Could a malware have killed my laptop?

I have(had?) a compaq v2000z that began acting strangely a day or 2 back.

I first noticed that internet explorer was acting strangely when opening new tabs. the new tab would cause the menu text to disappear as well as acting in a continual stage of loading a page.

then everything started moving extremely slowly today even after rebooting, and I was getting constant error messages during every program that I tried to use or that was in startup. I fist noticed it when I rebooted and Gt a windows genuine advantage notification, error telling me that it had encountered a problem and needed to close. Then I started getting errors like invalid pointer operation on spyware begone, and various other prgrams giving similar error messages, I had several problems trying to take screen captures and save them in paint and repeating messages, I even switched to wordpad and pasted the screen into it, and still had issues.


Then the really strange thing was the mouse was not responding properly, I could move over a scrollbar or minimize, or even close, and it would be as if I were in an area I was not allowed to use the mouse, like an image or something. I could sometimes get it to work by minimizing and maximizing back and fourth, but at this point it was so insane I Did not know what to do.

That was the first issue, any ideas?

the rest is for the folks that know much more about computers than I do.


my other issue came when I tried to do an repair install of XP, I had gotten to the point of it asking me If I wanted it to repair the files in my computer with those from the cd, I said yes, but after a few seconds I got an error message one of the files was missing. (I had moved the laptop to a table, and thought this might have caused the cd to skip) Then I hit "f3" to quit, and I rebooted to try again, only, it somehow created an 8mb partition, and instead of windows asking me if I wanted to repair my window installation, It kept asking which partition I wanted to use.

I Also had issues even getting it to run at this point, It kept telling me there was a file missing,and that it needed to hit "r" with the cd in the drive, then it would repeat the repair installation, but I kept hitting the dead end with the repair instalation becoming confused t the apparent 2 partitions.

I have removed the drive, and am attempting to salvage the files by using a friends hard drive enclosure, but If it is some sort of virus , could I spread it that way?

I may copy the files (and I am not sure which ones I need from the system) And just let the thing overwrite the drive, unless someone knows a better solution.

thanks, and sorry,

this has just thrown me for a loop especially with the possibility of having to get a new computer and not having a clue what I should get if this can't be fixed.

 

Like you, my first thoughts would be malware, corruption, or a failing hard drive. I would also guess that you’ve somehow corrupted the MBR (Master BOOT Record) either prior to or after you tried to repair the OS installation and that you will likely never get it to BOOT without wiping the drive. Since you’ve already removed the drive and put it in an external enclosure, just scan the drive for virus before you start backing up files. Other than your own data it would also be very helpful if you could recover the original “software setup” folder if it still exist on the drive, though I think your unit may have come with a driver disk. Once the backup is complete:

1. Delete all partitions and format the drive
2. Return the drive to the notebook
3. Boot into the BIOS (F10)
4. Run the basic hard drive and memory tests available in the BIOS
5. If it passes all tests, try re-installing the OS.

Note: There are much better drive diagnostic tools available, some provided free by the HD manufacturers, but the one in the BIOS will do if you have nothing else. Keep in mind however, the BIOS HD test may pass a drive that’s in the process of failing (been there, done that). If your original drive is old and you plan on keeping the unit, then I’d suggest that after you do the basic OS install and check system operations, that you stop and consider getting a new drive before you spend hours setting up your system.

6. Update BIOS & Install drivers:

- BIOS F27
- Chipset & Graphics (ATI)
- Processor (AMD)
- IDE controller update
- Conexant Audio
- NIC
- Broadcom Wireless
- Conexant Modem
- Ti Medai Card Reader
- Touchpad driver
- Quick Launch Buttons

* Drivers for the V2000Z/L2000 (LiveStrong version of the V2000Z) are here:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=228&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=1114027&lang=en

* You can find a number of ATA-6 replacement drives at places like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010150380 1035907889&name=ATA-6

 

If you are trying to get some files off it - DISABLE AUTORUN ON YOUR FRIEND'S COMPUTER. NOW. A lot of viruses spread by using the autorun.inf file.

And yes it is not unheard of for malware to screw up Windows. What you should do after reformatting the drive is to NOT USE INTERNET EXPLORER EVER AGAIN. Opera, Firefox, Google Chrome, any of those are much better, stabler, and faster browsers than IE. And get yourself an ad blocker too, i don't know about Chrome, but Fanboy's Adblock List is available for both Opera and Firefox.

