[woodworks]

I do understand it.

Here is what has happened, just maybe it will give you some insight to fix this.

Originally I had gotten 'bitten' with malware and virus's. It was to where it would not let my computer boot up. It would get to the start screen and then start over again. I was told to do the same repair you are talking about. It would not fix it, it continued to take any 'fix'. I was then told that there was no way to fix it and that I had to do a format and reinstall windows. I didn't agree with that. I took it upon myself to install windows on my E drive and then go in and run sweep after sweep after sweep on the C drive. After awhile, I was able to do as you suggest with the 'fix' and it finally booted up on the C drive. I then was able to clean the computer of all malware etc etc (now remember, this is with 'expert' help, not on my own). The only thing I did on my own was to install windows on the E drive and by doing so, I pissed off the people who were helping me. They wanted my to format.

Ok, that brings us to the problem of updates. After or during all this, I received the update windows installer 3.1. While trying to figure this one out and while asking questions of the people who were helping me, once again they got pissed off and said I had an attitude and that I was impatiencent and we had to part ways on bad terms.
But to their credit, they really did help me a lot to clean up and get it this far.

So this is where we are now. I really need your help to finish this. I keep asking questions because I want to know and learn, as well as if I wait to ask, I will forget them and they don't get asked. I've gone as far as I know how to. IF AT ALL possible, I would really like NOT to have to format. I really don't want to loose what I have on the C drive. I can and have taken most and I hope all of the files from that drive and put them on another one, but I still have all the browser info that I don't know how to get back.

wizzy2k5, I really have tried to do a repair. Now I must also admitt that it was before I was able to actually boot up the C drive, so maybe it will work this time. I don't know, I'm not THAT knowledgable. That's why I'm in here.

So if you guys can and will help, I will be most grateful for it. If after reading this and you can think of NO other way to fix it then to reinstall windows, then I will have to go that route. But please remember, that is what the other folks said, and I went another way and we got this far. Maybe you guys can think of something they didn't.

I look forward to hearing back from you and I'll just hope it's good news, and not bad.
Remember, no matter the outcome, I DO appreciate the help. I can't say that enough. I understand you guys don't get a thing other then us little peon's telling you thank you.

I'm glad you don't want to do a full format. Maybe we can do a fix. I was told that I would loose data even with a repair.

Jay

Edited by woodworks, 05 June 2008 - 11:58 AM.

[Advertisements]

While trying to figure this one out and while asking questions of the people who were helping me, once again they got pissed off and said I had an attitude and that I was impatiencent and we had to part ways on bad terms.

Thanks for your reply woodworks

Just looking through your reply here and I would like to say please could you mind your language as this is a family site, I can understand that you are not having the best times at the moment and this is very frustrating to you but please bare with us and we will try our best to get you up and running again.

I prefer you to ask alot of questions and to get me to answer your questions then I can see where we are going and will enable us to try every fix that we know

So to clairfy the following

• You had got infected with malware and were unable to boot up your computer
• It would get to the start screen and then start over
• You were told to do the same repair as i mentioned but it had failed
• You were told to do a format but you didn't agree with that (which is understandable)
• You installed windows on drive E:\ then sweep on drive C:\
• You managed to get rid of the malware on your computer
• Which now leads you unable to get updates for your computer

Understood

What I would like to you try is to do the repair again as it may of been the malware which has been stopping you doing this, it may not be this but I like to try everything in the book that I can think of to help resolve your issue

If that fails it maybe the server that is having problems you can't download updates and I am also having the same problem so if the repair fails give it 24hours and try again and keep on trying, if this does not work please reply back here and see if anyone else can advise any other possible fix if not then you may have to go ahead with the format but please backup all your data if you can as we don't want you to lose this

Regards

[wizzy2k5]

While trying to figure this one out and while asking questions of the people who were helping me, once again they got pissed off and said I had an attitude and that I was impatiencent and we had to part ways on bad terms.

Thanks for your reply woodworks

Just looking through your reply here and I would like to say please could you mind your language as this is a family site, I can understand that you are not having the best times at the moment and this is very frustrating to you but please bare with us and we will try our best to get you up and running again.

