I Know That I Know Nothing About Computers Now.....

[lostinisaan]

Hello and Sawasdee Khrap,

Well, it was all my own fault to try new AV programs, PDF changing ones, back up and rescue, etc...

When I tried NOD ESET for a few weeks and deleted it, my whole system was done. Completely done. Took a long time to get Acronis do its job.

But then there're plenty of files corrupt, I still don't know why and how that could happen. After my "rescue" operation, I found out that my Brother printer didn't work anymore.

Took me days to find the problem(s). No driver installed was one of the messages. Okay, you'd think that's an easy task? No, Sir.

I a sort of lost my Brother driver CD, got one from a store, but it always stopped at a certain point. Then I saw messages such as:

"The Active Directory Domain Services is currently unavailable." Took my notebook to print some urgently needed stuff out. The same problem. No driver. No detection and self installation of it. Nil.

Today seemed to be my lucky day. The joke is that I can't even remember all steps to get it working again. Windows troubleshooter, Windows Fix it tool( with the funny looking mechanic guy on it, some other programs, nope. Nothing worked.

All I remember is that I tried one fix after another and was finally able to get it done. Running Acronis now, still having the 555555 browser hijacker on the system, but i back it up.

I was very close to bring my printer to a shop to get it checked, because my notebook didn't work as well.

Thanks to NOD ESET and their employees. G'Day.

[Chicog]

Did you try a System Restore to a point before you installed ESET?

[RichCor]

If you did an Acronis FULL BACKUP prior to installing ESET, and then a FULL RESTORE (wipe/rewrite entire volume/partition) --and that failed-- then you have more going on. I wouldn't be so quick to put all majority of any blame on ESET.

This is what we call a teaching moment.

A moment that seems to never end, with no clear idea of what the 'eff is actually being taught (though it basically winds up being patience, forgiveness and "don't to that again").

[NeverSure]

"The Active Directory Domain Services is currently unavailable."

This means that the copy of Windows was formerly used in an enterprise environment. It's looking for a Server with active directory to get its permissions and can't find it.

You'll find that you don't have the admin permissions to change that.

If you want to know more about how that works ask, but it's a complex but awesome system for larger enterprises to control files and permissions on workstations. Only someone with admin permissions to the Server, not your computer can make permissions changes.

[NeverSure]

"But then there're plenty of files corrupt, I still don't know why and how that could happen. After my "rescue" operation, I found out that my Brother printer didn't work anymore."

In an enterprise environment with Active Directory, all files and the printer driver are on Server to allow the enterprise to do the backups, and control permissions to the files and other assets.

The client (worker's computer) uses the printer as a network asset. Each client can store its own files but by rule important files and drivers are on the server.

When a new computer is set up, Windows with all of its desired granularity is pushed as an image from the Server. That image is an .msi file. Someone has swiped an .msi file and installed it on your computer.

Edit. It's possible that whoever installed Windows on your computer had a .exe crack to bypass the need for Server, and it's possible than an AV proggy would see that as a virus, not from the file itself but by behavior.

Edited March 12, 2015 by NeverSure

[NeverSure]

Is it possible that you made your image after you installed that AV proggy and the damage was done?

[lostinisaan]

Did you try a System Restore to a point before you installed ESET?

Yep, I did. Plus many other rescue operations. But I have to admit that I did all in a hurry as I'm pretty busy doing tests for students and didn't try other rescue partitions, I still got on an external drive.

"The system restore wasn't completed successfully..." but I tend to think that such problems can only teach me a lesson for the future.

Thanks a lot.

[NeverSure]

You can't do a system restore. You don't have "permission". (In active directory - only a server admin could do that.)

Your computer is looking for Microsoft Server and Active Directory for its resources and permissions and they aren't there. Your installation was at one time joined to a Domain Controller running Server with Active Directory. It's a client of that server and it can't find that server. Your computer thinks that Server (I capitalize Server because there is an operating system called Windows Server which in this case had active directory) pushed the OS to it and an admin joined it to the domain. In fact it happened.

