Vista is bugging me

[delboy]

Hi

since buying a new pc from mesh back in march I have had one problem after another with vista.Here is a list of "bugs" so far :- No system information
System restore doesn't work (transient error blah blah blah),although it did work when started in safe mode,which brings me to.....
Now no option to start in safe mode
Recovery partition has vanished
errors in device manager under network adapters,15 instances of ST04 Adapter errors,2 instances of isatap errors.
Can't back system settings/configuration up using windows back up utility
Windows update keeps giving me the same update for SQL server 2005 service pack 2 (KB948109)

Any answers or advice whether the system has been hacked etc would be greatly appreciated.I have Norton internet security 2008 installed,don't know if there are compatibility issues with vista or not.

[shadowpr]

You might want to try and do a repair install.

I would also get rid of norton, just on principle. I personally like avast anti-virus, but avg and avira also offer good options. I would combine one of those with spybot s&d, spyware blaster, and malwarebytes.

After the repair install, you might want to make sure your motherboard drivers are updated. Maybe reinstall them from the motherboard cd.

[delboy]

Originally Posted by shadowpr You might want to try and do a repair install. I would also get rid of norton, just on principle. I personally like avast anti-virus, but avg and avira also offer good options. I would combine one of those with spybot s&d, spyware blaster, and malwarebytes. After the repair install, you might want to make sure your motherboard drivers are updated. Maybe reinstall them from the motherboard cd.

Are you saying that norton could be contributing to these probs?
I tried an alternative firewall to Nortons (Zonealarm) and it didn't work.Are there any good alternatives out there,or will the windows firewall be sufficient?

[shadowpr]

If you're using a router, then I would personally just use the windows firewall. That's how I'm currently set up myself.

Others will suggest a software firewall like comodo. They're supposed to be really good.

[delboy]

Originally Posted by shadowpr If you're using a router, then I would personally just use the windows firewall. That's how I'm currently set up myself. Others will suggest a software firewall like comodo. They're supposed to be really good.

Thanks,I'll give that a try along with AVG,I'll do a repair install once I purchase a back up device.

[liambl]

Oops wrong thread

[delboy]

Managed to start in safe mode,so that's ok but can only perform a system restore from August the 20th!!!!I bought this pc way back in March,restore points have been created way before August,where have they gone????

[shadowpr]

Depending on your hard drive space, and space allocated for system restore, it may have erased older restore points.

[MikeMoss]

Shadowpr wrote...

I would also get rid of Norton, just on principle. I personally like avast anti-virus, but avg and avira also offer good options. I would combine one of those with spybot s&d, spyware blaster, and malwarebytes.

After the repair install, you might want to make sure your motherboard drivers are updated. Maybe reinstall them from the motherboard cd.

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Nothing I have done has improved the performance of my computer more then getting rid of my McAfee security set up. I use Avira and Spybot.

I have converted everyone I know from either Norton or McAfee and everyone had great improvement.

Mike