can't use my PC in windows

paugie

Storage is cool
Joined
Dec 13, 2003
Messages
702
Location
Bulacan, Philippines
I got infected with a virus

An automated remover did not prove effective in the long term, it kept coming back. I tried manual removal but became sloppy and deleted an important registry item and the machine kept looping without entering windows, just allowed me put a password before restarting.

I tried a "repair install" but it only gets to "Setup is inspecting your hardware configuration" before stopping. I cleard motherboard CMOS and went to default, no go.

I am typing this on an Ubuntu 7.10 live CD

The 2 hard disks show up on the file explorer, but trying to open them (there are 2 partitions in each of the hard disks) returns a "cannot mount volume" error message. details show the following:
$Logfile indicates unclean shutdown (0,0) Failed to mount '/dev/sda5'; Operation not supported Mount is denied because NTFS is marked to be in use. Choose one action" Choice 1: if you have Windows then disconnect the external devices by clicking on the "Safely Remove Hardare" icon in the Windows taskbar then shutdown Windows cleanly. Choice 2: if you don't have Windows then you can use the 'force' option for your own responsibility. For example type on the command line: mount -t ntfs-3g/dev/sda5/media /Hitachi-2 -0 force Or add the option to the relevant row in the /etc/fstab file: /dev/sda5/media/Hitachi-3 ntfs-3g defaults.force 0 0

I am sorry if the above is not accurate as to the periods, commas or zeros or O's. Ubuntu defaults to a resolution higher than 1024x768 and the letters are too small (and the monitor too fuzzy) for me to accurately discern whether I am looking at a comma or a period or some other small punctuation mark.

Clicking on any of the four partiitions shows the same error messages except for the different partition names.

What should I do? My nephew is angry cause most of his schoolwork is on this and he can't print any of it.
 

blakerwry

Storage? I am Storage!
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You should be able to hit ctrl+alt+- (yes, that's a minus) or ctrl-alt-+ (the plus this time) to cycle between X windows resolutions.


I would try mounting manually from the console... the command for partition #1 on IDE primary master would be:

mount -t ntfs-3g /dev/hda1 /mnt/windows -o force

hda1 = 1st partition on primary master
hdb1 = 1st partition on primary slave
hdc2 = 2nd parition on secondary master
...

SATA drives are sda1, sdb, sdc


This will mount your drive to the directory /mnt/windows .... the destination directory has to exist in the file system, so mkdir if it isn't already there.

Alternatively, you could put the drives in a working windows PC or use winPE (google PE Builder) to access the drives.
 

paugie

Storage is cool
Joined
Dec 13, 2003
Messages
702
Location
Bulacan, Philippines
Thanks blake for the tips,

Still, I have to ask,

will mounting manually from Ubuntu affect the files in the partitions and their accessibility in windows?

Is their unmountability the reason why Windows setup stops at "Windows setup is inspecting your system?"

I'm worried there is something else (worse) wrong with my PC now.

I am typing this from a friend's PC.
 

blakerwry

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
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Messages
4,203
Location
Kansas City, USA
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justblake.com
Thanks blake for the tips,

Still, I have to ask,

will mounting manually from Ubuntu affect the files in the partitions and their accessibility in windows?

You can mount the partition read only (-o ro), in which case no files will be altered, not even access times.

Is their unmountability the reason why Windows setup stops at "Windows setup is inspecting your system?"

I've had this happen when there is partition table corruption, possibly fs corruption. It may be possible, but I doubt something as common as an unclean shutdown would foil the windows setup program....:scratch:

I'm worried there is something else (worse) wrong with my PC now.
I am typing this from a friend's PC.

Your hardware should be fine. It's entirely possible that your PC would have behaved in exactly the same way it is now without the assistance of the virus. You just need a blank canvas to install to and then you can restore your files from disk.
 

paugie

Storage is cool
Joined
Dec 13, 2003
Messages
702
Location
Bulacan, Philippines
I am borrowing my daughter's PC and will install the two HDDs on it. Hopefully something can be done. But this will have to wait until tomorrow as I have to go out of town for an important task.

Maraming Salamat. (Many thanks)
 

paugie

Storage is cool
Joined
Dec 13, 2003
Messages
702
Location
Bulacan, Philippines
The files were seen after a 3rd encounter with Ubuntu.

I deleted the files which were indicated to be the virus. Then started to backup to DVD discs. But got tired after two nights and only 1/4 of the backup done.

So I bought a 250Gb, thinking I could sell it afterward and incur a loss equivalent to the cost of the DVDs I would burn at a fraction of the time and effort.

Created a small partition for Windows, then transferred the files from the Seagate, wiped the Seagate clean. Transferred the files from the Hitachi over to the Seagate and wiped the Hitachi clean.

So there.
 
S

Steave

Guest
install window

well i think so the best solution of this problem is to install a window and before doing that take a back up on other drive
 
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