I'm at my wits' end with YouTube

[umbrellabeach]

For no apparent reason whatsoever, YouTube has been very dysfunctional for me for about 24 hours now. I am unable to "like" or upload videos, modify playlists (including Watch Later), post bulletins, or even sign out. All I can do is search, watch and comment - and I'm surprised that I can comment.
I tried restoring my system, and uninstalling and reinstalling Adobe Flash Player and Java. None of it worked.
I logged into my account on my mom's computer, and everything worked normally, so I guess it's just my computer that has an issue - but it won't tell me what's wrong and I can't figure it out for the life of me.
If this has anything to do with anything, I downloaded a torrent last week that took five days to complete. I only shut my computer down for the night once during that time, and only because it was heating up more than I was comfortable with. I don't see why or how that would affect YouTube's function, though.
Also, the SwagBucks search engine gives me a blank page whenever I search with it. Maybe these two issues are related?
Does anyone have an idea of what could be wrong?

 

[nowwhat]

Have you googled with carefully chosen search terms? That is really the best way to start sorting issues like this.

 

[umbrellabeach]

I've Googled several times and most of the results are links to videos on YouTube of songs and stuff. The others talk about specific problems like being unable to view or comment. I also asked for help on Yahoo! Answers and the Google Product forums, and got no replies. I guess I'm the first one who ever had this problem.

 

[Judge]

Also, the SwagBucks search engine gives me a blank page whenever I search with it. Maybe these two issues are related?

It's possible. Any time you're using a browser helper object (BHO) like someone's search engine toolbar there's always a chance of inadvertently downloading an alike competitor's BHO that overrides or disables your existing one. Or something worse.

You may have been the victim of malware. Have you conducted multiple anti-virus and malware scans to rule that out? Five days of downloading....there's a lot that go wrong if you're doing default software installations rather than custom installations.

 

[umbrellabeach]

I've run a full scan with Microsoft Security Essentials, which revealed four threats, three of which were trojans. I removed them and I'm currently running another full scan to make sure I've gotten rid of them. I still have the problem though.
I've read that it's good to use multiple programs to scan for viruses and such, but I'm not sure what other ones are good besides Essentials. Can you recommend anything (preferably freeware)?
I don't use the SwagBucks toolbar; I used to, but then I think when the hard drive in my old laptop died and I got a new one, the toolbar wouldn't install, so I stopped using it. I just go to the website and use the search there.
The torrent only contained video files, not software or anything, as far as I know. I'm not sure how video files seem to have given me viruses but I guess anything's possible with today's technology.
I contacted Sony tech support and got an e-mail with three links to Media Gallery updates that the guy thought might help me, but I installed all three of them and it didn't solve the problem. I also have the same problem in different browsers (it won't even let me sign in) so the problem is definitely my computer itself.
What else could it be? Maybe just some undetected malware/virus?
I wish System Restore had let me pick an older date... it only went back one day.

 

[Judge]

Unfortunately if it's malware or a virus system restore isn't likely to make a difference, because the offending program is stored in a system restore subdirectory, ready to come back even when an anti-virus program "deletes" them. For that reason I always turn off the system restore function before rebooting in the event I detect and delete any offending software.

Freeware? There's Avast and AVG as antivirus programs...and others like HiJackThis and Spybot Search and Destroy you can run manually (outside resident memory) so they don't conflict with your basic anti-virus program and spit out false-positives.

I saw where Mozilla suspects the possibility of malware whenever a search engine generates a blank page. I just recall one called "yontoo" I just couldn't get rid of. I ended up reformatting and reinstalling the OS. A major pain, but the only solution I could find.

 

[umbrellabeach]

My full scan just finished and it says it detected no threats, but I'll still try a program or two that you mentioned. Thanks.
I used to have Yontoo as well, for some reason, on my old laptop. I think it came with something else I downloaded.

 

[Judge]

My full scan just finished and it says it detected no threats, but I'll still try a program or two that you mentioned. Thanks.
I used to have Yontoo as well, for some reason, on my old laptop. I think it came with something else I downloaded.

One thing for sure, never depend on the results of a single program when looking for malicious software. Use several, but with only one in resident memory to avoid conflicts. It's creepy to read what anti-virus programs detect things and others that don't. Better to assume none of them are perfect.

 

[umbrellabeach]

Well, I've scanned with SpyBot and Avast and neither found any threats. SwagBucks and my e-mail are now working properly, but I still have the YouTube problem. Man, I'm totally stumped now... should I try yet another program?

 

[Judge]

Well, I've scanned with SpyBot and Avast and neither found any threats. SwagBucks and my e-mail are now working properly, but I still have the YouTube problem. Man, I'm totally stumped now... should I try yet another program?

