HELP-- A computer has gotten a blue screen and doesn't work.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

A timeline:

1. A Windows update icon shows up on the bottom of the computer screen to show that a new update is available. It is the patch so that hackers don't use Windows updates to piggy-back onto the computer. Try to download and install patch.
2. The icon shows up repeatedly for several days, even though it states that it has been downloaded.
3. A BBC article about malware using a trojan to piggy-back on Windows update is put on the BBC site. Mentions the patch.
4. Download and install Avast anti-virus.
5. Next day, put in registration key for Avast.
6. Later, the Avast icon at the bottom menu of the computer disappears (both of them). And it doesn't work when the shortcut or going into Program Files is used. So uninstall and reinstall. And put in key again.
7. Download the patch directly from the website. Also downloaded and installed (because it was suggested) was some .NET service pack 1 thing. So, three things installed.
8. Restart computer.
9. During the restart, CHKDSK comes up and of four files changes things in file 2 and could have also changed things in 3.

   The computer and destop shows up and the computuer seems to work. So shut down computer. Only restarted instead of shutting down to see if it worked (i.e. the Windows update icon was gone and the two Avast icons were there--such was the case). The next day (yesterday) when booting up, the computer displays a blue screen, and now it doesn't work.

10. On the blue screen:
11. STOP: 0X0000007B (0X81857BD0,0xC0000032,0X00000000,0X00000000) INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE .
12. It suggests to look for viruses on the computer, remove newly installed hard drives, or hard drive controllers, to look at the hard drive and see whether it is properly configured and terminated, and to run CHKDSK /F. And then to restart the computer.
13. Guessing it was chkdsk that caused the computer to not work. Either that or service pack 1.
14. Anyway, how can those things be done if the computer can't be accessed?

    ---

    Can any freeper help?

    Only going to be on for about another ten minutes, and the next time to go onto FR could be in about a week, so if you don't get an immediate response, ask that you don't get offended.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

ping.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Here's the BBC article: link.

[wastoute]

I can’t remember the name of the site but there is a better place than FreeRepublic for this.

[xcamel]

Use your original recovery CD, and follow the instructions for a repair install:

XP Repair install

Please read carefully and make sure you followed the warning links before initiating the Repair Install. You can print a text version for reference. repair.txt
Boot the computer using the XP CD. You may need to change the boot order in the system BIOS so the CD boots before the hard drive. Check your system documentation for steps to access the BIOS and change the boot order.
When you see the “Welcome To Setup” screen, you will see the options below

This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft
Windows XP to run on your computer:

To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.

To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R.

To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.
Press Enter to start the Windows Setup. do not choose
“To repair a Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console, press R”, (you Do Not want to load Recovery Console). I repeat, do not choose “To repair a Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console, press R”.
Accept the License Agreement and Windows will search for existing Windows installations.
Select the XP installation you want to repair from the list and press R to start the repair. If Repair is not one of the options, END setup. After the reboot read Warning#2!
Setup will copy the necessary files to the hard drive and reboot. Do not press any key to boot from CD when the message appears. Setup will continue as if it were doing a clean install, but your applications and settings will remain intact.

If you get files not found during the copying stage.

Blaster worm warning: Do not immediately activate over the internet when asked, enable the XP firewall before connecting to the internet. You can activate after the firewall is enabled. Control Panel - Network Connections. Right click the connection you use, Properties and there is a check box on the Advanced page.

KB 833330u Blaster removal

What You Should Know About the Sasser Worm and Its Variants

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-011
Reapply updates or service packs applied since initial Windows XP installation. Please note that a Repair Install using an Original pre service pack 1 or 2 XP CD used as the install media will remove SP1/SP2 respectively and service packs plus updates isssued after the service packs will need to be reapplied.

see: http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

[wastoute]

Here it is: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/forum55.html

[SamAdams76]

Sounds like you are pretty much screwed.

I assume you have your important files backed up and copies of your original applications.

Some techies would monkey around with the system to try to fix it but the fact that you post here looking for help suggests that you do not have that kind of comfort level. So aside from paying big money to have somebody fix it for you, best thing to do is re-install your original configuration and start from scratch.

Boot into recovery mode and restore your computer to its original state when you bought it. This will wipe your hard drive clean and make the computer like the day you bought it.

Remove all that "crap-ware" that PC makers like to install on store-bought systems.

Load any applications and then restore your files and settings.

