[rupertdigby]

i started this quest trying to clean my computer up of the ....wares. i loaded the OTL thing then i did the google redirect repair found here at gtg. comp ran fine for 2,3 hours. shut down to go play and when rebooted blue screen appeared. i have a dell laptop insiron1505 with xp media center edition 2005. tried to load via flash drive OTLPEstd and net and still would get blue screen after seeing the reatago intro page. i have never attempted a recovery before and of course don't want to lose any file or programs.
have loaded the disk and it's reading. it's asking press enter = continue, or r = repair, f3 = quite.
can i continue with repair and what to expect.
still looking for original os disk

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Try this:

• Boot the computer from your Windows XP CD.
  
• When you see the "Welcome To Setup" screen press [Enter] to start the Windows Setup.
  
  Note: Do not choose "To repair a Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console, press R", (you Do Not want to load Recovery Console).
  
• Accept the License Agreement and Windows will search for existing Windows installations.
  
• Select the XP installation you want to repair from the list and then press [R] to start the repair. Setup will copy the necessary files to the hard drive and reboot.
  
• Do not press any key to boot from CD if and when such a message appears. Setup will then continue as if it were doing a clean install, but your applications and settings will remain intact.

How to perform a re-install of WinXP
http://support.micro...kb;EN-US;315341

Repair XP
http://www.webtree.c...Existing Setup:

WinXP Non-destructive Total Rebuild
http://www.informati...cleID=189400897

[SpywareDr]

Try this:

• Boot the computer from your Windows XP CD.
  
• When you see the "Welcome To Setup" screen press [Enter] to start the Windows Setup.
  
  Note: Do not choose "To repair a Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console, press R", (you Do Not want to load Recovery Console).
  
• Accept the License Agreement and Windows will search for existing Windows installations.
  
• Select the XP installation you want to repair from the list and then press [R] to start the repair. Setup will copy the necessary files to the hard drive and reboot.
  
• Do not press any key to boot from CD if and when such a message appears. Setup will then continue as if it were doing a clean install, but your applications and settings will remain intact.

How to perform a re-install of WinXP
http://support.micro...kb;EN-US;315341

Repair XP
http://www.webtree.c...Existing Setup:

WinXP Non-destructive Total Rebuild
http://www.informati...cleID=189400897

[rupertdigby]

the disc i found is windows xp home edition includes sp2 2002 and the laptop is xp media center edition 2005 with sp3 i believe. i have a flash drive with a os created from another topic here that i started. the flash drive is working and i can see my files and have a couple of logs that i was asked to make. so i don't know what is best.

[rupertdigby]

i transfer files between my desk top and laptop. the desk top doesn't have a sd card reader, where i had been backing up to on my laptop since i just lost my flash drive. i was using my home net work to transfer files between the 2 most of the time and backed up files to a sd card that i have. the current and newly purchased flash drive has the os xpud on it i think. is there a way to get the files i want to the new flash drive, then put it on the desk top comp to continue with my work? i don't have a sd card reader but on the infected laptop.

[SpywareDr]

In order to do the repair, you need the XP CD.

[rupertdigby]

with the help of another topic i started on gtg we got the machine back up and running. not real sure what all we did exactly, i just followed the instructions. the last download was a combofix.exe. i contacted dell about the disc and they are sending me the originals that they say they sent with the computer. thank you for your input. learning a lot from his site. i would like to have a better understanding of protecting my computers and how to maintain them and protect them. can u suggest any topics here at gtg that can start me on a 101 level of maintenance?

[SpywareDr]

Microsoft Security for Home Computer Users Newsletter
http://www.microsoft...newsletter.aspx

Follow Microsoft's Security Tips & Talk blog for consumers
http://blogs.msdn.co...curitytipstalk/

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