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New XP installation problems


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#1
ubbebot

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Hello everyone, thanks for reading this post! I hope someone has a solution I can use.

I am running a 3.0ghz Pentium 4 with Windows XP Pro.

To make a long and frustrating story short, yesterday my computer became infected with a host of bad malware and adware like SurfSideKick, search-paga, cool web search, and I think a few others. I looked online for cleaning tutorials, and followed the directions, and seemed to be making some progress. But when I followed one of the cleaning software's instructions and restarted my computer, that's where the real trouble started.

Soon it claimed that NTDETECT had failed. So I read up on how to get around that, and followed some online instructions, but no go. My computer wouldn't boot through, but was instead caught in some kind of loop. So I did the only sensible thing I could (which may have been, in reality, really dumb) and reinstalled windows.

Now I can start my computer (which is an improvement), but it will not recognize any hard drive other than C:. It doesn't even recognize the smaller portion of C: I had partitioned off. I have two other hard drives, but my computer doesn't recognize either. Shortcut folders pointing to those drives in my old windows profile from my previous defunct installation also do not work. Is there anything I can do to force the computer to recognize those hard disk drives?

Additionally, I cannot connect to my home network. When I try to run ipconfig from my command prompt, the response is merely a line stating "Windows IP Configuration". I cannot create a new connection, and none of the connection wizards are solving my problem.

I'm sorry for the vagueness of this post. I am not really a computer person. If there is anything I can clarify to improve my chances that someone here can help, please let me know what kind of information you need and I'll do my best to find it.

Thanks again for your attention. I hope someone out there can get me out of this mess.
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#2
digikiwi

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Hi ubbebot,

I think the first thing you want to do is to establish that your C: is really clean of all malware. If you reinstalled windows without reformatting the hard drive then it is feasible that there are still some nasties hiding in your system. Unless some staff who know their stuff (unlike me) can lead you to a solution the malware forum might be a good place to start and then come back here with a clean bill of health.

Digikiwi
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#3
ubbebot

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Thanks for the suggestion. I'll ask around there too. But all the scans I've run (both general tools and some specific ones like cool web shredder) have turned up clean.

Assuming I am actually clean, what can I do to make my hard drives appear?
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#4
Spike

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Hey there ubbebot, welcome to Geeks To Go Forums.

To add on to what digikiwi said, please will you follow the steps on the bottom so that you can make the staff's job easier, thanks

Please read this: Read This Before Posting A Hijackthis Log (Click on the link)

That will give you steps that will help you clean up 70% of the problems yourself. Then please download "Hijackthis" and run Hijackthis with log. Save the log file here: Malware Removal - HiJackThis Logs Go Here

When you have followed all these steps. A Geeks To Go Staff Member will help you fix your problem.

(Note: Please be patient, the "Malware Forum" is a very busy place and a two or three day wait is not unusual.)

Thank you and goodluck. :whistling:
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#5
ubbebot

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Spike, thank you for your reply (Digi, you too).

First of all, the computer with the problems can't connect to the internet at all, so I don't know how I'd post my log. But that's okay, because it's really short. Only three entries.

One is my Nvidia drivers which I just reinstalled, the other two are Hijackthis and HijackThis (yes, with different caps on the T).
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#6
Spike

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the computer with the problems can't connect to the internet at all

Yip, defintly sounds like a malware problem. the malware you were infected with may have damaged you LSP chain.

it's really short

Please make sure when you post a log through to the malware forum that it is a full log, make sure in hijackthis that there are no entries in your "Ignore List"

We have to get your log into the malware forum so that the staff can take a look at it. You will have to run hijackthis on your system and then transfer it to a portable media (Flash Disk, Stiffy Disk, Ect.) so that you can send the log from a computer with a working internet connection.

Cool :whistling:
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#7
ubbebot

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Below is the entirety of my HijackThis log, reproduced by typing as I can't connect to the internet and don't have a flash drive. The ignore list is empty.

04 - HKLM\...\Run:[NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvCpl.dll, NvStartup
04 - HKLM\...\Run:[nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
04 - HKLM\...\Run:[NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvMcTray.dll\NvTaskbarInit
09 - Extra Button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
09 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
023 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (NVSvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
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#8
computerwiz12890

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Hello ubbebot.

When you "reinstalled" Windows, do you remember how you did that?


In addition, let's collect some more info before we proceede:

Let's collect more information about your computer:

Download WinAudit. Start it, and then click on the button that says Here. It will record information about your system.