Short of scanning with Windows Defender and Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool I'm stumped as well. There's stuff out there about Youtube, but nothing useful. Yeah...it's a mystery. The sort of thing that irks me...

 

[umbrellabeach]

Do you think restoring my computer to factory settings would do it?
It sounds a bit extreme but I've tried absolutely everything else (except those last two programs you mentioned; I'll have to check them out soon).

 

[Judge]

Do you think restoring my computer to factory settings would do it?
It sounds a bit extreme but I've tried absolutely everything else (except those last two programs you mentioned; I'll have to check them out soon).

This one bothers me in seeing a number of people online with similar problems, yet there appear to be no clear solutions.

Reformatting and reinstalling the OS from scratch is the most effective way of getting rid of such a problem short of finding a concise solution. Not an easy thing to do, but most effective in the event you remain completely stumped. Apart from addressing the probability of being a victim of malware, it also is likely to correct any corrupt OS files as a result of any faulty downloads.

 

[GoofKing]

First off, computers crash because it's science and secondly you could actually reset your computer back to factory setting just by removing the CMOS battery or the large digital watch-like battery on the mother board. I don't fully understand how CMOS is a semiconductor and yet a battery at the same time unless it isn't a battery :/

Re-installing an OS with male ware is your best bet if you can't get rid of it using anti-virus or anti-male-ware software unless it's one of those boot sector male ware or random ware (which I always wanted to dig into an effected computer and see how it works and study it to come up with a cure) ...

 

[umbrellabeach]

Thanks guys. My mom is going to call another computer guy soon, the one who helped us before we moved out of MN, and I'll ask his opinion on this. I have no qualms about losing my files because I have an external hard drive to back them all up on. Most of them are already backed up but I'll make sure to back up all the newer ones that aren't.

 

[Judge]

One thing I'm wondering about regarding your YouTube problems, if in all that downloading you may have inadvertently installed a set of new video codecs that selectively undermine the operation of YouTube. If you have your original video codec files you might consider reinstalling them.

Just a thought...although I doubt it would have anything to do with your search engine issues in using Swagbucks. That still strikes me as a malware -related problem.

 

[umbrellabeach]

I've never handled those before. Where would I find them, and how will I know if they've been changed?

 

[Judge]

Of course the primary driver of YouTube is Flash....just bear in mind that checking for codec issues may be a stretch...

For Windows 7 I'm using the open source video codec package that comes with VLC.

VideoLAN - VLC media player source code

But as to differentiating overwritten codecs, I've never had any incentive to go about it. Not sure if you really can. I don't use their media player, but for me it was a safe and free way to download required media codecs. Otherwise you usually have to pay good money for them through vendors like Win DVD, etc.unless your computer came with them. Like any download though, just be sure to do a virus scan on executable files before you actually launch them.

 

[umbrellabeach]

I wasn't sure what to do with those files - my computer showed the file type as simply "File." It seemed more complicated than it was worth, so I went ahead and did a factory reset, and it solved my problem. Thanks for all your help, guys.

 

[Judge]

I wasn't sure what to do with those files - my computer showed the file type as simply "File." It seemed more complicated than it was worth, so I went ahead and did a factory reset, and it solved my problem. Thanks for all your help, guys.

It's usually more work, but I must say in my own experience it's solved whatever problem I had 100% of the time. Glad it worked for ya.

 

[Maelstrom]

For no apparent reason whatsoever, YouTube has been very dysfunctional for me for about 24 hours now. I am unable to "like" or upload videos, modify playlists (including Watch Later), post bulletins, or even sign out. All I can do is search, watch and comment - and I'm surprised that I can comment.
I tried restoring my system, and uninstalling and reinstalling Adobe Flash Player and Java. None of it worked.
I logged into my account on my mom's computer, and everything worked normally, so I guess it's just my computer that has an issue - but it won't tell me what's wrong and I can't figure it out for the life of me.
If this has anything to do with anything, I downloaded a torrent last week that took five days to complete. I only shut my computer down for the night once during that time, and only because it was heating up more than I was comfortable with. I don't see why or how that would affect YouTube's function, though.
Also, the SwagBucks search engine gives me a blank page whenever I search with it. Maybe these two issues are related?
Does anyone have an idea of what could be wrong?

you may have a video spam hack running through your system...@umbrellabeach , I removed Adobe Flash entirely, the problem is if they have your account rat hacked unless you use a virtual keyboard to re-enter new account codes they can re-hack you in hours. The video spam uses so much memory it crashes old computers.
Try Quick time maybe instead...
Also Microsofts free malware checks are bogus...they found nothing onmine....but when I tried to remove my remote desk which is how the rat hacks get in...they did a un-asked for Malware check and found malware... Yeah!
Microsoft is dirty!