I prefer you to ask alot of questions and to get me to answer your questions then I can see where we are going and will enable us to try every fix that we know

So to clairfy the following

• You had got infected with malware and were unable to boot up your computer
• It would get to the start screen and then start over
• You were told to do the same repair as i mentioned but it had failed
• You were told to do a format but you didn't agree with that (which is understandable)
• You installed windows on drive E:\ then sweep on drive C:\
• You managed to get rid of the malware on your computer
• Which now leads you unable to get updates for your computer

Understood

What I would like to you try is to do the repair again as it may of been the malware which has been stopping you doing this, it may not be this but I like to try everything in the book that I can think of to help resolve your issue

If that fails it maybe the server that is having problems you can't download updates and I am also having the same problem so if the repair fails give it 24hours and try again and keep on trying, if this does not work please reply back here and see if anyone else can advise any other possible fix if not then you may have to go ahead with the format but please backup all your data if you can as we don't want you to lose this

Regards

[wannabe1]

Hello woodworks...

The computer will not boot up in any safe mode.

By this, I'm assuming you tried the "Last known good configuration" option.

Let's try getting an earlier registry another way.

Boot from the Windows XP installation CD...after the first several screens load, you will be given a choice to choose R for Recovery Console...press the R key. You will then be asked to log in. Choose the installation to be repaired by number (usually 1) and press "Enter". When you are asked for the Administrator password, leave it blank and press "Enter".

When you get to the recovery console prompt:

• Type cd \ and press "Enter".
• Type cd system~1\_resto~1 and press "Enter".
• Type dir and press "Enter".

After you press enter you will see a list of folders (like rp1, rp2) If the list of restore points has more than one page then press the "Enter" key until you reach the end of the list

• Type cd rp {number of the second to last folder in the list} and press "Enter". (Example: Type cd rp9 if rp10 is the last restore point.)
• Type cd snapshot and press "Enter".
• Type copy _registry_machine_system c:\windows\system32\config\system and press "Enter".
• Type copy _registry_machine_software c:\windows\system32\config\software and press "Enter".
• Type exit and press "Enter".

Your PC will reboot.

If you get an access denied error when doing the above, then do the following at the recovery console:

• Type cd \ and press "Enter".
• Type cd windows\system32\config and press "Enter".
• Type ren system system.bak and press "Enter".
• Type exit and press "Enter".

Your PC will reboot, go back into the Recovery Console and start from the beginning.

Let us know if you run into problems or have any questions while doing this.

wannabe1

[woodworks]

My goodness you guys know how to confuse a person!!!

Ok wannabe1, is this instead of wizzy2k5 or just before I do his?

[wizzy2k5]

Thanks for your reply woodworks

Please try wannabe1's fix, I will make this alot more simple for you

• Boot from the Windows XP installation CD...To do this load up your computer and keep pressing F11, this does vary from machine to machine
• After the first several screens load, you will be given a choice to enter the recovery console
• Choose the installation to be repaired by number (usually 1) To make this a little easier for you I know you said you have 2 systems to boot off, top or bottom, top is 1 bottom is 2, choose the one that you require
• This will then load up the recovery console where you can begin wannabe1's fix
• Type cd \ and press Enter
• Type cd system~1\_resto~1 and press "Enter".
• Type dir and press "Enter".
• After you press enter you will see a list of folders (like rp1, rp2) If the list of restore points has more than one page then press the "Enter" key until you reach the end of the list
• Type cd rp {number of the second to last folder in the list} and press "Enter". (Example: Type cd rp9 if rp10 is the last restore point.)
• Type cd snapshot and press "Enter".
• Type copy _registry_machine_system c:\windows\system32\config\system and press "Enter".
• Type copy _registry_machine_software c:\windows\system32\config\software and press "Enter".
• Type exit and press "Enter".
• Your PC will reboot.
• If you get an access denied error when doing the above, then do the following at the recovery console:
• Type cd \ and press "Enter".
• Type cd windows\system32\config and press "Enter".
• Type ren system system.bak and press "Enter".
• Type exit and press "Enter".
  
  Your PC will reboot, go back into the Recovery Console and start from the beginning.
  
  I hope that has helped you and thank you wannabe1 for helping this is most appreciated

[Fenor]

Quite honestly, I think wannabe1's is easier to read as it is color coded/bolded which helps differentiate the important parts of each line and separates each section from each other, which in turn makes the directions that much easier to follow.

*EDIT* -- And what confused woodworks was the fact that two different people posted two entirely different things to do and s/he didn't know which one to follow, hence the confusion.

Edited by Fenor, 05 June 2008 - 12:48 PM.

[woodworks]

you people are sooooo confusing

I'm really glad I'm having fun here or else I would be a total mess.

