HD failure or virus?

It was suggested by "chaslang" that I post here instead of "Malware".

Dell Inspiron 8200
P-4 1.6 GHz
MEM 384 MB
XP Home SP2
Not sure what is going on (HD failure or virus), at one time thought it was a virus. I do have Zone Alarm and Avast installed and running. It all started when I did some maintance.
Used some Registry clean up tools to help me. Did not notice any problems for some time (CRS Can't Remember S**t, getting old I guess) 2 weeks maybe, Than started having problems, continued to get worse as time went on. File corrupt errors to blue screen "stop: C0000218 Unknown hard Error". I have had other stop messages also Stop:0000007A
Finally home from vacation with access to another PC and the time to do something went to "MajorGeeks.com".
I have been searching posts for similar probelms and trying to work throught the solutions, but not having any success.
I started to go through the "Malware Removal procedures"
1) "uninstall Malware via Add/Remove Programs. Also removed unneeded or unwanted programs.
2) Set MS config to normal startup. Do not have Norton.
3) ran CClearner (which I had from last time 12-2005) in both Safe and normal mode (I think CRS).
"The hurryier I go the behinder I get" Trying not to get too frustrated.
Each time I reboot it sounds like it is booting from the CD from Dell, which is an OS Reinstallation CD (MS Windows XP Home Edition from Dell).
I wanted to run scandsk to check the disk for errors but do not see the file, instead I am running defrag in Safe mode. I get a BLUE Screen! "Stop:0:000000F4" Right now I really don't want to start it without some guidence from the experts!
Also POSTED 3/8/07 In "Maleware Removal".

 

Your problems could be a few different things: HD failing, flakey RAM, corrupt Windows. Find out the maker of your hard drive, visit thier web site and download/run thier diag tool. If that passes, download and run a RAM diagnostic from the Memory section here at MG. If that passes, boot to your XP CD, enter Recovery Console and run 'chkdsk /r' without the quotes. It can take some time to run each of these tests, so be patient. Let us know what happens. For the RAM diag, I use the Windows Memory Diagnostic- it'll create a bootable floppy or CD (depending on which version you download). Just boot the disk and let 'er rip. Choose the Extended Tests (press 'T' I think) and let it run thru at least 4 complete passes..... anyway- keep us posted!

hopperdave2000

 

C0000218 is a registry hive failure (corruption of registry).

Did you try (at safe mode boot menu) "Last known good configuration"?
Can you get into Recovery mode (I'm not sure if you can do that with Dell's cd)?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

 

Turned Laptop on with MS Windows XP Home Edition Reinstallation from Del in CD. This is the only XP disk I have.
I do have a product key.
1) pressed F8 Got a window with
" Windows could not start corrupt or missing; Windows\system32\config\system
You can attempt repair by original Setup CD-ROM, select 'r' at first screen". CAN'T GET THERE, Sorry for shouting!!!!!

Tried to eject CD to force a read, no luck, must not be the right CD but the only one I have!
Everything that I am reading is for after I get into some sort of mode!

Can I some how get a boot disk for XP Home Edition? I do have a USB floppy drive.
Bios Boot order; Diskette, HD,CD.

 

I believe you can download a set of boot floppies from Microsoft. There's six in all. OR- you could probably just run a Google search for 'Windows XP Boot Floppies' or something similar and you'll get a link.... I'll go poke around at Microsoft and try to find the direct link for you and I'll post it when I can....

EDIT: I poked around- here's the link:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310994

As you'll see, there's several different 'releases' and I'm not sure how this will apply to your Dell- or if it makes any difference at all... as long as you have a Product Key sticker on the PC, you should be OK. If you still can't get anywhere, there's a way to install WinXP w/o the CD but you'll have to format the drive and you'll lose everything, and you'd need a 2nd PC and an adapter to hook the laptop HD to the PC.... blah blah blah blah.... keep us posted!

hopperdave2000

 

I did look at MS data base to see what I could find including this notice.

