The laptop - an update

[gabriella]

Thanks, just logged the laptop off. I'm disappointed but did my best!!

Gabs x

 

[gabriella]

PS I'll check my online BT account tomorrow and fingers crossed there won't be some horrendously expensive calls on there!!!! They run 24 hours behind so there's nothing there to see as yet!!

Gabs x

 

[gabriella]

Had another thought.....

Can anyone here analyse Hijack This logs???

If not, no matter, I don't really want to take my sheer ignorance into the wider world and I would so LOVE to sort this one out!!!!

Thanks again

Gabriella x

 

[Me__2001]

i have found a sort of guide to check yourself but you would proably be better off posting in the forum and asking them

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=38752

dont post the log straight away wait for someone to ask

 

[gabriella]

Hi everyone

It's Tuesday and I really want to try to sort this laptop out.

I have spoken to the owner and it now appears that she has had the machine since Feb 2005 with no AV protection at all until 2 weeks ago. I might be wrong here but I think we have a very nastily infected machine.

For those who have been following this exciting tale, I have downloaded and run loads of antispyware etc... and I have posted the results above.

What I am thinking today is (and the owner has also suggested this).....wipe the thing clean and start again. There's hardly anything on there and what there is can be saved to CD,

Please can someone tell me - yes or no to my idea and if 'yes' I may need some step by step help to doing a full unistall and reinstall.

I may not pick any replies up till later tonight as I am writing this in my dinner break and will be working till late.

Thanks to all

Gabs x

 

[Ian]

I'd give a "yes" to a clean install - should be an interesting challenge too

Your best bet is to back everything up (files, folders, e-mails?/favorites?) and then boot with the Windows XP CD in to do a clean install.

Some things like e-mails aren't quite straight forward to backup, do they need to be stored too?

 

[Me__2001]

if its still not working right (which it isnt) after all the scan then a clean install would probably be easier than trying to track down the last few nasties
back up all you need and make sure that you check the disc for viruses before you copy the information back onto the laptop, there may be one hiding you never know

 

[itsme]

I second that Me_ 2001 Scan the disk AV before installing.

 

[gabriella]

Would any kind soul mentor me through this?

I probably won't be doing this tonight as I am working late.

Many thanks

Gabriella x

 

[itsme]

Would any kind soul mentor me through this?

I probably won't be doing this tonight as I am working late.

Many thanks

Gabriella x

CORSE I AND OTHERS WILL

 

[gabriella]

Thanks Itsme and others who have followed this exciting adventure!!

Never having reinstalled things from scratch I will give it a go but am likely to need some long distance support!!

Tomorrow night I shall get cracking on it again!

Many thanks again

Gabriella x

 

[Me__2001]

you'll need a good couple of hours, those laptop drives aren't the fastest things in the world

 

[gabriella]

OK, thanks for that Me_2001 I will need to have some diversionary activity alongside working on the laptop!!

Gabriella x

 

[gabriella]

Hi

I will do further work on the laptop tonight. I have all the various CDs.

Please could someone just answer me this to get me started......

Do I have to fully wipe everything off the laptop first and then reinstall everything? Never having done this before I would be really grateful for some help to get me started.

I can download all personal files etc... to CD to put back on later - I am OK with that bit!

Thanks

Gabriella x

 

[Ian]

If you boot up with the Windows XP CD it should offer you an option to format the drive first, this clears everything before you put windows back on. Absolutly everything will go with this method, so just be 200% sure you've got everything backed up (I always forget something!).

 

[itsme]

Hi

I will do further work on the laptop tonight. I have all the various CDs.

Please could someone just answer me this to get me started......

Do I have to fully wipe everything off the laptop first and then reinstall everything? Never having done this before I would be really grateful for some help to get me started.

I can download all personal files etc... to CD to put back on later - I am OK with that bit!

Thanks

Gabriella x

As we suspect you have quite a lot of Add ware + other little nasty buggers of which has given you these PROBLEMS. So you can save what you require to CD and remember to scan the disc with anti virus and using all the other add ware removal tools BEFORE you install them back onto the laptop Ian is correct so follow those instructions.

 

[gabriella]

Thanks guys


I will be working on it tonight when I get home from work so if anyone's online l8r, might need to give you a shout. It could be a long job I think!!

Speak later!

Gabriella x

 

[itsme]

Na we will sort it

 

[itsme]

1. After you have saved all your files etc: and copied them to disk.

2. Scan the disk with ant-virus ad aware Etc:

3. Don’t forget it takes time so have patience

4. Start the laptop.

5. Place the XP disk into the CD=DVD drive. [Remember during set up it will reboot several times]

6. When it runs it will enquire what you wish to do.

7. Chose install Windows XP not repair

8. It will now gather the information required to install.

9. Now it will ask which partition you wish to use.

10. Select the appropriate one it is usually the BIGGER [not the lager Hic] section.

11. Now it will ask you do you wish to format chose FORMAT press the appropriate KEY

12. Select format NTFS

13. After it has formatted it will Start to install and ask you to agree with the terms F8
insert the XP key number when required.
14. Now all you have to do is wait and fill all appropriate information required.

15. When it has finished [you have the desk top asking to take a tour] reboot it.

Then ask any further questions and we will guide you through as you may have to set up drivers for the appropriate hardware sound etc:.

 

[crazylegs]

10. Select the appropriate one it is usually the lager section

Are you by any chance sitting in the pub or is that just wishful thinking....