Need serious help with laptop

[jeannot18]

My brother in law asked me if I could have a look at his laptop. It is a MaxData, running Vista. I started looking and found a lot of crap in it. I managed to uninstall a few of the things, run Emsifsoft Emergency Kit, this picked up a couple of things (Trojan), which I have put in quarantine. I still don't think that the laptop is right. I can see in the system tray where you have got the icon something called iWin, thus I have removed the package.
I thought that I could use his recovery CD and re-install from scratch but when I tried that the DVD drive can't see the CD. I have tried a reboot from CD, failed the first time, but managed to run it the second time. All it was offering me was a repair job, but nothing really changed. I am no expert but I think that some is lurking in the registry files.
Could anyone help me with the problem?
Many thanks
JC

[jdeb]

Is there a recovery partition? If not, try cleaning the CD if your having issues. You may also have to enter the BIOS and select the CD as the first boot device. You can use any identical version of Vista and input the number off the laptop's COA sticker if the recovery cd is damaged in some way. Or you may have a failing cd drive.

You can also try to run Malwarebytes and/or Windows defender offline. CCleaner has a good registry cleaner and startup editing tool.

[jeannot18]

Did try the reboot from CD (via the BIOS), as I said it came with a repair option. I have got somewhere a version of Vista laying somewhere, but that was from a Dell laptop so I am not sure that it will read from that. The CD drive is ok as it can read other disk, the recovery disk was brand new, it was still wrapped up. I will run CCcleaner.
Thanks

[rjfvillarosa]

Jean. with all the infected laptops plaguing you at the moment you might want to consider "slaving" the harddrives to scan them.

IDE/SATA to USB 2.0 : USB Adaptors : Maplin Electronics
Using one of these type of adapters, the "slaved" harddrive gets it's power from the USB socket, if you are slaving it to another laptop it is better to keep the power supply plugged in so as not to drain the battery.

[jdeb]

You may not be going deep enough in the menu's for a system recovery or you are using the start up CD.

[jeannot18]

Originally Posted by rjfvillarosa Jean. with all the infected laptops plaguing you at the moment you might want to consider "slaving" the harddrives to scan them. IDE/SATA to USB 2.0 : USB Adaptors : Maplin Electronics Using one of these type of adapters, the "slaved" harddrive gets it's power from the USB socket, if you are slaving it to another laptop it is better to keep the power supply plugged in so as not to drain the battery.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is the object of using such a device?
JC

[jeannot18]

Originally Posted by jdeb You may not be going deep enough in the menu's for a system recovery or you are using the start up CD.

Don't know, sorry I am not that "expert" in the matter, he gave me 3 CD, one was for a DVD player application, the others are MaxData Utility CD (I guess it's for all the drivers), and finally a MaxData Windows Vista (for distribution only with a New Maxdata PC)
JC

EDIT: Managed to get rid of iWin icon on system tray.

[rjfvillarosa]

If you dont mind doing a bit of reading Jean these two threads can explain a lot.

Slaving a harddrive to scan for viruses.

Using a USB to IDE/SATA adapter.

Please ask as many questions as you want, I am doing this type of work almost everyday.

[jeannot18]

Originally Posted by rjfvillarosa If you dont mind doing a bit of reading Jean these two threads can explain a lot. Slaving a harddrive to scan for viruses. Using a USB to IDE/SATA adapter. Please ask as many questions as you want, I am doing this type of work almost everyday.

Thanks, interesting but it sounds quite fiddly and daunting for someone like me. Does it mean that you have to physically remove the HD from the laptop too?
Thanks
JC

[rjfvillarosa]

Originally Posted by jeannot18 Does it mean that you have to physically remove the HD from the laptop too?

Yes Jean. Some infections are so bad this just about the only way of dealing with them without formatting the harddrive and reinstalling Windows.

You have a PM Jean.

[jeannot18]

Originally Posted by rjfvillarosa Yes Jean. Some infections are so bad this just about the only way of dealing with them without formatting the harddrive and reinstalling Windows. You have a PM Jean.

Thanks, I would not mind to go down the full re-install as my brother in law has nothing on this laptop that he wants to keep.
I can't see not PM in my inbox so far,

Thanks
JC

[rjfvillarosa]

If he has no personal files on the laptop, then a format and reinstall might be the easiest route to take.

[rjfvillarosa]

Originally Posted by jeannot18 a MaxData Windows Vista (for distribution only with a New Maxdata PC)

When you boot up the laptop, before the Windows screen do you see any options to press any of the "F" keys? ie press F12 to change boot order.