[NeverSure]

I've seen this sooo many times. An employee's computer gets inadvertently unplugged from the network and it looks just like that. It can't find Server to get its files, drivers, permissions etc.

Those messages are all about a missing Active Directory, missing driver for network shared printer (it thinks.) It's reverted to a client with no instructions.

[NeverSure]

lostinisaan, Either you find the guy who installed that OS and see if he knows what he did to make it work (nothing I've heard of but could be) or you're into wiping the drive and starting over.

OR if you installed it the solution was built into the .msi file later and you could try a repair install.

I hope you have backups???

Edited March 13, 2015 by NeverSure

[KittenKong]

When I tried NOD ESET for a few weeks and deleted it, my whole system was done. Completely done.

When you say "delete", you do mean "uninstall using the correct procedure", dont you?

You cant just "delete" programmes willy-nilly in Windows, especially ones that integrate themselves into the system like antivirus programmes.

[Chicog]

You can't do a system restore. You don't have "permission". (In active directory - only a server admin could do that.)

Your computer is looking for Microsoft Server and Active Directory for its resources and permissions and they aren't there. Your installation was at one time joined to a Domain Controller running Server with Active Directory. It's a client of that server and it can't find that server. Your computer thinks that Server (I capitalize Server because there is an operating system called Windows Server which in this case had active directory) pushed the OS to it and an admin joined it to the domain. In fact it happened.

Of course you can if you are a member of local admin. But I'm guessing he's not

If he's got no domain then he should just remove the PC from the one it's trying to contact.

But I suspect this is all too much for his self-confessed skill level

[lostinisaan]

lostinisaan, Either you find the guy who installed that OS and see if he knows what he did to make it work (nothing I've heard of but could be) or you're into wiping the drive and starting over.

OR if you installed it the solution was built into the .msi file later and you could try a repair install.

I hope you have backups???

I got it running well again, found some Acronis backups on another external dive.

But the machine is running already, I can make a System restore, printer is set up and all is working well.

I've learned that three things are very important for all computer users.

Backup. Backup. Backup.

Thanks a lot for taking the time, helped me a lot to understand what happened. Cheers.

Edited March 13, 2015 by lostinisaan

[lostinisaan]

You can't do a system restore. You don't have "permission". (In active directory - only a server admin could do that.)

Your computer is looking for Microsoft Server and Active Directory for its resources and permissions and they aren't there. Your installation was at one time joined to a Domain Controller running Server with Active Directory. It's a client of that server and it can't find that server. Your computer thinks that Server (I capitalize Server because there is an operating system called Windows Server which in this case had active directory) pushed the OS to it and an admin joined it to the domain. In fact it happened.

Of course you can if you are a member of local admin. But I'm guessing he's not

If he's got no domain then he should just remove the PC from the one it's trying to contact.

But I suspect this is all too much for his self-confessed skill level

Have to admit that you're able to make an almost 55 year old feel like a little boy.

I always appreciate your input and I do understand your point. But what made me very suspicious that I had a printer software problem was that I couldn't use my notebook either.

Thanks a lot for your lessons, always nice to read your posts. Khop Khun La Lai.-

[RichCor]

Printer drivers are the work of the devil.

Especially so the multi version, multi model, multi-connect drivers that 'talk' to each other over a network.

Though, in the OP's case, it was probably a printer comm error that kept it from being used by the notebook. Isolate problem systems, power-cycle printer, network switch/router and notebook and try again is the usual process.

Just gotta love those days when fixing one issue ends up in multiple related/unrelated and "just because" cascading issues.

[Chicog]

You can't do a system restore. You don't have "permission". (In active directory - only a server admin could do that.)

Your computer is looking for Microsoft Server and Active Directory for its resources and permissions and they aren't there. Your installation was at one time joined to a Domain Controller running Server with Active Directory. It's a client of that server and it can't find that server. Your computer thinks that Server (I capitalize Server because there is an operating system called Windows Server which in this case had active directory) pushed the OS to it and an admin joined it to the domain. In fact it happened.

