Windows 7 Ultimate x64, Multiple Problems

[imikedj2]

Hi guys, ill try to explain in detail..

Built Awesome PC in September 2011, installed windows 7 ultimate x64, everything was working fine up until december 2011, i turned pc on, walked away to do something. i come back to the computer and its trying to repair? in the end i tried the OE disc and nothing could fix it, even manually trying to repair boot. i did not make a restore iso/backup at that time b4 the crash.

I reinstalled Windows 7 in december, within the first week it was acting weird, i don't fully remember symptoms but its similar to what im having now. so i guess maybe i did not do a clean install, i did a fresh reinstall at around beginning of January 2012 and its been working fine up until the beginning of February 2012..

Here are the symptoms i am currently having.

1. IE Wont load.
2. Firefox wont save files, on retry it downloads but it does not save in my download directory, you can also not copy and paste anything, and you cannot move the tabs around at the top of the browser.
3. Right clicking computer and selecting properties shows no results/window.
4. Computer trys to install 5 updates but they wont install.
5. I use avast antivirus, i install as soon as i reinstalled windows, when the problems started the anti virus would not show in bottom bar and pc issues says i have no antivirus installed, if i load avast manually it loads fine but i have not tested it..

Thanks
Mike

 

[Wetmelon]

Try removing Avast and instead using Microsoft Security Essentials. It could be as simple as an antivirus conflict (particularly since you're mostly having installation and document saving issues).

 

[Dean0351]

I would try another reinstall but make sure u do a clean install ( reformat ) the hard drive.
A few weeks ago my wife's laptop started messing up similar to your pc, I reinstalled win7 and it was still messed up then I realized I didn't do a clean install so it pretty much just loads windows on top of the old corrupt windows leaving the problems still there.

After doing reformatting and doing a clean install it runs like new

 

[BrightBlessings]

Try this.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

 

[kegobeer]

What other software do you have installed on your computer? What do you do with the computer - gaming, browsing, school, etc? Do you use file sharing sites? Where do you get the drivers for your hardware?

Post as much about your computer and uses as possible - it might help point us in the right direction on a possible fix.

 

[DustSailor]

Hello imikedj2, and welcome to you to the Sevenforums site!

Kegobeer is right on when he asks for more info. That way we can point you in a more specific direction. Also, as well as melon above, I too think Avast is a terrible antivirus. It does indeed cause problems. Too many for it to be worth using. Try removing it and using another. Here is a tool that will help you do that: http://files.avast.com/files/eng/aswclear.exe


Now, most importantly, follow these tips:

• Do not disable any services (manual is okay for some of them, but be very careful).
• Do not do any overclocking (at least for now). If you really really want to, make sure you are carefull and only use a gentle clock
• Review all installed programs. Remove any you do not want/need (except updates or drivers). In addition, you might consider posting a pic here of your installed program list so we may offer further suggestions on what may be causing the problem: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html - tutorial by Brink
• Do this: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/89919-troubleshooting-internet-explorer-issues.html - tutorial created by Capt.Jack Sparrow

You can try a repair install if you are able: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html - tutorial created by Brink. This would be the best option because it resets settings that may be causing your computer trouble.
If the above fails, as mentioned in a previous post, an SFC scan can help.

 

[gregrocker]

Work through these troubleshooting steps.

 

[imikedj2]

Thanks guys for the help, im going to try these tips out tomorrow on my day off and hope to get it working as it should!

It is an awesome computer, have not overclocked but the msi board has switches to do 5,10,and 20% increase so i dont have to mess with bios.

The computer is great, it gets a 7.4 out of 7.9 on this OS when i run the test

I do a good amount of gaming, but with the issues over the past few months its messing up that fun for me, i do some online mmo, facebook crap and sometimes crysis2 or bulletstorm.

i have adobe dreamweaver cs5 and photoshop cs5, cpuid/cpu Z and a android emulator.

ill let you guys know how things go tomorrow.

Thanks Mike

Quick update, i tried right clicking on desktop and clicked personalize

i get a Explorer.exe error
saying "Server Execution Failed"

 

[kegobeer]

The server execution failed message can sometimes mean a corrupted profile and/or registry errors. Check out this link:

Explorer.EXE Server execution failed - Microsoft Answers

There is also an existing thread about this error message on sevenforums.

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/10524-explorer-exe-server-execution-failed.html

 

[cover]

What do you use for spyware/malware? I use avast on my Win7Pro64 machine with no probs though it's not what usually catches something on my machine. I think it's one of the better AVs though.

 

[DustSailor]

Just the opposite, cover. Avast! doesn't usually come recommended, nor does AVG or McAfee.

Malwarebytes is a good extra program to have in addition to an antivirus program.

Let us know how its coming along, imikedj2

 

[gregrocker]

MSE and Avast have been the two most recommended freeware AV's here for years.

I give the edge to MSE if only because it's less intrusive with registration and the annoying gadgets which have to be deselected during Custom install or repair.

I notice that recently MSE has been recommended more frequently.

Both can have their issues although they are normally fixable, but if not they can be interchanged.

 

[DustSailor]

I could very well be wrong. Perhaps I should research it a little more before I start recommending things

I found some interesting AV info from pcmag: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2400355,00.asp
searching for the best AV 2012. Perhaps this is the wrong thread. But MSE didn't do too well in this particular testing. Avast is 3rd place, so I was very wrong. It beat MSE in this particular test. Sorry!

 

[gregrocker]

These tests are always all over the place, often influenced by their sponsors.

In spite of lower ratings in many tests MSE and Avast have remained most recommended here for performance reasons. This is why we also heavily recommend Malwarebytes for routine scanning or it's paid Real Time protection for those prone to infection.

There are other good paid AV's like ESET, Bitdefender, Kapersky, Avira which don't compromise performance like the more bloated ones, which unfortunately come preinstalled on most new PC's and should be treated like an infection themselves.

 

[Kranbook]

Bickering in regard to which is the better Antivirus when you have serious issues is just being plain puerile.
If you have tried to update to the current version of Avast v.7 from v.6, this maybe the cause of the video files server execution failing as there are serious issues with the Avast v.7.
Shame on the Avast developers to make v.7 public.

Quote (Avast Developer) The problem happened because an invalid definition file was uploaded to our server, and was being sent out to clients.

 

[chev65]

Sometimes when IE won't open the winsock has been corrupted.
Try running the following commands.

1. Open up the command line utility and enter:
netsh winsock reset catalog (resets winsock entries)
netsh int ip reset reset.log hit (resets TCP/IP stack)
2. Reboot your PC