[cujrf1]

There are threads here about using the system restore to restore to a certain point, but I want to restore the entire machine completely using the cd that came with the computer. Basically we have a kids machine that wasn't protected, got a virus, and is totally hosed. Instead of spending time 'cleaning' or fixing it, I'd rather just start over. But when I put the CD in, reboot, pick the system restore, the PC Angel screen comes up and then nothing happens. It just hangs on a black screen and doesn't go anywhere or do anything. Any ideas?

 

[gurutech]

What type of machine is this? IBM, Dell, HP ?? Is the CD that you are using a "Restore CD"? Or is it just a Windows XP CD?

 

[cujrf1]

Its just something cheap - e-machine i think? (i'm at work, its at home). Yes, its the restore cd, not just an xp install cd.

 

[Rich-M]

You need to set bios to boot to cd rom as 1st drive ands then boot to the cd.

 

[cujrf1]

Thanks for the help! Didn't work though. Any other ideas? It still just goes to the recovery screen, PC Angel splash screen shows, then nothing - I don't hear the cd spinning and it just stays on a blank black screen.

 

[gurutech]

What is the "Angel Splash Screen"?

 

[cujrf1]

"PC Angel" is what the splash screen says - just looks like a brand of restore software

 

[cujrf1]

if i can get to a command prompt, does anyone know what i would execute on the restore cd? there isn't an obvious .exe to choose...this was the only other thing i could think to make the cd boot up

 

[Flags]

cujrf1: Do you have access to a Windows CD (whichever OS you have on the kids PC)?
For example, if your kid's OS is XP, you can use a Windows XP disk to reinstall the OS on it. A Recovery disk for say, a Dell w/XP will not work for this. Has to be Windows.

 

[cujrf1]

yes, i am using the recovery cd that came with this computer.

so i went to the run command and ran I386\winnt.exe - it said it couldn't do that and to run winnt32. So i did that, it went through the initial seteup screens, rebooted, and then gave me the following error (which i now get everytime i try to boot to the cd):

minint\system32\biosinfo.inf could not be loaded. error code is 14. setup cannot continue

 

[cujrf1]

so i just figured if it couldn't find that file, i'd put it there - i went into safe mod, searched for it, put int he path that the error code said and that got me past that error. happened a couple more times with other files so i just copied the entire i386 directory into that directory. now it says setupdd.sys can't be loaded. i found that file, put it everywhere i could think of, but it still gives that error. it doesn't give a file path so i don't know where it expects it. grrrr

 

[Flags]

cujrf1: It sounds like you can get to Windows desktop. Maybe you should now consider cleaning up the machine the hard way.
Can you download anti-spy programs and run them in safe mode?
If so, why not post a Hijack This log in the Security forum here and let one of our resident spy killers work on it?
It will be a lot of work, but you may get your machine back.

 

[cujrf1]

Ok. I was really hoping to do this the easy way (i had thought restoring a machine was easy - silly me) since the machine content doesn't matter. grrrr :down: i'll give it a try