 

www.malwarebytes.org

Download and install/update, then run on your drive.

 

Man now I realize how truely little I really do know about computers.

Well I am going to work off of my friends desktop, until I fugure out what I want to do.

I have already tried opening files from the drive so hopefully I have not transfered any malware.

I have noticed that some files move ok, while others bog down and give me a
"cannot copy the path is too deep" error

it lags alot but I am not sure if it is due to it now being an external drive, or if the drive itself is damaged.

I know there are some files, I have transfered that I have not been able to move even after 2 or 3 attempts.


I am debating on trying to buy a new hard drive but I don't know how to reinstall windows, plus the hp specific files, I will need from the old drive.
It is over 4 years old, I know I bought it some time in 05.

I gues I ned to price hard drives, and see if I can replace it under $50, and I might think about it. On the other hand one of my usb ports broke the other day, and the 2 remaining are not acting like they are in perfect shape.

thanks for the advice everyone.

I guess I will have to do more thinking and look at current models to see if I just want to upgrade early.

I was hoping to wait and see what apples tablet would be, but this and the fact I have not saved up yet kinks that idea.

 

Without seeing your V2000z, it would be very difficult for anyone here to help you accurately determine if the unit is salvageable or not. As a point of relevance though, I can tell you that we had a L2000 (LiveStrong version of the V2000z in black) and that electronically it was impressive for its day and is still relevant. The ATI 200m chipset will run Vista with Aero smoothly with a good configuration. If everything on your unit is/was functional mechanically & electronically (-1 USB port), I’d guess that installing XP and updating to SP3 on a new drive would solve your problems. Actually, if your unit is 4 years old and you’d never re-installed windows, I’d say it was probably long over due for a fresh install anyway.

Unlike the “Recovery” disks that come with new units today, your unit came with an OEM full version Windows XP installation disk and a Driver disk. This is a good thing!! If you have the disk, you really don’t need anything else except your data. As uN1Qu3 mentioned, disable auto runs, and then scan the old drive with an anti-virus program. Get what you can. It’s impossible to say for sure, but based on what you’ve said and the age of the drive I'd guess your drive is failing. If you decide to get a new HD, installing windows and the drivers is not difficult and your unit will likely run faster than it has in years. This is the drive I’d recommend based on what’s available at NewEgg and your price restriction. It’s a tick over, but it’s a new technology drive with increased disk density and will run much faster than your old one did when new.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136129

Last, should you need or decide to do the HD replacement and need help with the install, the next time you post please include the specs and/or model number of your unit. It will help those trying to assist you in your recovery.

All the best…..

 

I did not read your entire post, but my brother downloaded a virus and it physically fried his ram. So, yes.

 

I have been working on and with computers for nearly 30 years. I have never seen any virus or malware that physically caused damage to a computer.

In my opinion I would have have to say that malware or a virus did not physically kill your laptop. Most likely either your HD is failing or malware/virus issues has damaged your OS (software issue only).

While you have your HD attached to your friends computer try running a chkdsk on it to see if it has any bad/repairable sectors. You can do this from My Computer, then right click and select properties on your HD. From the Tools menu perform Error-Check on the HD.

 

I'm not saying this is the case for him, but my brother downloaded "something" a stranger who added him on Instant messenger. Next day computer doesn't boot. Took it to the computer shop, the guy showed us the fired ram memory card. It was a virus that was written to write to ram memory multiple times.

 

There was the Chernobyl virus some years ago, which overwritten your BIOS with zeros, basically screwing up your motherboard unless it had a removable BIOS chip.

That was a long time ago, but since voltage control registers are exposed on todays' mobos, it is not impossible to write a program that sets the voltages so high that it fries something. I miss the days when i was 12 and playing around with jumpers in my computer. Now everything you need, you can find in the BIOS, or you can even access under Windows. Booooooring, and prone to so much evil things.

However, nowadays, cases of a virus breaking hardware extremely rare, because virus and malware writing has become an industry. Data mining, advertising forced upon the user, keyloggers, fake antivirus programs, all of those generate big money. And they can't get the money if the victim's computer no longer boots.

@ optimustarzan, RAM is written to LOTS of times. That's what it is designed for. That program couldn't have done that - it probably increased the voltage.

 

FYI:
His unit is one of the last HP models to come with an OEM full version OS disk and separate Driver disk (at no extra cost I might add). They had no "Recovery Partition" or "Recovery Disks". Personnally, I wish it were still that way but I understand why they do not. Ahhhh.... the good old days.

