computer is broke, help me sort it out please

[unwashed potato!]

about last month now i think that my computer has broken but i have no clue as to what it is thats broke so im asking what it is i can do to find out, or help you guys find out?

heres what i have noticed is wrong

1. The dvd drive, (pretty sure its this one http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CD-006-HP) either doesn't detect a disc in its drive at all, or takes about 10/15 minutes to tell its there and auto run it. e.g. tried installing Neverwinter nights 2, had to leave it in the drive for ages then after a long time it finally auto ran and allowed me to install, but now having problems starting the game as it isn't detecting its there.

2. My interent connection has gotten really bad lately when playing online games. such as bf2 more then ever has it been loosing connection to a server and been getting lag, though this is i think isn't due to the computer being broke. Happened yesterday aswell trying to play BF 2142, it would load a level but give me only about 20 seconds playing at most and then syai have lost connection. I am sure aswell that no one was using a download thing yesterday.

3. when i go start, run, msconfig and change something i get a message saying i am not the administrator etc and i can't change it, however it does change, and i am the admin.

4. firefox keeps freezing when on me randomly, and it can happen up to 3 times a day which can be very annoyiong.

5. When downaloding from software such as [No mentioning P2P software - Minstadave], if downloading anything over 100kbs i will loose my interent connection completely and only way to get it back is to restart, however everyone else on my network doesnt have this problem.

I dont know how useful it would be as i don't understand whatit does but should i run hijack this and post it here?

i know some of the things i have said probably doens't seem like my cmoputer is broke but the software is, but its just how it has all come similiar times and as you can imagine espcially the first problem can be very annoying after i get loads of really great games for chrsitmas and i can't even play them.

im thinking best thing to do would be a fresh install. Im using media edition.

i use avast virus scanner, and spyware programs, search and destroy, adware, and spybot, all run reguarly

thanks guys

 

[bledd]

remove the crappy download programs

try this to fix your dvd drive.. ([No mentioning P2P software - Minstadave] is good at messing them up)

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17633373&highlight=exclamation+mark


i'd just format mate, sounds like your pc is really bloated full of stuff


-as for internet, do you have a usb modem? if so, ditch this and get a router instead, ethernet is loads better than usb for network connections

 

[unwashed potato!]

thanks for the relpy, i will have a look at the link. I knew [No mentioning P2P software - Minstadave] wasn't that great but i didn't know it can screw up the dvd drive.

I probably will just format however i don't know how i go about doing this, plus any other information i would need. i know people say its best to have windows on a seperate drive, so would it be best i just buy a 20gb good dvd or something second hand and put windows on that?

I obviously want to keep all my files still so how would i do? i can just share my c drive i guess and then on my borhters pc copy it all across but there is way over 100gb on there.

i am on a network so am connected to a router. i have tried to fix this before and on this forum not one person unfortunately could give me working advice

 

[Hudzy]

Be careful if you do copy things across like that. I've seen people just copy the problems across and put them back after reinstalling.

As for having windows on a seperate drive. Not really necessary, but a seperate partition, either on the same or on a different drive is nice. That way you only ever wipe xp when you reinstall. Might be dofficult to set that up now though, much easier from a clean install.

Go ahead and back up what you need and virus check it on the other computer just to be safe.

Of course you might not be able to install xp at all without a working cd drive. Might want to check you can boot from cd first before you go deleting things.

 

[unwashed potato!]

oh it does work, the cd drive that is, but only on random dvds/cds does it not. e.g. battle for middle earth and never winter nights 2 it doesn't work, or takes a lot of ejecting, waiting 10 mintues, ejecting waiting 10 mintues until they do, however with like bf 2142 it works straight away every time.

ok the partition thing is best then as i wouldn't loose any money doing that. however i have not the slightest clue how to. I don't mind doing a clean install which again have no clue how to as windows is boviuosuly already installed.

I have just got me a laptop so will, if i do parition, put the files from pc onto that that i really need and jsut screw the rest.