how to recover p.c

My problems started off as viruses to which I posted in the malware forum but I've ended up with this!! Op system is(was) win xp home edition

http://forum.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?p=871968&posted=1#post871968assume

I installed microsoft updates as this p.c is two years old but has hardly been used, so I thought installing the security updates would help. After this I couldnt boot into windows or even safe mode, machine justkeeps booting after it gets to windows screen. So I tried my recovery disc (ghost image) which says worked but I still cant get into windows, turns out the machine isnt recognising the c: drive now so I really am in a muggle, I all the viruses will have gone but now I have nothing. I dont need to rescue any data off the disk as there was nothing important on it just programs which I have on disc, but the ghost image was from my own p.c (they are both win xp home) and I just dont know what to do now



I download a program called pcbeginner which has loadsa rescue options on it, it checked the hard drive for errors and says its fine but when i try to recover windows from it it says i/o error something to do with bootsect.dos, i dont even know if windows is still on the disk as I tried to format it but it said error. This disk has a data recovery thing and when you enter it through show windows from dos, it shows a logical c drive with all the files on it windows system and my documents etc but I just cant acces it , sorry if this is confusing just trying to provide as much info as possible

here is a link to the site I got the rescue program fromhttp://www.pcbeginner.com


If anyone has any ideas please help, I am in a right muddle


Laurie

 

Do you have an XP CD?

If you're not worried about data loss, I would suggest reformatting the whole C drive with a Clean install of your XP.

EDIT: I don't mean a recovery CD I would suggest a full XP CD.

 

O.K. You just changed your first post.

Give me a second

 

I didnt get any discs with the faulty p.c, I have a recovery cd which came with my own p.c but its only a ghost image, which I tried to do but it still doesnt allow access to the c: drive

 

It sounds like the program dis-abled your OS and moved it to a seperate folder. All your info will be there but you cant access it because you have to re-install windows.

Does this sound right to you?

 

sorry, just though i hadnt provided enough info, i might add that the drive is recognised as 0: when not in the recovery program

 

yeah that sounds like it could be that, I can acces the following info from the recovery cd( software which does this is active ntfs reader, it tells me that my hdd is logical c: boot info: ntfs and loadsa info about sectors, i can then enter it here, it scans folders and shows me folders like, windows, my documents,my music now I think all the data is missing and these are jus standard files but I'm not bothered about an f my own data, just want the op system back, is there away?

 

excuse the typing i'm using my laptop in an awkard position!

 

Slow down.

Drive 0 is your hard drive. They are not lettered in the BIOS.

You have to boot from your recovery CD and put windows back on your drive as a working OS.

The recovery CD should have options. Tell me what they are.

 

it doesn't it just says all youyr data will be lost and then norton ghost comes up.... oh wait a minute, it says on the disc this disc will replace software that was installed in factory but on the case it says works and money does this mean windows isnt on it, it two discs and the second says drivers

 

I have a laptop recovery cd that I made when I got m laptop last month would this work?

 

Works and Money are Windows extras or trials that are put on the disk to try and get you to purchase the software when the trial runs out.

All your data will be lost means it will re-install windows effectively wiping any info that is on the drive. I think this is your best option since the data is not important to you.

You should, if given the option, install windows on the Entire drive giving you a Clean install. ( Except for the extra trials and crap that is added on, but you can get rid of those after you get the new system running.)

Make sure you have your instalation "Windows KEY" handy.

 

If you are installing on a laptop it would work but I wouldn't use it for a desktop.

 

okay will try it again now, do you think I should try the laptop recovery cd as the last ghosting didnt work?

 

right when i put my own p.c recover cd (not laptop) in i get two options, restore windows xp or boot to command prompt from cd rom

 

If you want to restore the current install you can choose restore.

If you want a fresh install use option #2

 

that didnt work just flashed up blue screen then rebooted, it now says says
\windows\system32\config is corrupt, you can repair this from original cd, at the prompt choose r, i dont have an original cd though

 

Yeah I asked if you had an XP CD, thought you might need it. If the recovery CD is full it should have everything you need though.

What option did you choose?

Is the recovery CD something you made or is it from another computer?

 

that was the recovery cd that i got with my own p.c,

 

Did you choose to recover or the new install?

The new install should have everything you need to re-install windows.

windows\system32\config is corrupt sounds like the recovery option wont work. The new install option should have all the files you need.

 

I chose the new install and it didnt work, do u think the hard driv needs formatted or partitioned?

 

The new install should format the drive for you.

What was the problem with Ghost? If you choose to wipe all data and reset to factory what happens?

 

The PC and laptop have different hardware, and therefore will have different recovery CD's, even if the make is the same. Using a ghost image from your PC to restore your laptop will not work as the hardware is different. The XP from the PC has 'bonded' with the PC's hardware, and when you try to run it on the laptop, you'll only get BSOD and reboots. If you press F8 on the laptop right after turning it on, you can disable automatic restart and see the BlueScreen with an error number. It really doesn't matter tho... you'll need to do a clean install of XP on the laptop and reload the drivers for everything to be peeeechy Some manufacturers (HP for example) provide recovery CD's for a small fee plus shipping. Maybe check that out....

hopperdave2000

 

Hi, I didnt use the laptop cd, and the ghost image says its successful but it just not letting meacces the drive, how do I disable autostart?

 

hi I have formatted the hard drive and I maged to get a friends window xp install cd and it has worked but now there is another problem, windows only recognised 2gb of the hard drive! where have I went wrong?

 

Did Windows install and is up and running?

If so, Click on My Computer > right click Local Disk C > then click Properties and see what it says there.

 

I resized the partition and done another clean install and its fixed now, thanks to all who helped me laurie x

 

Glad things worked out O.K.