Sasser Virus? Can't boot. HELP!!!

I've been working on my son's computer and having a variety of problems. I know that he had shut down his firewall--arg!@!

The computer won't boot on its own. I get a message that he has a missing or corrupt \windows\system32\config\system file.

When I use the recovery CD it says,
File \i386\system32\ntoskrnl.exe coult not be loaded. The error code is 4.

And that's all the further I can get. From reading around on the net, it sounds like it might be related to sasser...particularly since he'd disabled his firewall.

He has an Acer 5000 series laptop. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

>> The computer won't boot on its own. I get a message that he has a missing or corrupt \windows\system32\config\system file. roadrnr <<

Hi roadrnr,

Sounds like a corrupt boot.ini file to me. This issue is often caused when the boot.ini is missing or improperly configured.

The information found at these two links might be helpful:
NTOSKRNL.EXE is missing or corrupt
Windows error message with ntoskrnl.exe

Please Note: In the future, please provide a little more information about the affected system (i.e. operating system). The more information you provide, the better we can help you!

Good Luck!

 

error code 4 is more often media related. Of course, Ive seen it in regards to ram failure too, which can also give the corrupt registry error.

Assuming this isnt a burned CD *cough*, check the CD for dirt, scratches, or blemishes. Then, check your ram: http://www.majorgeeks.com/Memtest86_d4226.html

Also the original error is a registry failure.

I think the boot.ini is the wrong direction to be looking.

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

Read the article CAREFULLY. It never hurts to ask questions, so don't attempt it until you are ready.

 

Maybe I should go back a little farther... This computer wasn't booting several days ago. (couldn't get XP to open) I'd gone through the various safe mode options and wasn't making any headway. I ran the memtest86 test. I'm not too familiar w/ it, but finally stopped it after it ran 7.5 hours.

At that point, I experimented w/ the RAM. The computer had 2 - 512 sticks in it. I found that only 1 of the sticks could be used to get back into XP and assumed that the other must have been bad (I tried booting up w/ only that stick and couldn't boot)

Then, I cleaned all un-used programs off and had my son go through the 'Basic Spyware, Trojan And Virus Removal tutorial'. I assumed that he went through the whole process...but this is the same young man who disabled his firewall?!?!

The recovery CD I'm using is the one that came w/ the computer and I've tried cleaning it off--it's relatively clean, with only a few light surface scuffs on it.

I'll start working through the links you've provided, but something is up w/ this thing!

 

As I've read through these links, they require I boot to the Recovery Console or modify using the Run option in XP. I can't get to either of these locations.

When I try to get to the Recovery Console I either get an error message as described below or the computer just reboots.

 

While I still think you have ram issues, you can get to rcon via setup floppies too.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310994

 

I don't have a floppy drive for the laptop. I tried downloading and burning the file to CD, didn't get any further. I'm stumped--no idea how to move forward!

 

Yeesh.

I can think of a possibility, but its ugly.

How do you feel about Linux?

No, Im not asking you to install it, just to download a LiveCD, so you can work on your drive.

Let me know.

 

Most modern pcs (laptops included) without floppies will also boot from usb sticks.

 

Do you have a suggestion on what to use in conjunction with a usb flash drive?

 

I was trying not to but in too much, there are quite a few downloadable O/S that will fit on a USB stick - you know Linux better than I Addy.

 

A LiveCd will be better for the situation, tbh.

OS on a flash drive is more works than it appears.

 

You can get a zipped iso file to burn to cd to give a bootable recovery console here (7M download)

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/Tools/bootdiscs/xp_rec_con.zip

And the list of instructions to repalce the appropriate files for your error message are here

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_sys32.htm

 

I found another CD w/ XP and tried it. I did get to the recovery console and tried following the steps in this link: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

but was told that there was no 'c:\windows\system32\config\sam' file?

So I tried one of the other links from below and tried to do a boot.ini rebuild.
That didn't get me any further. So I tried reinstalling Windows. It wouldn't go--said that I had a memory error (or something to that effect) and that it shut Windows down.

I gave up round about that point....

I printed out the instructions posted on link below. I'll download a copy of Linux and give it a try. Any suggestion as to which version? I played w/ Linux a bit in the past and remember being a bit confused about what I should be using???

Thanks!

 

It may not matter. How far did you get into the reinstall of WIndows?

What was the exact error?

 

Attempts to install an earlier version of XP over the top of an existing one will fail. You either have to 'slipstream' windows plus the service packs onto a new CD or perform a clean install.