*Please Help!* Wierd problem on XP Home

[Wigwam]

I would value some advice. I have a laptop which runs XP Home. I have the free version of Zone Alarm as well as NAV2003 [updated to latest def].
Since saturday i have an intermittent screwy problem:
all of a sudden the mouse pointer whizzes over the screen, and the computer is either turned off or restarted. On restart it then says log-in must be me or an adminstrator [actually its says it must be whoever was using it at the time or an administrator] and asks for a password; we cant get in cos no passwrds have been set for any user, so i cant into windows.

If i restart the machine i can get back to windows fine....

I have run ad-aware, spybot and a full NAV scan with no nasties. What could be the culprit and what should i do next?

Thanks

 

[Wigwam]

bump

 

[n0cmonkey]

I'd start by setting passwords for all accounts. Does this look like the Fast User Switching XP supposedly has?

 

[Wigwam]

no, the "fast" user switching actually works okay [or at least it did]. this is different as it involves restarts/reposting of the machine.

i shall put passwords in though, once i can solve the current madness!

 

[crisp82]

No error messages or Blue screens?

Does it happen on only certain programs at certain times?

 

[Wigwam]

nope, no blue screens or error messages; the mouse pointer just sometimes goes mental on-screen either whizzing around or even on the odd occasion clicking open apps [it is a touchpad] and then the automatic restart.

no set time or pattern but you have to be using it for more than 15mins or so for it to happen usually

 

[crisp82]

CTRL-ALT-DEL and look for any strange processes that are running.

Installed any Software / Hardware / Drivers as of late?

 

[Wigwam]

Originally posted by: crisp82
CTRL-ALT-DEL and look for any strange processes that are running.

Installed any Software / Hardware / Drivers as of late?

nope, no new software; taskmanager/msconfig/services.msc all drew blanks; i thought it might just be the touchpad causing errors but dont see how it could reset the pc by itself....

 

[Eltano1]

Is your laptop connected to a wireless network??? Could be that someone broke into your laptop thru your Access Point (wireless router)? Do you have all the MS patches installed?

Eltano

 

[Wigwam]

all ms updates installed; internet connection via dial-up modem....

 

[crisp82]

strange....do you have a wireless mouse / keyboard receiver or a built in wireless lan card at all

 

[Wigwam]

nope; it is a fairly old machine [running a 1.8ghz celeron tualin]; there is a [non-wireless] network card on the sis chipset but it has been long disabled and still is

 

[pdn]

Try running a trojan scan by clicking Here

 

[Wigwam]

i did THAT as well; it said "access denied to drive volume info" or something like that but ran and scanned the rest of the hdd and was clear

 

[pdn]

HMMMMMMMM, OK........... Try downloading The Cleaner Here then restart your PC in safe mode. Log on as the administrator and then try running the scan. There must be something going on not allowing that other scanner to scan through. If I think of anything else I'll let you know.

 

[Wigwam]

thanks
i have just downloaded the cleaner and will give it a try later tonight...

 

[lucky9]

You've made sure that it's not the mouse or driver? If not, just delete the mouse in Device Manager and reboot. This let's it "re-initialize" and fix anything wrong with the driver. I've used a Logitech mouse for quite awhile. Microsoft has not liked the Logitech stuff on my system.

 

[Wigwam]

i ran cleaner and nav from safe mode and nada

infact [ref to lucky 9] i think it is the touchpad; it sometimes gets "stuck" with the left-click-on; i have turned down its sensitivity and warned other family members to just be patient if it appears to hang cos i think when it does they move around the touchpad to try to wake it up and that is contributing; it hasnt happened since my last post now so lets see.....