FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  465 (10/05/05)

Q

We have discovered a virus on our young friends computer that appears to be called  ‘Smitfraud desktop hijacker’. It is preventing it from running properly and she is unable to do her homework. Do you know what this virus is and how to get rid of it?

Elisa R., via email

A

Smitfraud is a Trojan, implicated with an online banking scam (see last week’s Boot Camp item on ‘Pharming’) and it can be a real swine to remove. It creates several executable programs and a number of Registry entries and as far as I am aware none of the usual anti-virus and malware removal tools have any effect. Fortunately you are not alone and fellow sufferers at:

www.wilderssecurity.com/

showthread.php?t=75890

have devised a reasonably simple, though quite lengthy disinfection procedure. The only thing I would add is that if your friend’s PC is running Windows XP then she should install the latest security patches and Service Packs at her earliest opportunity.

Q

The first screen after switching on shows a message: ‘Invalid boot.ini’. Is this something to be concerned about and should I attempt to correct it? If so how?

Mike Jarvis, via email

A

Boot.ini is an important system file that determines how Windows XP is loaded and configured and the error message you are seeing suggests that it may be corrupted. The simplest thing to do is rebuild the boot.ini file, which you can do from the XP Recovery Console. There’s an easy to follow guide in the Microsoft Knowledgebase, simply type the number (330184) into Google.

Q

I have tried to find in the Boot Camp Archive how to display the Windows ‘version’ on the desktop (normally bottom right hand corner of screen), but have not been able to locate it.  Please point me the right direction; I am using Windows XP.

Peter Hay, via email

A

There’s a couple of ways to do this. If you know your way around the Windows Registry (experienced users only) open Regedit and go to: HKEY Current_User\Control Pane\Desktop, Look for the PaintDesktopVersion key (if it doesn't exist right click New > DWord and call it PaintDesktopVersion). Open key by double clicking on it and change/set Value Data to 1. Exit Regedit and reboot. Otherwise download and install TweakUI for XP from: www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/

downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx, and you’ll find the option under ‘General’; it’s the last item on the Settings list.

Q

Could you please tell me why when I am online I sometimes get a message telling me that ‘You have Company’. Is it anything to worry about?

Janet Parker, via email

A

I see from your email address that you are an AOL user, in which case the ‘You have company’ sound is triggered when someone on your 'Buddy List' signs on. It's perfectly harmless, but can be turned off through Buddy List preferences. Try Keyword: IM Settings and then the Expressions tab.

Q

Following your hints and tips on tuning my XP computer to speed up booting I now have it down to about 40 seconds but I cant find out how to remove the Emachine window that comes on during the loading cycle. Is it possible, to remove it? I have trawled the archives, to no avail, although I'm sure I have seen it mentioned somewhere.

Barry Buckingham, via email

A

This graphic is almost certainly generated by the motherboard BIOS (Basic Input Output System) diagnostic and configuration program that checks your system before Windows loads. On some Emachine models there is a switch to turn it off, so check your motherboard manual about how to access the BIOS and look for an item labelled ‘Boot Logo’, or something similar and disable it.

Q

I enjoyed building a PC following the instructions in Boot Camps 321-324. I would like to build another but find that some of the components listed are no longer obtainable. Are then any plans for an updated component list for the technologically challenged?

Richard Bird, Chippenham

A

We’ve no immediate plans for a follow-up but as you have discovered building your own PC is really not difficult and I wouldn’t worry too much about some of the original components not being available. In fact very little has changed and the computer industry still goes to extraordinary lengths to ensure compatibility. This is an opportunity to build a faster and better-equipped PC, and it should be a little cheaper too. Everything hinges on the motherboard, so start there and unless you have a specific requirement for high-speed graphics or gaming machine then one of the many general-purpose models from Abit, Asus, Gigabyte and MSI, usually costing less than  £50 or so, will fit the bill. Online vendors, such as those mentioned in the original article (Aria, Ebuyer etc.), have a very good selection and the spec sheets clearly show which CPUs and memory modules they support, whether or not they have ‘on-board’ video and sound adaptors and the ‘form factor’, which determines your choice of case and power supply. After that it’s just a question of deciding on hard drive capacity and obtaining the floppy and CD/DVD drives. As far as basic assembly and configuration are concerned the basic principles remain the same so have another go and the experience and confidence you’ve gained from your first PC should ensure success on your next project.