Ibm Think pad

**Copper Head** · 12-05-2014, 08:36 PM

Yes found a nice think pad laptop (in dumpster) Perfect shape very clean and the power cord
shows vista on label yet has XP service pac 3
has office 2007 and is a fast computer

here is the problem
wireless says it's connected
even hard wire as a test says same

yet the browser wont find INTERNET
it does not see browser
no fire wall working
I'v seen this before but this computer I'd like to correct
other computer are working .

I don't see any odd ball conflicting programs
it has no utilities working in background
the computer is very speedy runs clean

I could make a new profile and see if I can shake problem
or fresh install

I like this computer any advice?
504 ram
540 @ 1.86 ghz
intel celeron

Ms config startup does seem to be loaded with crap
particular to how bare bones it comes off

Malware ?

**mikeinreco** · 12-06-2014, 10:57 AM

Re-load OS and start from there..........Needs more ram

**spinroch** · 12-06-2014, 11:58 AM

Try Winsockfix before you wipe & load.
It is free & I have used it often

http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/deta...ck_xp_fix.html

**matador** · 12-06-2014, 12:33 PM

You'll want to reinstall an Operating System. It shows respect for the last owner, and it'll make the computer actually work.

Add more RAM, and that machine will easily run Windows 7 or 8 if you desire.

**Scrappah** · 12-06-2014, 01:52 PM

I ran into something similar yesterday. Got a vista desktop that i'm refurbishing/upgrading.

Re-loaded the OS and went through the lengthy process of updating. It was somewhere around where it upgraded to IE 9 that that the browser stopped working and said no internet connection.

I just ignored it.

right click on on computer.

Choose properties.

Choose update.

Update the computer.

Somehow it updated and the browser started working normally again.

==================

Vista is a royal PITA. Even after wiping the free space on the drive there was still a 2 + gb shadow copy left active from the previous owner. It's quite time consuming to get a re-load properly done.

==================
It's much much easier to download a win 7 ISO from digital river and copy it onto a thumb drive.

Install a drive that's been completely wiped, plug in the thumb drive, fire it up, and you're all done in no time.

**mikeinreco** · 12-06-2014, 02:28 PM

I wipe and re-install every computer I sell...........Makes it run so much smoother!!!

**Scrappah** · 12-06-2014, 03:42 PM

I'm still learning ......

Okay ... the original factory image is stored on one partition on the hard drive and the operating system is on the second partition.

Is it the kind of thing where you completely wipe the second partition before re-installing the factory image ?

That sure would make things easier.

I've been re-installing the factory image which is around 9.5 gb but it ends up being over 20 gb (or more) on the active partition. The extra 10 + gb of data is mostly old system volume information from the previous owner.

**matador** · 12-06-2014, 06:14 PM

Images will always be smaller than the finished product. I've played around with multicasting. Basically, you're sending an image to multiple computers at the same time. I imaged a machine with about 20GB of data on it, and the image was about 5GB.

Some machines will have the second partition. Some won't. If you have the second partition, you will end up installing an OS that can be legally resold. Sadly, a lot of these are Vista machines.

**Scrappah** · 12-06-2014, 07:06 PM

I don't know that it's all that important but just for laughs try running some file recovery software after you're done refurbishing a computer.

I generally do it as quality assurance to cover my butt. The machine that i'm currently working on was most likely abandoned by it's former owner because it was hijacked by ransom ware. (Locked the machine right up solid. )

To put it politely, there might some content in the hidden system files that you don't want to be dealing in.

==============

The nice thing about seven is that you can legally pull the COA off a machine which has been taken out of service and re-use it to do a clean installation free of all of the bloatware the manufacturers "bake in" to their version of the software.

The true Microsoft version runs fast and smooth.

**matador** · 12-06-2014, 11:24 PM

My advice was for the... casual user. I securely erase all the drives I deal with. I've run a few through data recovery software for fun on slow days. Nothing comes up.

Sadly, the fastest way to sanitize a hard drive is to install CryptoLocker!

**Scrappah** · 12-07-2014, 09:31 AM

I hear ya bro. For all intents & purposes it's good enough just to reinstall the operating system and be done with it. Turn n burn !

This one that i'm working on right now was a bit odd. I intially thought that it might have been password protected but there's a linux program you can run to Gain administrator access and delete user accounts. That didn't work.

Ran a boot disc and that gave me the option to re-install the factory image. That seemed the simplest and easiest way to move forward.

After reloading and updating it seemed like the re-furb was good so i ran the recovery software just to check my work. I found some official looking government stuff demanding the payment of a fine to unlock the machine. It's most likely to be a variant of cryptolocker but the weird thing is that in order to pick something like that up the previous owner was probably poking around in some unsavory places.

Anyway .... i tracked it down to a system volume information file that was around 2 gb in size. Shutting down system restore and rebooting forced it to delete. After another wipe of the free space and file scan it came up clean.

I just fgured i'd pass it along for those of us that are refurbishing as something to think about.

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