Posts by TallCool1

I have applied many hot fixes on my computer (XP). Now, I want to know the date when the fixes has been installed and the last installed hot fix.

Does anyone having any idea how to check that? or any file that stores the status of the installed hot fixes?

Have you tried going to the Windows Update site? There's an option to read your install history. Of course, if MS is just reading your event log back to you, you're hosed...

"Hunh? What? What porn?"

Just a sarcastic crack. Porn sites are known to be among the worst for scumware -- no surprise, right? They often make extra money if they can deliver a "payload" to each visitor, often a percentage based on the number of hits to the hijacking sites. Even an accidental hit on a porn site can cause problems, which is why preventive measures like the Spybot Search & Destroy Immunize function are so useful.

Hi, I'm hoping someone can help. I have a Gateway Pentium 4, 1400 mhz, intel with windows me.
We started having alot of problems with error messages, so finally as a last resort, we uninstalled windows and reinstalled it. We noticed that alot of the error messages seemed to have to do with Norton Anti-virus so we got rid of it and got Trend Micro. As soon as it was installed, the comp got very, very slow including the mouse, making it very jerky, we noticed that it added a bunch of different things to the start up and immediately thought that was the problem as the comp and mouse are fine until we go online then it all starts. We emailed them a list of what was on start up and asked them if all this was really needed, they said yes. We uninstalled it and the comp is now a bit better, but the mouse is still very jerky.
Can anyone please help, we've never had this problem before.

If you have not found out already, this is a problem with VeriSign digital certificates. A bunch of them expired at once. As a result, every time someone updates their Norton virus files, it sends a request to the VeriSign server for validation -- the server is so swamped by these requests that it effectively is DDoSed (distributed denial of service) as if under attack, and the Symantec software is so poorly written that it can't handle …

I've just managed to get the extremely dodgy Visual Basic Sony ICD-R100 software to work under Windows XP for the first time, thanks to the piece of software linked to above... The procedure is

a) Install the dodgy software, using XP compatibility mode
b) Set up the icd-pclink.exe to run under XP compatibility mode
c) Use the allowio.exe from the porttalk package to give the dodgy Sony software access to the parallel port.

A major part of the problem is not entirely Sony's fault. It turns out that there are no interrupts assigned to the parallel port under NT/2000/XP, so the software chokes because the hardware interface is not as expected. See: http://www.lvr.com/parport.htm -- this is also why CPU usage rises sharply when using a parallel-port printer, as opposed to a USB interface. Deprecation has its price.

Just installed xp home. Every day my pc boots up (when powered off) and goes to login page (this occurs at the same time daily). I have disabled all bios start up features. It appears that its trying to send an at command? this does not happen when i use my old 98 drive. Auto updates is desabledand some tasks (messenger, remote registry...)
I have the latest service pack and all updates installed to date.

It has to be in the BIOS. Think about it; if the unit is turned off, there is no OS to send an "ON" signal to the hardware, only a timed-turn-on "alarm clock" mode in the BIOS.

Try resetting the BIOS using the CMOS-reset jumper and reprogram it.

My daughter and I have a creative webcam pro - she is at university and I am at home. MSN and Creative have not been able to solve my problem. We were both using MSN with webcam and audio options on to talk and see each other while she is away at university - it has been great BUT all of a sudden one day she sent her invitiation to a webcam conversation and her image comes in black - she has changed nothing on her computer, nor have I. Anyone have any ideas why this might be? We have the latest drivers, etc. If I go on another computer I can see her fine. She has always been able to see me.

A quick-check would be to try the Yahoo! Instant Messenger as an alternative. It, too, has camera abilities and is free of charge. It never hurts to have a Yahoo! ID/email account anyway.

The problem itself kinda sounds like a possible firewall problem. Which firewall are you using? ZoneAlarm has had a recent update, and that can sometimes cause problems.

I originally did that and it didn't work. I'm sorry. I am not trying to be difficult. The file is saved in a .txt on my desktop. I have tried to copy and paste it from there several times, just doesn't work. What am I supposed to do?

1. Double-click on the .TXT file. It will open in NotePad or WordPad.

2. Single-click on the File menu, then move down the list on the drop-down menu to the menu-item Select All. Alternatively, press the keyboard shortcut [Ctrl]+[A] (Ctrl-All). This will highlight all the text in the file.

