[Beartrap]

My friend uses windows 7 64-bit on this new hp laptop he got but recently started experiencing bluescreens. At startup, he's getting a msg about fvr32.com install. I put ad-aware on his computer but I don't think he has any dedicated antivirus software. If this is a virus, and it is the cause of his bluescreens, how can I get rid of it?

[DKuntz2]

Did adaware find anything?

If so, have it clean it up, if not, tell him it's time to start from square zero now, and backup all the files he wants.

I would suggest only backing up the files that are really needed/files that have been downloaded that can't be redownloaded (including music ripped from cds).

For the backup process I would suggest getting a live cd of ubuntu or fedora and using it to copy files from the computer to an external hard drive.

After the backup I would reinstall seven, and go about reinstalling all the applications and such. You can use the same key, and if it isn't on a box, it's on the bottom of the laptop. If (because it's hp) he doesn't have an install cd, you can either request one from hp (which could take too much time) or just download one from a torrent (you're not going to install it illegally, it'll have a legal cd key).

Also, suggest he invest in norton.

[Beartrap]

Thank you very much for the helpful reply. No, adaware didn't find anything. I'm going to look into a few of those methods (like the ubuntu system recovery disk) but I tried to do a system reinstall from an hp safe-mode program called System Recovery, which would basically be a wipe and reload, but it got bluescreen at about 80% and wouldn't even turn on after that. The guy is my roommate, and i know for a fact he goes on sketchy porn sites. I told him to take the computer to best buy asap and see if the warranty will cover anything, if not I'm going to have to wipe and reload with a vista or xp disk using the serial on the bottom of the machine.

[DKuntz2]

An ubuntu live cd isn't a recovery disk, but the ubuntu operating system, running through the computers ram. A live cd just carry's the operating system files, load them into ram/run off of the cd, and you've got an operating system that isn't installed, and can be used just like a normal one.

I would suggest staying away from best buy, regardless of if it still is under warranty or anything because they really don't know what they're talking about, and to give a large example, their "optimization services" really slow down your computer.

you can't install vista/xp using a seven code, the code correlates to one operating system and one alone, which is why when you purchase an upgrade disk from microsoft you get a new authentication key too. Which is why I suggested downloading a windows seven (whatever version he's running, probably ultimate because it's x64) x64 torrent and installing that after wiping the drive.

The other option instead of using windows is installing a linux distribution over the computer, and using wine to emulate all of the windows program your roomie uses (http://www.winehq.org/), my suggestion for if he installs a linux distro is Ubuntu or Fedora.

Ubuntu has the most community support from what I've seen, and it's what we use at my school's technology club. As I said before, your friend can run almost any windows app (including games) by running wine off of the machine, and a lot of windows apps have an open source alternative that can be used on linux.

The nice thing about linux is that it most distros come preinstalled with thing you'll use, Firefox, Evolution Mail/Thunderbird, OpenOffice, and they're much less prone to getting viruses, for the same reasons mac's aren't that prone, less users (4% market share) and the architecture makes it harder to infect.

[Beartrap]

Oh yeah I've read some about ubunto, and I'm looking at their site and this may be a very good option. Right now his computer won't even turn on, so this shit must be serious.

I'm going to make an install disk of ubuntu for him. However, I've heard of problems like this being the result of a physical malfunction, almost one as simple as a part coming unscrewed. I'm not a technician by any means so I don't want to go fuckin around and mess something up. I've done wipe and reloads so I can install an os, but that's about as far as my experience in that field goes. With Ubuntu, what about file extensions? For program installs theres a mac version and a windows version, what works on ubuntu?

[H3LLRA1Z3R]

How do you mean it wont turn on?
Does it get to the bios options, or does it just not turn on at all?
If it does not boot to bios options then I would guess it's hardware issue but there are some things you can do to check.

If you don't want to mess with the hardware yet then use the Ubuntu install disk and reformat the drive. Make sure you make a small partition for the swap disk ( from memory it wont let you continue if you don't )

Install Ubuntu and then run the updates.
Then don't install anything. Turn it off and then on and let it idle for about 30 mins to an hour. If no problems come up then it will most likely be a OS issue.

As DKuntz2 said you can install "Wine" this program will let you run a few programs that are made for windows. It will convert .DLL ect to make it run in Linux.
There is one warning that I have with Ubuntu and most Linux, its that they are not simple to get everything running, it will take some effort and time but it is fun to learn and they are a solid OS once you have everything working.

Everything you ever need to know about Ubuntu can be found here...
ubuntuforums
If you have a problem they will be able to help.

[Beartrap]

I mean it won't turn on because it gets stuck on one of the loading screens and won't go past the "HP" loading screen. I can hold esc while its loading to get the bios menu, but while trying to restore the system it freezes. Thank you very much for answering my ubuntu questions. At first I didn't realize it but I now see that ubuntu is a divsion of linux, or a version of linux, but the cross os programs I could use with linux will work with it. I was a bit confused about ubuntu entirely, I was thinking of OpenSolaris when he was talking about ubuntu, so I wasn't sure if ubuntu was a stand alone OS or made by linux.

Thanks so much for your help.

[DKuntz2]

try it and see. If it works install it, if it doesn't, go to where ever he purchased it and have them give you a new one (if it's under warranty)

[Timus]

[Beartrap]

or that ^

[ben.]

Poor bastard can't even afford a picture of matches...