Topic: Dell recovery CD?

[Simon]

Has anyone used a Dell recovery disk, and does it save or wipe all of your data?

I've spent the morning up at a friends, trying to rid them of a SpyAxe derivative (spyware that keeps popping up as a dialogue bubble from your system tray, telling you your machine is infected, and to download blah blah to remove it), but have actually made things worse!

I first tried SpyAxe Remover, which did as it said on the tin, at first, but then other things weren't right, such as applications taking ages to launch (even though nothing looked odd in Task Manager), plus the F-Secure icon has disappeared from the system tray, it wouldn't run a scan, and it didn't appear to be updating.  At this point, Windows Update demanded to install SP3 (they had kept clicking 'later' when it had asked before), which I allowed to complete, then I re-installed F-Secure, to no avail. 

I then decided to use CCleaner to see if that would help.  After this, things were still slow, so I thought I'd try SuperAntiSpyware, but it refused to install, even in safe mode, and by this time, after umpteen reboots, the bloody SpyAxe thing had come back again, along with Windows asking to be re-activated, and Networking refusing to start.

By this time, I'm gathering it's pretty well knackered, and was going to use the Dell Recovery CD, but wasn't sure if it would wipe everything or not, hence my original question.  I also have a feeling that the Dell CD won't work, as I seem to remember doing a clean install of Windows for them, when the machine was new. 

Why do I offer to repair friends' machines?  It's lost me a morning of my free weekend, and I'm now wound up after things being worse when I left it, to when I started, making me look a complete pillock! 

Any help appreciated!

[davy51]

If its like the windows CD it should have a recovery or repair without losing files

With a windows Cd you can reinstall windows and still keep the files

But Im not sure about the dell CD

With dell I always do a fresh reinstall windows from a windows cd

Dell always gave me problems

[Simon]

I have a feeling I may have already done a fresh installation of Windows for them, when the machine was new, so unless there's still something hidden away in a dark corner of the drive, with the original Dell files on it, the recovery CD may not work anyway.  Thinking about it, even if it did, that would also reinstall all the cr@p that was removed from the machine when it was new, so I'm now looking at the Windows CD Repair installation route, to start with.

[davy51]

First thing I would try is malwarebyts it might install and then try to do a system restore

http://usableurl.com/u/uUdkzfqPr





If you use the windows cd at one point it should give a choice to install and save files on the disk I have used that on a crash

It also has a repair that sometimes works for me
You push r when it asks for a choice
I would try the repair first

You may have to install windows new to fix the problem

If you can do a backup of their files

[Simon]

The problem is, Davy, Windows seems to have been seriously damaged.  It won't even recognise a CD in the drive, so I have been told, so whether anything else can be installed is probably doubtful.
 
The other problem is, System Restore had been previously disabled, so there was nothing there to fall back on either.

[davy51]

All thats left is try to do a repair with the disc

you should be able to save the files and still install a new windows instalation

[Simon]

That's what I'm hoping.

[davy51]

Be carefull with some Dells some of the drivers are specifically for Dell
Some require  drivers that are not on the cd especially with modems and video cards

I have done one or two that gave a big problem when loading some drivers

I always skip them and after the install is complete they will update themselves

[Simon]

I'm hoping for the best scenario, that being that a repair installation will work.  Even if it still leaves the virus, I'll have a greater chance of removing it with Windows working properly.

[davy51]

Im wishing you luck with it

Malwarebytes should get rid of it when windows is working

[Simon]

I've been on the phone to them this last half hour.  Basically, although Windows loads, nothing is working.  Networking is lost, programs can't be installed or run, and any external drives are initially recognised, but as soon as they try to copy anything over, it says 'Please insert a disc into Drive E'.  We have tried restoring the registry from yesterday's backup, but to no avail, and booting by 'Last known good configuration' does nothing either.  The main problem is getting the photos off of the hard drive, before I attempt to repair or re-install Windows, and at the moment, this is the main goal which seems to be defeating us.

[Simon]

Oh, one other thing, if they go into Device Manager > Services and Applications > Services, virtually everything is Disabled, which even I know isn't right.  They have checked in 'msconfig' and Normal start up is selected.

[Rik]

Sounds like you're going to have to boot from another OS, Simon. Have they tried safe mode, aamoi?

[Simon]

I tried safe mode yesterday, trying to install SuperAntiSpyware, which apparently won't install in safe mode. 

I thought I might just try sfc /scannow tomorrow, and see if that can replace the missing or damaged files.  If not, say I took my Vista laptop up there, can I get their PC to boot from it, and would I be putting my machine at risk from the virus on theirs by doing so?

[Rik]

I don't think there's much chance of getting it to do a LAN boot.