Gateway computer problem

[Charles W Davis]

Computer Club member's computer. Gateway 310.

The tower was brought to my place last evening. I started by replacing two
256MB chips with two 1GB chips.
Every time one touched Internet Explorer 6 to resize the screen would go all
squigly and lock up. In Save mode, I installed Firefox and was able to check
with Gateway for an update to the video driver. Oops! Gateway sold that
division to MPC Corporation which has liquidated.

In safe mode I was able to remove 15 medium problems with Malwarebytes
installed from USB Flash. McAfee wouldn't update, couldn't be removed with
Add or Remove programs. Finally used their removal program (carried on my
USB Flash) and removed it. I then installed the Free AVG 9 Anti-virus and
was able to do a complete scan in command line mode in Safe mode. As AVG was
installing it notified me that it couldn't continue with the clock setting.
Set the clock and continued. Have since replaced the CMOS battery. Clock
setting is now stable. Automatic updates brought in 25 updates which
installed without opening IE. IE8 was installed.

Restarted in normal mode and went to Windows update, IE8 again opened in a
very small window and as soon as I attempted to resize it, the screeen
locked up for the umteenth time. I restarted in Safe mode and set the size
for IE8 to full screen. Restarted in normal mode, but IE8 still opened in
the small size.

Firefox gives no problems, even when resizing.

Finally, my monitor is the HP 2709m which may be the problem. Otherwise the
computer runs like a champ.

Any thoughts will be appreciated...

 

[Rich Barry]

Charles, was the lock up problem there before you replaced the ram.?
Try just one ram modules at a time. Have you looked into
doing a System Restore. Go back before IE8 update. Try upgrading the
monitor driver for this specific Tower.

 

[Stefan Patric]

Computer Club member's computer. Gateway 310.

The tower was brought to my place last evening. I started by replacing
two 256MB chips with two 1GB chips.
Every time one touched Internet Explorer 6 to resize the screen would go
all squigly and lock up. In Save mode, I installed Firefox and was able
to check with Gateway for an update to the video driver. Oops! Gateway
sold that division to MPC Corporation which has liquidated.

Did IE6 have the problem before installing the new RAM?

In safe mode I was able to remove 15 medium problems with Malwarebytes
[snip]
updates brought in 25 updates which installed without opening IE. IE8
was installed.

What Service Pack was originally installed? Which one is installed after
the update? I've read that there are problems with SP2 and IE8. And
problems caused by installing SP3, too.

Restarted in normal mode and went to Windows update, IE8 again opened in
a very small window and as soon as I attempted to resize it, the screeen
locked up for the umteenth time. I restarted in Safe mode and set the
size for IE8 to full screen. Restarted in normal mode, but IE8 still
opened in the small size.

Firefox gives no problems, even when resizing.

Then it's an Internet Explorer problem. Uninstall 8 and use MS Installer
Cleaner to wipe any little bits of 6, 8, etc. left. Then install 7. See
if 7 does the same thing. If it does, it could be some malware that
hasn't been detected.

A couple of days ago Shenan Stanley posted a very thorough malware/virus
clean up and hard drive check routine. Might be worth searching for. If
you can't find it, let me know and I'll post it.


Stef