Windows XP boot problem

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I am trying to help my son from remote location - He has eMachines desktop with Windows XP (I do not know if home or pro).

He ran a virus and spyware removal tool. Then when he tried to reboot, it is now in an infinite loop at the Windows XP eMachines splash screen.

I tried to have him boot from CD and use the restore disk to no avail. It still went to splash screen and began reboot. and yes, I had him change boot order in bios to CDROM first device.

Any ideas welcome - otherwise he waits for my return in 3 weeks. (I am out of town on assignment).

I think it may be a bad boot sector - or shared file removed needed for boot.
I'd like to keep it simple while remote, and give him back access to the computer.

Hear of any good boot recovery tools?
 
I tried to have him boot from CD and use the restore disk to no avail. It still went to splash screen and began reboot. and yes, I had him change boot order in bios to CDROM first device.

1. Would he have recognized if he did something wrong it was in fact STILL booting from disk (not CD)?
2. Did you have him try starting in SAFE mode?
3. Does that emachine have a recovery partition on it as well?
4. You can also look here.
 
tell him to try doing a repair os the O/S with the cd. "Boot from cd" press enter, Press enter to install windows, select Hd and press R. he might need the product key for the repair
 
Hi therathman

First off I am new to this Board you are my 1st post. DO NOT mistake that as I am inexperienced. I have over 5000 post on other boards, have been doing this for 30 years and do it professionally for a living.

Nope it is not a HD or bad sector.

He was told from the WWW that he had several Virus's and was offered an AntiVirus to clean them. It was likely AntiVirus2008 or 2009 which is the malware itself.

Never ever ever respond to a prompt or popup about fixing a Virus or Malware while browsing. It is not done like that.

Now depending on what kind of Malware/Virus protection that was already installed on the computer he may have a chance to boot to Safe Mode..

This is a very bad boy so follow these directions carefully.

So here is what to do.:

While booting begin tapping the F8 key and see if he can get the boot menu. If so select Safe Mode with Networking.

If he can get Safe Mode with Networking then he may have Internet access.

Safe Mode without Networking will not allow Internet access..

If you can get into Safe Mode networking when rebooting F8 every time back to Safe Mode networking and do not allow back to normal mode until I tell you. If it does get back to normal mode it may reverse what we have done.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D/L Xclean_Micro
http://www.xblock.com/download/xclean_micro.exe

Needs no install, run it delete all it finds decline to reboot on each item found, until the program finishes then reboot after all the below is finisted.

Xclean will run minimized and will pop up a window if it finds anything. If it finds nothing it will exit.

Please make a note of what it found if any as this might indicate a deeper Malware diag.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then...

Go here Viruses/Spyware/Malware Preliminary Removal Instructions

Do everything here slowly and carefully do all 8 steps with the folowing exceptions.

In Step 1.

Since you are in Safe mode do not attempt to install a Virus Scanner or Firewall. But do make sure the Windows Firewall is on even if you have another Firewall for now.

If you do have an installed Virus scanner, it will not be in the system tray bottom right, so go to Start-Programs to find it Update then do full Scan.

After doing all 8 steps reboot again to Safe Mode Networking and then post all the requested logs.

All the above depends on booting to Safe Mode Networking if that don't work get back and we will take other steps to get up.

But once you can connect this post should be first to be done.

Your ball!

Mike

Sorry guys about the multiple posts. Nothing underhanded or malicious meant!

Mike
 
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