PC Pals Forum
Technical Help & Discussion => Windows PCs & Software: Help, News & Discussion => Topic started by: Simon on October 25, 2008, 15:31
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Has anyone used a Dell recovery disk, and does it save or wipe all of your data?
I've spent the morning up at a friends, trying to rid them of a SpyAxe derivative (spyware that keeps popping up as a dialogue bubble from your system tray, telling you your machine is infected, and to download blah blah to remove it), but have actually made things worse!
I first tried SpyAxe Remover, which did as it said on the tin, at first, but then other things weren't right, such as applications taking ages to launch (even though nothing looked odd in Task Manager), plus the F-Secure icon has disappeared from the system tray, it wouldn't run a scan, and it didn't appear to be updating. At this point, Windows Update demanded to install SP3 (they had kept clicking 'later' when it had asked before), which I allowed to complete, then I re-installed F-Secure, to no avail.
I then decided to use CCleaner to see if that would help. After this, things were still slow, so I thought I'd try SuperAntiSpyware, but it refused to install, even in safe mode, and by this time, after umpteen reboots, the bloody SpyAxe thing had come back again, along with Windows asking to be re-activated, and Networking refusing to start.
By this time, I'm gathering it's pretty well knackered, and was going to use the Dell Recovery CD, but wasn't sure if it would wipe everything or not, hence my original question. I also have a feeling that the Dell CD won't work, as I seem to remember doing a clean install of Windows for them, when the machine was new.
Why do I offer to repair friends' machines? It's lost me a morning of my free weekend, and I'm now wound up after things being worse when I left it, to when I started, making me look a complete pillock!
Any help appreciated!
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If its like the windows CD it should have a recovery or repair without losing files
With a windows Cd you can reinstall windows and still keep the files
But Im not sure about the dell CD
With dell I always do a fresh reinstall windows from a windows cd
Dell always gave me problems
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I have a feeling I may have already done a fresh installation of Windows for them, when the machine was new, so unless there's still something hidden away in a dark corner of the drive, with the original Dell files on it, the recovery CD may not work anyway. Thinking about it, even if it did, that would also reinstall all the cr@p that was removed from the machine when it was new, so I'm now looking at the Windows CD Repair installation route, to start with.
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First thing I would try is malwarebyts it might install and then try to do a system restore
http://usableurl.com/u/uUdkzfqPr
If you use the windows cd at one point it should give a choice to install and save files on the disk I have used that on a crash
It also has a repair that sometimes works for me
You push r when it asks for a choice
I would try the repair first
You may have to install windows new to fix the problem
If you can do a backup of their files
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The problem is, Davy, Windows seems to have been seriously damaged. It won't even recognise a CD in the drive, so I have been told, so whether anything else can be installed is probably doubtful.
The other problem is, System Restore had been previously disabled, so there was nothing there to fall back on either.
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All thats left is try to do a repair with the disc
you should be able to save the files and still install a new windows instalation
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That's what I'm hoping.
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Be carefull with some Dells some of the drivers are specifically for Dell
Some require drivers that are not on the cd especially with modems and video cards
I have done one or two that gave a big problem when loading some drivers
I always skip them and after the install is complete they will update themselves
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I'm hoping for the best scenario, that being that a repair installation will work. Even if it still leaves the virus, I'll have a greater chance of removing it with Windows working properly.
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Im wishing you luck with it
Malwarebytes should get rid of it when windows is working
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I've been on the phone to them this last half hour. Basically, although Windows loads, nothing is working. Networking is lost, programs can't be installed or run, and any external drives are initially recognised, but as soon as they try to copy anything over, it says 'Please insert a disc into Drive E'. We have tried restoring the registry from yesterday's backup, but to no avail, and booting by 'Last known good configuration' does nothing either. The main problem is getting the photos off of the hard drive, before I attempt to repair or re-install Windows, and at the moment, this is the main goal which seems to be defeating us.
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Oh, one other thing, if they go into Device Manager > Services and Applications > Services, virtually everything is Disabled, which even I know isn't right. They have checked in 'msconfig' and Normal start up is selected.
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Sounds like you're going to have to boot from another OS, Simon. Have they tried safe mode, aamoi?
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I tried safe mode yesterday, trying to install SuperAntiSpyware, which apparently won't install in safe mode. ::)
I thought I might just try sfc /scannow tomorrow, and see if that can replace the missing or damaged files. If not, say I took my Vista laptop up there, can I get their PC to boot from it, and would I be putting my machine at risk from the virus on theirs by doing so?
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I don't think there's much chance of getting it to do a LAN boot. :(
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Jeez bro, your in the thick of it with this one, and I'm sorry I cannot offer any advice.
One thing to consider though [for the future] is to partition the hard drive of any PC's you do for your mates. C drive for windows and programes. Another partition where any data they input video's, pictures, docs, etc go [ I even put my Thunderbird and Firefox default user on there. So when I reimage C Drive, all you emails and such are still there. And last but not least a third partition where you can put a backup image of C drive. Then with the right software, when they feck up, you'll have em sorted in about 10 mins with Acronis back up (http://www.acronis.co.uk/homecomputing/products/trueimage/)
You just pop around with your rescue disk, even if thety cannot boot to windows.
