Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Hard Drive

  • 18-05-2006 3:18pm
    #1
    Passenger
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,150 ✭✭✭


    Hey, I've had a virus recently but seem to have gotten rid of it. Nothing is showing up in any scans which is good. Anyway I posted a Thread recently looking for help as my Desktop Disappeared but people weren't too sure how to rectify it.

    Anyway I think the best bet is to reset the Hard Drive and reinstall Windows and was wondering if this is possible and if anyone knew how to do this.

    Thanks.


Comments

  • #2
    8T8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,757 ✭✭✭8T8


    What do you mean your desktop disappeared the icons or everything including the start button and task bar ?

    What anti-virus package are you using & have you done a scan for spyware as well ?

    In regards a re-install of Windows back up any data you can and if you have the XP install CD set your bios to boot from CD and that will start the installer. From there delete your exiting windows partition, format with NTFS. Then it will copy the installer for XP over to the HD on the next reboot it will load XP from the HD & proceed with the install of the OS.

    That is a very condensed version but if you Google "XP install guide" you will get much more detailed ones.

    Of course you will probably have to re-install a lot of stuff as well if you do the clean install method like drivers, updates for the OS like Service Pack 2 etc.

    If you don't have an XP install CD then most likely you have a recovery image disc which when you boot from (or depending on how it works) will reset the computer to the state it was originally shipped in.


  • #3
    Passenger
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,150 ✭✭✭Passenger


    8T8 wrote:
    What do you mean your desktop disappeared the icons or everything including the start button and task bar ?

    What anti-virus package are you using & have you done a scan for spyware as well ?

    In regards a re-install of Windows back up any data you can and if you have the XP install CD set your bios to boot from CD and that will start the installer. From there delete your exiting windows partition, format with NTFS. Then it will copy the installer for XP over to the HD on the next reboot it will load XP from the HD & proceed with the install of the OS.

    That is a very condensed version but if you Google "XP install guide" you will get much more detailed ones.

    Of course you will probably have to re-install a lot of stuff as well if you do the clean install method like drivers, updates for the OS like Service Pack 2 etc.

    If you don't have an XP install CD then most likely you have a recovery image disc which when you boot from (or depending on how it works) will reset the computer to the state it was originally shipped in.


    I scanned with Ewido, AVG, Spybot, Ad-Aware, all clean.

    So I don't reset the Hard Drive, I just Reboot from the Windows Installation CD?


  • #4
    8T8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,757 ✭✭✭8T8


    Did you check to make sure that icons on your desktop simply aren't hidden by accident right click anywhere on your desktop & see under "arrange icons by->Show Desktop Icons" is ticked if its not then that could be why your desktop icons are missing.

    Install Windows Defender as well and do a full system scan not a quick one with it just to be sure. After that open a command prompt and type sfc /scannow this will check the operating system files and make sure none of them have been tampered with. If they have been it will request that you put in your XD CD to repair them.

    There isnt actually a reset hard drive function the hard drive has a partition with a file system which the operating system resides on this can be removed /replaced by the two methods I outlined above.

    You need to check what came with the computer do you have the original WinXP install CD or did they supply you with a recovery/rescue - disc/image CD ?


  • #5
    Passenger
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,150 ✭✭✭Passenger


    8T8 wrote:
    Did you check to make sure that icons on your desktop simply aren't hidden by accident right click anywhere on your desktop & see under "arrange icons by->Show Desktop Icons" is ticked if its not then that could be why your desktop icons are missing.

    Install Windows Defender as well and do a full system scan not a quick one with it just to be sure. After that open a command prompt and type sfc /scannow this will check the operating system files and make sure none of them have been tampered with. If they have been it will request that you put in your XD CD to repair them.

    There isnt actually a reset hard drive function the hard drive has a partition with a file system which the operating system resides on this can be removed /replaced by the two methods I outlined above.

    You need to check what came with the computer do you have the original WinXP install CD or did they supply you with a recovery/rescue - disc/image CD ?

    I have a copy of Windows XP Professional.

    All Icons are gone.


  • #6
    Mr. Presentable
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,496 ✭✭✭Mr. Presentable


    8T8 wrote:
    Did you check to make sure that icons on your desktop simply aren't hidden by accident right click anywhere on your desktop & see under "arrange icons by->Show Desktop Icons" is ticked if its not then that could be why your desktop icons are missing.

    Did you check as 8T8 suggested? You don't say.....


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    Passenger
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,150 ✭✭✭Passenger


    nipplenuts wrote:
    Did you check as 8T8 suggested? You don't say.....

    No Right-Click menu appears on the Desktop.


  • #8
    8T8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,757 ✭✭✭8T8


    So you cant even bring up the context menu on the desktop hmm that doesn't good at all. It is very likely the virus/spyware that was in your system was responsible for this problem, do this press the start button (if you can) and click on run then type in sfc /scannow and press enter.

    As you say you have the XP CD it will check the operating systems files integrity if it finds anything wrong it will ask for them to be restored from the CD, reboot the machine after it is done & see if the desktop is restored.

    Also did you install and run the system scan with Windows defender it may detect the issue or error with the desktop and attempt to correct it.

    If you dont want to bother trying to repair the OS and want to do a clean install of Windows XP make a note of the basic hardware you have in the system sound card, chipset, network card, graphics etc. then proceed to download the drivers and save them on to something. You can go into the device manager in windows and it will tell you everything you need to know hardware wise.

    After that you can begin a clean install of Windows go into your bios and set it to boot from the XP CD, this guide (scroll down the page till you see the pictures) will take you through the steps (you can ignore most of the text on that page).


Advertisement