Author Topic: Ghost ???  (Read 13582 times)

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Offline DavidR

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Re: Ghost ???
« Reply #15 on: December 30, 2008, 12:09:46 AM »
I too would have never though it related to MBR locking in BIOS, mainly because I have never locked it down, possibly because on older BIOS version it probably isn't even an option. But mainly I wouldn't like to actually do that (lock the MBR) as there must be times when the MBR is adjusted legitimately.

Good find though, it would be nice if the image/icon was more user friendly.
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Offline Lisandro

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Re: Ghost ???
« Reply #16 on: December 30, 2008, 01:02:25 AM »
AMIBIOS issues a warning when any program (or virus) issues a Disk Format command or attempts to write to the boot sector of the hard disk drive.
Are you formating the disk? Why does the message appear?
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handcuff36

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Ghost ???
« Reply #17 on: January 01, 2009, 03:50:47 PM »
Good morning DavidR and a Happy 2009.
As I do not have any explanation for this ghost, I am simply stating what I see and there might be no corelation to this, as Tech asked. But it seems strange that it would appear ( ghost are want to do this ) on the screen at bootup. No other link.
I keep the MBR locked in my BIOS on account of the new virus going'round. Mebkit ??? I once got the warning when installing a PRG, I forget which one that was, I think that it was when installing Ubuntu in a Windows Vista system, where a double-boot option is installed by a Boot Manager. I have had no other warning, mind you, I do not surf much on any of my many putors.

Now also a good morning to Tech and a Happy 2009 to you too.
 No, I was not formatting my HD, the text that I Cut & Pasted was from the Award site and it explained how to lock the MBR against malware. But you knew this ! I am still chasing this ghost. Yesterday, I completely dumped all cookies and this morning on bootup, no ghost. I was also looking over some old saved apps and I chanced on one called Ad-Aware, it ran in Vista and showed me one bad item referring to "Double-Click". I chased it, it was in the cookies file/folder. That gave me the push to delete all of them again and now no ghost.  This ghost is a brain stimulating effort, I will keep looking for more pointers to why it comes around. In the mean time, your attention is appreciated.
                                                                 JP.    aka handcuff36

Offline DavidR

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Re: Ghost ???
« Reply #18 on: January 01, 2009, 03:57:27 PM »
I much prefer to have a good recovery system in the form of hard disk imaging software, that take an exact image of your system, so if you experience a problem you can restore your last partition/disk image.

I do a weekly image of my C: and E: HDD partitions, saving the images to a third partition, I then make a copy of those images on an external HDD should the worst happen and I have a HDD failure on my internal HDD. I must treat my new system to a second internal HDD (like my old system) so back-ups are on the 2nd HDD and external HDD.

A Happy New Year to you too.
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handcuff36

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That Ghost again, not !
« Reply #19 on: January 02, 2009, 03:35:23 PM »
    Good morn David R.

I much prefer to have a good recovery system in the form of hard disk imaging software, that take an exact image of your system, so if you experience a problem you can restore your last partition/disk image.

I do a weekly image of my C: and E: HDD partitions, saving the images to a third partition, I then make a copy of those images on an external HDD should the worst happen and I have a HDD failure on my internal HDD. I must treat my new system to a second internal HDD (like my old system) so back-ups are on the 2nd HDD and external HDD.

     I do likewise, I use TrueImage and about once/month, I image the Vista to a USB HD. Better safe than sorry.

     As I said recently, I got rid of all cookies and no ghost. Which one was the culprit ? I might never know but this sounds more like the cause than the BIOS being locked or not. I am still keeping an eye on this, just as a curiosity more than a fear of being "invaded". at the moment, my BIOS is locked and no ghost, is this an achievement ? Time will tell. I will thank you and Tech for your interest and time. 

    My #2 system runs double boot of XPP and Ubuntu, on that one, I have not done the U'u image yet. Both systems own their own HD, the Master ( IDE 0 ) is XPP and the Slave ( IDE 1 ) is U'u. Like you, I shall do an image of this soon. What imaging app are you using ?

Offline DavidR

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Re: Ghost ???
« Reply #20 on: January 02, 2009, 06:15:56 PM »
One day I might have a dabble with Linux again, the last time I tried it using a Live CD version (can't even recall the distro) was years ago.
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handcuff36

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Re: Ghost ???
« Reply #21 on: January 03, 2009, 02:21:46 AM »
    David, give me an address at handcuff36atgmaildotcom and I will mail you a CD.   Fun this is.     JP.

One day I might have a dabble with Linux again, the last time I tried it using a Live CD version (can't even recall the distro) was years ago.