3. Once again, single-click on the File menu, then move down the list on the drop-down menu, this time to the menu-item Copy. Alternatively, press the keyboard shortcut [Ctrl]+[C] (Ctrl-Copy). This copies the text to the Clipboard.

4. In your browser, open the Post Reply window in the forum. Make sure that the cursor is blinking there.

5. Go to the browser's File menu, then move down the list on the drop-down menu to the menu-item Paste. Alternatively, press the keyboard shortcut [Ctrl]+[V].

6. Voila!

I can't view animations on the net... I don't know how long this has been going on for but now that I want animated gifs I can't use them... I have Incredimail and my animations work fine in emails.

It would appear that you have several problems.

1. Incredimail is spyware and can bog down your system and seriously interfere with your browser.
2. Some other spyware, adware, or Trojan is likely interfering with your ActiveX controls. Since all IE browser add-ons use ActiveX, problems ensue.

To start with, you should go to the HijackThis Quick Start Page and carefully follow the instructions.

You should also use Spybot Search & Destroy and/or Ad-Aware spyware/adware tools, as well. You can find links to both on my Malware Information page, along with more detailed information. I know it's a lot of information, but as long as you continue to use Internet Explorer and Outlook or Incredimail instead of Mozilla you are forced to become an expert on malware of every type.

i have a hp laptop, running windows xp home edition. the display is dark, i can barely see anything. I hooked it up to an external monitor and that monitor is displaying it perfectly, i've also tried the other OS's and all appear dark. If someone can please help and save me from ripping out my hair, it would be much appreciated! thanks in advance!!!

Is it still under warranty? You probably have a bad inverter, the DC-to-AC circuit that drives the fluorescent-tube backlight. Less likely, but possible: the fluorescent-tube backlight iself is broken or disconnected.

I have windows xp with to version of messenger, the first one is windows version 4.7 4.7 2009 and the other is msn messenger version 6.1 0207, can you tell me the difference between them and how to use them.

4.7 is the old version. It no longer works (due to new authentication protocols), but I have not found a way to uninstall it. 6.1 is the most recent version and works fine.

I use GAIM; it's mult-protocol (Yahoo, IRC and AIM too -- and more), has no advertising windows, and it's free.

Does any one know how to fix this problem
I had set a pic to my desktop and changed the resolution. (I right clicked on my desktop and video modes came up i changed the numbers- not very smart)
Now all my pics are blurry. I tryed to go to my control panel but it says " windows can not access the specified path, device or file. you may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item.

Assuming that you are using Windows 2000 or XP, you must be logged in as Administrator (also known as root) to access those settings. A long-term solution is to use the MultiRes video resolution changer to allow you to change screen resolution, refresh rate, and color depth on-the-fly.

I was browsing in hopes of trying to fix this problem and happened on this site. I am using Win XP, sorry I don't know what service pack.

I have lots of new weird stuff on my computer. I have gathered from my few short minutes on this site that I should post a Hijack this log, but I don't know what that is. If that would help, could someone advise me on how to obtain it and post a log.

The best single page I have found: HijackThis Quick Start Page. It includes a download link and the most basic instructions.

According to the evidence in your post, you have both hijackers and viruses. Grisoft AVG is one of the best anti-virus programs, and free for personal use.

You should use Spybot Search & Destroy and/or Ad-Aware spyware/adware tools, as well. You can find links to both on my Malware Information page, along with more detailed information. I know it's a lot of information, but as long as you continue to use Internet Explorer and Outlook instead of Mozilla you are forced to become an expert on malware of every type.

...i still get great sound, especially with my surround headphones (6 speakers, count them)

What brand and model of headphones are these, may I ask?

ps how to take screenshots

TinyResMeter. It can also monitor CPU usage and suchlike.

that would be Nero's message I have a LG burner that Nero refuses to work with and I have a Lite-On that it works fine with....
heres a few things can the drive normally be accessed through windows if so then you have to edit Nero's ( or whatever software you use) properties and tell it to use the CD Burner drive you have... if the drive cannot be accessed through windows then your windows cd drivers gone bad and would have to be repaired or updated

The version of Nero Burning ROM that ships with CD-recorder drives is an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) version that is keyed to the drive it ships with (no software serial number). Upgrades of the same major versions are no problem, but use with any other brand (sometimes even model) of drive is deliberately blocked. If you purchase a retail edition of the same version of Nero (one that requires a serial number), it will work with any drive.