Warning Do not use the procedure that is described in this article if your computer has an OEM-installed operating system. The system hive on OEM installations creates passwords and user accounts that did not exist previously. If you use the procedure that is described in this article, you may not be able to log back into the recovery console to restore the original registry hives.

I suspect that I have Dell's OS. If I remember correctly we (my grandson and I) just inserted the CD and allowed almost everything to install. We only had to answer a few questions and did not enter any passwords, as I am the only user, However I do see different accounts (more like folders; owner, my name, my name/Pc tag etc. Guest dos not show except in "Safe Mode" when I was there a long time ago.). I really do not need or want all of these, The OS created them without any help from me. Now I don't know if I can force XP to only have one user.

MS Windows XP Home Edition CD Reinstallation from Dell. I did change the Bios boot sequence and the CD started, following the prompts I pressed "r" for recovery and repair. Now I have a screen that says

"Microsoft Windows XP<TM> Recovery Console.

The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality.

Type EXIT to quit Recovery Console and restart your computer.

1: C:\WINDOWS

Which Windows installation would you like to log onto
<To cancel, press ENTER>?"

Waiting for some thing GOOD to happen.
Thanks for your help!! ss

 

I did look at MS data base to see what I could find including this notice.

Warning Do not use the procedure that is described in this article if your computer has an OEM-installed operating system. The system hive on OEM installations creates passwords and user accounts that did not exist previously. If you use the procedure that is described in this article, you may not be able to log back into the recovery console to restore the original registry hives.

I suspect that I have Dell's OS. If I remember correctly we (my grandson and I) just inserted the CD and allowed almost everything to install. We only had to answer a few questions and did not enter any passwords, as I am the only user, However I do see different accounts (more like folders; owner, my name, my name/Pc tag etc. Guest dos not show except in "Safe Mode" when I was there a long time ago.). I really do not need or want all of these, The OS created them without any help from me. Now I don't know if I can force XP to only have one user.

MS Windows XP Home Edition CD Reinstallation from Dell. I did change the Bios boot sequence and the CD started, following the prompts I pressed "r" for recovery and repair. Now I have a screen that says

"Microsoft Windows XP<TM> Recovery Console.

The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality.

Type EXIT to quit Recovery Console and restart your computer.

1: C:\WINDOWS

Which Windows installation would you like to log onto
<To cancel, press ENTER>?"

I choose "1" and pressed ENTER, Looks like a DOS Window with prompt.

Waiting for some thing GOOD to happen.
Thanks for your help!! ss

 

Seeing as you CAN boot to the XP CD, run 'chkdsk /r' from the Recovery Console (the DOS prompt you mentioned). It can take awhile to run 'chkdsk /r' (without the quotes)- over an hour in some cases. Let it finish, type 'exit' (w/o the quotes) to reboot. Don't boot to the CD and see if you can boot into Windows w/o errors. If you still get errors, let us know and we'll tell you how to do either a 'safe' reload of Windows or a 'clean' install. The safe reload doesn't always work (90% of the time it does work) and a clean install will format the HD, meaning you'll lose EVERYTHING on the hard drive. A clean install might be a good idea though, just bite the bullet... let us know how the chkdsk /r goes.....

hopperdave2000

 

Running chkdsk 52% completed so far. Time for ZZZZZZ's

 

Well things are looking better even tho it snowed 6 inches while I got some ZZZZZ's.
Ran "chkdsk". I let it finish. A number of fixes were preformed. Tried to boot from the HD and "Windows could not start because '\WINDOWS\SYSTEMS32\CONFIG\SYSTEM' is missing or corrupt". You can attempt repair by using original Setup CD-ROM. That would be nice but I don't know where the disk is and I do not have any backups! Yea I Know backup backup. Might be in some restore point?

 

Check the Microsoft link in my post. You'll have to manually restore the system registry hive.

