I lent my brother my only XP copy and he doesn't think he knows where it is. Before i buy a new Pc, is there anything i can try to get it sorted?
I think my computer picked up a virus. AVG said the subscription had expired so i went online to try and redownload it but found i couldn't get
on to any antivirus sites. I tried to download the likes of spybot but it wouldn't let me install anything so restarted my computer in safe mode
and now it wont start. Just sees to be on a loop on startup
I lent my brother my only XP copy and he doesn't think he knows where it is. Before i buy a new Pc, is there anything i can try to get it sorted?
Remove the failing HDD, and just get a new one? Then you can externally re-format the old one and either re-use it or keep as a spare. This does
however mean you'll need to re-install Windows or similar, but I'm sure someone on here could help with that. I had an old PC like that, so
removed said offending article, put it in an external caddy, bought a new, bigger HDD. I grabbed all the important bits off the old one, re-formatted
it, and now use it as a backup for important docs.
Else, you could always just use a data eradication tool on it, and start afresh using the current drive. Blancco (expensive, but certified)
eradicates all data, and allows for re-use.
Personally, I'd go with option A, which would also allow you to potentially try and get back any importnat information you have on your current
drive, before re-using it.
2p successfully added!
It does sounds like a virus doesn't it! Immediate thoughts would be a bootable linux CD-ROM with a built in virus scanner and /or the good old windows restore option.
quote:
Originally posted by BenB
It does sounds like a virus doesn't it! Immediate thoughts would be a bootable linux CD-ROM with a built in virus scanner and /or the good old windows restore option.
quote:
Originally posted by speedyxjs
quote:
Originally posted by BenB
It does sounds like a virus doesn't it! Immediate thoughts would be a bootable linux CD-ROM with a built in virus scanner and /or the good old windows restore option.
Never heard of that. Where do i get one?
The linux disk would be a good option - you can examine the disk and the virus can't interfere.
Trouble is... I've seen them somewhere, but can't remember where!
[Edited on 2/9/11 by David Jenkins]
I use only the free version of AVG and it has been more than up to the task
If you go onto the Avira website from another PC you can down load an up to date (either as ann exe or ISO image) a bootable System Rescue CD
virus checker remover, burn this to cd/dvd using Nero or similar and boot the infected PC from the CD/DVD. The Avira CD based scanner runs in its
own copy of Linux entire from the CD and memory so is immune to anything lurking on you Windows HD.
Avria Downloads Rescue CD Virus Remover
Sometimes the eset online scanner can help too
Linky
Cheers
Rich