[tbqin]

I ran chkdsk and noticed that it scanned to 50% complete relatively slow (about 15 minutes) , then it scanned to 75% very quickly (1 second), stopped, and went back to 50% and started to scan again at the slower pace when it got to 75% it again went back to 50% complete and started scanning again at the slow pace, it scanned again to 75% at the slow pace, and finally went from 75% to 100% very quick (again about a second). It completed and indicated that CHKDSK found and fixed one or more errors on the volume.

Exited from chkdsk.

Selected the Windows Home OS switch / normal boot mode and it went to the splash screen (No blinking cursor). Then to the black screen.


---------------------------------------------------------------------
Ran fixmbr


Prompted with the following Caution message:

This computer appears to have a non-standard or invalid master boot record.

FIXMBR may damage your partition tables if you continue.

This could cause all the partitions on the current hard disk to become inaccessible.

If you are not having problems accessing your drive do not continue.

Are you sure you want to write a new MBR? Yes

Received the following message:
Writing new master boot record on physical drive
\Device\Harddisk0\Partition0.

The new master boot record has been successfully written.

C:\WINDOWS> exit

It went to the splash screen and then to the black screen.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Ran FIXBOOT



Prompted with the following:


The target partition is C:.
Are you sure you want to write a new bootsector to the partition C: ? Yes

Received the following

The file system on the startup partition is NTFS.

FIXBOOT is writing a new boot sector.

The new bootsector was successfully written.

C:\WINDOWS> exit

No luck… splash screen, then black screen

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dang, well, we definitely still have a problem with this disk...that behavior is unusual. I think there is still something wrong with the disk

Well, what do we want to do now?

I would probably try moving the harddrive to a second computer and a) recovering data, and b) try another chkdsk with the host machine checking the drive given the resourses you have, but it might simply be time for a dell recovery operation.

[gerryf]

dang, well, we definitely still have a problem with this disk...that behavior is unusual. I think there is still something wrong with the disk

Well, what do we want to do now?

I would probably try moving the harddrive to a second computer and a) recovering data, and b) try another chkdsk with the host machine checking the drive given the resourses you have, but it might simply be time for a dell recovery operation.

[tbqin]

gerryf

The only other computer that I personally have is a very old machine (Windows 95 I think) that is sitting disassembled in my basement – I am not sure that is even works anymore. I also have a laptop from work, but I am not sure of how or if I should chance hooking my hard drive to it.

When you speak of recovering data – is that just my personal data or are there OS files/data that I would need to recover?

As I stated in post 30 my important personal files are backed up on CDs and jump drives, and other files that are not that important are being held for ransom in a form of cryzip. (These files are mainly spreadsheets that have been zipped up and the zip file is password protected. Within the zip folder is a file that asks me to e-mail the provided account to get the password to open my files.) So I wouldn’t want to recover those anyway.

If we do go the route of the Dell reinstall will that wipe the hard drive clean. (i.e. Clean-up all of the virus’) or is it possible that these will still be lurking around?

Also, would you be able to walk me through it?

I am up for whatever you think is best. Currently, all I have is a heavy paperweight sitting on my desk at home.

Your time and efforts are greatly appreciated.

[gerryf]

the reinstall will complete wipe out the system--all virus/malware will be gone.

Dell already has a follow through, starting here

http://support.dell....030030ABD62041A

[gerryf]

On that page, click

Attempts have been made to avoid a reinstallation.

on the next page, click
Data has already been lost, or does not need to be backed up


Choose your delivery data.(the steps vary slightly)

Dell uses a hidden partition to restore your PC bit by bit (by this I mean, an actual bit, computer term) to exactly match the original harddrive

[tbqin]

gerryf,

I just wanted to say thank you for all of your assistance and your patience over the past weeks. I am sending this reply from the machine that was having all the problems. I performed the reinstall of XP over the weekend. I believe that you had the solution - with creating the second OS switch - but I think I made things worse when I killed the ntvdm process. Anyway the reinstall may have been for the best - I may have spent another few weeks removing all the viruses.

Currently, I am in the process of downloading all the anti-spyware, anti-virus, etc. programs.

Do you have any suggestions as to which do the best job?

