Friends Computer, Wont Boot

[orcutt989]

When my friend boots up his computer, it goes to the Windows XP logo screen, with the bars underneath, moving as if it is loading the operating system, but it just goes on forever, forcing him to boot into safe mode. I am telling him to run a virus scan, and maybe even a spyware scan, but I really dont know what to do. Can you guys help out?


EDIT: He might not even have an Anti Virus software installed on his computer.

[orcutt989]

*Bump

He scanned with his SBC internet safety whatever virus program, and it found a few viruses but doesnt get rid of them. I dont now how he is going to get rid of them as he is not computer literate.

[peat moss]

Sounds like SBC internet safety is provided by his ISP , probably powered by Norton or Mcafee . What virus is it ? Find that out and your half way to fixing it ,mabye its in quarantine .

[orcutt989]

Sounds like SBC internet safety is provided by his ISP , probably powered by Norton or Mcafee . What virus is it ? Find that out and your half way to fixing it ,mabye its in quarantine .

I dont know, he dissappeared today. He said quote "It only deleted one thing, and the rest it sent me to some site telling me about the virus which made me angry".

[malyo]

A:>format c:
this one is always a clean, easy and sometimes fast solution :P

[peat moss]

A:>format c:
this one is always a clean, easy and sometimes fast solution :P



My friends bring me virus riddled computers about once a month ,I try to fix them but useually a:/ format c too . :lol:

But mabye orcutt989's friend has an easy one to repair. :)

[Smith]

A:>format c:
this one is always a clean, easy and sometimes fast solution :P



My friends bring me virus riddled computers about once a month ,I try to fix them but useually a:/ format c too . :lol:

But mabye orcutt989's friend has an easy one to repair. :)


Bah, a computer thats easy to fix? Never heard of such a thing :frusty:

[tesco]

Ask him what the virus was called, and then search google to find removal instructions.

After that if it still doens't boot he can doa repair isntall.

[Master$hake]

I use winternals at work for this sort of thing but for your friends case installing a recovery console should be sufficient.

Recovery Console (http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prmb_tol_kfma.asp)

Follow the troubleshooting directions on that page.

You can format if you want to but don't do it via 98 or me floppy disk. Start up from xp cd, delete the partition and then do a low level format. You will lose all data on partition.

Even if he does get the virus out it seems like the damage is done and it would be a big task to repair any damage done to the filesystem, registry, and system files.

Good luck

[orcutt989]

I use winternals at work for this sort of thing but for your friends case installing a recovery console should be sufficient.

Recovery Console (http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prmb_tol_kfma.asp)

Follow the troubleshooting directions on that page.

You can format if you want to but don't do it via 98 or me floppy disk. Start up from xp cd, delete the partition and then do a low level format. You will lose all data on partition.

Even if he does get the virus out it seems like the damage is done and it would be a big task to repair any damage done to the filesystem, registry, and system files.

Good luck

Oh great. So you guys think there is actual damage to the file system itself?

[peat moss]

There very well could be , sometimes the virus or trojan goes kicking and screaming when you remove it. Fuking up your internet connection or windows explorer by taking out files or dll's .

[Master$hake]

I use winternals at work for this sort of thing but for your friends case installing a recovery console should be sufficient.

Recovery Console (http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prmb_tol_kfma.asp)

Follow the troubleshooting directions on that page.

You can format if you want to but don't do it via 98 or me floppy disk. Start up from xp cd, delete the partition and then do a low level format. You will lose all data on partition.

Even if he does get the virus out it seems like the damage is done and it would be a big task to repair any damage done to the file system, registry, and system files.

Good luck

Oh great. So you guys think there is actual damage to the file system itself?

Not really sure, but everything I suggested is sort of a generic fix to boot problems. If you are able to get more specific with the problem, I can narrow things down for you.

Also this being a file sharing forum, try and get a hold of a program called winternals, sometimes referred to as ERD commander. It is sort of a toolkit that allows you to boot off of the cd and repair non bootable partitions.

