Windows XP - virus, now won't boot

[Blues]

Well, i seem to have a right bugger's muddle here.

I got infected with the "System Security" virus, and spotting it was a virus ran AVG, which didn't sort it. The more i tried to remove it, the more agreesive it seems to have got.

I did manage to download malwarebytes, but it stopped it from running.

Then i couldn't connect to the internet, or run any programme without it intercepting, and preventing further attempts.

I tried booting in safe mode, which worked, but malware wouldn't run in safe mode.

Now, the computer won't boot at all. It goes through the normal start process, shows the windows XP logo, then a black screen, followed by a brief blue screen flash, then back to the "windows did not start normally" screen:

Safe mode
safe mode with networking
safe mode with command prompt
Last known good config
start normally

None of these boot options work
What can i do? Can i download a boot file to put onto a memory stick?
I have some photos of great sentimental value that i want to recover, (no, not that sort, family ones with my late wife) the rest of the disk frankly i just don't care about.

Is there anything i can do, at all?

[TheD]

If you can hold of an ERD commander cd or get someone to download it for you. You can boot from this and it will let you do a system restore

[Blues]

TheD said:

If you can hold of an ERD commander cd or get someone to download it for you. You can boot from this and it will let you do a system restore

Thanks
I have another pc (which i am using here). So i'll try to find ERD and see what i can do. I wonder if it can be loaded from a memory stick?

[mattley]

find the malware bytes exe in program files and rename it to wibble123.exe or something.

it should then run and get your machine to the point where you can get your photos onto a USB stick.

[Muntu]

mattley said:

find the malware bytes exe in program files and rename it to wibble123.exe or something.

it should then run and get your machine to the point where you can get your photos onto a USB stick.

Blues said:

None of these boot options work

[Blues]

Muntu said:

mattley said:

find the malware bytes exe in program files and rename it to wibble123.exe or something.

it should then run and get your machine to the point where you can get your photos onto a USB stick.

Blues said:

None of these boot options work

Yes, you've got it Muntu
I can't get it to boot, therefore can't change anything


The additional issue is that it is an ex company laptop, running XP Professional, for whichi don't have any disks. I do happen to have XP home edition, but this won't repair Professional. My next hope is to find a XL Professional disk that i might use to repair tehoperating system, then possibly get of of the anti virus jobs to run.

I have failed miserably with ERD Commander. I seem to have downloaded a copy of it, and burned it to a CD, but my laptop won't boot from it

I think its off to the pub for me!

[Man-At-Arms]

Blues said:

I got infected with the "System Security" virus,

i fixed a friends computer last night with this
fixed it with Spybot, but i think i was just lucky

[bigdods]

How old is the laptop ? I recently had to do some work on my old dell and the hard disk was just a small IDE drive - if your is the same then you should be able to remove the drive and hook it up to a spare IDE connector on your PC. You can then copy any files you need from it.

On my dell it was just a case of removing a screw from a cover and removing the drive.

[Blues]

bigdods said:

How old is the laptop ? I recently had to do some work on my old dell and the hard disk was just a small IDE drive - if your is the same then you should be able to remove the drive and hook it up to a spare IDE connector on your PC. You can then copy any files you need from it.

On my dell it was just a case of removing a screw from a cover and removing the drive.

oooh, you might have something there bd
Its a Dell latitude x300, circa 2005/6
whats a IDE connector?

ETA
just looked at the back of the duff lapotop, removed a couple of screws that look obvious candidates for holding a disk drive, and it holds a small board with what i guess are memory chips

I'll have a better root around tomorrow, plenty of screws to undo!

Edited by Blues on Saturday 3rd April 18:19

[bigdods]

Blues said:

bigdods said:

How old is the laptop ? I recently had to do some work on my old dell and the hard disk was just a small IDE drive - if your is the same then you should be able to remove the drive and hook it up to a spare IDE connector on your PC. You can then copy any files you need from it.

On my dell it was just a case of removing a screw from a cover and removing the drive.

oooh, you might have something there bd
Its a Dell latitude x300, circa 2005/6
whats a IDE connector?

IDE is an old style hard drive data cable, still used on DVD drives - its the grey ribbon cable coming out of your DVD/CD drive inside the puter. Depending on your configuration , if its an IDE disk just pop the connector off the DVD drive, connect the hard drive and away you go.

[Kinky]

Mr. Blues.

I've got an XP Pro disk if you want it.

Plus, I'm quite happy to have a play (oooer) with you.

K

[Kinky]

I wish I'd seen this earlier. I was over in Crowthorne at lunchtime for a while

[Blues]

bigdods said:

Blues said:

bigdods said:

How old is the laptop ? I recently had to do some work on my old dell and the hard disk was just a small IDE drive - if your is the same then you should be able to remove the drive and hook it up to a spare IDE connector on your PC. You can then copy any files you need from it.

On my dell it was just a case of removing a screw from a cover and removing the drive.

oooh, you might have something there bd
Its a Dell latitude x300, circa 2005/6
whats a IDE connector?

IDE is an old style hard drive data cable, still used on DVD drives - its the grey ribbon cable coming out of your DVD/CD drive inside the puter. Depending on your configuration , if its an IDE disk just pop the connector off the DVD drive, connect the hard drive and away you go.

Ah, i'll dismantle it and see if i can find one tomorrow

Kinky said:

Mr. Blues.

I've got an XP Pro disk if you want it.

Plus, I'm quite happy to have a play (oooer) with you.

K

Ah, cheers K.
I might give you a call in the morning. I have to drop my daughter off at Windlesahm around mid-day, so could pop along to borrow the disk?

[Kinky]

Yup - I'll make sure I'm here

Why not bring it along, and see if we can do anything here - 2 heads better than one, and all that.

K

[Muntu]

Might be worth burning yourself a Puppy Linux live CD first and back up all your photos etc to memory stick before you start doing a repair install. Just in case

[Blues]

Thanks for the loan of the disk K, but the systenm would not "repair".

Muntu, an inspired suggestion does seem to have worked, i have burnt a disk and managed to get it to boot under Linux. Will try to get files copied later
Thanks for your help all

[Blues]

Booted with the Puppy disk, plugged in an external drive, and BINGO!!!!
Data being copied as i type Many thanks again Muntu

Edited by Blues on Monday 5th April 11:41

[Muntu]

Blues said:

Booted with the Puppy disk, plugged in an external drive, and BINGO!!!!
Data being copied as i type Many thanks again Muntu

Edited by Blues on Monday 5th April 11:41

I'm glad it all worked out

[Marcellus]

grrrr must be something in the air;

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... "security tool" virus&mid=56693

Glad you got it sorted!

[Kinky]

RESULT

Great news.