if you have a 2 gb usb thumbdrive and your pc can boot from usb, my recomendation is fedora live usb.
_______________

i googled and i cant find how to install it in ubuntu...

Hmm. It seems various posters here advocate reinstalling your entire system. Uhg. Such overkill. That was usually the remedy that Windows users in the past resorted to for "solving" problems*. Linux users should not adopt such inane "remedies". But I digress.

As I said in my former post, try these things first:

• clean your keyboard
• install a firewall
• install an antivirus program
• read the safety and security tips on the Ubuntu website

See my previous post for more details, and links, for doing this.

If problems continue, then sure, reinstall Ubuntu (or another distro). Installing Ubuntu (or another distro) is not too difficult.

_________
*Windows users now just go and buy a whole new computer when they've got an issue -- such a waste.

Actually, reinstalling the operating system is considered a best practice when dealing with an unknown malware infection. While the problems here may not be malware related, the behavior described, and the fact that the ex is the one who installed and configured the machine lead me to believe that an OS reinstall is reasonable.

I think that the best suggestions so far are the ones that advocate going to the local LUG(s) for assistance.

If this was a windows questions forum and you were asking this I would tell you that the chance of your computer being infected with such software is very big, especially when downloading screensavers from suspicious sites. But with linux I really doubt you can have this problem.

Not so, especially if the person who installed the system may be the sort of person who would install a keystroke logger.

I agree, with regards to the guy who originally installed this computer's OS, a clean install of (K)Ubuntu would be the quickest easiest and safest option alongside a visit or two to the local LUG. you will come out feeling like an expert!

oh and try this: http://www.ubuntupocketguide.com/download.html
some good and easy reading material.

Installing Linux isnt really that hard..If you stick with one of the distro's with training wheels.Like Ubuntu,OpenSuse,Mandrivia,PCLinux...If I can figure it out anyone can..According to my ex-girl friend..Im legally retarded..lol..

Backing up a current system, then installing a new system, and subsequently, with the backup, customising the new set up to have the same personal value that the old set up had, is an effort. In fact, given that good practices such as installing an antivirus program, installing a firewall, keeping a system up to date, and cleaning a keyboard to remove potential jams, would have to be done regardless of whether one reinstalls a system or not, I don't see a particular advantage to reinstalling. So, until it's been determined that the computer's OS is irreparably damaged, it makes sense to first enact the aforementioned good practises for maintaining a healthy system.

While, in principle, I agree with all of you that hardening beats a reinstall, at this point in time the whole system is completely untrustworthy - it was installed by someone who may have reason to install an OS which is unsafe. The only way to restore confidence in the OS is for it to be reinstalled and the hardened.

Sometimes its just easier and less of a headache to just erase the chalkboard and start from scratch...

I agree with Stratotak, time wise you could have a working and most of all, clean system in less than an hour. let's not confuse (or even scare) a potential new linux user here and stick to basics.

moreover, we have been posting away here, I think we should wait and see what QueenMom has to say to all this.

QueenMom, are you still with us?

lol
 

lol, Partitioned means exapmle:

windows on one half of the hard drive and ubuntu on another half but only one hard drive.

and windows (because its not designed to) can't see uBuntu.

And terminal is sorta the same thing as command line in windows.

why doesnt windows work? (could it be ntldr is missing? uBuntu often screws up ntldr)

I had the same problem .My solution involved a much more drastic but perfect solution. If you are using SATA HDDs then buy a little piece of hardware that allows you to swap HHDs. Put Linux on a new HDD and then swap it with the Windows HDD (with system off) I am using a 250 gig drive for my Linux distro so i have ample room for Linux only apps.any drives that carry only data (video,music.pics etc.) are still accessible.Of course any files on the Windows HDD aren't. Therefore I suggest you put at least 2HDDs in your system ,plus the swap bay and a second drive

sorry, but that is simply not true; I have installed Ubuntu on numerous systems alongside with windows, for people who want to see what Linux is about without losing their Oh so precious windos, and I have NEVER come across Ubuntu stirring up a windows install more than it already was in the first place.

of course you need to take the proper steps before you start, defragmenting windows' system drive (C:\ mostly but not always) beforehand is a must if you are installing on the same physical drive and need to resize and repartition it.

but we are deviating from the topic here..