Missing/Corrupted OS?

[Princess]

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!

 

[philo]

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!

Since the machine had a previous owner you do not know the history...
but you may as well assume it's been a bad one.

Best to start fresh with a format and reinstall.

You can probably still find win2k on ebay.
If it's a P-III or above with at least 512megs of RAM...XP would also be a
good option

 

[Bob Harris]

PLAN A:

Your best bet for a cheap replacement is to contact Microsoft with the PC
info, including maker, serial number, and a short history.

They might offer you a break on a replacement OEM XP CDROM. But,
technically, it really is not their problem, since the deal with OEM
software is that the OEM supports it (or no one), except possibly for
something like the free security patches that Microsoft offers to everyone.

PLAN B:

If no help from Microsoft, then the next option is to buy a new copy of XP.
Do not attempt to copy XP from a different computer, it probably will not
boot without a "repair installation", which requires an XP CDROM. And, even
if it did boot, product activation would stop it from running in a few days.
An OEM copy of XP home is about $100. But, it is limited to the hardware on
which it is first installed. A retail copy of XP home is about $200, but
can be moved to another PC, but only one PC at a time.

PLAN C:

Install something other than XP. There are several free LINUX versions, or
you might look for a CD for 2000 or even 98, depending on the hardware and
whether you can find drivers for it. Unfortunately, if the primary purpose
of the PC is to play modern games, these may require XP.

PLAN D:

Dump the PC and buy a low-end PC from Dell or similar, which would include
and operating system. I think that Dell still offers XP. Avoid Vista, you
you will need to buy more expensive hardware just to get Vista to work as
well as XP. Be aware that at some point trying to fix an old PC might
actually cost more than a new one, and still leave you with an old PC. And,
also consider that software is often more expensive than the hardware (e.g.,
XP retail + MS Office full version + antivirus + CD/DVD writing software etc

$700.) Of course, there are some free alternatives to almost all software

that will work under XP (e.g., open office, AVG antivirus, deepburner-free,
etc). And, the same is true under LINUX.

General sources of free or cheaper programs:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/ Check "files" by category on left of home
page.
http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php LINUX CD imges that can run
"live", from the CD; some can also be installed.
http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html Very large CD (or now DVD)
image of a LINUX system; complete with applications

 

[Princess]

Thanks for your help, I do appreciate it. Unfortunately, these are the
answers I expected. I am curious to know, though..What is the Diagnostic and
Recovery Toolset download used for and would it be of any help at this stage?

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Two points:

1. Windows XP, like all versions of Windows since at least 3.1, is
licensed for use on a single computer at a time. You may not share
your installation with your friend. Nor would copying your system
files to use on his work.

2. He started out with a used system, and in that situation I always
strongly recommend reinstalling the operating system cleanly. He has
no idea how the computer has been maintained, what has been installed
incorrectly, what is missing, what viruses and spyware there may be,
etc. I wouldn't want to live with somebody else's mistakes and
problems, possibility of kiddy porn, etc., and I wouldn't recommend
that anyone else do either.

Moreover, he has apparently made the situation worse, and has gotten
it infected with multiple things. When a system is that badly
compromised, the only good solution is to start over and reinstall
everything from scratch.

He should buy a legitimate copy of Windows XP, and install it cleanly.
I recommend the Upgrade version as the best deal. It usually costs
only slightly more than an OEM one, and doesn't have the restriction
that it is permanently tied to the first computer it's installed on.
Also, despite what many people think, a Windows XP Upgrade *can* do a
clean installation as long as you have a copy of a previous qualifying
version's CD to show it when prompted. Most people have such a CD, but
for those who don't, a used copy of Windows 98 can usually be bought
very inexpensively someplace like eBay.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

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!

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