Offline DavidR

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Re: Ghost ???
« Reply #22 on: January 03, 2009, 03:18:33 AM »
It's OK, it is more of a setting aside some time to do it rather than difficulty in getting a Live CD or regular distro. Thanks for the offer though.
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handcuff36

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U'u.
« Reply #23 on: January 03, 2009, 05:36:07 PM »

     David, hello.

     I was quite reluctant to go to U'u but I was dared into it. It is quite viable, you know. It does all that IE can do, not any better, just equally. Food for thought, there is never a virus present.

     FWIW, after cleaning all the cookies, that ghost has not shown up again, touch wood !  No such problem in U'u, just in Vista. 

     Be good.                 JP            aka handcuff36

Offline bob3160

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Re: Ghost ???
« Reply #24 on: January 04, 2009, 06:24:30 PM »
Quote
there is never a virus present
"Hardly ever" would be more accurate.  :)
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Offline Abraxas

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Re: Ghost ???
« Reply #25 on: January 04, 2009, 06:49:52 PM »
Hello handcuff36 !
Quote
"As I said recently, I got rid of all cookies and no ghost. Which one was the culprit ?"
I was going to suggest getting another monitor, connecting it to see if "The Ghost" is just a fault of your current monitor,  i.e. a Hardware problem with your monitor . Seems a logical step to take, which from what I can understand you have not checked ?

Offline Lisandro

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Re: Ghost ???
« Reply #26 on: January 04, 2009, 06:53:24 PM »
I was going to suggest getting another monitor, connecting it to see if "The Ghost" is just a fault of your current monitor,  i.e. a Hardware problem with your monitor . Seems a logical step to take, which from what I can understand you have not checked ?
Or, if you don't have another one, just use a Live CD with Linux to check...
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handcuff36

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Re: Ghost ???
« Reply #27 on: January 05, 2009, 03:03:50 PM »

      Abraxas, good morning.

Quote
"As I said recently, I got rid of all cookies and no ghost. Which one was the culprit ?"

>>>I was going to suggest getting another monitor, connecting it to see if "The Ghost" is just a fault of your current monitor,  i.e. a Hardware problem with your monitor . Seems a logical step to take, which from what I can understand you have not checked ?<<<


   Indeed, a very logical step to trouble shoot with another monitor. But, have you had a good look at the Ghost that I U/L'd here ? They are too well defined to be a monitor fault and then, it would move around a little, in the same area of about 2" x 2", near My Computor, in Vista.  Once, it showed up behind My Computor.  I really had to be watching for it and not blink an eye as it was there for a fraction of a second.

    Since the cookies was cleansed, no more ghost. I totally ignore which cookie was causing this if indeed a cookie was. I even had the Vista redone to factory state using the two DVDs made when brand new, it took about a week for the ghost to reappear. I make it a routine now to flush the cookies. I also had Ubuntu on this system for a while, running in Windows and there was no ghost on the screen when looking at U'u.

                        Thanks for your attention all the way from down-under.              JP.   aka   handcuff36

handcuff36

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Ghost ???
« Reply #28 on: January 05, 2009, 03:14:15 PM »

    Hello Tech.

>>>I was going to suggest getting another monitor, connecting it to see if "The Ghost" is just a fault of your current monitor,  i.e. a Hardware problem with your monitor . Seems a logical step to take, which from what I can understand you have not checked ?<<<

>>>Or, if you don't have another one, just use a Live CD with Linux to check...<<<

    I am quite sure that this was not a monitor problem, and I did at one time have U'u running on this Vista, no ghost then. If you have read my previous comments, you will remember that a cleaning of the cookies "seems" to have sent the ghost to oblivion.  This is still a new system, it will be one year old this February 29th, ooops, March 1st this year. The monitor is LCD and in prima shape. Your suggestions were very valuable, thanks a mega.

     Time will tell now if the cookies were the cause of this curious occurrence, cleaning them out routinely now is a little pain as it takes all "saved" names and passwords out of the system, this might be a safer way to operate anyway.

    Have a great day.                        JP.   aka handcuff36.

handcuff36

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Gone Ghost ???
« Reply #29 on: January 18, 2009, 01:26:35 AM »
Hello David R and Tech.

   Well it does seem like the "Cleaning cookies" cured the ghost or at least scrared him away, if I remember to do the clearing, Ghost begone, I try to do this just before shutting down !

    Now this bring a question....  how can I actually see the Cookies folder in Vista. Not finding it, I use the IE Tools menu, go to Internet Options and using that dialogue, I empty all the cookies. A while back, I could see a dimmed folder called "Low" and there see all the cookies. I have been locked out for a while, I do not see that folder anymore. Can you help me in this ? I have allowed to see all foldes in "Folder Options" and that LOW used to show before, I have used it and could see all the cookies.txt. I am interested in seeing them again to try and find which one is the Ghost hatcher.

    In the mean time, I hope that 09 is good to you.          Hnadcuff   aka JP.