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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU or is Windows infecting my laptop? Any IT peeps about?

17 replies

1FineDane · 03/09/2019 16:06

My laptop is driving me crazy.
In order to log into my laptop, I have to click on some photo that Windows puts up. It then opens up Microsoft Edge automatically, with a page about the picture.
Edge seems to destabilise the whole laptop.
Anyway I can stop it?
Seemed to start about 2 years ago after a windows update, so I've presumed everyone endures it, but it's driving me fucking barmy.

OP posts:
Original poster
1FineDane · 03/09/2019 16:08

For reference, it took me 5 minutes to get to this page to post. Everything keeps crashing until I close Edge down.
Then I reboot and the bastard is opened up again.
I'd say my harddrive is jam full of this shit.

OP posts:
Original poster
1FineDane · 03/09/2019 16:14

Please, if anyone could help, I'd be grateful.

OP posts:
Mabelface · 03/09/2019 16:15

Check your startup menu. You can remove stuff from this so it doesn't automatically load when you start up.

NewGrandad · 03/09/2019 16:17

Right click on the image when it comes up and that should show your login section without opening Edge. Then when you login Edge should only open when you try to open it.

BinkyBaa · 03/09/2019 16:21

If edge is crashing your laptop, theres likely something else going on ie- not enough memory/too many background programs running.

Trying not to sound like a dick, but if you struggle with this sort of thing, is there anyone who can help you? It sounds like theres a quick fix, but it'd be better sorted by someone who knows what they're doing who can see the laptop, rather than mumsnetters trying to diagnose and give instructions via text.

This isn't just something everyone else endures.

ColdAndSad · 03/09/2019 16:23

Do you have anti virus software on your laptop? If not, get AVG nowit's freeand run a full scan; and download and run Malwarebytes too, which I think you can also do for free for a limited period.

Have a look at what programs are

pelirocco123 · 03/09/2019 16:25

Our IT people warned us not to use edge as it causes problems

Chrome is pretty stable for us

ColdAndSad · 03/09/2019 16:25

Oops! Sorry. Posted too soon.

Have a look at which programs are installed and consider uninstalling the ones you no longer need. Make sure Windows is up to date. Delete as much stuff as possible from the hard drive--keep everything you want to keep, but do some basic cleaning up by deleting pictures, files etc you're done with.

But to be honest you're probably better off paying someone to sort it out for you if you don't know what you're doing. It's quicker and easier than battling through it yourself.

Original poster
1FineDane · 03/09/2019 16:47

I guess I could send it in to be cleaned up. I don't tend to trust the little shops that fix pcs though.

OP posts:
ColdAndSad · 03/09/2019 17:41

Try Currys PC World--they provide a similar service and have too much to do to do anything dodgy with your machine.

PettyContractor · 03/09/2019 17:45

I've no idea what's going on with your laptop, but none of that sounds normal to me.

I don't have to login to my PC because I've set it to automatically login to my account, but obviously that's just my customisation.

I never intentionally run Edge (I use Chrome) and no browser runs on my PC unless I explicitly start it.

ColdAndSad · 03/09/2019 19:11

In order to log into my laptop, I have to click on some photo that Windows puts up. It then opens up Microsoft Edge automatically, with a page about the picture.

When my laptop opens up it shows various pictures. If I click on it, it will open a browser giving information about the picture; if I hit return, the log in screen will appear instead. This is pretty standard. Might this be what's happening at first?

Original poster
1FineDane · 04/09/2019 13:16

Sounds like what's happening alright. You have to click several times on the stupid photo before it will bring up the log in screen. And then Edge opens up with a wiki link about the photo or some shit. It's really bloody annoying. If I knew what to uninstall, I would. But then Windows keeps updating and I suspect it would be back again.

OP posts:
WanderingHedgehog · 04/09/2019 13:35

My Windows has never done this. Do you have Edge set as your default browser? You could try changing that, if so. Also run a full scan with your AV and MalwareBytes to see if there's anything else going on.

I wonder if it's an app that you have running at start up that's causing this? You can change what programmes/apps open when you start the computer so it might be worth checking that to make sure it's only essential programmes.

ColdAndSad · 04/09/2019 15:46

Try hitting the return key instead of clicking with your mouse. See if that stops Edge opening when you log in.

DungeonDweller · 04/09/2019 15:53

Op, you'd be better taking it into one of those little local shops you don't trust and asking them how much they'd charge for an hour of time to clean it up and fix the unwanted behaviour (that you can show them in person so it gets to the root of the problem). Seriously, it sounds like you haven't got much computer literacy and PC World will only work off a ticklist of chargeable items.

Go to your local one man band IT service shop, or someone that does work on the side.

My DH is a software engineer who worked at a couple of large retail stores as a geek (as in, apple), had a side gig for years while at uni doing odd job IT work, before he graduated and went into the development side of things and had no need of the user help work on the side... Paying him £50 to sit and fix it while you can demo what the problems are will be worth spending an unknown amount of time at a bigger pc repair shop or trying to fix it yourself.

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