Actually, it is good practice to do this with your computer once a year whether it has problems or not. Keeps your system clean and running fast. People that don't do this regularly end up with very slow computers.

Yes, my next computer purchase is going to be a Mac. I'm sick and tired of dealing with Windows crashes and other Windows issues.

[Mr. K]

DAMMIT!!! thanks for the info...

I have been seeing chkdsk show up on reboot for 2 days now... i wonder if I got it...

[rlmorel]

You look like you have got some useful responses...It has been my experience that people often enter threads like this just to give the poster a hard time. Good luck with that problem.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Appreciated.

It should have been mentioned that the computer uses Windows 2000 professional, and this is being typed on another computer--how can the computer be checked for viruses and chkdsk be run with the computer being nonfunctional?

Which leads to to the next point: it almost can't be emphasized enough that not an expert on computers, so if the instructions could be given as though you were typing to an idiot, that would be helpful.

[xcamel]

win2K pro has the same toolkit as xp, IIRC.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Appreciated.

'Bye for about a week (God-willing), unless the computer starts working again, or can get access to another one.

[snowsislander]

'Bye for about a week (God-willing), unless the computer starts working again, or can get access to another one.

You might be able to use Puppy Linux to at least get on-line. I downloaded the latest version yesterday, and I thought it was very impressive.

[farmguy]

I had pretty much the same thing happen to my laptop. I used a program called VCOM Fixit. It was kinda pricey (~$50) but it allowed me to boot from their CD and fix the corrupted disk information without losing everything like you would if you do a windows recovery.

I’m sure there are other programs that do this but you need to find one that the computer will boot from since windows is not operating.

[farmguy]

OOPS, Didn’t see this. The Fixit fix I did was on an XP computer.

[James W. Fannin]

Can you take the disk out and attach it to another computer to check its file system there?

[Rose in RoseBear]

Please, before you do something that can't be undone:

• Read this Microsoft Knowledgebase article.
• Run diagnostics on your hardware. If you don't have a diagnostic disk for your five+ year old system, download this disk and check out your machine. It's entirely possible that your hard drive is damaged.

[ShadowAce]

[kenth]

I’ve run into this problem before, usually after a major hardware upgrade (motherboard), but a couple of times after a drive hiccup.

Let’s hope your file tables are still intact; sometimes it’s just the boot sector or even a single bad file table copy that can cause it not to boot.

There are a two or three you can do to salvage your installation. The first is to see if you can boot into safe mode. If you can, you can run another chkdsk from there, or it may be updated controller drivers from the service pack that caused the problem. You could try to uninstall the service pack, or if that doesn’t work, you could go into the hardware manager and remove the drive controller. This would allow windows to revert to a basic controller and reinstall it upon bootup if that were the problem.

If that doesn’t work, you may still have an actual problem with the drive info. Next would be to try to run another chkdsk. You do this by booting up your win2k installation cd and going into console repair mode. This will allow you a very basic command line to run a chkdsk. Boot up the win2k cd, then select repair instead of install and then you select the command console (don’t remember what it’s actually called and my other pc’s are in use atm to check). You’ll have to put in your administator password and it’ll give you a command line.

Then you can type in chkdsk (drive) /p

This will run another chkdsk. When it’s done, reboot and see if you start up normally.

If not, one other option is a reinstall of windows on top of your old installation. This will prevent you from losing anything; programs, data, everything will still be there and registered. You may just have to do a bunch of windows updates afterward. You start this in the same manner as a regular installation, but you choose to do a repair in the install section of the windows setup. Don’t choose an alternate directory and definitely do not choose to create a new partition or format.

I’ve done it quite a few times for myself and clients to repair a win2k installation that was thought to be lost, but don’t have the exact details on my mind right now. I’ll try to find someone who does and give you a link, or I’ll go back and recreate one on one of these older pc’s so I can give you a detailed list of instructions for it, but it may be tomorrow before I get back to this post.

[papasmurf]

I always try the easy, simple stuff first. Sounds like either a registry corruption, or MBR. Perfoming a format /mbr command at the prompt, or from a dos disk will eliminate the possibility of a master boot record corruption. So, I would do that first. If you have a subscription for a good a/v, they usually come with a dos based virus checker/repair app. That would be my second shot.
Next, I would try safe mode. If you can boot into safe mode, your chances of salvaging everything is pretty good. To get into safe mode, repeatedly tap the F8 key while booting, then select Safe Mode (only).
Post back if you are able.

papa