It also has crash analyzer and other good stuff, version 2005 is latest.

Techiez toolkit is good to, and more available.

[peat moss]

@Mastershake thats why I like this forum never heard of it . This link ?


http://www.winternals.com/

[Master$hake]

Yup but don't bother looking to download it from that site, no free trials.
Don't bother thinking you can purchase it either, we pay $2500 US a year for 1 license.

Look in newsgroups a.b.ftn or such.

Techiez Toolkit is a great tool to, don't leave my office without it. Has almost every diagnostic fix it partition tool you can think of.

Unfortunatly it only has ERD Commander 2003 which is still usefull, but not at the enterprise level.

[peat moss]

Gee I thought you would Pm me the proggie or atleast the crack ! :lol:

JK . no problem does sound interesting tho. :)

[Master$hake]

I have a keygen if you want, but the program is up to you to get. I have 2005 gen

Great program though, you'll find it used by every enterprise level company, Its got remote repair similar to pc anyware but with adminpack.

[peat moss]

I have a keygen if you want, but the program is up to you to get. I have 2005 gen

Great program though, you'll find it used by every enterprise level company, Its got remote repair similar to pc anyware but with adminpack.



I could quote rule 10 , :lol: I was joking but don't want this thread to be closed . :)

[Master$hake]

This forum has rules? hahaha what a joke

If your looking for real info try experts exchange

Good luck to you

[Snee]

Pete, ERD commander and the entire Winternals kit are easily found through e-mule or BT.

Have a look at the Pirate Bay, for instance.


I got a couple of versions for someone else a while ago, he didn't much like how they worked, tho'.

[orcutt989]

Hmm. My friend's dad just left a message on my answering machine, mustve mentioned something to him about it. I found Winternal's 2003, and a keygen. Is this good? What will this program do?

EDIT: I just read that this winternals programs uses recovery points to restore data.... that doesnt help when you havent had the program installed on a computer before....:angry:

EDIT2: Okay, I downloaded an ISO file claiming to be Winternals 2003(Cracked), from DC++, but when I mount it, it doesnt do anything, and when I explore it, it has no exe, or autorun files or anything, and no install file?

[Master$hake]

Its a bootable cd, once you have burned the ISO put it in cd rom drive and reboot selecting to boot off of cd rom from BIOS if it isn't already.

When it refers to restore points by default windows XP creates restore points by itself unless you have turned off system restore.

Winternals itself does not create recovery points.

Once you boot onto the cd it will look like your booting up windows only it will run slower because your running off of a cd.

Once you select your windows instillation you can then choose a restore point and roll back windows, there are also some other useful utilities that will allow you to find out what happened particularly crash analyzer

Just for your own sake try and get a hold of 2005 its much better and actually allows you to run firefox so you can do research while running from cd to help you figure out what to do.

Also if you can get a hold of techiez toolkit there is a program on there called ntboot that will allow you to fix unbootable partitions.

[orcutt989]

Its a bootable cd, once you have burned the ISO put it in cd rom drive and reboot selecting to boot off of cd rom from BIOS if it isn't already.

When it refers to restore points by default windows XP creates restore points by itself unless you have turned off system restore.

Winternals itself does not create recovery points.

Once you boot onto the cd it will look like your booting up windows only it will run slower because your running off of a cd.

Once you select your windows instillation you can then choose a restore point and roll back windows, there are also some other useful utilities that will allow you to find out what happened particularly crash analyzer

Just for your own sake try and get a hold of 2005 its much better and actually allows you to run firefox so you can do research while running from cd to help you figure out what to do.

Also if you can get a hold of techiez toolkit there is a program on there called ntboot that will allow you to fix unbootable partitions.

Well thanks everyone for your help. My friend told me that he got it fixed. How, I do not know, but whatever. No work for me. Well thanks alot guys.