A computer issue, please help

[Stormy]

My sister has been having some serious issues with her computer. It had a serious infection, but several sweeps with an anti-spyware/adware/virus program cleaned them all out.

Unfortunately several of Window's important files were infected and subsequently removed in the process. Now, the moment she logs in the computer logs her off.

If it helps, she has XP installed. I tried to use a restore disk to replace the files, but It wouldn't let me do it without a complete system restore.

Any advice would be appreciated. Re-formating the hard-drive and reinstalling her OS would be a last resort.

[pinkymadigan]

Re: A computer issue, please help

If you don't have a built in roll back program you might be looking at your last resort.

I assume safe mode allows you some access or are we talking BIOS access only or what here?

Edit: oh yeah I would do a system restore before reinstalling. You should at least save time on a couple of updates and things.

[JLaCroix]

Re: A computer issue, please help

Do you have a Windows CD?

If you can get into the computer in safe mode (Press F8 when the loading bar first appears or a few seconds before) run this in a DOS window (start > run > cmd > enter):

sfc /scannnow

That little-known command will check all of your Windows XP system files against what they are on the CD. You may have to hit Windows Update when done, but it won't be a big deal. If the utility finds a file that is wrong or corrupted, it will ask for the CD to replace the files.

If that fails, follow this:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...ps/doug92.mspx

That also needs the Windows XP CD. It won't overwrite your programs or personal files (as long as you follow the instructions) but the downside is that it will wipe out most if not all Windows updates, so you'd have to hit up windowsupdate.microsoft.com over and over until your system is up to date again.

Edit: If you don't have a Windows XP CD, download one from bit torrent. It's perfectly legal if you have a valid Windows XP product key. Make sure you download the correct one, for example if Windows XP came with the PC and you have a sticker on your PC with your product key on it, download the OEM version of XP SP2. Otherwise, you'd want the RTM version of XP SP2 or XP SP3. If you have the RTM version, I can help you retrieve the Windows product key from the system registry, make sure you have it before you do any of these procedures as Microsoft won't help you if you lose it.

[Stormy]

Re: A computer issue, please help

I was hoping you would reply JLaCroix

I'll give that a try.

[Stormy]

Re: A computer issue, please help

Do you have a Windows CD?

If you can get into the computer in safe mode (Press F8 when the loading bar first appears or a few seconds before) run this in a DOS window (start > run > cmd > enter):

sfc /scannnow

That little-known command will check all of your Windows XP system files against what they are on the CD. You may have to hit Windows Update when done, but it won't be a big deal. If the utility finds a file that is wrong or corrupted, it will ask for the CD to replace the files.

If that fails, follow this:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...ps/doug92.mspx

That also needs the Windows XP CD. It won't overwrite your programs or personal files (as long as you follow the instructions) but the downside is that it will wipe out most if not all Windows updates, so you'd have to hit up windowsupdate.microsoft.com over and over until your system is up to date again.

Edit: If you don't have a Windows XP CD, download one from bit torrent. It's perfectly legal if you have a valid Windows XP product key. Make sure you download the correct one, for example if Windows XP came with the PC and you have a sticker on your PC with your product key on it, download the OEM version of XP SP2. Otherwise, you'd want the RTM version of XP SP2 or XP SP3. If you have the RTM version, I can help you retrieve the Windows product key from the system registry, make sure you have it before you do any of these procedures as Microsoft won't help you if you lose it.

I'm not sure you understand the situation J. We boot it up, and you get to the welcome screen. At this point you can either log on to her personal account, or an account she uses for everyone else called "The Collective." (A Borg is the icon ) If you attempt to log on to either, the moment it finishes loading personal settings and begins loading the desktop itself, it logs off and returns to the welcome screen.

In the case of the "The Collective" account you get a brief glimpse of the wallpaper before it goes back.

[EDIT] That means we can't take the computer online, and I don't know if you can put it in safe mode, I'm going to try this very moment.

[JLaCroix]

Re: A computer issue, please help

I'm not sure you understand the situation J. We boot it up, and you get to the welcome screen. At this point you can either log on to her personal account, or an account she uses for everyone else called "The Collective." (A Borg is the icon ) If you attempt to log on to either, the moment it finishes loading personal settings and begins loading the desktop itself, it logs off and returns to the welcome screen.

In the case of the "The Collective" account you get a brief glimpse of the wallpaper before it goes back.

[EDIT] That means we can't take the computer online, and I don't know if you can put it in safe mode, I'm going to try this very moment.