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545
That's the link you need; posted earlier (above) by elbiatcho1..... read the info completely and print it if possible....

 

Well D@?#|*^% Maybe I feel a little better after that but not much!!!!! I Love computors!
Completed all of the first part of MS kb307545 by running a batch file using copy and paste from the article. No typing errors, as the batch flashed by I thought it did not do some of the steps, so I checked with typing and copied the missing files into the proper directory.. Next step boot into "Safe Mode" No can do.
Went back into Recovery mode to run chkdsk /r, found and fixed errors. Still can not get in!

From post 8.
If you still get errors, let us know and we'll tell you how to do either a 'safe' reload of Windows (If we havta lets try this option first) or a 'clean' install. The safe reload doesn't always work (90% of the time it does work) {Guess what, good chance that I am in the 10% the way things are going } and a clean install will format the HD, meaning you'll lose EVERYTHING on the hard drive. A clean install might be a good idea though, just bite the bullet... let us know how the chkdsk /r goes.....

 

For part two and three of the kb307545 you may have to do that via recovery console since you cannot get into safe mode.

 

For a safe WinXP re-install:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341/en-us
Read this link. You'll be using Method 2. NOTE: in the article, you'll see that there is a chance that you'll lose some data, desktop settings, shortcuts, etc. Personally, I've performed safe reloads of WinXP over 100 times, and only twice did I lose the desktop icons and shortcuts, but both the data and programs were all there; the programs wouldn't launch 'cuz all the file associations were gone, but everything in My Documents was OK- this has only happened TWICE over the period of +/- 3 yrs. But it can happen. If possible, back up your stuff somehow: use UBCD4Win and a thumb drive, a 2nd PC, something..... anyway- read the link (esp. Method 2) and keep us posted!

hopperdave2000

 

You people are great to help others. I have been reading alot of kb articles trying to finish the job of restoring my Pc,I have been busy too, just not making progress.

What am I doing wrong. I have been unable to continue with kb307545. I cannot boot into "safe mode". I can only boot into "Recovery Mode" with Administration permission, but I cannot change any "Attributes" of the directories that I see, "C:\System Volume Information" is there as a directory (d--hs---), I get "access denied".

kb309531
"Using CACLS with Windows XP Home Edition Using the NTFS File System (? or FAT)
"cacls "driveletter:\System Volume Information" /E /G username:F" returns command not recognized."

I will continue with the new instruction and with renewed hope!!!

 

I'm using kb/315341, "How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP" Method 2.
I first tried to run the automatic setup repair from the CD. Hung part way through with copying "shell??. Tried again, made some progress, but hung on different file.
Tried to reinstall OS and get to screen "to set up Windows on selected item, etc. Options are:
create partition in unpartitioned space,
to delete selected space." I selected the highlighted
"-: Partition1 {FAT} 31MB [29 free]" and get the space is to small. So select "C: Partition2 {NTFS} 39115 MB [27515 MB free]. Try, Try Try again get to copying file "shell32.dll" that's it.
Trying again and get to setup window with setup cannot create "C:\WINDOWS\System32\hal.dll or "C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\etc.".
The opions are "retry or Quit" I quit!
Somewhere I read in the kb articles that when installing the OS when it hangs part way through the reinstall a file or files need to be moved. I guess it doesn't make a difference now, I can't get to a "cmd". I could download a Windows XP floppy boot disk, but I would still need the "Windows XP" CD. I don't know where it is(I think it got legs).

 

Are you trying to do a repair install so you can save your data? If so, it seems that at this point you might need to back up the data by slaving your hard drive to a 2nd PC and copying your docs over or burn them to CD, then replace your hard drive and format it for a clean windows install. If you don't need the data, just format the drive. It's been my experience that when windows setup won't copy files during the 'blue screen' section, it's due to bad memory (RAM). Download and run a RAM diagnostic to test your memory.

hopperdave2000