Re: Missing/Corrupted OS?
- From: "Patrick Keenan" <test@xxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:37:02 -0400
"Princess" <Princess@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:88B0228A-6D65-4D6D-9A5B-5CF45E4457E5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
My friend has a system w/XP Pro(2000) upgrade that was given to him w/o
the
disks. He is not computer savvy (lhe's actually a computer menace) and in
his
eagerness to download video games has encountered a number of problems;
namely, adware, spyware, trogans, keyloggers, etc. I'm not sure if this is
the state that he inherited it in, but firewall, anti-virus, drivers, disk
mgmt., wizards and the like were all 'hidden and/or read-only'. I was
able
to clean up/find missing and renamed files and got his system back to a
minimal functional state. However the system still needed to be scanned,
backed up, etc. I asked him to leave it alone until I returned and was
able
to re-install anti-virus and ensure that the firewall wasn't corrupted. I
cannot explain what event occurred that caused a system failure, but he
mentioned doing Microsoft updates, and the system froze. Of course, I
tried
to do a 'last good config', but the system had already been forced off
more
than once. I was able to download the floppy boot disks and to format the
floppy drive as the 1st boot device, however I haven't any install cd to
do a
clean install. Nor can I access the original OS partition.
After hours of searching MS website for a replacement cd, I am unable to
find any
way to obtain one unless it's for an OEM version supplied by vendor/repair
no longer in business.
I do own a system w/XP Pro as well, but my disks are buried somewhere, so
I
can't use them. Could I copy my system files to use on his? If so, what
product key would he need to use on his so that he can get updates? Or...
Any suggestions on how resolve this issue that I may not have thought of
or
tried?
Sorry this was so long!
--
Peace, Love, Harmony, and a Blessed Day to all.
I will add my agreement with others.
Your friend needs to go directly to the best solution, which will save both
you and him time and aggravation. If your time is worth anything, you've
probably spent more than the solution costs.
This best solution will cost under $150 (for XP Home), and consists of
buying an upgrade copy of XP Home at a retail location, locating a
upgrade-qualifying CD of a previous version (a Win98 or ME CD), then
reinstalling Windows starting with removing and recreating the partition and
formatting.
It's unlikely that your friend needs XP Pro, and Home is sgnificantly
cheaper.
I can't say it's a good idea to buy the XP version online from places like
eBay, based on the number of posts I've seen from people who have apparently
purchased pirated copies that can't activate. Find a store that carries it
and just go get it. This caveat does not apply to the qualifier CD.
Wipe the drive, do the basic install, install the system drivers, then go
directly to Windows Update and get the most recent updates. Then install
the (free) antivirus and firewall apps, and any other apps that are
essential. Then, if you can, make an image of this install and save it to
DVD. Use something like Acronis TrueImage (around $50).
Set this DVD aside for the next time the system is hopelessly compromised
and has to be redone; by using it, you'll save hours of reinstall time.
And no, you cannot use your install to fix this.
For me the bottom line is avoiding the waste of time and aggravation and
just getting a properly working system as quickly as possible.
HTH
-pk
.
- References:
- Missing/Corrupted OS?
- From: Princess
- Missing/Corrupted OS?
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