Of course you can if you are a member of local admin. But I'm guessing he's not

If he's got no domain then he should just remove the PC from the one it's trying to contact.

But I suspect this is all too much for his self-confessed skill level

Have to admit that you're able to make an almost 55 year old feel like a little boy.

I always appreciate your input and I do understand your point. But what made me very suspicious that I had a printer software problem was that I couldn't use my notebook either.

Thanks a lot for your lessons, always nice to read your posts. Khop Khun La Lai.-

You should be aware that it's never easy to try and diagnose problems from a few posts. I had a friend recently asking me about their network problems. They had a really, really old and slow router, so I told them to change it out along with new cables and splitters. Then it was all fantastic for a day but they were on the phone again.

It wasn't until I went round and looked that I found they had a copy of a defective Canon EOS app running that was chucking out so much crap that it was swamping everything else off the network. It only showed up when they turned that particular PC on.

Very difficult to diagnose without seeing it, and very easy to fix.

And upgrading the router made such a difference to their perceived Internet performance, that it wasn't money wasted either.

Where did you get this PC from, and do you know if it was ever connected to a work or school network?

[Anthony5]

I Know That I Know Nothing About Computers Now.....

Good that you finally figured that out by yourself, we knew it for quite some time already.

[NeverSure]

You can't do a system restore. You don't have "permission". (In active directory - only a server admin could do that.)

Your computer is looking for Microsoft Server and Active Directory for its resources and permissions and they aren't there. Your installation was at one time joined to a Domain Controller running Server with Active Directory. It's a client of that server and it can't find that server. Your computer thinks that Server (I capitalize Server because there is an operating system called Windows Server which in this case had active directory) pushed the OS to it and an admin joined it to the domain. In fact it happened.

Of course you can if you are a member of local admin. But I'm guessing he's not

If he's got no domain then he should just remove the PC from the one it's trying to contact.

But I suspect this is all too much for his self-confessed skill level

I'm so glad he had an image.

The computer was already removed from the server - the one it was trying to connect to. That server is/was a domain controller somewhere we don't know.

OP, good on you for have that other image. I started a thread maybe yesterday on backups and here's why.

Cheers and have a great weekend.

[lostinisaan]

You can't do a system restore. You don't have "permission". (In active directory - only a server admin could do that.)

Your computer is looking for Microsoft Server and Active Directory for its resources and permissions and they aren't there. Your installation was at one time joined to a Domain Controller running Server with Active Directory. It's a client of that server and it can't find that server. Your computer thinks that Server (I capitalize Server because there is an operating system called Windows Server which in this case had active directory) pushed the OS to it and an admin joined it to the domain. In fact it happened.

Of course you can if you are a member of local admin. But I'm guessing he's not

If he's got no domain then he should just remove the PC from the one it's trying to contact.

But I suspect this is all too much for his self-confessed skill level

I'm so glad he had an image.

The computer was already removed from the server - the one it was trying to connect to. That server is/was a domain controller somewhere we don't know.

OP, good on you for have that other image. I started a thread maybe yesterday on backups and here's why.

Cheers and have a great weekend.

I'm so glad to read your nice post !!

I'm not really as stupid, as I'm sometimes playing on this forum. ( I love good jokes.)

It's so good to know that there're people here like you/ Thank Buddha, Jesus, Mohamed and all the Hindu gods......

Please mate/ dude, keep them coming. You're a good guy.

Wish you only the best. Stay happy, healthy and wealthy, please....wish you a much better weekend.

P..S. This weekend. I've got 600 something tests to be checked, then creating their grades from Prathomsuksa one to 6.into completely in Thai written books, the results have to be given to the head of each level. but no student can fail???-Just had a brief look at the very easy ( compared to my former school) grade six I'd already used for the midterm- test.

-

The naked truth is that around 85 % would really fail, if I would give the real points. Enjoy life, can be shorter than expected. -

Edited March 13, 2015 by lostinisaan