Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop/Vista/Crash.- help wanted.
Have had this laptop for about 15 years and it has run perfectly over that time. Then last week a prog. - GDataUSBKeyboardGuard arrived somehow. I uninstalled it and after that the laptop has crashed.
I have backups on Macrium Reflect on external hard drive (Seagate); and also on a USB which has Lazesoft recovery.
However, when starting up the laptop I cannot enter Boot Options with F12., having hoped to use either backups from Macrium or Lazesoft.
I still have the manual and all the CDs which were supplied with Vista when bought new. I am now considering a full restore using the CDs. Most of my files, photos, etc., on the Vista have been copied to 2-3 USBs, and I appreciate that such files on the Vista will be deleted if I do a full restore, so what is there to lose ?
Any help, suggestions and guidance will be appreciated.
I have backups on Macrium Reflect on external hard drive (Seagate); and also on a USB which has Lazesoft recovery.
However, when starting up the laptop I cannot enter Boot Options with F12., having hoped to use either backups from Macrium or Lazesoft.
I still have the manual and all the CDs which were supplied with Vista when bought new. I am now considering a full restore using the CDs. Most of my files, photos, etc., on the Vista have been copied to 2-3 USBs, and I appreciate that such files on the Vista will be deleted if I do a full restore, so what is there to lose ?
Any help, suggestions and guidance will be appreciated.
Quote:Have had this laptop for about 15 years
Erm, way beyond its Use By date.
If data recovery (very expensive if done professionally) is impossible and maybe unimportant, treating yourself to a new laptop looks like a sensible way forward.
Not wise, security-wise, to be running a device on Windows Vista these days.
Have you tried running anything like CCleaner - or is that all impossible??
Quote:Have you tried running anything like CCleaner - or is that all impossible??
Tianshi_angie, No... I have it on the Vista, but as I say all I get it the blue screen of death, and by pressing F12 (Boot Options) that will not allow me to use the backups I have made on USB/and rewriteable CDs.
Quote:Nothing to lose, re-install Windows making sure you format the disk first[/quote
Thanks for that. I spotted that in the manual supplied with the 1545 all those years ago. It is part of the programme with one of the discs where you insert, follow instructions, and THEN format the 'resident' hard drive as per instructions.
I have visited another forum re Windows/Vista/etc., and am hoping for my guidance.
I would still maintain it is not safe/secure to use Vista. Microsoft stopped supporting it 5 years ago.
Ergo, you are likely to get repeated problems like this, going forward, even if you resolve the immediate issue.
You said a programme arrived somehow. The "somehow" is probably via a gap in Vista's security. That gap will never be filled. So you will get similar things happening again and again.
Maybe factor that in when deciding whether to salvage something from the wreckage, so to speak, or starting afresh with an up to date machine and the latest operating system.
Ergo, you are likely to get repeated problems like this, going forward, even if you resolve the immediate issue.
You said a programme arrived somehow. The "somehow" is probably via a gap in Vista's security. That gap will never be filled. So you will get similar things happening again and again.
Maybe factor that in when deciding whether to salvage something from the wreckage, so to speak, or starting afresh with an up to date machine and the latest operating system.
Quote:
You said a programme arrived somehow. The "somehow" is probably via a gap in Vista's security. That gap will never be filled. So you will get similar things happening again and agai.
I have never been dependent on Vista security from when the laptop was new. I had another anti-virus programme running from when new, and after Vista updates, etc., were terminated. No problems over the years.
I still feel the best way forward is to re-install with the DVDs which were supplied with the laptop when new.
Fine but don't be too surprised if other unwanted programmes install themselves in the future, leading to a shutdown.
It's nothing to do with anti-virus. These are fundamental flaws in the programming which can be taken advantage of. And, anti-virus or not, you will remain vulnerable even after a full reinstall.
Incidentally, if you reinstall from scratch you will not have the MS security patches which were available up to the point when they stopped supporting the software. So until these are installed you will potentially be even more vulnerable than you were at the point when your computer crashed. Hopefully you can find the security patches somewhere and install them before you start using the computer again.
It's nothing to do with anti-virus. These are fundamental flaws in the programming which can be taken advantage of. And, anti-virus or not, you will remain vulnerable even after a full reinstall.
Incidentally, if you reinstall from scratch you will not have the MS security patches which were available up to the point when they stopped supporting the software. So until these are installed you will potentially be even more vulnerable than you were at the point when your computer crashed. Hopefully you can find the security patches somewhere and install them before you start using the computer again.
Carabosse, Thanks for your help. I have managed to restore Vista by using a Macrium Reflect back-up which was on a Seagate External drive. Things running fine so far. All programmes (as they used to be) are listed when I start up. I have used some of them to see what would happen, and fingers crossed there are no problems as yet.
The only problem I came up against was when the Windows Vista screen re-appeared. Trying to type in my password with the keyboard, I got nowhere. By switching to 'on screen keyboard' I was able to type in my old password of many years standing, and BINGO.
Have you any idea as to switch from on screen keyboard to laptop keyboard ?
The only problem I came up against was when the Windows Vista screen re-appeared. Trying to type in my password with the keyboard, I got nowhere. By switching to 'on screen keyboard' I was able to type in my old password of many years standing, and BINGO.
Have you any idea as to switch from on screen keyboard to laptop keyboard ?
Good news! 
Quote:Have you any idea as to switch from on screen keyboard to laptop keyboard ?
Maybe give this a try:
Open the Start Menu, go to the Control Panel, select Ease of Access, open the Ease of Access Center. Then, if you can, unselect 'Start On-Screen Keyboard'.
Quote:Have you any idea as to switch from on screen keyboard to laptop keyboard ?
Maybe give this a try:
Open the Start Menu, go to the Control Panel, select Ease of Access, open the Ease of Access Center. Then, if you can, unselect 'Start On-Screen Keyboard'.
Quote:Good news!
Quote:Have you any idea as to switch from on screen keyboard to laptop keyboard ?
Maybe give this a try:
Open the Start Menu, go to the Control Panel, select Ease of Access, open the Ease of Access Center. Then, if you can, unselect 'Start On-Screen Keyboard'.
Carabosse. Thanks again, but your last suggestion I could not find, or work it out after spending much time on ease of access, progs., etc. Doing a 'wind-back', or restore to a previous restore has cleared the problem.
There is forum : "Windows Vista.... " where I also posted re this problem but received no replies.