Got a wierd problem with my Windows explorer and its probably a simple fix but i'm not sure how to do it. When i open a window from a window that is already open it only opens in a separate window. Every time i open another window i have another window open and so on. I have tried to adjust the settings under tools/folder options/view/remember each folder view's settings but this doesn't change anything. Also i have checked and unchecked launch folders in a separate process but this dosen't change anything. I have a feeling that something in the registry is messed up. Any help would be great , i am tired of having windows open all over the place.

I use the free Windows Explorer replacement AB Commander LITE instead. It works better anyway, in my opinion. The link is at the top of my Best Free Software page.

You are probably right about the Registry, but I don't know which keys to tweak.

By the way, spaces after periods would make your posts more readable....

What's the difference between the latest beta version of Mozilla and Firebird?

It's hard to quantify, but at the most basic level Mozilla is stable (but evolving), whereas Firebird is sill considered beta, prerelease and experimental.

Remember, Firebird is a stripped-down browser-only package that is currently at v0.7. There's a warning on the Mozilla.org site not to use it for mission-critical applications. Some of its added features may well be crossed back to Moz when appropriate. That having been said, somebody has to run Firebird and/or Thunderbird for test, and a number of people do.

The stated objective is to carry on the Mozilla, Firebird, and Thunderbird development in parallel until Firebird and Thunderbird are at 1.0 release, at which time Mozilla will be dropped. That means that, for now, I will stick with Mozilla; it's likely to go through a few more versions. This is especially true since I use all the features -- browser, mail, and Composer for my websites (hey, they're nothing fancy).

HI I was wondering if it is posible to use a different LCD in my laptop? or do I need the exact LCD

Exact replacements only, unfortunately, usually matched by brand and series. It may cost you more than the used machine itself.

...it looks like there are other wires of varying colors that only go as far as the braided shielding soldered to the casing. These are mostly the middle set of pins (I don't have my "map" with me at the moment). Are these the "return ground" I have seen referred to on Google and am correct to just solder them to the new case with the shielded braiding? I can order a new cord for $20 from KDS as a last resort, but would preffer the satisfaction of repairing this on first.

Yes, those are signal return lines, grounded. Frankly, as a monitor repairman, I would go with the replacement cable. It's unlikely that that was the actual problem in the first place, though, unless it was a case of actual physical damage. Bad solder connections at the monitor end are much more common.

Some young and semingly computer savvy kids at two department stores, while I was looking for a boombox for work that would play my burned cd's, told me they write the mp3's to data files and are able to fit many more songs on a cd-r and play them on simple players just for cd's and cd-r's, not mp3 compatible players. Anybody know how to do this? Can it be done with iTunes?

The short answer: no, it can't be done that way. Audio CD standards are such that a standard audio CD player can only play uncompressed audio files. MP3, OGG, AAC, and FLAC files can be written as data to a CD-R (and play back on a computer or compatible player), but a CD-audio-only player won't even see them, let alone play them. A music CD and a data CD have entirely different disc layouts; that's one of the reasons why there are special "music" CD-R discs for the dual-deck CD player/burners.

My IBM PC kept getting this message on start up gstartup.ink not found then eventually the pc won't start at all. I tried safe boot and scan disks but the PC doesn't turn on it just continues to shut off. What happened?

You got Gator (at least, probably more). You need to run a spyware stomper; Spybot - Search & Destroy and Ad-aware are automated tools. HijackThis is more interactive; you can run it, save out the results, and post it here or elsewhere for more detailed help. All three programs, plus more tutorials and information, are available from my Malware Information links page.

What I like about the download link I found for HijackThis is that the page features easy-to-follow instructions for first-time users.

Does Windows "count down" before shutting off? You may also have the MS Blaster worm, as well -- or the related Welchia worm. You can go to the Symantec Removal Tools page for dealing with specific infections.

I just read the redhat 9.0 installation guide and it says that I need a non-destructive repartition tool to not to delete anything.I only want to do a drive defragmenting and then install redhat on d drive without having to delete anything or as the manual says , creating a totally new set of partitions from d drive...sorry for the disturbance i'm causing in the linux geeks forum but i know what I want.