 

Hey, for that matter, my DV7 had only the recovery partition, I made disks but have never trusted their bloatware including the disc maker, so I ordered discs for about $20, and ended up using them to recover when needed.

I'd prefer disc's and not have to deal with a separate partition anyway, it may be faster, but that's all IMO.

 

I am really torn.

I don't mind spending $50 tops to fix the laptop, but prices are dropping to the point where I can pick up a netbook that has the same processor speed, but half the ram, for like $300 average, I have even seen "regular" ones so I am thinking it may be time. I just wanted to wait till after win 7 was out, as well as the mac tablet, to see if it would be better suited for me.

But hearing this about not getting a full cd for the OS has me thinking, that I may need to try to fix this one and save up for a better class of machine.

Oh and antivirus, I need to factor that in to my decision on whether or not to go windows or mac, I don't want the hassle of hunting freeware and updates and hunting the web to solve some problem.

I did have another extraction question though.

I have no idea how old the enclosure I used on the HD was, specifically whether or not it was usb 1 or 2.0 or what.

I don't even know if this would make a difference, but would the transfer rate make any difference? I tried transferring some files to a desktop, and I had better speed, and luck at moving files at first. then I got the too deep error.
I assume this could be corrupted files?


I don't even know where to start looking for a new laptop, or what I should be looking for.

 

You start with a list of your requirements. If you can't think of any, there's a list provided for you by this website under "which notebook should I buy." That's where I would start.

 

This could give a hint to your problem.... What version are you using? If it is the older version then try upgrading with the newest.

Try running Malwarebytes (free): http://download.cnet.com/windows/ to clean your system of possible problems.

If you found some... try to install your browser "Cleanly". Try switching to firefox or chrome. They are better than IE.

 

Spec wise
I am also unsure, mine is(was) a turion 64 that runs 1.6ghz but
i have 2 gigs of ram.

Netbooks apparently all use the 1.6 atom.

I was saying that on paper they sound close, other than ram, but I am so out of the loop it is like these core 2 duos and other dual core processors, they claim like 2 ghz, but I don't understand the difference, and what that means performance wise, it is like a marketing gimmick to confuse the consumer.

I may go in and try renaming some of the difficult files to see if that helps in moving them, I need to get my own enclosure. I hate to ask my friend again.

But I guess I will at least buy a hd enclosure, transfer everything I can, wipe the drive and reinstall windows, to see if it is the hd. I might get a new hd I am still thinking about it. I want a new computer but I don't really have the money right now, but I could probably get something, if I have to.

thanks again

 

Chris…

If money is a concern (as it is with most of us) and you really can’t (or don’t want to) afford a new notebook right now, then at least give the repair a try if the rest of the unit is satisfactory. Who knows, you might not even need a new drive. If you have to buy an enclosure and a new harddrive though, you will not have totally wasted your money because you’ll be able to use them later as a backup system when you get another computer. (Guessing you kind’a wish you’d of had that before the crash )

Understanding your dilemma though, I think you’re on the right track. Recover what data you can and give the fix a try. If your unit was OK for you before the crash, it will likely be so after the repair. The 1.6Ghz Turion with 2GB of RAM on the Ati 200m chipset running Windows XP SP3 and IE8 is actually very good for everyday tasks (Web, Word, music, and light picture or video editing). I still have a 9 year old DIY desktop unit (AMD XP 2000 T-Bird overclocked to 2.0Ghz on a Asus A7V133 with an Ati AIW 9600 Pro) up and running with nearly the same specs as your V2000Z. I’m actually amazed sometimes at how smoothly it still does basic stuff (including recording TV) compared to our new technology dual core Vista notebooks.

Give the fix a try before you decide. You have very little to loose and everything to gain… time, money, and personal satisfaction.

 

“ can not copy file is too deep” error.

I’ve never seen this error and at first glance I just kind’a blew it off as malware or a corrupted drive. Mistake on my part, but I did however do a bit of searching and a good number of people have reported the issue and it doesn’t seem to be related to malware. I’ve yet to find a documented specific cause(s) or solution but some seem to have found resolution by different methods. The good news however is that you may perhaps be able to recover more of your data than you’ve anticipated.

