So i was trying to clean out a virus using my Symantec Antivirus software. It was a Trojan Virantix, one of the ones that installs an "antivirus" program that is in itself a virus. It kept bringing up a window telling me my computer was infected, and my Windows security center was reading this program as my antivirus. Basically, I could never close out of the program, i was getting a bunch of pop-ups, etc. SO i followed the instructions on Symantec's website to update my virus definitions and try a full system scan, then to delete the malware. If i couldn't delete in normal mode, it told me to try in safe mode. So I rebooted in safe mode and went to run a full system scan. The computer froze midway through the scan (about 35 minutes and 70,000 files in). I could tell it froze because the timer didn't move at all when it got to this picture. I tried Ctrl+Alt+Del, got nothing. My computer was frozen solid. So after I let it sit for like 45 minutes to see if it would do anything, I gave up and tried to manually shut down and restart it. When i went to restart it, it brings up the black screen that came up originally before the windows logon screen. It says "Safe Mode" in each corner, and I have a mouse cursor, which moves around and all (so it's not frozen), but it does not advance past this screen. Any idea on how to force it to go back into Windows?
Hi mt6112a Please try following the instructions here: http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/684139#4261714 Best Regards
OK slight problem. I followed the instructions for the repair (using the disc that came with the computer), and it looked like it installed all the files. The yellow bar went all the way across the screen, and it went to 100%, then said something like "Initializing Windows XP Setup..." so that looked good. Next thing I know, it goes to go into windows in safe mode (by starting with that black screen that says "safe mode" in each corner, like I mentioned in the prevous post). Then, it brings up an error message saying "Winows XP Setup cannot run under Safemode. Setup will restart now." All I can do is click "OK," which reboots the computer and tries to reinitiate the setup. Then it just goes back to this screen with the error. Problem is, I can't get into windows to turn off Safemode so it can continue setup. Is there a way i can do that from a command prompt? And if so, how do I get the command prompt to show up when I start the computer up? It's an HP desktop, if that helps.
Hey mt6112a Please follow the instructions here: http://discussions.virtualdr.com/showpost.php?p=942822&postcount=6 And I believe I told you to run the Antivir RescueCD... didn't that work? Best Regards
I didn't try that at first since I still had the software that came with the computer. If the new instructions you gave me don't work when I go home tonight, I will try that CD. Thanks for all the help, and I'll keep you posted.
Those instructions worked for me. After typing in that command, windows setup resumed and windows opened in normal mode. I was working around on it for a bit, and I have now encountered a new problem. It started with my windows firewall not being able to open, "Due to an unspecified error." So I wanted to try to update my windows as much as possible to see if that would help. I installed a firewall from a software package I had from a company called CA, as a temporary firewall so I could update windows and get the windows firewall working again. So I went on to the windows update website, and it could not update my computer. There was apparently something wrong with my automatic updates or the way they were configured. It told me to go into some explorer window and change a few options to try to force the automatic updates to take (these were windows' instructions). So I did what it told me to (this was more than a week ago, and I cannot remember what they were telling me to go through and do). I tried to reboot the computer, just to make sure everything took. When it restarted, windows came up but essentially froze. My mouse moved around, but I would get an hourglass when I would roll over the start bar, no programs open, and Ctrl+Alt+Del doesn't bring up the task manager window. Now, most of the time when I start windows it starts up and appears to function normally, but within 5 seconds the start menu and all my icons disappear. The only way the start menu and icons stay is if some message comes up when I start windows (such as "No internet connection found, would you like to try again or work offline?"), but the start menu gives me the hourglass, navigation windows are nonfunctional, and Ctrl+Alt+Del does nothing. I basically can't do a thing because I can't open a program or even the start menu before windows stops responding. Any ideas on this one?
Hey mt6112a Hmm... does safe mode work? Also try the Antivir RescueCD and see if that picks up anything. Best Regards
OK safe mode is a no-go. Same thing happens when I start up; everything disappears after like 3-5 seconds, on both accounts I have on Windows. The tech guy at my work suggested a parallel install of Windows to a new directory. He said to do a fresh install of Windows and edit the directory I'm installing to, just name it something else, and that I wouldn't erase my drive in doing so. Thoughts? Any other ideas?
Hey - I just wanted to let you know that this parallel install of windows was successful. I still have all the documents, and an at least quasi-operating OS. (I still haven't reinstalled the device drivers, so I can't run the internet startup CD I have from Comcast (it doesn't recognize the CD in the drive), which means I haven't been able to do the Windows updates yet) When my girlfriend gives me the discs I need to make the drivers work, I'll get back on there and try that internet startup CD and do the updates, and let you know how it works out. That isn't likely to happen until after the holiday season, though. But anwyay, thanks for all your help.
Hola! So it wasn't the CD-Rom drivers that needed to be reinstalled. For some reason, the computer wasn't reading the CD right and all it needed was a reboot. I did, however, have to reinstall the modem and network drivers to get my internet back up and running. An important note here for other readers - HP offers all the drivers for its computers at http://www.hp.com/support, so if you lose your disc with the drivers on it, you can get them from HP (how nice of them!). So finally, the computer is back up and running. I've completely updated back up to XP Service Pack 3, which gave me my security center back and all. My registry is now clean because I did the fresh windows installation, and I've still got all my old files from before the days of the virus. So looks like I'm good to go. Thanks again, everybody. Here's hoping this thread helps someone else out......
OK, so I have a new question with a different computer. It's also an HP desktop. I can't get it to start up, and it is asking me for the boot CD. I don't have the boot CD anymore, and HP doesn't make it so I can't get it from them. I have tried the Antivirus rescue CD suggested earlier in this thread, and all I could get that to do was run a scan, but not get me into Windows (and it didn't find anything). I didn't know where to post this, because it seems like it's not an OS issue (Windows XP). Any ideas on what i could do or where I should post to to check it out?
