Undo a Windows Repair?

joe2687

I have a workstation (with all payroll and accounts on it, v impotant) that got riddled with a nasty rootkit and a couple of trojans, virus database was disabled and real time scanner shut off by this thing, and I kept getting BSOD.

After running removal tools and scans, it removed system files that were corrupt. So I decided to do an in-place upgrade with my XP PRO licensing disk, using the code on the machine. But it doesnt work. I've tried using other codes I know work, and i've gotten the codes off the CD using unattend.txt and winnt.sif files in the CD i386 folder, but this code wont work either.

So I'm badly stuck. Is there any way to reverse what I've done? Or am i looking at a data rec and re-install?

old_aussie

Hi,

Check your PM's

Fysh

When you say "XP Pro Licensing disk" do you mean an OEM, Retail or Volume License copy of XP? Depending on what media you've got, you'll get different results. You should avoid moving between different media types if at all possible, as this may cause problems further down the line.

For what it's worth, an in-place upgrade of a machine riddled with crapware you don't know how to clean is a stunningly bad idea - you've got no guarantee the problem's actually solved, especially not if it's a rootkit you're dealing with.

If you've got accounts and payroll information on there, you should sort out a proper long-term backup strategy once you've got this problem sorted out (and "sorted out" may well mean "rescuing what data you can, doing a clean install and taking the performance/time hit to get back to where you were before this started"). You should also try to identify the infection vector and prevent it from happening again.

Capt'n Midnight

iirc avg have a bootable CD that can check for viruses, try it to be more sure

you may have to slipstream the XP CD that came with the machine with SP3 as other wise you may get a message about a newer operating system (hint please post error messages)

Capt'n Midnight

old_aussie wrote: »

Hi,

Check your PM's

It's a pubic forum, if you have some tips please share them.

Fysh

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

iirc avg have a bootable CD that can check for viruses, try it to be more sure

I haven't checked for an AVG one, but F-secure have a Rescue CD that's pretty good.

Capt'n Midnight

Fysh wrote: »

I haven't checked for an AVG one, but F-secure have a Rescue CD that's pretty good.

yeah that might be the one alright

old_aussie

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

It's a pubic forum, if you have some tips please share them.

I gave him a secret microsoft code and it worked, do you need the code.

That's why Joe has not returned to this thread

old_aussie

repeat post

Fysh

old_aussie wrote: »

I gave him a secret microsoft code and it worked, do you need the code.

That's why Joe has not returned to this thread

A secret Microsoft code? Wow, that sounds absolutely 100% legitimate and definitely not like anything that might be suspect or dodgy in any way whatsoever :rolleyes:

Care to share with the rest of us, if you're so sure that it is a legitimate fix for problems like that of the OP?

old_aussie

It's a code that will register just about every version of XP.

Had the code since 2002

Ask Joe.

Fysh

old_aussie wrote: »

It's a code that will register just about every version of XP.

Had the code since 2002

Ask Joe.

OK, and you seem to be missing my point about this code's legitimacy of use for random members of the general public doing repair installs of their OS.

If this code you allude to is a legitimate, reproducible and above-board method of resolving reinstall issues, there are quite a lot of us here who would be grateful to add it to our repertoire of tools and fixes.

If it's not a legitimate, reproducible and above board method for resolving reinstallation issues, it's probably not a piece of advice you should be disseminating through this forum.

Capt'n Midnight

old_aussie wrote: »

It's a code that will register just about every version of XP.

Had the code since 2002

Ask Joe.

READ THE CHARTER

'we're here to discuss software you have a valid license for'

old_aussie

It is a valid licence. That's why it worked.

It's been paid for, ring Bill Gates or microsoft and check if you doubt it.

I'm allowed to use it to repair any XP installation.

Maybe you just don't know who I am.(ex. senior MS executive and shareholder) to be used at my discretion.

Fysh

old_aussie wrote: »

It is a valid licence. That's why it worked.

It's been paid for, ring Bill Gates or microsoft and check if you doubt it.

I'm allowed to use it to repair any XP installation.

Maybe you just don't know who I am.(ex. senior MS executive and shareholder) to be used at my discretion.

Ah, so what you're saying is that you are an ex-senior executive in a multinational corporation who possesses Sekkrit Nollij about one of that corporation's most profitable products, and that you have been told by the company lawyers that there are no issues whatsoever with you going on the internet and distributing this Nollij to random strangers in order to fix their already dubious-sounding issues?

Well, that's believable. Next you'll be telling me you're also Banjé, the benevolent spliff elemental.

Aside from which - you haven't told any of us (except the OP via PM) what your fix actually is, so there is no way of us checking its validity/legality with Microsoft. And I hope you'll understand why your claims of being Someone Of Note In The Real World are worth very little without supporting documentation....