It's relatively easy, since you have vFAT on drive C:. Use QTPartEd to create a new partition on your C: drive, after scanning and defragmenting the drive fully. QTPartEd is a free utility available and on and useable from the Knoppix CD. You can find detailed usage instructions on Knoppix.net. No matter which Linux distro you wind up installing, Knoppix is still a useful tool.

For anyone who may have a problem with their computer locking up or 'freezing':

You left out an important one. There has been a spate of problems with bad CPU filter electrolytic capacitors across all brands and types of motherboards in the last couple of years, so watch out for that, as well. The capacitors are near the CPU and visibly bad; Bulged tops, raised off the motherboard, or leaking goo. I've been able to repair them as I find them, though most end-users would have trouble with it. I have a tuorial on how to do it yourself that I am working on.

I have heard of this happening - its usually a modem conflict. Its pretty unexplainable, but usually trying a different modem will solve it.

Actually, it's easily explainable -- I've seen it, too. Since WinModems are entirely controlled by the CPU, the processor can get so "busy" running it that it "forgets" everything else. The optimum solution is either a hardware modem card, an external modem, or that happy medium, a modem built on the Intel HaM (hardware-assisted modem) chipset -- a decent mix of hardware and software.

Before you go changing it out, though, I would try downloading the newest drivers from the modem chipset manufacturer. You can usually get the brand information via the Modems item in the Control Panel or in the Device Manager.

you may want to conscider and alternate vid card... heres a post from the "geforce blues" thread by Dani that may offer some insight: [post=3759]AMD & NVIDIA compat issues[/post]

It's the newer cards that exhibit the incompatibility, not the older ones like the GF2 MX series. It has to do with timing isues on the faster (newer) cards.

Hi,
I think I got u question. I have same needs. I have a old laptop(contua aero 4/33). I want a parallel -> USB adapter which the parallel side can connect to my laptop and USB(female) can connect to my extenal CD-ROM (has USB male connector).

It doesn't exist. It can't. You can find adapters that will adapt a USB port to serial or parallel easily enough, but the signal output from a parallel port (and the software that drives it) is not set up to handle the demands of USB signal management. What you can do is get a PCMCIA USB card and do it that way.

Ok , I was just wondering what are the programs used to make GC movies like in Final Fantasy and the Matrix Reloaded?

Some of the software used includes Alias|Wavefront Maya (free for personal use); Blender, which is just plain free; LightWave 3D, which Dale Myers just used to re-create the Kennedy assassination for ABC News (and earlier to develop and model the animated M&Ms); and CinePaint (open-source and formerly FilmGIMP), used to blend it all with live action. There are others, of course.

Companies like Pixar and Weta Digital use a lot of software developed in-house, mixed with commercial and free.

Hello,
I have exactly the same problems you described, I wonder if you have resolved them yet. My problems occurred after I've upgraded my PC from Win98 to XP and from AOL5 to AOL8.

What happens when you open Internet Explorer instead of the AOL browser to browse?

My question, at the top, included the motherboard...(My husband just finished upgrading two computers using a Elitegroup L4VXA2 motherboard in each...) but I will check with him re: chipset when he gets up this AM. I know he installed motherboard stuff but not sure how much or what.

These use a VIA chipset, so the VIA 4-in-1 Hyperion drivers are used. The newest version is dated 12/2/2003, so are newer than what you have on the CD. They can't hurt.

I would also add a SoundBlaster Live! or better sound card to at least one of them when you get a chance. The AC '97 onboard-sound stuff drags down performance badly.

Is there a way to see my cpu usage on windows 2000 like on xp?

Im leasing a 2000 server and need to know what its cpu usage is all the time. But I have no idea how to do it on 2000. I dont want to go and download some program to do it if windows already does it. Please help me....

Ironically, the Windows utility to monitor resource usage is itself a resource hog. For this purpose, I use TinyResMeter, which is lightweight, highly configurable, and requires no installation. It can also monitor other things and serve as a screen grabber.

went into Advanced Power Options in BIOS and ACPI is Enabled. Anything else I should check?

As I suggested earlier:

The Power Management stuff under Windows is under the Control Panel. I'm in Linux right now, and I run Win 98 anyway, so I will defer to others on that aspect...

...why does it power off in Win98 SE if it's a BIOS thingy?

Windows 98 and Windows XP interact differently with certain BIOS settings. In essence, 98 ignores some of them -- some power-management aspects of newer BIOSes were developed later than the 1997 time frame of Win 98.

