Need advice from computer gurus..

May have something going wrong with it?? Have you ran an anti-virus program (there are free ones like Avast - I quit using AVG because I can turn on and off Avast) at boot time, before windows starts up. Checkdisk will only do so much, and seeing if any file is corrupted or Java may help. Of course a better ant-virus is always better especially if your ISP has one to download for free perhaps that may be better. That is all I can suggest about the HP, for there have been some weird things on the Internet but lately all it has affected on mine is Java (Runtime for your browser - which may need an update) or one of Microsoft critical updates. I update my computer when I want to, and do not leave the computer to do it automatically. I would use the Update Driver in Windows perhaps in Device Manager that shows all your hardware in your computer or go to the individual websites for each manufacturer unless you are just typing about HP updates, then I still would do that on my own by doing it manually. Surely there is a update function somewhere where you get that up and go directly to the HP website if that is the case. Look around your computer.

However, you need to backup any user data to some external media (e.g. flash drive, CD's, etc) before you do the factory restore as all data will be lost.

 
Most full factory restores will not only wipe your data but also uninstall all your programs and require that you re-authorize everything that is copy protected, and will often put back the bloatware that you have removed. Basically they will format your drive and install everything back as it was when it came from the factory, although they may do that by doing a sector by sector write from an image rather than by a format and copy process.
 
A restoration from an image of your working system may not do any of that, but if the problem is with corrupted OS or programs, then those errors will be restored as well. The time to image your system is before it starts to get hinky.
 
Chkdsk is not really triggered by a disk hardware problem per se, but by a flag that is not cleared by a normal shut down or by insconsistencies between indexing files that keep track of where files are stored on the drive. So it is pretty common to find Chkdsk triggering on a normal drive if the software is not behaving itself, most commonly because the power was shut down before the system and software had finished writing their good-byes to the disk. It is also common enough to find a really ****ty drive that will never trigger chkdsk because the bad sectors do not screw with the indexes.
 
The best test of the drive itself is to run software available from the drive maker (or in some cases the system manufacturer) that can check for more problems than the OS can see. The ultimate test is to read and write to every nominally good sector bit by bit to check for errors, but that is usually destructive of the data that is already there, so if you are using disk test software you need to understand what kind of test is going to run. That kind of testing would be applicable to a drive that you have imaged, and want to be sure is OK to put the image back on. And no test will find a catastrophic failur that is about to happen (head crash, motor failure) that has not yet occured. That is another reason to keep a working image as well as data backups handy.

Thanks all... the LAST thing I want to have to do is reload and re-rgister all my software... I would rather take a beating...maybe.
 
I need to do a drive image. I notice some are for purchase and I saw one that was free... I thin Acronis was reasonably priced. I am not familiar with any of them andyeah, I need to make sure everything is up to speed. Ijusthada high CPU usage "performance alert" while typing this. I have an extra two year warranty from Best Buy. I think I will take it there, have them remove everything that I don't use and get one of the image programs. I need the easiest one and I need a couple of dependable hard drives. I have seen some great deals on externaal drives but the reviews on them are almost always all over the board. I'd rather spend more and have a drive that isn't likely to die in two weeks.
So, if anyone can recommend external hard drives that wold be great too.. thanks for the advice!
 
Julien

Although Win 7 has built in backup application and there are free ones around such as the Macrium, I like Acronis and use and recommend it. 

fireberd


Although Win 7 has built in backup application and there are free ones around such as the Macrium, I like Acronis and use and recommend it. 

I have acronis installed on my non daw and I think something is running in the background.
 
If I install it on my Daw how do I keep it from running in the background. I would just want to make a manual
backup/image.
 

I disabled all the startup items for Acronis in the "msconfig" (System Configuration).  Nothing is running in the background but I can still use Acronis.

A restoration from an image of your working system may not do any of that, but if the problem is with corrupted OS or programs, then those errors will be restored as well. The time to image your system is before it starts to get hinky. Chkdsk is not really triggered by a disk hardware problem per se, but by a flag that is not cleared by a normal shut down or by insconsistencies between Bridesmaid Dresses indexing files that keep track of where files are stored on the drive. So it is pretty common to find Chkdsk triggering on a normal drive if the software is not behaving itself, most commonly because the power was shut down before the system and software had finished writing their good-byes to the disk. It is also common enough to find a really ****ty drive that will never trigger chkdsk because the bad sectors do not screw with the indexes.