Windows failing to start...

[Zibl]

My brother's laptop, mysteriously, got infected with Blasterworm. I tried walking him through some possible solutions over the phone, which included downloading & running Avira Free. He started up the download and let it run. When I woke up the next morning, he claimed that it had found a handful of infections but he claims Avira auto-restarted his computer. Now it doesn't boot up... at all:

 

 

That's what it boots to now. Choosing either option does nothing but re-loads it (like you had just cut it on), and gets you right back to the same screen.The only thing that doesn't send me to that screen is when I hit F12 and it takes me to the Boot Options screen. Gives me 5 things to choose from: Internal HDD, Cd/DVD/CD-RW Drive, Onboard NIC, BIOS Setup, and Diagnostics. All of these sends me back to the original screen like in the picture above. The only one that doesn't is Diagnostics, which takes me to a blue screen and starts running all kinds of tests that I don't understand :blink: .

 

He doesn't have a recovery CD. If I'm not mistaken, this laptop was one of those that had the recovery drive already built in. But we can't get to it. Is this bad boy shot? Or is there something I can do before throwing it out.

[Sy_Accursed]

If it has a recovery partition built in there will be a key/key combo on the first boot screen or in the manual (can easily find online) that will boot into the recovery system partition.

[Askthedude]

Too tired to think now, but burn a linux live cd, copy important files to an external hard drive/usb, download a free, legal w7 ISO from digital river (info)(I guess they have xp too), and reinstall using the product key that's normally on a sticker on the bottom of the laptop.

 

I might edit tomorrow with other ideas.

[Zibl]

If it has a recovery partition built in there will be a key/key combo on the first boot screen or in the manual (can easily find online) that will boot into the recovery system partition.

 

You can't get to it. To get to the Factory Default run-through, you have to be able to Launch Windows Repair... which won't launch. Again, I'm not 100% sure if it has a recovery partition, but I'm almost positive it does because I believe he's reformatted the laptop in the past. I've Googled everything I know but they all suggested logging in to Safe mode (can't) or launching Windows Repair (can't).

[JeRambo]

What happens when you run Diagnostics? Does it take you back to that particular screen?

 

Here's a link to instructions and a removal tool if you manage to get to your desktop.

 

Maybe your brother can take it in to a computer shop and they might be able to fix it fairly fast.

[Zibl]

What happens when you run Diagnostics? Does it take you back to that particular screen?

 

Here's a link to instructions and a removal tool if you manage to get to your desktop.

 

Maybe your brother can take it in to a computer shop and they might be able to fix it fairly fast.

 

Couldn't get to it :( . But, I think I may have a little bit of hope. I managed to find AVG's Rescure CD Guide. I downloaded & burned the ISO file and finally got in to BIOS to change the boot process. Unless I managed to screw something up, AVG is successfully running it's virus scan as we speak and has already found 6 detections in about 15 minutes. Here's to hoping :thumbsup: .

[deletemeplease]

Hopefully the above works.

 

If not, and you're going to format, if it has a built in factory reset you can reach it through safe mode. I generally find I can start up safe mode if I completely shut off the computer a few times while it's starting up.

 

Start > Control Panel > Recovery > Advanced Recovery Methods > Return your computer to factory condition

(Assuming he runs on Windows 7 OS)

[Zibl]

Hopefully the above works.

 

If not, and you're going to format, if it has a built in factory reset you can reach it through safe mode. I generally find I can start up safe mode if I completely shut off the computer a few times while it's starting up.

 

Start > Control Panel > Recovery > Advanced Recovery Methods > Return your computer to factory condition

(Assuming he runs on Windows 7 OS)

 

I am on windows 7. But I Safe Mode won't boot up... it just sends me to the black screen (1st picture) over and over again no matter what boot up I try :( . I'm afraid this AVG Rescue CD is my only "easy" way out. I haven't done a whole lot with computers, but last time I tried dealing with the uninstalling/reinstalling of the Windows partition I ended up screwing up big time :unsure:

[Zibl]

Nope. Didn't work. It found 107 infected files, removed them, and it still won't boot to Desktop. I am legitimately confused & frustrated at this point... suggestions?

