Ethernet problem after removing Malware

Any one should work. As long as it is the same version as you have. Home or Pro. Should be one with SP3. You might want to do a Ctl-Alt-Del and see if you can stop it in task manager. Can you take it back to the person who built it. They may be able to do the repair for you.

 

Is it an OEM system builder or Retail version of XP? Home or Pro?

 

I will try and get an Windows XP Pro Service Pak 3 CD by tomorrow. I don't know how to get a hold of the person who built the machine. He got divorced and moved.

The process is now finished and I rebooted. I'm going to try it again but I doubt it will work. Seems like I have to have the original files which I guess the Malware trashed. Do I have this right?

 

It's XP Pro. How do I know if it was a OEM System version or a Retail version? Does it matter?

 

It matters a lot for a repair install, an incorrect version may not give the repair option, also, some 'bad' keys are blocked by SP3 and detected during the install phase. If you get the correct version and your key is good and suits the XP 'type', it's plain sailing.

 

So how do I know what the correct version of XP Pro to get for the machine with the ASUS motherboard is? How can I tell what version of XP is installed now which I guess is the version I would need to get?

When I look under System Properites, General Tab it says:

Microsoft Windows XP
Professional
Version 2002
Service Pack 3

76487-OEM-0015976-87584

 

I think that helps a lot

 

So I need Windows XP OEM with Service Pack 3?

Anything else I need to know to make sure of so I don't wind up with a Windows XP CD I can't use?

 

The machine I'm using now has Windows XP Pro but is not an OEM version. So if I ever had a problem with this machine I would need the non OEM version of XP Pro?

 

No, I think an XP Pro OEM SP3 should be fine. The disk will have 'this is for System Builders only' or similar on it, iirc. Your current key, providing it's not on the MSFT 'block' list, should work fine with it.

 

The machine that you're on now is an HP, isn't it? If so, you'd need an HP VLK version to match your PC and service pack level, you can usually buy those from HP at around $20-30, so I'm led to believe.

 

Yes it's an HP Mobile Workstation Notebook.

 

Ok, your best bet to gain some 'insurance' is to contact HP, sooner rather than later, with your S/N and ownership details and ask them for a repair install CD. If you leave it too long, they may tell you that they no longer supply them, who knows.

If the CD is a lower SP#, it shouldn't matter, providing it can be 'slipstreamed' to create a new version with SP3, check with them.

 

Okay. Will do. Will I do the "slipstreaming" or will they? Is "slipsteaming" easy to do?

Also I found a Dell OEM XP Pro with Service Pack 3 CD for sale locally. I can pick it up tonight. Will that work for the home built machine with ASUS motherboard which obviously isn't a Dell.

 

If it works, which is unlikely, it'll require a different kind of key.

EDIT: forgot to answer the Slipstreaming part - that can be done fairly easily - providing the version of XP on the CD will accept slipstreaming, that's why you need to check with HP.

 

Will the non OEM XP Pro Service Pack 3 work with my home built computer that has the OEM version of XP Pro Service Pack 3?

 

First, I would like to thank satrow for answering your questions regarding repair installs.

In regards to your question, which I would like to have satrow confirm, you technically cannot do that because during the repair install, the disk will be looking for a non-oem key. There is a way around that but it involves ripping the CD and then altering a file (setupp.ini) and changing a PID string to make XP look for an OEM key vs a non-OEM key. Then burning it back to a bootable iso. Then you could use your OEM key on your computer for the repair install.

There is also a question I would like to ask satrow and that is if having a non-OEM (retail) pro vs an upgrade CD would make a difference on a repair install. I think it would because the disk would be looking for a different key.

 

The Dell 'OEM' is normally a 'VLK', it already has the Dell key ready to auto-install on the correct range of Dell machines, I believe one of the things it checks for during the install is the BIOS. You may be able to force it to accept an 'OEM' key as some of the Dell CD's were very close to a 'real' OEM version of the XP CD.

I think that the Retail key is in a different range to the Upgrade keys, so your're probably correct, tgell.

The whole XP licensing scenario is/was ludicrously complex, an average PC repairer might need 8 different CD's with the latest SP level to fix the range of local computers, if any computers were bought in a different geographical area, more might be needed. Given that many makers didn't supply repair CD's, is it any wonder that people resorted to 'fixing' their XP problems by 'upgrading' to an illegal Pro VLK version?

I'll try to spend some time later digging through some old posts, I'm pretty sure I've seen one or two here that I'd say were close to 'definitive' regarding the complexity of 'allowed' options in repairing/reinstalling XP. I'm pretty sure there are some old posts elsewhere by the likes of Bill Castner that got to the crux of it, too. If I get time - ok ?

 

OOOOPS! I made a mistake in my post on page one of this thread. The location in step 10 should NOT have the SYSTEM32 folder in the path; it should read c:\windows\inf - I apologize for any confusion..... :-o

It appears that the ndis.sys file is missing from the OPs system. I haven't read every between page one and page four, but I figured I'd attach the ndis.sys file as a ZIP.... extract it and copy the file (not the whole folder, just the file inside it) to c:\windows\system32\drivers.

I hope this helps!

(Now that I've read some of the newer posts, it seems that we've gone WAY past where we were on page one - apologize if this post is late and useless :innocent )

 

Sheesh, so obvious now it's pointed out, I actually looked through that post twice and thought there was something not quite right about it, I just couldn't place what it was at the time. Thanks for the head's up and correction

 

I purchased an OEM Windows XP Service Pack 3 CD from craigslist. I try to use sfc /scannow Exact same problem I had before. :cry

dlb, I made the change you suggested. I still can't get on the internet.

 

The Original Windows XP Pro OEM disk I purchased from Craigslist did not work so I got "creative"... don't ask. Why it works with the version I used I don't know but it works! This forum is the best! Now I need to figure out how to use something like Acronis Home or ? Any suggestions gladly taken. I'd love to know why the OEM version of Windows XP Pro I have worked but I think I'd get in trouble and others in trouble by discussing that here. My e-mail available on request.

 

Creative's good Neil, it's often the only way forward when we hit on a few bugs

Backup software's not my thing, probably best to create a new thread to ask about it?

 

I am glad everything worked out for your. Sorry I wasn't able to get you going faster. As a side note, for XP I use Macrium Free to create system images and it has never failed me but the big issue is whether or not the Linux boot CD will see your hard drives before you decide to do a restore. I know from experience that Todo backup's Linux boot CD has a better detection rate. I created a BartPE disk using UBCD4 windows because it has all the mass storage drivers included. I would do as satrow suggested and create a new thread to get other opinions on the subject.

 

Very good point, not all hdd testing or backup/restore/antimalware software works across all USB-connected devices. Before deciding which one is a keeper, test it thoroughly!