Computer virus!
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Join Date: Aug 2006
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Computer virus!
Hi Guys,
I was on my pc last night and all of a sudden it started behaving very odd! The processor was going at 100% and I couldnt use the task manager to turn off the program that was doing it as it was locked somehow! I think it may have been a virus or something as I have had my firewall turned off for a bit for certain reasons! I was reading my e-mails at the time so I dont know if that helps!
Anyway when I try and start the pc back up, an error message comes up saying windows is not going to start to protect my pc from further damage! I have attempted to start it in safe mode but it wont let me! I have also pressed F8 on startup and have used all the options in there but nothing works!
I am writing this on a friends computer so may not reply immediately, but I need to get this problem fixed! Many thanks and any comments welcome!
Lee
I was on my pc last night and all of a sudden it started behaving very odd! The processor was going at 100% and I couldnt use the task manager to turn off the program that was doing it as it was locked somehow! I think it may have been a virus or something as I have had my firewall turned off for a bit for certain reasons! I was reading my e-mails at the time so I dont know if that helps!
Anyway when I try and start the pc back up, an error message comes up saying windows is not going to start to protect my pc from further damage! I have attempted to start it in safe mode but it wont let me! I have also pressed F8 on startup and have used all the options in there but nothing works!
I am writing this on a friends computer so may not reply immediately, but I need to get this problem fixed! Many thanks and any comments welcome!
Lee
Join Date: Aug 2005
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I would suggest pulling the drive from the crippled machine and placing it in an anti-virus & Windows updates current PC as a secondary, non-boot drive (non-critical PC, like your brother-in-law's) and then scan the entire drive for viruses and worms. Be sure to isolate the internet from the host before placing your drive within. (pull network cables or modem connections).
If nothing is found, you may only need minor Win XP brain surgery on the registry to correct the damage. (Please repost for a primer on same)
You may need to repair the Windows installation if the machine will still not boot after surgery with the original installation disk.
Please backup your favourites, emails, address book, my documents etc before proceeeding with any repairs onto CDs.
Good Luck!
If nothing is found, you may only need minor Win XP brain surgery on the registry to correct the damage. (Please repost for a primer on same)
You may need to repair the Windows installation if the machine will still not boot after surgery with the original installation disk.
Please backup your favourites, emails, address book, my documents etc before proceeeding with any repairs onto CDs.
Good Luck!
Join Date: Aug 2006
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Subject to the HDD not being physically damaged, it should be capable of being accessed by any other windows machine and allow a scan to be made for Virus and Malware infections, also while it is in the host machine you can always copy off your important files to disk after scanning, then if it proves to be a hopeless case a format and reinstall will not loose everything.
You should be aware though that in doing so you must scan the files carefully to avoid re - importing the original problem once again.
However if you have your original installation disk you might try an overwrite repair of the system files using that disk, this will preserve your data but unless your disk includes Service Pack 2 it will return the O/S to original state sans service packs and updates, which you will then have the task of reinstalling from Microsoft’s update service or if your lucky enough to have one, an SP2 update disk makes the task a little easier leaving only the critical update list to download, either way before you do any of this unplug your computer from the net so giving whatever your infected with no avenue to update, upload or download anything and once running do a safe mode scan, can send you details of how this is done if you need them.
You should be aware though that in doing so you must scan the files carefully to avoid re - importing the original problem once again.
However if you have your original installation disk you might try an overwrite repair of the system files using that disk, this will preserve your data but unless your disk includes Service Pack 2 it will return the O/S to original state sans service packs and updates, which you will then have the task of reinstalling from Microsoft’s update service or if your lucky enough to have one, an SP2 update disk makes the task a little easier leaving only the critical update list to download, either way before you do any of this unplug your computer from the net so giving whatever your infected with no avenue to update, upload or download anything and once running do a safe mode scan, can send you details of how this is done if you need them.
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If you put your suspect HD into someone else's PC, make sure you set it as "slave" (on the jumpers, which will almost certainly be labelled telling you how to do that) do it doesn't try to boot from your HD in his PC.
Also, make sure the PC you put it into has very good virus protection (eg AVG) and as soon as you've booted up, scan your HD with that before you do anything else. You wouldn't want to infect the "new" PC with the virus that's on yours.
Or: boot your PC from a bootable Linux CD (eg a Knoppix one). That will allow you to look at the hard drive, and if necessary copy all your important stuff off it (if you don't already have it backed up).
Also, make sure the PC you put it into has very good virus protection (eg AVG) and as soon as you've booted up, scan your HD with that before you do anything else. You wouldn't want to infect the "new" PC with the virus that's on yours.
Or: boot your PC from a bootable Linux CD (eg a Knoppix one). That will allow you to look at the hard drive, and if necessary copy all your important stuff off it (if you don't already have it backed up).
