On the bottom of your post it shows some hardware, is that the computers actual components? Your problem sounds more hardware related than virus related. If you have an extra video card or memory stick laying around you might want to try them. From my experience with virus/malware, once you reformat the drive it's gone. I've never had one survive the reformat or survive in memory and I've had several times I've had to resort to a reformat. Sometimes just removing a memory stick can fix the problem, the computer will run fine on 1gb of memory.
Then you will probably have to do a complete reformat of your hard drive. This means that you will need to locate all of the drivers for your system. You will also need an actual full OEM same version of windows, and the serial number. Is the serial number located on a green sticker somewhere on your computer? BTW, what is the make and model of the system and version of windows?
no underneath my post is actually my pc specs her pc is an hp pavilion a1250n its only like a little over 2 years old. The video card is only 5 months old so i dont think it would be that. it windows xp sp3 she had on the pc. I also put in a extra gig of ram so it has a total of 2gb of ram. I actually did that earlier i wiped everything all partions and started over. I dont have any other version of xp i can try so i used the recovery disk for that pc which has xp on it. However earlier i did notice once i opened the pc case up, there a piece that isnt plugged into anything for the video card, im thinking that might be one of the problems, im not home at the vary moment but will be shortly than i will try putting that piece back on that may work.
A restore disc can't wipe the hard drive it just restores windows. If the partition that contains the other half of the restore information is wiped then a restore disc can no longer work.
I actually wrote that out wrong thats my fault. I only wiped out the paritions that was my main files on it. So the whole C drive was wipped i didnt wipe out recovery part. Im sorry about that mistake. However I did find out some intresting news, my mom had told me a bit ago that the email she opened which was from her friend, the lady had came over and told my mom that her work pc which is what she send the email from to my mom, is all jacked up and wont work properly at all. Could this whole problem be possibly from that?
If she opened an attachment it is very likely that is where the infection came from. If it has corrupted the recovery partition by removing or modifying files you have a big problem.. Your first post should really have contained the information that you do not have a retail xp disk, just some homebrew oem recovery system. That makes life hard. It may not be possible to repair this machine without having a full retail xp disk. Now for the incomplete windows restore disks (dammit.. why do these stupid retailers and OEM's do this.. you buy windows you are entitled to a proper windows installer disk) You will need a bootable floppy or cd which has either cd drivers or usb drivers.. I would go for usb personally as it's easy to plug in and out and find in dos.. when you boot you are getting a missing dll error and those files are usually available from various places online. List them as it hangs looking for them, then go searching for them online.. download to whatever media you can access and copy them to the right place.. alldlls.com is a useful source.. It's a "one file at a time" process, but should get a system which will at least boot in a fashion which will allow further work. My trick is this.. http://www.puppylinux.org/downloads/official-releases version4.. download and burn.. allows copying files to and from windows drives, internet connectivity and you can test the hardware.. full function operating system on a cd.. You can have a look inside the recovery partition and see what is going on, and on the cd for these pesky missing files..(toram boot option allows you to take the disk out and put a different one in mount and read/copy files from usb drives.. all kinds of stuff... It is a useful tool in these situations.. about all it won't do is repair windows for you.. that is going to be a bit of a slog, but it should be possible after a fashion... I hate xp.. it breaks too easily for this stupid "restore from drive or backup" system. Must have been invented to keep the shops in business.. and keep up sales of retail versions of XP to people who have already bought it .
I actually think I may have a copy of a full version of winxp on a disc somewhere from when i was in school. Ill have to look and see if i find it. If im actually able to find it do you think using that and wiping out everything and loading that onto the pc would that hopefully make it work?
Nate Before we go and wipe everything out try this. Remove all recent hardware additions except the graphics card and restore in previously. You said that you recently upgraded her memory. What did you upgrade it too, make and model?
Ugh, I mentioned this already. I said that after you started talking about her opening the email. My guess is that she re-infected the PC. If it has been working fine in the past and you haven't added any new hardware, it has to be a virus.
no i havent added anything at all recently I added the extra memory in a long time ago when the pc use to be mine so im talking like about a year and half ago. So it wasnt a recent change no one has made a recent change on the pc hardware wise so it is the virus. I found my xp disc went to go install it last night on a fresh install it wont even let me do anything on that either. It scans and than just freezes on the part saying starting windows install. So i guess its not gona let me do that. Im bout to try putting vista in it seeing if it is gona actually let me even install
I've taken many a PC that used Restore discs and successfully reinstalled using a similar licensed version. YOu will need the serial to make it legal. There are some viruses that hamper installation as well and on occasion nothing short of a low lever format can truly erase them. A lower level format essentially returns it to its preformatted stage. Depending on the manufacturer of your hard disk here is a link that will take you to where you can obtain the necessary files to do a low format. http://www.ariolic.com/activesmart/low-level-format.html
well I was able to put vista on her pc im not to faund about putting that on it. She likes it so it doesnt bother me. I might try to go back to xp but at this point of time im not too sure
If there are problems with the current format a low level format will correct it and if there's a problem with your hard drive that will show up too. Then try to install windows.
well ill remember that low format thing if i decide to put xp back on. Here is another problem here when I booted vista on to the pc i had walked away for a sec and my brother decided to delete all partions i have no idea why he did that but now I have to find drivers. So all I really need to find is the ethernet controller driver. Can someone please help me find this driver once i find that one i can get all the others. The model is Hp pavilion A1250N
I wouldn't worry about finding the HP drivers I do it all the time at work. They too come with restore discs but sometimes things go beyond that and the choice becomes cloning another that is the same which is easy but it deletes the previous serial number. You can find your drivers here, be sure to bookmark. http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=228&lc=en&cc=us&lang=en&dlc=en&product=1127366
what do u mean cloning another?? those drivers that u gave me the link for is that for xp?? if it is will those work with vista?
nate Those are all the drivers that you will need, now do the low level format to clean your drive completely. If that succeeds then you shouldn't experience any difficulties in reinstalling Windows XP. I asked you once if you found the sticker on your mom's computer with the serial numbers. Have you?
o my bad i didnt see that before, yeah i know where that sticker is. I dont think im even going to bother putting xp back on it ill just keep vista on it. She likes it so ill go with her choice since it is hers.
Then keep the serial number because you will be able to use it one day. Microsoft tends to overlook most XP install that are older than six months, and you could get away with using it on another build. Good luck!