Save the audit to your desktop. This will save three files. Take all three files and put them into a single zip (compressed) folder. Name the folder WinAudit. Due to security reasons, please take this folder and send it to me via e-mail, rather than posting it for the public. My e-mail is computerwiz12890 at hotmail dot com (In order to avoid spam-bots, I did not type @ or the actual dot (.), so change it accordingly)

I know the problematic computer is not connected to the internet, so you will have to transfer this Winaudit report to a working computer either with a floppy or a flash drive.
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#9
ubbebot

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Computerwhiz,

Thanks for taking the time out to help me. I sent you an email with the info you had me get.

Regarding my windows reinstallation:

At first my computer wouldn't boot because of an NTDETECT failed error. I tried to fix it by running the following sequence I found online:

First I popped in my XP CD so I could boot to the Windows Repair Console. Then I did:

chkdsk /r
fixmbr
fixboot
copy d:\i386\ntdlr c:
copy d:\i386\NTDETECT.COM c:
bootcfg /rebuild

But to no avail. So I rebooted again to the CD and followed the instructions for a new Windows installation. I installed to the same directory as my old windows C:\WINDOWS, I presume whiping it out in the process.

Now on my computer under C:\Documents and Settings I have folders for both my new install and my old install. The old install folder still has a desktop folder with all the stuff that used to be on my desktop, and has some other folders too.

There are still many programs in my C:\Program Files folder, but none I do not recognize. I deleted several that were adware (like SurfSideKick) which I could not do before I reinstalled windows (Computer used to say I couldn't delete them because they were in use).
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#10
computerwiz12890

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Alright, here's what I see and recommend:

1. There is no active malware.

2. From your description of how you "reinstalled" Windows, it actually sounds like you did a repair, which is why you see your old stuff.

3. You've got a very advanced computer with high specs. :whistling: For future reference, you have 2 GB of RAM. That's 2000 Megabytes! :blink:

Conclusion
Since you have all your old programs (and possibly infections), and since you are having a hard drive and wireless issue, it appears the repair was not a total success. There could be other problems, and personally, I'd be uncomfortable with a potentially unstable system.

Recommendation
Back up all your important data (pictures, music, video, game profiles/saves) onto a CD or other removable device and then do a FORMAT and full reinstall of Windows. This will ensure total destruction of all remaining malware and then restore Windows with full functionality and stability (well...at least as stable as windows gets :help:)

Alternative
I could have a look at your Disk Management and see if your additional hard drive is detected (which it should be even if it is not properly formatted or partitioned). And then have you uninstall and then reinstall your network drivers and reinstall your TCP/IP protocol. Suffice it to say, this is the more complicated choice.

How do you wish to procede?

Edited by computerwiz12890, 29 June 2006 - 08:49 PM.

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#11
ubbebot

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Personally, I would prefer an option that doesn't involve a full format, as my hard drive is 120+ gigs and I would be hard pressed to back the stuff up, especially since I don't have a CD burning program on my computer anymore.

My hard drive situation before this incident was:

C: HD
D: DVD
E: HD
F: HD
G: Partition of C:

Now, I can only see C:. I cannot even see G:, which was just a partition. I looked at the manager by right clicking My Computer, but the only drives it saw was my C: and D: drives, or one HD and my DVD-CD-RW drive.

Note that in regards to the internet, when I try to make a new connection through the new connection wizard, nothing happens. The wizard runs and I follow the steps, but no new icon appears and nothing else changes.

EDIT: Also, if I could just get my other HD detected, then I could move the stuff from C: that I want to save and then do the reformat thing, if that is a good idea.

Edited by ubbebot, 30 June 2006 - 01:06 AM.

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#12
computerwiz12890

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Also, if I could just get my other HD detected, then I could move the stuff from C: that I want to save and then do the reformat thing, if that is a good idea.

That sounds like the best idea.

Go to Start --> Run and type diskmgmt.msc and press enter.

Maximize it and take a screenshot of the by pressing Print Screen/SysRq on your keyboard. Open Paint and paste. Save the screenshot as a JPEG and post it in a reply to me.
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#13
ubbebot

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Compwhiz, thanks for all your help, but it turns out my problems had far less to do with actual difficulties (though I had some of those) than user incompetence.

After reinstalling windows, I neglected to get my mother board drivers. I got them now, and that enabled the built in ethernet thing. Now I have internet.

Also, my other hard drives connect to a PCI card with extra IDE slots (my mother board has something called SATA spots, but my drives aren't SATA). Once I got the drivers for it, my hard drives appeared.

Now my only problems are reinstalling all my old programs, since none of them seem to work anymore (says can't find the registry keys. Sometimes it says nothing, just doesn't work), but I can muddle through that.

Thanks for everything!
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#14
computerwiz12890

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I see. Thank you for letting me know how you fixed it :whistling:
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