[jc27712]

Hi,
I've been battling a series of infections on my laptop and while the most recent log looked clean, my computer still isn't functioning. I've been aided by Rorschach112 who indicated that I may need to format, but suggested I come over here and see if my situation could be salvaged.

Here's the thread: http://www.geekstogo...em-t264394.html

My computer's been in its current condition since the evening of 1/8 so from that point, almost everything in the thread, unless otherwise stated, has been run from safe mode.

Normal mode: regular desktop replaced by black screen, message in center stating "Location is not available C:\windows\system3\config\systemprofile\Desktop is not accessible. Access is denied", btm right corner flashes a message "Failed to connect to a windows service. Windows could not connect to the User Profile service. This problem prevents limited users from logging onto the system. As an administrator user you can review the System Event Log for details about why the service didn't respond," bottom right corner also flashes a message that Windows security has stopped working but won't let me turn on.
Most desktop icons missing, except Recycle Bin, Internet Explorer, and ?Network Magic (bundled Lenovo software). I'm unable to drag-and-drop to the desktop, or use Windows/my computer to view contents of the desktop. Also unable to access System Tools. I can open up Internet Explorer but not firefox, haven't tried doing much else.
These issues are unchanged since 1/8- except when this first happened, I was also getting a "RunDLL error" message in the middle of the screen - not sure when that went away.


Safe mode: looks okay at first glance, except that I couldn't run a lot of the programs in the thread above. I can access System Tools but not System protection. I do see duplicate folders for Video's, Downloads, Pictures, and Documents. Also, if I download a file from the Internet onto desktop, I don't see it on the actual desktop, but I can view it if I pull up Windows and look under desktop, if that makes sense. Not sure if this has been the case since 1/8 since until the last couple days I was doing a drag-and-drop from a USB drive to get applications on the desktop. Whichever mode I use to get an application on desktop, it doesn't seem to affect whether the program runs.

Finally, a recovery CD wasn't included with my laptop, and Lenovo is being a bit difficult about sending me one... they seem to think I should re-boot from the computer's hard drive itself (???). Are these equivalent methods?

Let me know if you want less or more information (I could write a small book about everything that's wrong with my computer in normal mode, but this post is already getting very long...) And thanks in advance.

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Sorry to repeat the original advice, but in these situations a format and reinstall is the best course of action. If you are worried about the files you have saved on your hard drive, you can go to your local computer shop and pick up an hard drive enclosure. Put the defective OS's hard drive in the enclosure and access from another PC, copy all of the files you want to save. Depending on the HD interface and the second computer, you may not even need an enclosure. The 'virus' will not effect the computer you are using to access it, as its not the primary boot drive.

The thing is that salvaging an OS in this condition is often times either impossible or pointlessly difficult and time consuming, requiring a huge amount of random trial and error. Reinstalling is almost always a much easier, quicker solution.

Is there a different reason you wanted to salvage the machine, other than keeping your personal files?

Hope that helps.

[anbesol]

Sorry to repeat the original advice, but in these situations a format and reinstall is the best course of action. If you are worried about the files you have saved on your hard drive, you can go to your local computer shop and pick up an hard drive enclosure. Put the defective OS's hard drive in the enclosure and access from another PC, copy all of the files you want to save. Depending on the HD interface and the second computer, you may not even need an enclosure. The 'virus' will not effect the computer you are using to access it, as its not the primary boot drive.

The thing is that salvaging an OS in this condition is often times either impossible or pointlessly difficult and time consuming, requiring a huge amount of random trial and error. Reinstalling is almost always a much easier, quicker solution.

Is there a different reason you wanted to salvage the machine, other than keeping your personal files?

Hope that helps.

[jc27712]

Oh, that's fine, I was advised to come here and check it out. But I'm also not inclined to tinker much longer with my computer, so if a reformat would fix things once and for all that's probably the best. I haven't quite figured out how to do the reformat yet, but am sure Lenovo can talk me through it. I also don't understand the bit about enclosures/boot drives (surface-level knowledge of computers), but am assuming that putting my personal files on an external hard drive will suffice.