afraid :(

[Peebee 0]

...and to do that you can:

* Go to Start (Windows icon) -> All Programs -> Startup (and just delete all shortcuts there)

* Go to Start (Windows icon) -> In search field type "msconfig" -> Startup tab -> and you can also disable from there any software you think should not be running on startup

 

Additionally, go to Google, search and download software called Defraggler (it's free). Get it installed and defrag your system/data drive. Defraggler is much better than windows defrag but in effect does the same thing.

You can also, download software called Ccleaner and clean your registry and generally whole system of unused drivers, etc... but please be wary as you may remove something that should not be removed!

 

In the end no matter what you do, you will never get this PC to its former glory - the only way to do it - is by doing clean re-install of the Operating System... that is the way of Windows I'm afraid :(

 

Yup, defraggler is good, thinking about it it's been a while since defragged my PC. "Spybot Search and Destroy" is always useful for a clean up. (free)

 

 

 

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[Riley 0]

Cheers for the suggestions lads, appreciated.

 

EDIT: Ps, I had a lot of browser windows open in both chrome and IE9 when I did the task manager screen shot iirc.

 

The PC is pretty new and tbh there's nothing on it, few pictures and word documents etc along with website backups. Nothing else apart from the McAfee, it's the only add on/program i've ever added to it as I don't like downloading other stuff (Itunes etc too actually!). I try and keep it uber clean/empty! I always defrag and whatnot which it does quickly too.

 

It boots up pretty quick and it all seems to be working normally so fingers crossed it seems fine.

 

Has anybody else had the latest Google chrome update? I'm on 23.0.1271.64 m and it's this that seems to have made drop down menus change/become expanded more :scratch: May help us work out if it's definitely a browser update thing or not before I maybe try some of the suggestions.

Edited November 9, 2012 by Riley

[guildmage 11]

I use Chrome on my win7 at home and work, also on my GF macbook (snow leopard) and on most of windows servers (2003 and 2008 ) I manage through work. Never seen any problems you are experiencing. Are you sure it was dodgy Chrome update?

It could be just some sort of odd toolbar you got installed by mistake or some sort of broken add-on/plugin? Hard to say, could be anything. In IT world anything is possible tbh.

 

I'm also running version 23.0.1271.64 m. Could you make a screenshot of your expanded drop-down menus?

[Riley 0]

Hmmm, it's a strange one that's for sure. Here's a screen shot of ebay.

 

Notice how there's a lot of space between lines/text within the drop down menu. Any drop down on any website has gone like this after the chrome update. Weird. Previously the lines of text within drop downs was always a lot closer!

 

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Edit: Even on my own site at Volksdevil, the drop down menu to view active topics etc has gained a lot of space between lines of text:scratch: and yet I've not made any changes to the site for a while now.

 

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Edited November 10, 2012 by Riley

[guildmage 11]

and if you go Chrome -> Settings -> Extension , what's Enabled there ?

[Riley 0]

I only have the one extension, siteadvisor which is part of McAfee.

 

Does the drop down on ebay look the same to you with chrome at all? Thanks for helping!

Edit: Just disabled siteadvisor, closed chrome, reopened and still the same on ebay/Volksdevil etc.

 

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Edited November 10, 2012 by Riley

[guildmage 11]

Nah mine drop downs look ok. There is something not right with yours tho. Disable that SiteAdvisor extension, and restart Chrome.

 

Also, are your drop downs fine in Internet Explorer? Maybe try to un-install Chrome and re-install again?

 

edit: Forgot to ask if your bookmarks synced with your gmail profile. Cause if not... export them first!

Edited November 10, 2012 by guildmage

[Riley 0]

No change with siteadvisor disabled (Sorry edited above post) But weirdly, IE seems to be fine, hadn't thought to check as it was IE that I first noticed it on a couple of weeks ago. But now it's ok!:scratch:

 

I also just ran the hitman virus checker thing mentioned earlier, no threats detected, just a few tracking cookies which I deleted. I do delete cookies often too anyway. Here's ebay via IE9.

 

Think we are getting somewhere. :thumbleft: Can I reinstall chrome without losing all of my bookmarks etc? I have wuite a lot.

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And here's Volksdevil in IE9 too, notice how much smaller the drop down menu is from chrome.

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[guildmage 11]

Chrome -> Settings -> Bookmarks -> Bookmark Manager -> Organise -> Export Bookmarks to HTML file ...

 

...or login with your gmail account and sync bookmarks to google cloud once and for all :)

Edited November 10, 2012 by guildmage

[Riley 0]

Good stuff, I'll look at giving that a go tomorrow (Need sleep badly) Thanks for the help everyone, appreciate it.:thumbleft:

 

Neil.

[guildmage 11]

ok, also make sure you know all passwords to all sites you're accessing... cause that will also get lost during re-install (I think)

[Portent 0]

As long a you know the password for the email address that your other sites were registered to then you should be able to recover them if you miss any.

[Riley 0]

Noted. Cheers lads.

 

 

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