My computer is knackered

[glennjridge]

paypal is always sending me email asking me to update my account information. I'm too scared its a trick. I just ignore it and hope everythings allright.

[Paulo]

So, I access my boot drive, and delete the contents of the Windows directory then re-install Windows and the rest of it stays on the drive?StevePSB

I'd also personally delete the program files dir.

I was going to copy the boot drive contents over to my storage drive, re-install Windows then try to get as much as possible copied back. Obviously things like my Thunderbird (e-mail) and it's contents will probably not be transferrable, but I was hoping to be able to transfer as much as I can back to the drive with the new XP installation on it.

Actually, this is a good idea. Try and back the whole drive up to a storage drive if possbile, just in case.

I'm pretty sure you can back up the directory that thunderbird stores all it's data in and then copy it back once you've reinstalled it. I'm not 100% sure as I don't use it but I'm sure the thunderbird forums will tell you which dir that needs to be backed up.

[Fugitive1979]

paypal is always sending me email asking me to update my account information. I'm too scared its a trick. I just ignore it and hope everythings allright.

It is a trick. NEVER submit your details.

[Dipso]

paypal is always sending me email asking me to update my account information. I'm too scared its a trick. I just ignore it and hope everythings allright.

It is a trick. NEVER submit your details.

Yeah, I get those emails too. I don't even have a PayPal account so I know they're fishy (phishy?).

[Fugitive1979]

fishy (phishy?).

Both.

I kept getting e-mails from Barclays Bank wanting me to update my details. I don't even have an account with them!

[Hmmm]

I wish Loins of London's computer would get knackered ..

[Loins Of London]

I wish Loins of London's computer would get knackered ..

I'm on a new iMac matey. You've more chance of a No.1 hit from Erasure.

[Undertaker]

You often get those bank e-mails. Every few weeks, the bank is different. Sooner or later they will get lucky with the correct bank and someone will fall for it.

My inbox now gets filled with spam from what looks like my own address but with an added punctuation mark somewhere. Don't know what thats trying to achieve.

Still, i've just been informed that somebody has passed away in Etheopia and he's left his $500,000 fortune to me. How lucky is that?

[Loins Of London]

Still, i've just been informed that somebody has passed away in Etheopia and he's left his $500,000 fortune to me. How lucky is that?

"Is that the sort code, sir?"

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=u7kJ8CovsNY

[Fugitive1979]

You often get those bank e-mails. Every few weeks, the bank is different. Sooner or later they will get lucky with the correct bank and someone will fall for it.

For the first time last week, I actually got one from "my bank". I guessed it was fake as the content was the same old pish as in previous ones.

[nekko]

Steve, Thunderbird account is easy to copy : install on the new machine, launch, type anything to create a fake account, and then close and replace this new folder by the old one, and you get everything back !

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_p ... ur_profile

And get a backup tool for the next time, like Acronis True Image

[mole973102]

And get a backup tool for the next time, like Acronis True Image

Yes, this is excellent. Here's what I do:
Create C: of 20gb
Create d: of rest
(I use Acronis DiskDirector off the boot CD with Acronis TrueImage also...)
Install Windows to C: and customise fully, updates etc.
on D: create a folder called RELOCATED! - DO NOT DELETE! and hide it. Show all files and folders.
Cut and paste folders: Desktop, My Documents and Favorites to D:\RELOCATED! - DO NOT DELETE! as part of the customisation. You could also add My Music, My Pictures etc...
Now use Acronis either by Windows (or make the Boot CD) and back up C:\ to D:\RELOCATED! - DO NOT DELETE!\pcbackup.tib and tweak options.
When you save data now in Windows, it will always be located on D:\ in most cases. If Windows is corrupted, simply reboot the CD, restore C and you won't lose any data!
Works a treat and periodically you can restore your image, update it and backup again - which stops a lot of viruses. Any suspicion, restore your image. I came up with this idea because before I did, I was twice hit on my credit card by gamblers.

