Help! Have a trojan, can't boot up

[exbass94]

I have a Dell Dimension 3000 with XP Home Edition. I just got a trojan last week, so I shut down the computer, unplugged it, and haven't touched it until today. I plug it in and try to start it, but it won't boot at all. I can get to the setup menu and select safe mode, but that doesn't do anything. I just get a blank black screen. I also don't have an operating system disk, so booting from a disk is not an option either. How the hell can I fix this thing? :temper::pissedoff::mad:

[Psychopete]

A BFH will fix that right up. :D

Pete

[sbsumerix]

BFH sounds like a good idea. is there anything one of those wont fix? i know when i got a trojan on the parents computer (downloading music) we found this flyer at the gas station a local guy does small computer repairs and he took it did a complete erase of everything and re booted the OS so thats all i know just do a search for local computer technicans and see if they will help out.

[Will]

I hate computers.

No restore disk?

You're screwed. Time to buy a copy of Windows or order the restore disk for you machine. Go to their website (http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?c=us&dl=false&l=en&s=gen&docid=F1CAF70CBAA94797B3F60FFE4A2FE346&doclang=en&cs=)and poke around in there and find it. Whatever happens, you need Windows running somewhere on your computer to get the harddrive going again.

If you haven't been backing up things you can use a new harddrive with your computer and then try reading your old one as a slave or external. There are also programs that will allow you too see the contents of the old disk while ignoring the operating system on it and you can recover what you need if it isn't damaged. Make sure you have a good virus scan loaded on your new disk. I recommend Avast because it's free and they don't annoy the shit out of you. The last virus I got was some dialer thing back in '99 --before I was on TRS anyway. But I have had my laptop burn up from heat several times so I am familiar with the blue screen of despair or the sudden thermal shutdown than never restarts again. I usually do what I said--get a new harddrive, restore that one to the original configuaration, retrieve my stuff off the old one if possible.

[superdave1984]

you need a bartPE disk.

[Jay FX4]

What antivirus software were you running when you got the virus?

[Mark_88]

Probably a few things you can do...I'd suggest either to swap in a cheap 20 G hard drive and reinstall (or install) and then use the old new one as a secondary...then you can scan it or simply wipe it out and it sounds like you're not going to recover the drive otherwise...or slap it into someone else's computer that has up to date VP and they can cleanse the Trojan...

Either way you will need the install disk...unless you can borrow one and use the key that Dell usually pastes on the tower or case...

[exbass94]

Could I just buy a new Windows XP CD and reinstall Windows? I don't have anything valuable on the computer I want saved, so erasing it is no problem. I don't really have access to any spare hard drives.

[Mark_88]

Sure, that would work too...do you have a sticker on the box that has a software key for XP? That way you could just borrow a CD if possible to save you a few bucks...

I have two Dells that were preloaded at one time...I just installed Win2K on both of them and forgot about the vendor disk...as long as the system drivers are available to XP it shouldn't be too much headache...but if you need Dell specific drivers then you need to download from Dell or get the install CD...

[Jason]

With the blank black screen, how long did you leave it sit before giving up?

[fastpakr]

BartPE or any of several other bootable CD's with built in scanning packages will likely sort you out.

[Jay FX4]

Jiggle the cable.

[Jason]

Aren't trojans supposed to keep you from getting the virus?

[Jay FX4]

Only if you practice on a banana first.

[exbass94]

With the blank black screen, how long did you leave it sit before giving up?

About 5 minutes.

[exbass94]

Jiggle the cable.

Which cable would that be? The monitor cable is fine, I get the Dell logo when I first turn it on, and I can access the setup menu. As soon as I exit the setup menu, I just get a blank screen.
Why the f*** do people have to create trojans/viruses anyway? This reminds me of when someone broke into my Explorer, I just wanna find out who did it and beat his face in with a tire iron. :pissedoff::flipoff:

[exbass94]

UPDATE: I found out how to erase everything and set my computer back to the way it was when it was new by pressing CTRL+F11 when starting up. Now I just have to finish adjusting everything back to the way it was, get some good virus protection, and re-rip all of my CDs.

[Mark_88]

Good stuff, but I don't understand why you would need to re-do all your CDs...they should be read by any CD player regardless of what happens to your computer...unless they were done wrong in the first place...

[exbass94]

No I don't need to burn my CDs again, I need to copy my CDs to the computer. (ripping) I do this so I can play music while online without having to insert CDs, and so I can easily copy music to my flash drive.

[Mark_88]

No I don't need to burn my CDs again, I need to copy my CDs to the computer. (ripping) I do this so I can play music while online without having to insert CDs, and so I can easily copy music to my flash drive.

Ah...sorry, I was familiar with the term "ripping" from an old Post Script interpreter program I used to work with...to "rip" something meant we ran the PS file through the interpreter and then sent it to a non-PS printer in a format that was familiar to the printer...

[mgn465]

Could I just buy a new Windows XP CD and reinstall Windows? I don't have anything valuable on the computer I want saved, so erasing it is no problem. I don't really have access to any spare hard drives.

I think that is the only solution

[fastpakr]

I think that is the only solution

While a complete re-install is an option, it's certainly possible to clean up the system without going through all that.

[exbass94]

My computer is officially 100% fixed since I did that Ctrl+F11 thing. I spent a few hours yesterday re-ripping about 100 CDs, but the computer is completely back to the way it was before. :icon_thumby:

[shaffer20]

go to a friends house. go to microsofts website and search windows 7. download the evaluation copy and burn it. its free and better then vista. im running that now and its not bad at all.
do that and your up and running.

[Jay FX4]

Yeah Windows 7 is a free download for the time being. It is of course a beta version though. But if you ever need an OS in a pinch - nothing beats free.

[exbass94]

Is anyone reading my follow-up posts?? I appreciate the suggestions, but my computer is already fixed!!!

[Jay FX4]

LOL I was going to point that out to Shaffer, but I got sidetracked and posted that other comment instead....