[Randox]

A thought. If windows is needed to use the recovery partition, then couldn't a second computer do it? Just plug the corrupted hard drive into a working computer as a second hard drive, and have the working computer do the wipe and re-install. I think my uncle did something like that for our computer once when it was unable to wipe itself (our computer also managed to crash the computer that was doing the repair). The risk of course would be that the infected hard drive would try to infect the working computer, so you'd want to access it in some sort of virtual machine that has no write permission to the primary hard drive (unless you can just set the whole hard drive to read only).

[Sbrideau]

Usually you get to the recovery partition by using the boot screen.

[Sy_Accursed]

If it has a recovery partition built in there will be a key/key combo on the first boot screen or in the manual (can easily find online) that will boot into the recovery system partition.

 

You can't get to it. To get to the Factory Default run-through, you have to be able to Launch Windows Repair... which won't launch. Again, I'm not 100% sure if it has a recovery partition, but I'm almost positive it does because I believe he's reformatted the laptop in the past. I've Googled everything I know but they all suggested logging in to Safe mode (can't) or launching Windows Repair (can't).

 

If it has one you CAN get to it. Recovery partitions are not designed be access once the system has loaded up.

If there is a recovery partition there will be a key combination to press during the boot sequence to load it up; the same way you press a button to make BIOS open or the boot menu.

 

Eg Mac osx lion you hold command+r (i think that's the one) during boot to make the recovery partition load.

[Zibl]

If it has a recovery partition built in there will be a key/key combo on the first boot screen or in the manual (can easily find online) that will boot into the recovery system partition.

 

You can't get to it. To get to the Factory Default run-through, you have to be able to Launch Windows Repair... which won't launch. Again, I'm not 100% sure if it has a recovery partition, but I'm almost positive it does because I believe he's reformatted the laptop in the past. I've Googled everything I know but they all suggested logging in to Safe mode (can't) or launching Windows Repair (can't).

 

If it has one you CAN get to it. Recovery partitions are not designed be access once the system has loaded up.

If there is a recovery partition there will be a key combination to press during the boot sequence to load it up; the same way you press a button to make BIOS open or the boot menu.

 

Eg Mac osx lion you hold command+r (i think that's the one) during boot to make the recovery partition load.

 

It was never listed. And I found nothing through a quick Google search. There is indeed a Recovery Partition. because I ended up having to reformat the Windows partition and reinstall Windows 7 completely for everything to work (and a Recovery partition was listed when I was going through the process). but I have presumably fixed the problem, he just unfortunately lost every single thing that he had :ohnoes: . Better than paying someone to do it or buying an entirely new computer, so he shouldn't be too upset! thanks for all the replies guys. I haven't played Runescape in years and I very rarely poke around the forums... but I always come here for computer problems because of the quick responses & the awesome help!

[Askthedude]

If it has a recovery partition built in there will be a key/key combo on the first boot screen or in the manual (can easily find online) that will boot into the recovery system partition.

 

You can't get to it. To get to the Factory Default run-through, you have to be able to Launch Windows Repair... which won't launch. Again, I'm not 100% sure if it has a recovery partition, but I'm almost positive it does because I believe he's reformatted the laptop in the past. I've Googled everything I know but they all suggested logging in to Safe mode (can't) or launching Windows Repair (can't).

 

If it has one you CAN get to it. Recovery partitions are not designed be access once the system has loaded up.

If there is a recovery partition there will be a key combination to press during the boot sequence to load it up; the same way you press a button to make BIOS open or the boot menu.

 

Eg Mac osx lion you hold command+r (i think that's the one) during boot to make the recovery partition load.

 

It was never listed. And I found nothing through a quick Google search. There is indeed a Recovery Partition. because I ended up having to reformat the Windows partition and reinstall Windows 7 completely for everything to work (and a Recovery partition was listed when I was going through the process). but I have presumably fixed the problem, he just unfortunately lost every single thing that he had :ohnoes: . Better than paying someone to do it or buying an entirely new computer, so he shouldn't be too upset! thanks for all the replies guys. I haven't played Runescape in years and I very rarely poke around the forums... but I always come here for computer problems because of the quick responses & the awesome help!

 

If you'd read my post you could have copied everything easily...

[Zibl]

If you'd read my post you could have copied everything easily...

 

I read it. I just didn't feel like going that route ;) . He didn't need anything on it, anyway, it's not even their primary computer (just when they're too lazy to walk upstairs to the office Desktop to check Facebook haha). Thanks again everyone!