Dispay problems:
The monitor appears to power up when the computer is switched on but then shuts down again, the harddrive, cd drives etc seem to be working alright any suggestions?

Most likely it's that the mode that Windows is switching to for the Desktop is incompatible with your monitor. Boot in Safe Mode and right-click on a free area of the Desktop. When the pop-up menu appears, go to Properties. Click on the Settings tab and set the resolution slider to 640 x 480. Click OK, then reboot. You will probably come back up in 640 x 480 mode, 16 colors. Again, right-click on a free area of the Desktop. When the pop-up menu appears, go to Properties and click on the Settings tab. This time, click on the Advanced button in the lower-right corner of the Properties box. Select the Monitors tab and choose your monitor from the list. If it's not shown, let me know your brand, model, how old, and screen size -- I'll suggest a close match.

You may have to reboot one more time before being able to adjust your resolution and color depth, but you should be able to get it working to your satisfaction in the end.

Hey hey can anyone help my, I have been using a computer with windows 98, the problem was that the C drive was full so naturally I moved some of the files to its D and E drives unfortunately... I inadvertently must have moved some of the files that boot up windows, so when I reset my comp it could not find the relevant files it just says insert systems boot disk and keeps looking in the A: drive every time I press any key

Moving files around under any version of Windows is dangerous, due to the Windows Registry -- it can't find moved files. Even worse is using a boot disk to try to move stuff back, since there is no long-file-name support under Win 98's DOS mode, and the system stuff often has long names.

I would use a standard Windows 98SE boot disk just this far: using the SYS C: command to re-write the system files to the hard drive to enable you get far enough in for long-file-name support, then go on from there.

(W)here would I find APM?

To start with, check the BIOS setup screen for a menu entry along the lines of Power Management to find the APM and/or ACPI settings. I just found http://www.computerhope.com. If you enter BIOS in the search box, then look under Help Pages, you will get an overview of the common BIOS setup screens to look through.

The Power Management stuff under Windows is under the Control Panel. I'm in Linux right now, and I run Win 98 anyway, so I will defer to others on that aspect...

Well, besides the obvious virus and syware infestation, not much.

You need to run a virus checker. Grisoft AVG is free.

You need Spybot - Search & Destroy and/or Ad-Aware. Links here.
There's also some programs being run that are not needed.

Ok this is strange andI'm not sure how this happens but here goes...

I got an email in my hotmail account that when I click on to open flashes a black screen up really quickly (I managed to read the words 'remove' and 'disable') & makes my PC restart. Hotmail support is of no use (suprise surprise!) but I want to know what the heck is this thing?
My firewall shows no new or unusual connections & my virus scanner comes up clean.... anyone know what this is?

It sounds like a scripting error to me. The Java Virtual Machine in Windows is broken and full of bugs, so go to my best-of-breed free software page and download the real Java software straight from Sun.

was in the middle of playing a game when i froze up... had to turn the power off to get it back...when i restarted it was a blank screen ... comp was running but the power light was flashing for 20 secs then turns off evantho the comp is on and running, it has never done this befor and rarely freezes its a HP 2400i believe had a loose wire to monitor with a missing screw and thought that might have done it

A blinking power light indicates an initialization error before the normal power-on self test (POST).

* Check that the CPU heat sink is on properly, and secure.
* Make sure that the CPU fan is spinning.
* Ensure that the RAM is properly seated.
* Try another power supply.
* Unplug the keyboard and mouse.

Those are the most likely suspects, especially the power supply. Anything else would usually allow POSTing and beep codes, at least.

Hi guys,

Today, starting up computer. Ony error appears when loading windows XP about can't access the disk. I have solved this problems by hitting F8 during boot and start XP from last stable boot.

Now XP is working correctly again but each time on booting before starting XP, windows will check al my disks for errors. Is there a way to get rid of this so XP starts directly without all disk tests.

I have did the test lots of times, also did them in Windows but still same on boot.

Thanks,

Marcel

I ran into this myself recently. It's most likely a damaged Windows Registry. You may (or may not) be able to repair it.

This problem can be easily confirmed by booting into Safe Mode. After running ChkDsk and booting fully into Safe Mode, reboot. If ChkDsk does not run on the next boot, the Registry problem is confirmed.