[jeannot18]

Originally Posted by rjfvillarosa If he has no personal files on the laptop, then a format and reinstall might be the easiest route to take.

I assume that the CD that he brought in, Windows Vista for distribution only with a new Maxdata PC, is the one I need.

So is it a matter to just format the HD completely, and then reboot with the CD in and take it from here?

JC

[rjfvillarosa]

Originally Posted by jeannot18 Windows Vista for distribution only with a new Maxdata PC

Put this CD/DVD in the CD/DVD player and then change the boot order to boot from the CD/DVD drive. You can do this by changing the boot order via one of the F keys during startup, if you are given the option or by changing it in the BIOS, the BIOS is usually accessed after hitting the delete key during startup. Then when Windows starts to install it will ask you if you want to format the harddrive.

[jeannot18]

Originally Posted by rjfvillarosa Put this CD/DVD in the CD/DVD player and then change the boot order to boot from the CD/DVD drive. You can do this by changing the boot order via one of the F keys during startup, if you are given the option or by changing it in the BIOS, the BIOS is usually accessed after hitting the delete key during startup. Then when Windows starts to install it will ask you if you want to format the harddrive.

Thanks Richard, the only problem I am having is, that I reboot from the CD but it still takes me to the normal Windows Vista logon. I does not give me any option to re-install or anything else. Any idea?
J

[jeannot18]

Can I format the HD from a C:/prompt? and then reboot from the CD?

[rjfvillarosa]

Do you see a message that says "..... hit any key to boot from the CD" ?

Are you sure you are actually booting from the CD?

Have you ever heard of "The UltimateBootCD" ?

[jeannot18]

Well I went to the bios, and change the order of booting. CD first.

When the laptop reboot it has 3 options, F2 to access BIOS, F9 to change reboot order, and Enter to access a menu that gives you basically the same option (+ 1 option to enter an administrator password).

I have just reboot via the CD, and it gave me an option to repair the laptop, but not option to do a fresh install, I have done before on another couple of laptop I had and never had that problem. The CD would run and give you the option to re-install

As said before, I have an old CD from a previous Dell PC that was running Vista, may give it a try.

I have heard of The UltimateBootCD and I think I have used it before. Would this allow me to format the HD? Or is it for something else?
J

[rjfvillarosa]

The UltimateBootCD contains tools for running diagnostics on the harddrive, formatting the harddrive, "zero filling" the harddrive and preparing it prior to the installation of Windows.

[jeannot18]

Latest development: Found an old XP disk and it is going through a reinstall, something must have been wrong with the MaxData cd, which is strange as I said it was new and still wrapped in the packaging. Well he is gets XP on his laptop, I guess is an update compared to Vista.
I will let you know as soon as it finish to run, I hope it is not going to refuse going because it comes from another machine (this machine does not exist anymore and that version of XP is not running neither)
J

[rjfvillarosa]

Do you have the CD key for it?

[jeannot18]

YEs I think so, there was an handwritten sticker with the cd, 25 digits (mix of letters and number). I don't like pirate things, but we paid for those things so I guess it makes all right, plus that would be the only machine running this OS
JC

[rjfvillarosa]

He will probably prefer XP to Vista.

[jeannot18]

I know I would, never really liked Vista, always found sluggish

[glc]

Hopefully you can find XP drivers for that laptop.

[jeannot18]

Originally Posted by glc Hopefully you can find XP drivers for that laptop.

Up and running now. Installed the bear minimum, anti virus, anti malware, acrobat reader, flash, Firefox. Much quicker, and don't seem to overheat neither.
Thanks Richard
JC

[glc]

Any flagged devices in device manager?

[rjfvillarosa]

Try replacing Acrobat Reader with Foxit Reader, Foxit is about a tenth the size of Acrobat, does the same job and isn't always phoning home to the mothership like Acrobat does.
You can download a free copy of Foxit from FileHippo.com - Download Free Software, scroll down the home page a little and there is a link on the left hand side.

Your Welcome Jean.

[jeannot18]

Originally Posted by glc Any flagged devices in device manager?

Yes there were, I had to re-install a few driver, but done it online and it wasn't a problem. He came tonight to pickup the laptop and was well happy. I told him to stay away from downloading any game/shopping toolbar etc, and to scan the machine at least once a week (quick scan) and one full scan per month. And upgrade the Windows XP when required to.
Thanks again
J