TOT computer hassle

A week ago my main PC went bang. The PSU exploded. It was fixed and all
seemed OK. But this afternoon when I went back to the machine after lunch,
having used it all morning, as soon as I moved the mouse it froze, and could
not be rebooted by Cont Alt Del. In the end I switched it off by holding the
button in. When it came back on it got half way thro loading Windows and
froze, so I rebooted it, and this time it came up with a DOS message which
included the option to adopt the 'last configuration that worked normally'.
Thinking this would be the configuration that applied before lunch I
selected that option. The machine then booted up but had transformed itself
into what it was on Jan 1st 2006 when it was first used. It had become a
brand new machine. It had to go looking on the internet for the modem
software, and it declared that Corel 12 was new software, and it said that
something or other was new hardware. The only things on the C Drive were the
things I'd imported from the predecessor machine. At this point I remembered
that I hadn't backed up for two weeks.

I tried to use System Restore but there was no restore point to restore to.
I half heartedly made one, for today's date, but of course it didn't work.

In some dispair I left the machine running in Windows and went for a sulk.
After 15 mins or so my daughter went into the office for something and came
out saying 'Why's your computer just switched itself on?' In fact the
machine was repeatedly booting up, getting as far as Windows, then starting
again. It did this about six times while we stood looking at it. Then, when
it got to the 'last configuration that worked normally' bit I said, "All I
did was select that" and did it again by way of demonstration. The machine
then went through the reboot cycle a few more times and eventually started
Windows, but this time it was Windows as it had been before lunch, complete
with all data.

Any ideas anyone?

Also, when I was away I introduced my laptop to the Camping and Caravaning
Club's wifi. On returning home it doesn't communicate with my own wifi.
Again, any ideas?

Bill


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Relevant Pages

  • RE: programs in tray
    ... Microsoft Windows XP by using the System Configuration utility ... Programs that are set to load during the startup process (these programs ... permanently deletes all restore points for the System Restore utility. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize)
  • Re: programs in tray
    ... 2004 Windows MVP "Winny" Award ... > Microsoft Windows XP by using the System Configuration utility ... > steps that Microsoft Product Support Services Support Professionals use ... > permanently deletes all restore points for the System Restore utility. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize)
  • Re: Are Windows Updates Hosing System Restore??
    ... the message that Windows did not start successfully. ... The last known good configuration option is not System Restore. ... day before Windows downloaded all the updates. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: Virus?
    ... but I can not get to windows to ... even disable sys restore or create files on the "C" drive. ... >3) Reboot your PC into Safe Mode ...
    (microsoft.public.security.virus)
  • SystemState restore failure
    ... Windows XP Pro, and I wanted to know if I did something wrong to ... when I tried to restore my ... Ctrl-Alt-Del to log in, etc.), I found that my mouse and keyboard were ... Shortly after the reboot sequence, ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)