[haysus91]

Hi, first post so please bare with me.

my work PC was recently infected with the latest virus 'xp internet security 2010'. So, not wanting to hassle the IT guy with this issue (since i've removed stupid spyware from my home PC all the time) i decided to attempt to rid my Laptop of this.

I put set my computer to boot in safe mode via 'msconfig' (to run a virus scan) and rebooted...when the standard login screen pop's up, my password does not work, and it hasnt worked since. Now i'm STUCK IN SAFE MODE.

So to no avail i had to end up calling the IT guy and telling him 'i'm stuck in safe mode' and given that he asked 'HOW' so i had to tell him i was infected with this virus...unfortunately. He said that there was nothing 'I' could do but he would have to reimage the whole thing cause that virus cannot be removed.

I did some research and i know how to remove it, but i JUST CANT LOG IN BECAUSE IM STUCK IN SAFE MODE!!!.

Anyway, how the heck can I get out of safe mode. I do not have this particular Lap Top's boot CD ( i do have another XP computers boot CD but that didnt work).

Too late now but any suggestions would be a great help. Thanks guys.

Haysus

[Advertisements]

Welcome to Geeks to Go!, haysus91.

You should have set safe mode by pressing the F8 key at boot time instead of setting it in msconfig.
The F8 method is only a temporary "one off" method, not a permanent setting like the one in msconfig.
I don't know if this will work, but try the F8 method now. Turn off the the PC. Now turn it on again and immediately keep tapping F8 until you get "Advanced Startup Options".
Use the up/down arrow keys to highlight "Start Windows normally".
Press [Enter]

Bear in mind that this forum cannot help you with the malware removal. For that you must post here:
http://www.geekstogo...emoval-f37.html

[phillipcorcoran]

Welcome to Geeks to Go!, haysus91.

You should have set safe mode by pressing the F8 key at boot time instead of setting it in msconfig.
The F8 method is only a temporary "one off" method, not a permanent setting like the one in msconfig.
I don't know if this will work, but try the F8 method now. Turn off the the PC. Now turn it on again and immediately keep tapping F8 until you get "Advanced Startup Options".
Use the up/down arrow keys to highlight "Start Windows normally".
Press [Enter]

Bear in mind that this forum cannot help you with the malware removal. For that you must post here:
http://www.geekstogo...emoval-f37.html

[haysus91]

Hi, thanks you for the reply.

I have tried the F8 and 'start windows normally' however this does not work as it still kicks me into safe mode. This was purely an error on my end due to inexperience but what a joke to not be able to bypass this. Now, because Microsoft XP has no viable fix for this i am now forced to drag [bleep] all the way to the office to have this fixed. Speaking of the malware...I use my home PC/Laptop a lot more than my work Laptop and i've never had a malware infection of this type. That goes to show how great Microsoft really is...Explorer filled with security flaws, windows with its incompetent OS and not to mention Symantec with its so called virus protection. All together cost me a lot of wasted time, energy and frustration. We should be using Linux on all out PC's and Laptops, Firefox and a free (Avast, AVG) anti-virus software since they are more reliable than anything Norton has to offer. Again, what a joke.

Edited by haysus91, 01 April 2010 - 05:18 PM.

[123Runner]

Just a thought...

What about trying a system restore from safe mode?

[haysus91]

I would try that but i cant even get past the log in screen in safe mode...my work password or user name is not recognized. So essentially my laptop is stuck at the safe mode log in screen. Cant get out.

[123Runner]

Ok, I misunderstood.
On my company laptop there is a different username and password for safe mode log in than there is in normal mode.
When I ask my IT people, they gave it to me.

Have you asked them for the password?

[haysus91]

Yeah, i did, and that may be the case (it probably is) - but i cut to the chase with him and told him i was stuck in safe mode and that my login would not work. I guess he got suspicious and asked how i got into safe mode. So I told him i was getting some pop ups and wanted to run the anti-virus from safe mode. But he asked what kind of pop ups and i told him - as soon as i mentioned it was 'Internet Security 2010' malware he immediately said he needed to re-image the laptop. After i hung up with him i found out more about the virus and that it CAN be removed without re-imaging a pc. Anyway, what in the heck..I was browsing CNN and weather.com and youtube once in a while i mean why the [bleep] did i get infected with this BS malware?

[happyrock]

try using the msconfig...boot.ini tab and uncheck the safe boot option there
no joy
your going to have to edit your boot.ini file manually and remove the safeboot option thats been added there...
Click Start... click Run... type sysdm.cpl... then press enter
On the Advanced tab... click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
Under System Startup... click Edit...
copy and paste it back here

Edited by happyrock, 02 April 2010 - 10:07 AM.

[haysus91]

try using the msconfig...boot.ini tab and uncheck the safe boot option there
no joy
your going to have to edit your boot.ini file manually and remove the safeboot option thats been added there...
Click Start... click Run... type sysdm.cpl... then press enter
On the Advanced tab... click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
Under System Startup... click Edit...
copy and paste it back here

I appreciate your help but would benefit you if you read my posts throughout.

I cannot access the boot.ini tab because i cannot log into windows.
I cannot get to the 'run' prompt to type msconfig because i cannot log into windows.
i cannot edit the boot.ini file manually because i cannot log into windows.

[happyrock]

this is in your first post...

i JUST CANT LOG IN BECAUSE IM STUCK IN SAFE MODE!!!.

that implies you can boot into safe mode...
EXACTLY where do you get to when you try booting into safe mode...
a booting loop where it starts to load only to reboot and start all over again...or just to the login screen

Edited by happyrock, 03 April 2010 - 09:16 AM.

[haysus91]

The Login screen is as far as i can get. I've tried everything including all the F8 options and nothing. Surely someone else has run into this issue...

[happyrock]

DO THIS ON A WORKING COMPUTER...
Please download ARCDC from Artellos.com.

• Double click ARCDC.exe
• Follow the dialog until you see 6 options. Please pick: Windows Professional SP2 & SP3
• You will be prompted with a Terms of Use by Microsoft, please accept.
• You will see a few dos screens flash by, this is normal.
• Next you will be able to choose to add extra files. Select the Default Files.
• The last window will allow you to burn the disk using BurnCDCC

Your ISO is located on your desktop.

AFTER BURNING THE CD PUT IT IN THE MISBEHAVING COMPUTER

make sure in the bios the cd drive is the first boot device....put the cd in the cd drive..boot your computer....when you get to the screen that gives you the option to install or repair ...select r

when you get to the command prompt
type in bootcfg /list press enter
note the single space before the /

let us know what it says

Edited by happyrock, 04 April 2010 - 07:39 AM.