These may sound a bit peculiar, but listed easiest to hardest here is what I found:

1. Don’t plug the external drive into the front USB port of a PC. Use a rear port.
2. Use the free version of TeraCopy to transfer your data ( http://www.codesector.com/download.php )
3. Put the files in a Zip folder on your external drive then copy the Zip folder to the new location and then unZip.
4. Use the DOS copy commands to move a folder or file.
5. If the PC you are connecting the external drive to is NTFS then convert the external drive to NTFS.

Anyway, there are also related server solutions for file/folder character length exceeding 255 but none of that should apply to you. The USB 1.1/ 2.0 topic you asked about would have an impact on data transfer speed, but if you can see the drive and select folders or files to copy and some files move and others don’t then I don’t think you have a problem there.

Maybe someone else can add something else helpful here, but I actually kind'a take this as a good sign that just perhaps his drive isn't toast afterall.

 

Found in 5 min:

http://teknotes.wordpress.com/2007/08/01/cannot-copy-file_name-the-path-is-too-deep/

http://blog.sillica.com/2007/12/05/cannot-copy-filename-the-path-is-too-deep/

two of the major reasons listed here.

 

Yeah…. I looked at both of those. He’s only connecting a notebook harddrive in an external enclosure to a PC and trying to recover his data. I think a Check Point firewall is N/A in this case and the second link is where I found a couple of the possible solutions I listed. I still haven’t seen however, a specific documented cause or consistent solution, just some possible solutions found by trial & error that have worked for folks when faced with the problem.

The good thing though for Chris is that it doesn’t appear to be malware related.

 

the bad thing is I am having problems recovering data.

it is strange I can get some stuff to move, then when moving another folder or file it will freeze up, I can sometimes disconnect the drive and get more to move, but it still keeps freezing ,up, leading me to suspect the drive is going out, the latest error reads cannot copy ____________ the request could not be performed because of an I/O device error.

I am going to keep trying. but it seems to be freezing up more and more often.

 

I/O device error means the hard drive is busted. Try Unstoppable Copier to get whatever data you can off it: http://www.roadkil.net/program.php?ProgramID=29

 

I broke and got a new HD.

It seems to work ok, but I had to borrow my moms dell xp cd to reinstall, at least until I can find my OEM disk.

I had trouble with the bios, I could only get the second version to install.

I also may have partitioned it wrong.

I thought I would try out linux and vista, so I made a couple of extra partitions.

I can't access them, but then again I haven't had time to try installing anything else, So I may have to reformat and reinstal xp, I am not sure I need to get back to it.

I also am having trouble with my xp licence, my key does not match what the activation is asking for my key has 5 segments, and they are asking for 8

I am thinking of getting a pcmcia usb adaptor to replace my broken port, especially since my remaining two ports are no longer working correctly.

is it possible to resolder my broken port (if thats the problem)?

I had planned on waiting on upgrading, but I am at least going to start looking at a replacement, just in case, I really felt like I had my pants down, I am glad it was just the HD, so at least I have time to shop around first.

I have decided I don't want anything bigger than a 14, inch screen, or else I will get a desktop and possibly a netbook, but I really would rather just have a single computer as I basically abandoned my win98 desktop once I got this laptop, and other than adobe CS and manga studio , and other art programs like painter, thats About all I need to run, Games are great, but I screwed up and got an xbox about a, month and a half ago. I could kick myself now because I would have just gone out and got a new computer If I hadn't.

I also tried unstopable copier, and I agree the drive must be screwed, as I can only seemingly move single files, and not folders as it hangs, So when I get time I guess I will verify what I already archived, and try to recover the rest, It has just been so hectic. But I at least now have the luxury of taking my time, in recovering it.

 

Kind of a rambling post there Chris, but good you’re making progress . Based on what you’ve posted though, I think I’d just do the basics first (XP single partition) and see if all’s well with the notebook before I started tinkering with multi-boot configurations and such. It might help with your USB problems as well.

At-any-rate, if you think you may have tanked the partitioning of your new drive, try installing XP again and deleting all the partitions when it comes up during the install. Let XP install and then do the drivers (i.e. chipset, processor, video, sound, etc) and then update to SP3 and IE8 but do not let windows update the chipset, video, or sound. Get the system stable and fully functioning and then (if required) think about updating the BIOS to F27.

Note: There is also a F.52 BIOS but it’s only for Vista. F.52 will cause some Quick Launch function losses if you use it with XP… been there done that.

Last, call Microsoft and give them the KEY on the notebook to get a new one when you register the OS. When you have that all squared away... then add what you like.

