Windows Update & PC ShutDown Failing

[C']

Spent all of yesterday making sure everything is backed up on my external HDD (which i actually purchased 18 months ago with a format in mind) and the format process is now ongoing.

Hope everything goes well :x

[C']

Hohum earlier mentioned that NAV isn't that good (which I do think myself but been too lazy to look into alternatives). Any recommendations for a different anti-vrus (free or otherwise)?

My brother uses AVG. Is that any good?

[Matt]

AVG for virus, Kerio for Firewall. Both free

[C']

IT LIVES!!!!!

Thanks Chain and Hohum for finally getting me to do this. Can already see a marked improvement in general performance and the issues from the first post are now resolved.

Just currently running Windows Update and once that is done will install all relevant security programs and Opera, then I can begin the 4+ hour process of reinstalling/updating FFXI.

Adive was much appreciated guys

[Matt]

Make sure a firewall is running NOW before doing Windows Update. Never be connected online with one running. I imagine Windows Firewall is on, but please check

[C']

Don't worry, I'm n00b but not that much. Enabled the Windows Firewall as soon as the network connection was sorted.

[Hohum]

Hohum earlier mentioned that NAV isn't that good (which I do think myself but been too lazy to look into alternatives). Any recommendations for a different anti-vrus (free or otherwise)?

My brother uses AVG. Is that any good?

AVG is alright, but I find Avast to be better. Just seems to be more of a complete antivirus solution, plus it has rootkit/spyware protection now too.

www.avast.com

Oh, and is free aswell.

[huxley]

Another vote for Avast here.
Another thing you may want to look at is backup options. Acronis True Image is a fab bit of software to back up and restore system. Its saves my bacon many a times.

http://www.acronis.co.uk/homecomputing/products/trueimage/

[Matt]

I'll check that out, thanks

[C']

Hit my first little snag that we (you) can hopefully resolve. Nothing too major I hope.

Attached my USB HDD (where all my stuff was backed up to) and it was detected and seemed to get installed automatically and even shows up in My Computer. However initial attempts to open it by double-clicking gave a message about not have access priveleges for this device (words to that effect, never noted exact wording unfortunately).

I restarted and now when i double click it says "Please go to the Control Panel to install and configure system components". However I can get access to the drive if I right click the HDD and select open so it's more an annoyance than anything.

Any ideas?

[Hohum]

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/autoruninf.htm

Think that's the issue, so should solve your problem.

[C']

You're right. I right click on the drive and sure enough Autoplay is listed on there which obviously it shouldn't for a HDD yet yet there is no autorun.inf in the root folder (or anywhere at all on the drive according to the search function).

Thanks though, I'll look into a bit more as it seems to be along the right lines.

[Hohum]

It'll more than likely be a hidden file in the root of the drive. You need to go into file/folder settings and set it to show hidden files and folders.

[C']

A week on and I resolved this issue. It was related to autorun.inf but the file in question wouldn't show up (even with Show Hidden/System files selected). However a further bit of digging indivated that this was due to a worm that NAV hadn't picked up prior to the reinstalllation.

Narrowed it down to a USB Flash Drive that mum had brought home from work as my Dad's computer showed the same symptoms and it must have copied over to the external HDD.

Managed to get it resolved by deleting the offending files from the Command Prompt.