Need a computer expert... (Hoax, you around?)

[Matt]

I got nothin.

that's the post I used to add to your rep points!

Thanks for your help man. I'll keep an eye out for any changes/updates that may help troubleshoot it. If it starts happening more often (which it seems to be) I may just do wipe of the hard drive to start fresh; though I haven't really noticed much improvement from doing that in the past on other computers...

And i'll test out the hard drive via that link when the kids go to bed so my son doesn't go mess with the keyboard while its doing its thing.

[Sal-XK]

That sounds like a virus to me bro. All your stuff is backed so reset the computer to factory bro. Almost all the newer computers like 2007 and newer have all the software baried in the partition. Just need to figure out the hot key for your brand and wipe and restore it back to the day you first turned it on. Lots of updating after you so that but solves all software and virus issues obviously doesnt fix hardware issues.

[Matt]

ive got a pretty good virus protection setup and this computer is pretty low risk... never open up forwarded emails (even though my father-in-law sends a million chain emails a day), dont download music or anything else from any sharing software, and the only websites i frequent are forums or online stores; actually, most of my browsing is really done on my phone or laptop (which im posting from now). So i doubt its a virus.

But yeah, if i dont figure it out and it gets more consistent i'll just wipe it clean and start fresh.

[hoaxci5]

Viruses have to REALLY bad to require a format to fix it. Also a virus isn't generally intermittent.

My analogy for format reloading (wiping drive and re installing windows) is like amputation. Ah we'll just skip trying to fix it, and cut it off. When I was actively doing computer repair for a living I came across maybe 5 machines that I couldn't fix without formatting. Not to say that formatting wouldn't have been quicker, but it's a challenge to "actually" repair the problem instead of amputating.

[Matt]

I hear that. One of the reasons i'd consider formatting is just because this computer really isn't full of software and a bunch of stuff that would be "lost" by formatting. I have all of my files backed up, so i'd just need to reinstall Chrome and Office and be rockin-n-rollin again. There's a few other odds & ends (dropbox, aimersoft, etc), but they're no big deal.

I would like to make sure its not a hardware issue first. So i'll continue to troubleshoot when it happens again and go from there.

[Sal-XK]

Viruses have to REALLY bad to require a format to fix it. Also a virus isn't generally intermittent.

My analogy for format reloading (wiping drive and re installing windows) is like amputation. Ah we'll just skip trying to fix it, and cut it off. When I was actively doing computer repair for a living I came across maybe 5 machines that I couldn't fix without formatting. Not to say that formatting wouldn't have been quicker, but it's a challenge to "actually" repair the problem instead of amputating.

I dont view whipping a virus out as a challenge. So in instead of spending like 10hrs fixing it I'd rather hit those two little keys and be done in 1hr and have a clean brand new system when I'm done.

[hoaxci5]

Yea the problem I had with that was clients never have their data backed up. So then I have to ask all the questions about what they have and what they need and what they don't need. Blah blah, it was more headache then it was worth in most cases for me.

On my personal systems it depends sometime I just say F it and wipe it, sometimes I'm going to beat it.

[Matt]

sometimes I'm going to beat it.

edit: disclaimer- im drinking vodka... i think the "beer balls" phenomena exists on forums as well when you're drinking