 

Thats kind of the issue, I used a dell cd to reinstal that already had sp3 on it, I am wondering if I can even register, as it is xp pro, I may have to find my oem disk to be "legit"

thanks for the tips on bios, I was talking with my stepson, and I think I may have rolled it back to an old version, but I cant remember what It was on before this mess happened.

I do know this has really got me thinking about getting a second system of some sort, just to be able to have a backup if my main one goes down, and able to access the net for advice.

 

In my opinion I would have have to say that malware or a virus did not physically kill your laptop. Most likely either your HD is failing or malware/virus issues has damaged your OS (software issue only).

While you have your HD attached to your friends computer try running a chkdsk on it to see if it has any bad/repairable sectors. You can do this from My Computer, then right click and select properties on your HD. From the Tools menu perform Error-Check on the HD.

 

Well we already concluded it was the hard drive failing, he got a new one and it works now, read the above posts. And i wouldn't run chkdsk on a dying HDD even if it was the only utility i had. Does SpinRite ring a bell to anyone?

 

JulieAdam, your so busted, and a first post at that! Why did you re-post my reply from post 8 in this thread as your own? Did you think after two weeks no one would notice?

As has been mentioned the problem the OP had has been resolved so there is no more merit in posting to this thread.

P.S. At the time of the "original post" it had not been determined that the HD was definitely dying but was to provide the OP with some help in recovering his original data from a problematic HD. The drive did have some issues but not identified.

 

LOL….. Thread Plagiarism……. that’s just too funny.

Anyway, to answer Chris’s question…. You can only use the Key on the underside of the notebook to re-install a version of the OS that was originally installed on your unit. If your unit came with XP, you can only use the key to reinstall XP. It will not work with XP Pro. If you can borrow a Retail or OEM XP disk it will work, but you can’t legally use a Dell (OEM) XP Pro disk if your unit came with XP.

If you can find it, the original Driver Disk that came with the unit could also come in handy. Though you can find more current drivers for nearly everything on the disk, it also contains some of the original software that you might find useful. Example: ATI (now AMD) DVD Video encoder. All the drivers and software were also in your original software setup (swsetup) folder “if” you are able to salvage it from the old drive.

Last…speaking of old drives…. after you’ve recovered all you can from the drive, try to format the drive and see what happens. Though it’s sounds very likely the drive has failed, you just never know so give it a try and test it before you toss it out. Who knows, it could become your new backup.

 

This might help: http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/selfhelp/PKUInstructions.aspx A nice tool from Microsoft itself. It has worked many times in my own use, worth trying.

Install Windows with any key, doesn't matter as long as it installs. Then do as the website instructs and enter the correct key from the bottom of your laptop. Windows should be activated automatically.

Only thing to worry about, is to install correct version of OS, Professional of Home. Can't mix those

 

ok Well I am very much disliking pro, and the feeling of being at work it produces. I have to log in and pulling up task manager causes a crappy windows security pop up asking if I want ot even go to TM.

I don't like it.

The good news my oem driver disk is with my oem xp disk, the bad news is they are probably in a box somewhere, I am going to try and find them.

Spinrite is more than I payed for the new drive ($90 ) even if it works like a champ, it is not worth the cost to me, at this time. I am hoping to recover a few more files, but if I can find freeware or cheapware that does it , I will call it a loss, even unstoppable copier froze up.

I still want to try and reformat the drive, but only after I have tried all my cheapo options to extract the remaining data.

I take it resoldering my usb port is probably a no no, as well.

I think I am going to get a pcmcia flushmount adapter and that will probably be it. I had toyed with upgrading my processor, but the rest of the hardware, is likely not worth fooling with.


I do have one more XP question, can I upgrade to xp 64? and will my processor run it.

I have a ML-30 turion 64, 1.60 ghz, with 2 gigs of ram.

I remember on the old hp/compaq forum for my model and its twin their was a big stink about dual channel being disabled on my chipset, or something like that. but I am not sure if it matters.

But would it even be worth it to switch to 64 on my model, or should I just stick with 32 bit xp when I find my oem disk and reinstall?
(I might even try vista, but considering my sister has 4 gigs of ram on hers, I am doubting It would be worht the trouble, but I don't know.

 

Yes it'll run 64. But XP 64 is a disaster, go straight for win7 if you want 64-bit. As for XP Pro and the task manager thing, it can be disabled. Or just use ctrl+shift+esc instead of ctrl+alt+del.

