Noooooooooo! Dead lap top.

**anteater** · 17-01-10, 21:55

I think I've killed my lappie.

Managed to accidently download the Malware thing 'Internet Security 2010' Had this before in its last incarnation & did a safe boot and system restore which got rid off it. Sorted.

This time the f88kers got smart and set it up so you can only roll back to the day it installed.

So, safe started & deleted the exe file from programs, which left the dll's to kill. So I was getting somewhere and it did work at the time.

Except, when I start up it just brings up my wallpaper image and nowt else. Nothing, nada, zilch. Even in safe mode it does nothing.

Any ideas? I've got tons of stuff on that laptop I want back. (Windows XP by the way)

I'm not amazing with IT but usually get by. Any advice / instructions appreciated.

**saga_lout** · 17-01-10, 22:25

Download a Linux live iso. Burn it to a cd or follow the instructions to make a bootable usb memory stick. Boot from it. Copy off the files you need.

Decide whether or not you are smart enough to use Windows without getting infected again. If not, install Linux.

Job jobbed.

**wheelnut** · 17-01-10, 22:27

Several ways to go but unfortunately there's no easy abc steps.

You could try ctrl-alt-del at the blamk screen. If task manager comes up you xould try looking for a dodgy service but you may not know what to look for.

You could try booting into safe mode (F8 at initial start up screen until you get a menu - choose safe mode with networking) and then download malwarebytes anti malware (www.malwarebyte.org).

If it won't boot in safe mode then your easiest option may be to start your recovery to factory settings routine.

**wheelnut** · 17-01-10, 22:32

Originally Posted by saga_lout

Download a Linux live iso. Burn it to a cd or follow the instructions to make a bootable usb memory stick. Boot from it. Copy off the files you need.

Decide whether or not you are smart enough to use Windows without getting infected again. If not, install Linux.

Job jobbed.

You've got a virus, install linux. Top suggestion.

**saga_lout** · 17-01-10, 22:50

Originally Posted by wheelnut

You've got a virus, install linux. Top suggestion.

That isn't what I said.

**wheelnut** · 17-01-10, 23:00

Don't think I read either post properly - it's late

Still a lot of aggro for an inexperienced user to do what you suggest.

Anteater - if it won't boot in safe you could try to boot from the OS CD you got with it and install the OS over the top.

Any further action depends on what's on the disk you don't want to lose.

**twpd** · 17-01-10, 23:14

Originally Posted by wheelnut

Don't think I read either post properly - it's late

Still a lot of aggro for an inexperienced user to do what you suggest.

Anteater - if it won't boot in safe you could try to boot from the OS CD you got with it and install the OS over the top.

Any further action depends on what's on the disk you don't want to lose.

What was suggested was the easiest and safest way of recovering data. A live distro is brilliant for that....and if Alex can't help himself from being terminally stupid, and he won't mind me saying that

then perhaps he should install Linux!

**Kebab The Cat** · 18-01-10, 07:13

Originally Posted by twpd

What was suggested was the easiest and safest way of recovering data. A live distro is brilliant for that....

Yep, it's not a bad solution. I suppose if he wanted to he could whip the disk out and mount it on a working pc to recover the files, as that'd do it too.

Reinstalling a machine every once in a while isn't a bad idea.

**abssorb** · 18-01-10, 09:05

Originally Posted by anteater

.....which left the dll's to kill.

When you say kill, do you mean delete? You might have deleted a dll windows needs. If so, just copy it from some other machine. But first....

Originally Posted by anteater

I've got tons of stuff on that laptop I want back.

1. Learn to backup.
2. This is your top priority now. Listen to the geek-fu above. Your data is in a broken down car on the motorway. Every bootup, hack, whatever is adding to the risk. Stop trying to get the engine running and get the passengers the fuck out of the car and up onto the embankment

. If it were a desktop I'd pull the HDD and stick it a USB caddy, but a laptop is a PITA. Booting a linux CD is the equivalent of getting the police to stop the motorway for you. Linux will run from the CD itself, without even touching your HDD. Linky

**anteater** · 13-02-10, 09:45

Thanks to abssorb for the link to ubuntu and all the linux folks on the thread, here's how I got on;

Gave up in the end, probably was a windows cure but I got impatient and not being an IT minded person or experienced decided it was time to learn a bit, so I went for it.

Good bit was I managed to install ubuntu myself

bid bit was XP had partitioned the whole drive and not being smart enough to split partition I overwrote the whole thing with the liniux operating system. - Live and learn..... of course this was at the same time as needing to do to my tax return and I lost my HMRC login...... doh! Eventually got a new login 2 days before the cut off so got away with it.

Anyway I digress, the ubuntu works way faster than xp ever did - load up is around 1 min compared to 7-8 mins for XP and it browses quicker etc.

Downside (for me) is there's so much software which isn't set up to run on it. Which limits the appeal a bit. So the ideal set up will be to run ubuntu for internet etc and spit the drive partition to run XP for other stuff (I think)

I'll need to get another copy of XP as the machine came bundled as pre installed without a disc direct from the manufacturer.

I have found a way to get back 'My documents' I think. I was running Norton Antivirus with 2G of online storage. SO I went on Nortons website to try and recover passwords etc. Their site is very frustrating - t contact them they expect you to have the product codes etc handy - which you dont when you've wiped yer disc..... so I'll have to wait until they send me the renewal notice.

For what its worth, I was running the full Norton system when this malware got through which makes me wonder what I was paying for? Think I'll move to McAffee
(spell)

Managed to set up a firewall in ubuntu, once I learned how to use gnome - which is a bit like dos to my inexperienced eye. Lots of handy hints on the ubuntu forums if you take time to read them.

Not sure about antivirus and linux - not many people seem to attack it as they prefer to build code for it - different world to the microsoft malarky which I'm quit enjoying.

hope the above is helpful to anyone else in the same boat.

**Yorick** · 13-02-10, 12:14

Originally Posted by anteater

For what its worth, I was running the full Norton system when this malware got through which makes me wonder what I was paying for? Think I'll move to McAffee

None of the AV products will catch all the dodgy stuff. They all catch between 96% - 98%. And when there's over a milion viruses out there, that's a lot to miss.