Ok, I have bought stock in the printer ink company for all the print outs I've done. I'm going to go and try doing what you guys have said. If you don't hear from me for awhile, it's because I have to go find another computer to get on to let yo know the results.

Just one foot note and I won't be here to get your reply, but last time I did any of this, it refused to let me get by without an adim password. It never had one, but it still didn't matter, it wouldn't go into that mode without one. I have put one in the last time I was there and hopefully, one way or the other I will be able to get through this.

GUYS ONE & ALL: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP. I'm sorry if you get tired of hearing it, but I really DO appreciate it and I look forward to coming back and letting you know what has happened.

So I'm outta here and doing what I'm told.

[wizzy2k5]

Thank you for your time woodworks and I hope you can get this sorted

Glad we could help and we hope to help you again in the near future

At this time I would like to thank happyrck and wannabe1 for helping with this problem but most of all I would like to thank you woodworks for trying and we hope to see you again in the near future

Please let us know how you get along

Regards

Edited by wizzy2k5, 05 June 2008 - 01:11 PM.

[woodworks]

Hey wizzy2k5, don't be so quick to dismiss me.

You ain't gettin rid of me that easy.

Well once again, it didn't work.

wannab1, it would not go without a password. I did have a password to put in this time. It got to the prompt you said and it wouldn't take any of the ones you said. I did see a prompt on the list it gave that was CD so I typed that in and it went to the next one and I typed in the second one you gave and it came back that it couldn't find the file and/or folder or directory (I can't remember now).

I tried everything you guys threw at me and nothing seemed to work.

I know I'm an idiot at this, but I just don't
see what the problem is. There has to be SOME kind of way to fix this. As I said before, I have gotten this far, I really hate to be defeated now. So I really am hopping you guys can come up with something to help me out here. From all this stuff your giving me, you guys obviously know what your doing. So put the thinking caps back on and see what you come up with please.

Edited by woodworks, 05 June 2008 - 01:58 PM.

[wannabe1]

Was it the cd system~1\_resto~1 command that failed? Or was it dir that errored?

Do you have your system restore feature turned off?

[woodworks]

If I remember correctly it was the cd system~1\_resto~1 that failed, but it wouldn't take your cd\ either.

As far as the restore, that is turned on, but it was turned off when we were fixing the malware problem, so it isn't any good. There is nothing to restore to that doesn't have this problem.

[wannabe1]

Are you putting the space in the cd \ command? cdspace\

[woodworks]

Ya know, at this time I can honestly say, I don't remember. I am thinking I did it everywhich way. The only thing is, is that I have done so much in the last few days, I don't know which way is up anymore. I have literially been up day and night trying to fix this.

Could I imposse on you to do something for me? When I print out your instructions, my printer or the program or whatever, won't print out the red you have in your instructions. It will print black and/or blue. If you would be kind enough to re-do your instructions, I would be more then willing to re-print and try it again. I really do want to fix this without formating and you guys have been great helping me. I just don't want you guys to get tired of it and think I'm just a goofball.

So if I messed up, I really need to go back and try it again. I've put this much time in it, I'm not opposed to putting a little more in.

Thank you again

[wannabe1]

When you get to the recovery console prompt:

• Type cd \ and press "Enter".
• Type cd system~1\_resto~1 and press "Enter".
• Type dir and press "Enter".

After you press enter you will see a list of folders (like rp1, rp2) If the list of restore points has more than one page then press the "Enter" key until you reach the end of the list

• Type cd rp {number of the second to last folder in the list} and press "Enter". (Example: Type cd rp9 if rp10 is the last restore point.)
• Type cd snapshot and press "Enter".
• Type copy _registry_machine_system c:\windows\system32\config\system and press "Enter".
• Type copy _registry_machine_software c:\windows\system32\config\software and press "Enter".
• Type exit and press "Enter".

Your PC will reboot.

If you get an access denied error when doing the above, then do the following at the recovery console:

• Type cd \ and press "Enter".
• Type cd windows\system32\config and press "Enter".
• Type ren system system.bak and press "Enter".
• Type exit and press "Enter".

Your PC will reboot, go back into the Recovery Console and start from the beginning.

[woodworks]

Thank you so much.

I am not understanding one thing. When you say my computer will reboot under the first option, what do I do then.

Then under the second option, what do you mean by start over again? Do I go and try to hit R and do that again? Or do I try and have it start up in normal again?