 

Didn't know about Ctrl + shift + esc, sweet

 

I have had several recurring issues.

I had one that caused me to reinstal firefox, thinking it was corrupted, the fix worked for a day or so, and it just came back.

Only now its not just firefox, I have had some problems with just my basic desktop. It acts as if my cursor is hovering over and area that cannot be selected. For example the scroll bar will become unresponsive. I have also had to minimize, and even switch windows to get tabs or the tool bar to work, on firefox, (I am running 3.0.14) I might try upgrading to 3.5 again if the bugs have been worked out.
I had avira pick up a virus or something, but the popup closed before I could read it, so I rescanned, and told it to fix the problem, it told me to reboot and rescan, and it is doing that as I type, problem is I noticed the same issues with firefox, on avira as well. I also could not initially get the taskbar or start menu to respond, the cursor moved, but acted as if it were hovering over an image or something.


I am still running the unregistered xp pro (at least for the next 12 days) or until I can find my original xp disk or find an alternative (cheap or free)OS

In responce to the above problems, and not being able to find my cd (yet hopefully) I tried installing ubuntu, but I am having problems getting it to run my wifi card, I am getting ready to give up, if I cant find a solution soon, problem is the instructions are either over my head, or the menu options I am told to use are unavailable to me in my system.

to top things off my remaining usb ports have gone haywire, they are so spotty, that. I am getting concerned I may be required to get the pcmcia card just to have them at all.

Good news is linux insatlled fine, other than I tried instaling it in windows, thinking it would be virtual, and its not, so I uninstaled it, but I am still being asked If I want to boot into it, after selecting xp,

 

I am really starting to feel like I am driving around with a non firing piston, with this laptop, I have a wacom hooked up, and its connection blinks in and out.

I may need to start a new thread.

Is real pc "repair" worth what it would likely cost?

as in say buying a new engine for a 1980's Car?

I had an old one that some guy ripped the bumper off, and they wanted to total the car, even though the engine only had like 90k on it.

I mean,at what point is it that the cost is really more more than the computer is worth and I should just look at upgrading?
Percent? dollar amount? opinions?

I have always assumed any repair will be insane due to the insane prices places like best buy charge just to install or remove programs.

Much less a hardware issue.

 

Well, if you really have a hardware issue then it would be best to buy a new laptop. That's why i only use my laptop when i need to - if something in my desktop computer breaks, i only have to replace the broken part, not the whole machine.

Anyway. Do things work fine under Linux? Like, your USB ports? Because if they do, your issues are 100% software related.

 

If I can figure out this driver issue on my wi fi card I am ready to switch and try it out, but until I get wireless working in ubuntu it hard to tell, because I have bee booting into it and trying stuff, and booting back into xp to try and find a solition, but I don;t recall any issues, but I sure wouldnt bet on it either

 

Well, Linux can be pretty hard to set up for a beginner - i've always reverted to Windows after a few months tops... Admittedly, i do have specific requirements. My homemade router runs on Linux, and it does a great job, but for my desktop computing, gaming and music making needs, uncle Bill's OS still has the edge.

Anyway, need a hand, i'll be happy to help. I've played around with Ubuntu a lot myself. All i can say is - when their staff isn't supportive, go search on your own, you'll find it faster than if you'd wait for them to be nice to you.

 

You could download and try some Live Linux CD, they don't install anything on your hard drive. That way you could test if usb ports work with another OS and the general feel of selected Linux OS too

 

Well the good news is I taped into the router via ethernet and got the wireless working on ubuntu. the bad news is my usb ports are going bad.

I also apparently left behind some trace junk during my instalation,
I tried the ubuntu paralel, thinking it would be emulation, but it wasnt and I uninstaled it , now i have like 3 choices to run it, NOT including the safe mode versions, than I have like 6, Is their any way to clear this out or am I going to have to start all over.

the thing that makes me sick over all this is I blew money on a game console, that could have gone toward a new laptop, and it is looking like I am going to have to get one, I assume replacing the mother board for the usb ports is probably difficult. I just don't understand why they cant be soldered.

ubuntu reminds me of osx a bit I am having issues with my wacom and right clicking as well, it doesnt work right, I have also been having a similar issue in firefox, where right clicking seems to reopen duplicares of every tab opened. I also tried resetting my home page and it kept using the wrong page, so I tried pasting it in manually. Then I switched back to xp, and had the sam thing happen, which leads me to believe, well something is messed up lol