Virus on friends comp

[dustinjhunt]

Recently my friend cannot not even start his comp up. It boots up says COMPAQ F[10] for Help And when trys to start comp gets this message:

"Windows could not start because of an error int he software. Please report this problem as:
Needed DLLs or HAL.
Please contact your support person to report this problem"

if you can link me a websie or tell me asolution or email me the solution at dustinjhunt@yahoo.com

[DannMann99]

...we aren't your support person. Go contact him... not us.

~Dan

[bloodkingg]

30,000 computer geeks in one spot? I am thinking this wouldn't be the worst spot to ask lol. But nonetheless, I don't know.

[witch1329]

Hey... who you callin a geek! :roll:

But seriously :) What you need to do is get the compaq support number, they will help you out. OR reformat always works too.

[DannMann99]

:? you have a point, ill lend my opinion on the matter then.

your windows is fizzucked, you can do a few things. Reinstall windows using your windows cd. You can completely format the hdd by using a bootdisk then getting to c:\ and type Format C:
The reinstallation of windows would be the better of the two. With the windows CD i believe you could also use it to start your computer in safemode (if i remember correctly) in which case, try to get it started in safe mode. (actually to start in safemode you have to hold down one of the F# keys then select safemode, ill try to find which one it is for you)
Safemode sounds like it might work because it sounds like you have a problem with your .dll files, still though... just a reinstall of windows (only overwriting windows, dont choose the option to clean the entire hdd) should do the trick, then make sure you run a good virus scan program (McAfee or Norton) to find the file which broke your computer.

~Dan

[arkaria]

What version of Windows?

The key you push to select a startup mode is F8. F5 will bypass the statup menu and boot in safe mode.

If you're running XP and have an install CD it is bootable and you can run the repair option.

If I where in your friends position I would run the repair. Burn or move any data you want to keep off your system drive and then format and install from scratch.

[DannMann99]

i would have to recommend the same.

[UKScooter]

Holy poop on a stick just reinstall windows its heckofeasy if u got the disc

[mattmeck]

ok, he has a virus, he kust reinstalls Windows, then the virus messes up that install too. At least tell him how to get rid of the virus first.



And befor people flame, YES it can do that, it did it to me, and a bunch of other people. called microsoft spent 5 hours (free thank god) with them trying to find a way to save me from reformatting :( didnt work, had to reformat and start allll over again.

[exzapel]

easy fix reinstall os with a new install kills the virus unless the virus has somehow embedded itself into your whatevers (not sure what it is i think its the BIOS or boot stuff ont remember what) which i think must be some EXTREME virus if so find an antivirus bootdisk and clean it so like i said
1. clean install your os
2. if that doesnt work find an antivirus
3. if that doesnt work call your computer manufacturer
4. if that doesnt work and its embedded into your BIOS or boot thing get a new MOBO
5. if that doesnt work you are my friend SCREWED over


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
the step by step

[mattmeck]

Installing windows with clean install over an existing instilation dose NOT clean virus's, it dosnt even erase all the old files. At least with Win XP and Win ME.

and if its inbedded in your bios all you have to do is Flash the bios with a floppy that the motherbord manufacturer can supply.

[exzapel]

a clean install does you have it delete the partition with xp its kinda Retarded it doesnt boot into dos so you cant fdisk the drive and it needs your current partition to store some files install like 98 first i know these forums dont suggest piracy but if you dont have norton i suggest you dl 98 or lower if you dont already use that and the upgrade to anything besides ME which is the most retarded OS EVER

i know this how? i work with a guy who does this for a living

[Ostaf]

It looks to me more like corrupted hard drive than a virus. Boot from floppy, run scandisk with surface scan, reinstall Windows over old copy, do the hokey pokey and turn yourself about. That's what it's all about.

Oh, and if someone manages to write a virus that can successfully infect a bios without you knowing, may God have mercy on us all.
Most likely, re-occuring virii (even after install) are caused by boot sector virii. Many clean OS installs won't drastically change the main boot sector, if at all, if they can help it.

[a_Guest03]

If you get a virus in Windows and can get to mcafee.com, they have a free online virus scanner (http://us.mcafee.com/root/mfs/default.asp).

Corrupted hard drives bothered me for a while during the 10.2G WD hard drive days. Some of you may remember how awful those drives were... I had 2 fail on me with my computer I bought 5 years ago. They failed all the time on the computers I had to troubleshoot for my helpdesk.

When the drive is corrupted, you're usually SCREWED. It can cost a lot of money to recover data from the drive.

[exzapel]

like i said before the boot sector or bios and if you can upgrade your BIOS you can make a virus that can infect one

[a_Guest03]

Mcafee used to think I had a virus because my boot sector was infected with linux.

[exzapel]

OMFG LOL Your Boot Sector Was Infected With Linux? What Have You Been Smoking, Where Can I Get It?

[borednumb79]

Bios viruses are not unheard of, there were a few floating around a couple years ago, stealthc and I forget the names of the others. If you really think it's a virus of some sort. Create an emergency virus scan disk on someone else's computer and boot with the disk and scan the drive most include a bios scan as well.

If you dont want to go through that Just put in a bootable disk do a fdisk, delete all partitions, create a new partition and then format it. Once you do that install what ever flavor of windows you want.

[Jerrysn]

Heres a link to Stinger - a great little free virus killler and is a small download.

Of course you do haveto get windows to boot first.....:P

http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/

-Jerry