Yes, I understand. Please still try what I posted. Try to get it in safe mode so you can run the sfc /scannow command, if you can't log in even to safe mode, then run the Windows XP Repair Install I posted. If you don't have a Windows CD, download one from a different machine if you have access to one.

You can also try the Administrator account (ALT+CTRL+DEL twice at the welcome screen, type administrator as the username. By default there is no password but if you set one enter it) but I doubt that will work.

[Stormy]

Re: A computer issue, please help

Yes, I understand. Please still try what I posted. Try to get it in safe mode so you can run the sfc /scannow command, if you can't log in even to safe mode, then run the Windows XP Repair Install I posted. If you don't have a Windows CD, download one from a different machine if you have access to one.

You can also try the Administrator account (ALT+CTRL+DEL twice at the welcome screen, type administrator as the username. By default there is no password but if you set one enter it) but I doubt that will work.

Can't login in safe mode, which display's the Administrator account and her own, but not the other one.

I will try the other method now.

[EDIT] Its repairing it now. Hopefully that takes care of the remainder of the problems. Thanks pinky and J, if I have any other problems I'll be right back here.

[thetruecoolness]

Re: A computer issue, please help

Well if you're not able to login a repair or boot CD is your only option. Another longshot if you have another computer with XP would be to do a folder compare on the WINDOWS folder and see which files the other computer has and which ones have different filesizes, etc (this involves putting the hard drive from her computer in the other one). It's also possible there are still remnants of the infections, though I guess the windows files being messed up could cause it logging off, they normally will cause Blue Screens, or your computer not getting much past BIOS. Personally I would get the data off the harddrive and do a clean install and format, as long as she has or can download all the programs she had it would be a lot faster process, unless she made major configuration changes to any of the programs she uses (even doing a repair install can sometimes set you back to square one in terms of programs installed).

[JLaCroix]

Re: A computer issue, please help

Can't login in safe mode, which display's the Administrator account and her own, but not the other one.

I will try the other method now.

[EDIT] Its repairing it now. Hopefully that takes care of the remainder of the problems. Thanks pinky and J, if I have any other problems I'll be right back here.

Let me know how that goes. I must reinstate the importance of using Windows Update over and over once you're done to ensure you have all the updated security patches. Make sure you also install Service Pack 3 as long as you don't have an AMD-based PC made by HP, if you have one of those PC's avoid SP3.

[Valkysas]

Re: A computer issue, please help

arent there rampant reports of SP3 ****ing up computers everywhere?

[pinkymadigan]

Re: A computer issue, please help

Ha no need to thank me, Jeremy suggested all the useful things. I go for the easy fixes unless my OS buddy is around.

[thetruecoolness]

Re: A computer issue, please help

arent there rampant reports of SP3 ****ing up computers everywhere?

You mean like SP2, obviously Microsoft wouldn't release things that mess stuff up . Also when the hell did SP3 come out, I've not heard of it being out yet (and the answer is today).

Not like they would install spyware either like the Genuine Advantage tool that you have to update all the time.

[JLaCroix]

Re: A computer issue, please help

arent there rampant reports of SP3 ****ing up computers everywhere?

That's why I suggested that if he had an HP system with an AMD based processor, to not install XP Service Pack 3. Those are the only systems effected with problems with SP3, and it's due to a registry entry that HP put on its systems that AMD told them not to. (So it's not Microsofts fault, this time).

You mean like SP2, obviously Microsoft wouldn't release things that mess stuff up . Also when the hell did SP3 come out, I've not heard of it being out yet.

Not like they would install spyware either like the Genuine Advantage tool that you have to update all the time.

It wasn't too long ago that SP3 came out. It really doesn't change much, I've not noticed anything dramatically different on my system.

The problems people are having is that with Service Pack 3 the system will constantly reboot, over and over, but as I said it only effects people with HP computers that have AMD processors. I'm assuming it's the newer ones that are effected but I don't know that for sure.

[Stormy]

Re: A computer issue, please help

It mostly worked, but she still can't change her wallpaper settings (in the Desktop tab of properties menu in the desktop's context menu).

However, she can still right click an image or image file and set it as the wallpaper that way.

The wallpaper was set as an html file called "default" and it linked to another html file whose url in IE is displayed as "about:security."

I did a search and found the file, then I deleted it and changed the background. No other problems, but we'd like to fix it.

[JLaCroix]

Re: A computer issue, please help

You may still want to do a system file check to be safe. Put in the XP CD and then run this in a DOS window:

sfc /scannow

It won't hurt anything, and you won't lose anything but an hour of your time. Make sure you download those updates though.