Windows xp restart loop, virus in registry?
Mar,27
at5:26 am
byadmin
Hi chaps and ladies,
My friend from work has a problem and I took his pc to try and fix it.
When booting, it gets to the "windows xp loading screen – with the scrolling bar underneath" and then it just re-boots.
It asks everytime if you want to start in safe mode/last good config but still will not load.
I thought maybe a bad sector on the hdd, but after looking around I have seen that it could be a virus which has changed the registry.
I currently have the hdd in ‘my’ pc running as a slave but can’t find any viruses as-of yet, I DO NOT have a win xp cd so I can’t recover/repair.
Is there a way to ‘reset’ the registry on his hdd while using mine to run the computer….?
sorry if any confusion, I have his hdd in my pc and want to fix a restart error on his hdd.
thanks
Darren
ok, dvdclarke is useless, just after points…
Thanks the other two, I understand the linux route, but is there a way to.. "copy my boot settings off my hdd, and paste them onto his drive?"
the only other way I can think of is downloading a version of windows from a ‘friend’ and trying to use repair installiation (would I need windows key for this?)
Adding to this,
I have put his hdd in my pc as a master also and same happens where it just re-boots itself over and over.
I do not have a win xp cd so cannot get to the ‘recovery console’ I am in the process of downloading a win cd but was hoping there was a way to look/edit his registry from my pc
Without win cd the only option you have is to detect and repair disk errors with your friend hdd as slave.
You can use the Error-checking tool to check for file system errors and bad sectors on your hard disk.
Open My Computer, and then select the local disk you want to check.
On the File menu, click Properties.
On the Tools tab, under Error-checking, click Check Now.
Under Check disk options, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box.
Notes:
To open My Computer, click Start, and then click My Computer.
All files must be closed for this process to run. If the volume is currently in use, a message box will appear prompting you to indicate whether or not you want to reschedule the disk checking for the next time you restart your system. Then, the next time you restart your system, disk checking will run. Your volume will not be available to perform other tasks while this process is running.
If your volume is formatted as NTFS, Windows automatically logs all file transactions, replaces bad clusters, and stores copies of key information for all files on the NTFS volume.
A friend I helped last night has the same exact problem. I put in a linux disk to hold him over and bought him a new hard drive. Then he can take off the stuff he needs at his leisure and format it when he’s done to use at storage. I couldn’t figure it out.
Sorry, not much help.
References :
If you use a linux live cd, in this case Knoppix, it allows the user to change and access key windows files. I believe it also allows you to run CMD and other processes, meaning you can scan the infected drive using a linux-based anti-virus etc
To get knoppix, goto their website, download the ISO file, unzip the files using Winrar onto a harddrive and burn them onto a cd.
NEW INFO
When you run the win xp cd which you are getting from a ‘friend’, let the blue screen load up until it gives you 3 options. Installing it, exit and recovery console. Run the recovery console and when prompted for code (like cmd on xp) type in chkdsk /r . You could attempt to run the registry program but i doubt it would work. The code is regedit, give it a try.
References :
Has had the same problem over many years
reinstall xp
References :
Only way round this is either use the XP repair console or reinstall XP,it could also be another hard ware problem on his computer even a bad connection on one of the power leads or IDE connections could cause problems.
References :
Currently having the same error. This started when Service Pack 3 was installed. It seems that it had a glitch and so went through hell to get it restored. Event the MS Support tech hinted that maybe the computer croaked after we could not get it out of the F2 Screen.
Point: recovered, rebooted from scratch. Problem, when doing so, you have better have the original CD that came with the PC. Otherwise, you are out approximately $299. The current XP update CD is no longer recognized by the computer, it runs and I have full access to computer and it runs like new, yet I cannot view Word, Excel, Powerpoint or Spread. Can no longer view DVD, or playback cds for this drivers have since been replaced and CD no longer available.
Fact: It seems the system hajacked itself, you may want to check what service pack you are running on computer. If SP3, – good luck. I am still trying to get DELL or MS Support for assistance.
Consider a repair instead, click on f8 and try that. Otherwise, you are sol, for MS Support is telling me that my CD purchased 2/08 is expired.
References :
ongoing issue for last 3 weeks.
If your computer always restart, There are some reason:
I. It’s Hot in There
Sometimes this can be caused by an overheating situation. Itunes, RealPlayer, Windows Media player,etc. require a lot of processing power to decompress and decode music files, which can cause the processor or hard drive to get hot.
Memory Fails Me…
If you determine that overheating is not the problem, the most likely suspect is bad memory.
II. Don’t Do Me Any Favors
There’s a setting buried in Windows XP that tells your computer to restart when a system error occurs. you turn off that option, you may solve your automatic reboot problem.
1) Click Start, then open Control Panel
2) Click Performance and Maintenance
3) Click System
4) Click on the Advanced Tab
5) Click Settings in the Startup and Recovery section
6) Uncheck Automatically Restart in the System failure section
Note that this may prevent the system from restarting, but it can also mask the true problem.
The most common cause of computer restarting is a corrupt registry.
Most likely your registry is bloated and overstuffed with an assortment of useless pieces of data. The operating system while running your computer has to pick its way through all this excess material. There will be bits of programs which were not completely uninstalled, parts of programs which were never completely installed, fragments of miscellaneous data, useless drivers, and a multitude of other bits and pieces.
The answer is to clean your registry and remove all the material which is not needed.
http://toptenantispyware.com/Clean_Up_Center.htm
Get the best one, and completely clean your windows registry with a few clicks of the mouse.
III. Computer Restarts After Download?
This can also be a virus or spyware problem. I suggest you go through your Control Panel / Add or Remove Programs list and remove any programs you don’t need, then run thorough anti-virus and anti-spyware scans. See:
http://toptenantispyware.com
References :
Without win cd the only option you have is to detect and repair disk errors with your friend hdd as slave.
You can use the Error-checking tool to check for file system errors and bad sectors on your hard disk.
Open My Computer, and then select the local disk you want to check.
On the File menu, click Properties.
On the Tools tab, under Error-checking, click Check Now.
Under Check disk options, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box.
Notes:
To open My Computer, click Start, and then click My Computer.
All files must be closed for this process to run. If the volume is currently in use, a message box will appear prompting you to indicate whether or not you want to reschedule the disk checking for the next time you restart your system. Then, the next time you restart your system, disk checking will run. Your volume will not be available to perform other tasks while this process is running.
If your volume is formatted as NTFS, Windows automatically logs all file transactions, replaces bad clusters, and stores copies of key information for all files on the NTFS volume.
References :
http://shaamt-registry-info.blogspot.com