Boot up issue

[imported_dareino]

I have a heavily infected E-machine which I cleaned using Spyware DR, Spybot S&D etc...I had no problems logging into Windows at this point...I then installed AVG Free and it started reporting infected files then BOOM, pc rebooted out of the blue. Now every time I boot the pc, it gets past the Window Logo and then it just reboots. I pulled the HDD and installed in another pc as a Slave drive, was able to scan the hdd w/avg and it found almost 90 viruses. I then put the hdd back into the e-machine and still reboots over and over. I swapped out PSU but the issue remains. I ran mbr fix but that was out of desperation since it does "boot up" ok. I have an old test pc that I installed this HDD but it wouldnt boot up there either...I just dont understand why the drive is fine as a Slave but not as a Master? Any ideas?
thxs

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: dareino
I just dont understand why the drive is fine as a Slave but not as a Master?

Because as a slave you're not booting off it.

Quickest way out of this situation is to copy any files you want off the drive onto your other machine then low-level format it, reinstall windows from scratch, and copy your files back.

This might seem drastic but in my experience an install which as reached that stage of corruption is never recoverable.

 

[mechBgon]

It might have a rootkit. At this point, you might want to slave up the drive again and scan it with more than just AVG. Try the F-Secure online scanner (which uses ActiveX, so use Internet Explorer). If it gives you some detections, make sure to get the report at the end and post the results here.


Big picture: if it were me, I'd just wipe the system and be done with it. Fast, easy and certain.

 

[mpilchfamily]

Reinstall windows. Sounds like either a virus/spyware corrupted a major file or one of the scans took out a needed file. This sometimes happens. So first try a repair install of Windows. But i take it you don't have a Windows disk and may not have the recovery disk for the system. You may have to buy a copy of windows and backup your information before installing it.

 

[daveybrat]

Windows is corrupted. What happened was the viruses infected some critical system files in windows. When you put the hard drive in your other computer as a slave drive and removed 90 viruses, you also removed key operating system files. I've done it myself when cleaning a heavily infected machine. You either have to do a repair install of xp on top of itself or the better option is to simply reformat and reinstall xp.

When you get that badly infected, it is best to just start over rather than putting too much time into it. Plus i'm sure there are more lingering infections still on the drive.

 

[imported_dareino]

thanks everyone for the SUPER Fast responses.....I was hoping not to reinstall but it looks like I havent much of a choice. I will run the repair disc just in case and see what happens.
thxs
dr

 

[dclive]

And in safe mode did it boot?

 

[imported_dareino]

No didnt boot in safe mode...I was able to do a Repair ( a little embarrassed since I ran fixmbr, fixboot and bootcfg thinking thats all the disc repair does but I was wrong). I am back up and attacking these leftover viruses. Thanks daveybrat!
HNY to all
dr

 

[daveybrat]

Good luck, make sure you run Superantispyware on your pc. It's great at picking up trojan's. Get the free version at www.superantispyware.com.

Good luck!!