I used this Microsoft article for reference: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=316506

Got an ATI Radeon 9600SE for x-mas. However, when I opened my computer up I found that my AGP slot is 1x,2x and the new card will not fit. The new card states 4x/8x. Any suggestions on what I can do to upgrade my graphics so I can get directx9.0 and enjoy some of the newer games. My system is about four years old, HP 8770C, 850mhz.

There may be a more-universal card with the same graphics chip. The differences between 2x, 4x, and 8x is in the signal voltage.

The card supply voltage is universally 3.3V, no matter what the bus speed..

The signalling voltage is 3.3V on 1x/2x modes, and 1.5V on 4x mode. 8x mode uses a reduced voltage swing of 0.8V.

By definition in the AGP 3.0 specification, 8x cards and boards must always also support 4x.

Here's a couple of ATI reference charts:
ATI AGP Graphics Card Implementation and
BUILT BY ATI Product Reference

Thanks for reporting back!

I'm trying to get rid of a program that has taken over my Home Page on IE6 and has deleted my Favorites and has loaded my Favorites list with a long list of junk. Whever I try to access Amazon, I get redirected to this Spyware site. It is called WEBCOOLSEARCH.COM.

You should try Spybot Search & Destroy and/or Ad-Aware spyware/adware tools. You can find links to both on my Malware Information page.

What I like about the download link I found for HijackThis is that the page includes easy-to-follow instructions for first-time users.

I appreciate your assistance but that doesn't seem to help. I am running dirextX 9.0 and the game requires 8.1 or higher. My OS is Windows XP - Home Edition(Service Pack 1) if that helps. Also, my daughter has the same OS but the game (Gothic 2) loads and runs fine on hers.

I doubt that it is the video card. It could be the sound driver -- which sound card are you using? I'm in Linux, not Windows, right now so I can't step you through checking your sound settings in the Control Panel (as I suggested earlier), But I will the next time I'm there.

C: failed to initialize sound, MSS reported: Broken waveOut driver - 'buffer done' flag never set.

It sounds like a mismatch between the version of the DirectX driver required by the game and the one on your system. Go to the Run box in the Start menu and type in dxdiag to find your version, then check the version that your game requires. Make sure that your version is equal to or better than the one required.

It never hurts to go to Control Panel -> Multimedia and check your settings there, as well...

Hi the laptop has a floppy(but why is that important).

I was trying to see if any text showed at boot-up. It's clear that your backlight is coming on, but nothing else.

It's possible that the flex-cable is bad, but unless it's kinked or obviously cut, that's extremely unlikely. What happens much more often is that the unit is dropped, the liquid crystal panel itself shifts in relation to its contact pads and loses its electrical connection.

The LC panel connects to the electronics via an elastomeric (rubber-like) contact assembly. It's a series of fine, parallel wires molded into a block -- like encasing a comb in rubber. The wires are insulated from each other, but exposed on the contact ends between the panel and the driver printed-circuit board. It doesn't take a lot of stress to dislodge things.

I haven't had much luck fixing this kind of problem. It usually requires a special jig or fixture to ensure proper alignment of all the elements.

...if i change the primary boot location to a cd rom, should i change the secondary location to hdd-0 ?

I usually do
1: CD-ROM
2: Floppy (or FDD-0)
3: IDE-0 (or HDD-0)

...the index.dat file keeps a record of all sites visited.....Download this program and use it to delete your index.dat file (it will be recreated clean and new when you reboot)

http://www.fsm.nl/ward/

And if you want to know more about index.dat files and the threat that they pose, read these: Microsoft's Really Hidden Files and Internet Explorer Considered Harmful.

Now you know why I use Mozilla...

Also i personally don't like Net Meeting. I would use MSN Messenger!

MSN Messenger requires registration with Microsoft Passport (you can give a fake name, though) and everything passes through MS servers, a serious privacy risk. NetMeeting is peer-to-peer and offers interoperability with GnomeMeeting under Linux -- two reasons why it's deprecated by Microsoft (GnomeMeeting works under KDE, too).

When I start it up the screen is jetblack! then it flcks to a grayish blue then at the point that windows would be on the screen it show a light gray with vertical stripes.

Does it have a floppy? Can you boot to DOS? If so, can you see a text screen? What version of Windows are you running? The prognosis is not favorable, but all is not lost.

my virus scan found 2 viruses but it did not disinfect it. does anyone know a free website that will disinfect viruses?

By the way, have you tried Grisoft AVG? It's free for personal use, and quite effective.