I SCREWED UP - HELP PLEASE!

[Guest]

DELL OPTIPLEX GX260, PENTIUM 4 1.8Ghz, 1GB RAM, WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL SP2.

It all started when I got a lot a problems with some spywares and I no
longer could connect to the internet. Then I used SPYBOT, AD-AWARE and
HIJACKTHIS to try to fix it. It did not fix, SPYBOT kept telling me that
SMITFRAUD could not be removed. So, I decide to try to go to SAFE MODE and
SCAN from there. To my surprise I could not get into SAFE MODE. I was
prompted to select how to start: IN SAFE MODE , COMMAND PROMPT and so on. I
did choose SAFE MODE and it NEVER went anywhere. I kept seeing the same balck
screen telling me to choose how to start windows. No matter which option I
choose it would never start in SAFE MODE. I gave up and decided to go to
MSCONFIG and choose SAFEBOOT from there. I was sure I would be able to enter
SAFE MODE. Not a chance! It did not enter the safe mode and it repeated the
same behavior I was getting before and made things worst, it did not let me
start windows normally. I would see only the same screen jumping back and
forth as it were about to enter SAFE MODE, whcih never did. Not being able to
escape from the repetitive behavior , the only option I found was to use the
XP CD and do a REPAIR INSTALATION. I seemed that everything was getting back
in place, the repair was running, files were being copied and towards the end
when SETUP was about to start windows, I got stuck again in the same cycle,
not being to go anywhere. Now I keep getting a message telling me: WINDOWS
CANNOT RUN UNDER SAFE MODE. SETUP WILL RESTART NOW. My only choice was an OK
to click and from there I'm in the same dilema as before. I cannot get out of
there, I cannot finish the repair and I kind of suspect why I'm getiing this
message. I think it's because when I entered MSCONFIG I selected SAFEBOOT and
I never deselected, but I did not have how to get back there in the first
place.
So, to make a long story short I have no idea of what to do besides FORMAT
and install XP again. I would not like to do that because I could not backup
my files before because of the spyware. Yeah I know I should have a backup
before, but I didn't.
My question is/are : Do I have any other choice to fix that without
formating my HD ? Does anyone know why I got stuck in any of those screens ?
I'd appreciate you help.
I'm desperate to solve this headache.
Thanks a lot.

 

[Rock]

DELL OPTIPLEX GX260, PENTIUM 4 1.8Ghz, 1GB RAM, WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL
SP2.

It all started when I got a lot a problems with some spywares and I no
longer could connect to the internet. Then I used SPYBOT, AD-AWARE and
HIJACKTHIS to try to fix it. It did not fix, SPYBOT kept telling me that
SMITFRAUD could not be removed. So, I decide to try to go to SAFE MODE and
SCAN from there. To my surprise I could not get into SAFE MODE. I was
prompted to select how to start: IN SAFE MODE , COMMAND PROMPT and so on.
I
did choose SAFE MODE and it NEVER went anywhere. I kept seeing the same
balck
screen telling me to choose how to start windows. No matter which option I
choose it would never start in SAFE MODE. I gave up and decided to go to
MSCONFIG and choose SAFEBOOT from there. I was sure I would be able to
enter
SAFE MODE. Not a chance! It did not enter the safe mode and it repeated
the
same behavior I was getting before and made things worst, it did not let
me
start windows normally. I would see only the same screen jumping back and
forth as it were about to enter SAFE MODE, whcih never did. Not being able
to
escape from the repetitive behavior , the only option I found was to use
the
XP CD and do a REPAIR INSTALATION. I seemed that everything was getting
back
in place, the repair was running, files were being copied and towards the
end
when SETUP was about to start windows, I got stuck again in the same
cycle,
not being to go anywhere. Now I keep getting a message telling me:
WINDOWS
CANNOT RUN UNDER SAFE MODE. SETUP WILL RESTART NOW. My only choice was an
OK
to click and from there I'm in the same dilema as before. I cannot get out
of
there, I cannot finish the repair and I kind of suspect why I'm getiing
this
message. I think it's because when I entered MSCONFIG I selected SAFEBOOT
and
I never deselected, but I did not have how to get back there in the first
place.
So, to make a long story short I have no idea of what to do besides FORMAT
and install XP again. I would not like to do that because I could not
backup
my files before because of the spyware. Yeah I know I should have a backup
before, but I didn't.
My question is/are : Do I have any other choice to fix that without
formating my HD ? Does anyone know why I got stuck in any of those screens
?
I'd appreciate you help.
I'm desperate to solve this headache.
Thanks a lot.

First things first, backup your data. Even though the system is not
bootable it can be done. Here are some options on how to do this.

1. Take the drive out of the computer and install it as a slave drive in
another Windows XP or 2000 computer. It should read the drive ok, so you can
copy the data. A variation of this is to put the drive in an external drive
enclosure and connect that to the other computer.

2. Create a bootable Bart's PE disk, boot from that, then copy the data to
external USB drive or flash drive.

3. Download a bootable Linux distro called Knoppix. Create a bootable CD
from that, boot from it, and copy the data to USB drive or flash drive, or
if the computer has two CD drives, one of which is a burner, then use the
k3b burning program on the Knoppix CD to burn the data to CD.

4. Take it to a competent computer tech to backup the data.

 

[Guest]

Thanks I will do that.
Just one more thing: There is no way I can get out of that ? I mean, I will
never be able to have the computer boot normally unless a reformat ?

 

[Rock]

Thanks I will do that.
Just one more thing: There is no way I can get out of that ? I mean, I
will
never be able to have the computer boot normally unless a reformat ?

"Rock" wrote:

I don't know Jack, maybe someone else will jump in with some suggestions on
how to recover from your dilemma. Safeguard the data first, though.