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It looks like you will have to reinstall windows and make sureyou check mark keep all files
Using your laptop wont work unless they had theirs set on a network
If nothing in their windows is working then something has been deleted from the registry that was very important
You could try taking another hard drive installing it and install windows on it and then pull all the info over
Then install windows on their drive and retrieving the files back
That would be the safest way
Nothing would be lost
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It's all getting a bit over my head, to be honest. I wouldn't really know how to do the second hard drive thing, although I do have my old machine, with Windows XP still on it. Could I use that in some way? Maybe take the hard drive out and install it in theirs? Would it work just like that? How would I get it to boot from 'my' hard drive instead of theirs? Would it then just be a question of their hard drive appearing in My Computer on 'my' hard drive installation, and pulling the files over? I wouldn't want to format 'my' hard drive, as there's still stuff on it that I want to keep.
Tony, yes, once we've got these photos off, I intended to reinstall Windows, and have a separate partition for data.
Rik, I haven't a clue what a LAN boot is. :(
One other thing, is there a default Windows XP Registry you can download from somewhere, or would even a working one from my own machine be of any use if it could be imported? That's probably a silly idea, but as you can see, I'm clutching at straws here.
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Oh, just another thought, how about taking their hard drive out, and installing it in my old machine? Presumably that would still boot from my original Windows installation, and 'their' hard drive would be treated as a slave, that I can just pull the files over from?
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Oh, just another thought, how about taking their hard drive out, and installing it in my old machine? Presumably that would still boot from my original Windows installation, and 'their' hard drive would be treated as a slave, that I can just pull the files over from?
Yes you could do that Bro, but remember to set the "jumpers" on their hard drive to "Slave"
Davy51 is also right, I have a saved Acronis "Image" of W2K Pro loaded with the latest security updates, and AVG on it. It turns a empty or un bootable hard drive into a fully functioning Windows installation in about 4 minutes.
None of that validation crap with W2K Pro, any disk, any where , any time, time after time after time....cost me a tenner on Ebay back in 2002....I was robbed ;D
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It's all getting a bit over my head, to be honest. I wouldn't really know how to do the second hard drive thing, although I do have my old machine, with Windows XP still on it. Could I use that in some way? Maybe take the hard drive out and install it in theirs? Would it work just like that? How would I get it to boot from 'my' hard drive instead of theirs? Would it then just be a question of their hard drive appearing in My Computer on 'my' hard drive installation, and pulling the files over? I wouldn't want to format 'my' hard drive, as there's still stuff on it that I want to keep.
Tony, yes, once we've got these photos off, I intended to reinstall Windows, and have a separate partition for data.
Rik, I haven't a clue what a LAN boot is. :(
One other thing, is there a default Windows XP Registry you can download from somewhere, or would even a working one from my own machine be of any use if it could be imported? That's probably a silly idea, but as you can see, I'm clutching at straws here.
It wouldnt boot from your hard drive and work the machines are different
you would use an empty hard drive as master installing windows
Their drive would be a slave
You could then pull the pics to the new drive then switch the drives and install windows on theirs
Then just pull the pics and folders to their drive again
The biggest problem is nothing on their drive is working or it would be easier
Their drive is almost like having a dead drive that you are trying to get the info off of
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Oh, just another thought, how about taking their hard drive out, and installing it in my old machine? Presumably that would still boot from my original Windows installation, and 'their' hard drive would be treated as a slave, that I can just pull the files over from?
That would work
Then all you need to do is put their drive back in their machine and install windows
Then use your drive as slave to retieve the info to their drive
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Right, I think that's the way to go then. :)
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You could poss try one of those Linux distros that run from a CD Simon.
That way you may be able to connect an external USB drive and drag everything you need from their hard drive to it then reinstall XP on their drive and drag stuff back.
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Yes, that's a possibility, San. I'll get the machine back here and take things from there. :)
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Just to update those who may be interested, I couldn't piggy back the hard drive into my old PC, because it was SATA and my old one is all IDE, so that idea was killed on the spot.
What I did then, was to start looking at the Services and Applications that I mentioned had all been disabled, and found that by selecting Properties, then choosing Automatic from the drop down menu, some of the services could be manually started. I managed to suss out which ones were related to Plug & Play, external drives, etc, and also managed to get some programs running, so tried again to install SuperAntiSpyware, this time successfully, but each time it ran, it kept freezing, so gave that up as a bad job.
I managed to retrieve the treasured photos to my external drive, so once I knew they were safe, I felt more relaxed about delving into things, so inserted the Dell CD and rebooted. After getting it to boot from the CD, I tried the Recovery console, but couldn't make head or tail of it, so went for the Repair installation option, which seemed to go OK, but produced some errors about missing .dlls, which I think were connected to the spyware. I ignored the messages, but when it came to start Windows, it got to the first Windows screen, then it all just went blank, and wouldn't go any further. I then decided the only course of action was to do a clean reinstall, so that's as far as I've got tonight. I did create a separate partition for the Windows installation, leaving the rest for documents, so that should hopefully act as a safety barrier, should anything like this happen again. I shall now be spending most of the morning setting Windows up, and installing programs, but at least it's a nice fast machine to work on.
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Good on you Bro, you deserve a medal for that never say die attitude. Like you say, life will be a lot easier if all personal "input" data goes onto a another partition.
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Good deal
Sometimes Dell computer can be a pain when trying to get windows installed
I've had one or two that took days of continuous work to get installed because of missing DLL's and other errors
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All up and running now, and just installing SP3. Should be rid of it by this afternoon! :thumbs:
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:solved: 8-)
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Indeed it is! Till the next time. ::)
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It is very simple if you want to recover your data just you need to use partition recovery tool like Stellar Phoenix Partition Recovery Software which is very easy to use and can recover lost, missing, formatted, inaccessible or deleted data from hard drive, floppy disk, CD, DVD,USB storage media
http://www.partitionrecovery-software.com/