Currently, I have downloaded ZoneAlarm and Avast. I am also going to get spybot S&D and Ad-Aware.

ZoneAlarm continually pops up an Alert that "Microsoft Windows is trying to access the Internet" the application is aolsnc.exe. I have tried to google this but google returns no results. Do you know if this is something to allow access?

If this is not your area of expertise could you suggest where to find out? -should I post in the mal-ware forum?

thanks again,
tbqin

[gerryf]

can you find aolsnc.exe on your machine? It is not part of windows

Do you have AOL?

I do not care for Zonealarm...it has become too big and bulky and seems to cause random issues

I would tend more to an older version of sygate which you can get here

http://www.old-versions.net/

[tbqin]

The pop-up from ZoneAlarm has stopped. I did perform a search and aolsnc.exe was not found. Not sure what that was, but I denied it access. I do not use AOL. The only thing I can think of (based on the name) is that when you purchase a pc from Dell they load it with all kinds of stuff that you do not want or need and maybe it was trying to load something. However, with my reinstall I did not load all of the applications that Dell provided on their recovery disks. I only reinstalled the OS.

I will keep an eye out for that application and try to pinpoint a more definate cause if it appears again.

Thanks for the info on ZoneAlarm - I do not want anymore issues. I will look into the sygate firewall you suggested and uninstall ZoneAlarm.

One last thing, do you have a preference on virus protectors (Avast, AVG, or something else.)?

Thanks again for all your help.

[NotalesS]

Should look like this.

Mininal part looks all funky Even though u have Home edition is shouldn't be the minimal safe mode stuff there.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
defult=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Mircrosoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

[woohoofulness]

well, we are going to need a burner


Since it does not sound as if you have a real windows disk, you need a portable recovery console



download RC.iso from the following link:

http://www.thecomput...edic.com/rc.iso



You need to burn this image to a CD and boot your computer with it--this is different than burning a file to a CD. If you do not know how to burn an ISO image, then download the following program to another Windows machine, install it.



http://www.cdburnerxp.se/



It is called cdburner xp, but it works on 2000 and even 98se



An iso is an image of a disk, not a file. So check the help file on how to burn an image (dont just copy teh file to a disk)



Once the CD is burnt, place it in the defunct computer



Then reboot your broken PC with that CD in the CD-ROM drive.



Make sure the PC is set to run from the cd as the primary boot device. You do this by setting your PC to boot to the CD-ROM in BIOS (enter bios by pressing f1, f2 pr del key during memory count up, then searching for boot order, and setting the CD as the first boot device)



When the PC boots, it will boot from the CD...after the first several screens load, you will be given a choice to choose R for recovery console. You will be asked to log in.



For Windows XP Home, there is not password, just hit enter. For Windows XP pro, ask whomever set up the machine what password they used.



Once at the Recovery console c:\windows prompt, type
bootcfg /add



windows will scan your system, looking for windows installs



It will find c:\windows and give it a number 1

type 1

<enter>



it will ask for a name, type

Windows2

<enter>



it will ask for switches, leave blank and hit

<enter>



Type

EXIT



windows will reboot



This time, you will be give a choice of two operating systems WINDOWS and WINDOWS2, choose the second



Windows will boot.



Now, open c:\boot.ini in notepad and paste the contents here

I'm absolutely sure you're right....but have you considered trying the easier way first....when its booting hit F8 before it boots all the way, then you should be able to change it, if not hit F8 again and then you should be able to. Also, when you want to boot to safe mode.....do it this way, instead of changing your boot.ini file with msconfig

[gerryf]

I am very against using msconfig to alter boot.ini as a rule---mostly because there was an ahead nero version of incd floating around that corrupted safe mode.

His problem at teh beginning was that he could not get back into normal mode due to the safe mode switches.

We still need to address the boot.ini file

Personally, my boot.ini file has a 3 second time out and four different switches depending on my need

I would gladly give up those three second to boot time for the advantagous this gives

[woohoofulness]

yeah really....msconfig is a really stupid way to edit it, and you shouldnt edit it unless u really know wat ur doing

[tbqin]

Wow!!!! We are going in circles. gerryf thank you for all your support. Sorry that you had to explain my problem to other members. This topic can be closed.