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Fix'd?
10 years ago
General
Whatever was previously wrong with my computer seems to have corrected itself.
I am not sure exactly what happened, as I had tried multiple things and each one of them failed. I tried completely uninstalling/wiping the problem programs and reinstalling them from scratch...multiple times. I purchased a registry fixer utility program. I ran several antivirus and malware platforms both in and out of safe mode, and all of them came back clean. I did a computer refresh, which is like Windows 8's "reformat-lite", and that only fixed Skype. I downloaded and ran a recommended German web-based virus scanner, based on someone's suggestion that it was a well-hidden rootkit that was breaking my programs. This found a thing and quarantined it but did not fix my problem. I ran the scan again in safe mode with networking and it came up clean. After that I finally gave up and installed Google Chrome, and then Firefox started working again all by itself two days later. Then my computer did the expected forced update to Windows 8.1 and this time it was actually successful!
So. After two weeks of being unable to use Internet browsers and Skype on my main PC, it is now back in operation, and technically running better than new (when it was new it failed the 8.1 update)....and I am at a complete loss as to why.
I can only speculate that something...be it a rootkit or something else...altered the base-level settings these programs used to operate/connect to the web. Since settings were what was being altered my computer and its associated programs did not see this as a problem, even though the changes affected the base operation of some programs. Whatever that antivirus found must have been what made the initial change to these settings, but quarantining it didn't change anything back. Something else must have...an update that I didn't notice perhaps?
Regardless I am on 8.1 now and everything is running. I just need a new printer/scanner combo and I'll be back up to my rig's usual standards.
I am not sure exactly what happened, as I had tried multiple things and each one of them failed. I tried completely uninstalling/wiping the problem programs and reinstalling them from scratch...multiple times. I purchased a registry fixer utility program. I ran several antivirus and malware platforms both in and out of safe mode, and all of them came back clean. I did a computer refresh, which is like Windows 8's "reformat-lite", and that only fixed Skype. I downloaded and ran a recommended German web-based virus scanner, based on someone's suggestion that it was a well-hidden rootkit that was breaking my programs. This found a thing and quarantined it but did not fix my problem. I ran the scan again in safe mode with networking and it came up clean. After that I finally gave up and installed Google Chrome, and then Firefox started working again all by itself two days later. Then my computer did the expected forced update to Windows 8.1 and this time it was actually successful!
So. After two weeks of being unable to use Internet browsers and Skype on my main PC, it is now back in operation, and technically running better than new (when it was new it failed the 8.1 update)....and I am at a complete loss as to why.
I can only speculate that something...be it a rootkit or something else...altered the base-level settings these programs used to operate/connect to the web. Since settings were what was being altered my computer and its associated programs did not see this as a problem, even though the changes affected the base operation of some programs. Whatever that antivirus found must have been what made the initial change to these settings, but quarantining it didn't change anything back. Something else must have...an update that I didn't notice perhaps?
Regardless I am on 8.1 now and everything is running. I just need a new printer/scanner combo and I'll be back up to my rig's usual standards.
Really good scanner. They have a free version.
So I ran it straight-up Windows 8. Never had any problems with it until just recently. It even failed a second time when I tried to install 8.1 manually later. I had given up on it. I was honestly surprised that it worked this time around.