If a company wants your password, it is a fake. If you want to test it, DO NOT click on a link, type the main address part manually and login that way. If you run Mailwasher Pro 6.3 before you load Thunderbird (what I do) you can kill any spam off first and preview mails before loading Thunderbird. My rule is if I get an attachment from someone I don't know or not asked for it - ie sent me a funny, then it gets deleted before I even downloaded it. Another thing I like about Mailwasher Pro 6.3 is that it shows links for what they are. So in a normal e-mail you may see: Check your statement here: http://www.paypal.com/ but in Mailwasher that would show for what it is, ie http://www.paypalcon.com/clickhere/ etc. Very useful.

I've lost count the amount of people I've had in the past that have died and left it to be discovered by their bank manager and all he needs to do is...

[mole973102]

I was going to copy the boot drive contents over to my storage drive, re-install Windows then try to get as much as possible copied back. Obviously things like my Thunderbird (e-mail) and it's contents will probably not be transferrable, but I was hoping to be able to transfer as much as I can back to the drive with the new XP installation on it.

Thunderbird is transferable. I did it by backing up the main service directory and just overwriting the reinstalled one with the backup: C:\Documents and Settings\StevePSB\Application Data\MailWasherPro (I probably would customise MailWasher manually on a reinstall though, because I wouldn't know if it was corrupted data)

I'd do this differently.
I'd connect a USB external drive or if several drives in PC, use some of that space.
I'd boot Acronis TrueImage CD and then image the whole drive C:\ is on, ie C: (D: if partitioned etc...) to this second drive, so I'd have an imaged non-working windows. You can either make image files or copy the partitions. An image file can be mounted as a virtual drive which is useful.

Once you have the image you can now do what you like to C:, so I'd format it and make it C:\ and D:\ as explained in post above this one. Acronis DiskDirector is great for this.

Once Windows has been installed, you can now see your imaged partition and do what you like with it. Copy across the safe data, virus scan etc to D:\ or D:\RELOCATED! - DO NOT DELETE! etc folder (I also keep the PC drivers in here as install files/zips etc).

Depending on the state of the backup, once copied what you need (ie non-virus data) you can then format the backup, wipe the main C: part again (that you just reinstalled), turn off and then turn on - reinstalling C: again, this time in the knowledge of being absolutely clean. Now you can be more thorough in customisation.

Alternatively, boot a Windows XP Boot CD which is a product made by clever people to boot a safe version of XP and allows you to see harddrive state of play.

Do I get 10 points in PSBAnswers?

[gregf]

You need to re-install any OS once every few years.
XP is no exception.

Everyone should have a backup and re-install plan.
Keep copies of OS and software you use.

Always back up your Documents+Setting directory.
That is where you settings for applications are including your iTunes DB indexes, Thunderbird&Firefox.
I believe in Vista it(Docs+Settings) gets renames \Users. About bloody time.

A year ago I bought a leading edge game that kept crashing my system.
I updated video drivers but that only helped marginally.
After months of troubleshooting we realised it was corrupt video driver installation.
Basically just updating them too often is enough to mess them up.
Solution re-install XP.

1. Get a new HD and install there. They are so cheap, and you keep the old system on yur old HD.
2. Re-install the OS.
3. Copy the old Documents And Setting folder to the new system.
This restores all you application settings.
4. Re-install all application.
If the application overwrites D+S, just restore again D+S again for that application.
4. Restore your home directory. like \home\steve or whatever.

[StevePSB]

I got the rescue CD yesterday, and for some bizarre reason my computer now refuses to do anything. It is so dead that the monitor immediately goes into power save mode (ie: the computer isn't even getting to the BIOS screen stage).

I have tried just about everything I (and my PC techy friend) can think of and I suspect the motherboard is now kaput too. God knows how that canhas happened given that it was still (trying to) boot XP the last time I used the bloody machin. Now it is totaly and utterly dead.

I am going to try to win a new motherboard on eBay in an hour or so's time and hope that I can get it at least trying to boot again, then I can try the rescue.

A totally frustrating experience. I now hate PC's a lot more than I did before!


StevePSB