Need recovery disc for HP m7060n

[Dangerous Dave]

My daughter's HP PC with XP Media Center became infected BADLY. HP doesn't supply a recovery disc with the PC, but rather puts it on a separate partition in the hard drive. It would appear that both partitions are infected, and multiple recovery attempts have been unsuccessful. If I reinstall plain old windows, she loses use of alot of the built in Media Center hardware. It never occured to her to create a recovery disc from the other partition just in case her hard drive took a dookie. Anybody here happen to have the same PC??

TIA,

 

[tcfjr]

I've got an HP E6400 Media CenterPC, but (unfortunately, for both of us) it came with Vista...

 

[FatNakedGuy]

https://www.computersurgeons.com/productdetails.aspx?ID=2728

 

[wfooshee]

It never occured to her to create a recovery disc from the other partition just in case her hard drive took a dookie.

Not helpful now, I know, but HP computers with the recovery partition prompt several times when new to burn the recovery discs needed for a rebuild. More recent machines can recover directly from the partiton by pressing F11 when prompted during POST. In either case, the machine is restored to out-of-the-box, with loss of user data. I'd be surprised if the actual recovery partition was damaged as its security is locked down pretty good when viewed as a regular Windows file system; even Administrator has no access to it.

 

[Dangerous Dave]

Not helpful now, I know, but HP computers with the recovery partition prompt several times when new to burn the recovery discs needed for a rebuild.

Yeeeaaaahhh...woulda, coulda, shoulda. Wife and child did this one on their own.

More recent machines can recover directly from the partiton by pressing F11 when prompted during POST. In either case, the machine is restored to out-of-the-box, with loss of user data. I'd be surprised if the actual recovery partition was damaged as its security is locked down pretty good when viewed as a regular Windows file system; even Administrator has no access to it.

[semi-long story]

The kid brought the tower home from college this weekend. Said she clicked on a box that looked like a gen-u-wine Microsoft warning about needing to update anti-virus. Clicked it and the screen went BOINNNNNGGGGG! Suddenly it's seven screens all spread out and overlayed, each with its obligitory cursor. Makes for a waaay cool effect when you move the mouse around. I tried running a non-destructive recovery off the HP partition. All appeared to be going well (normal screen) until it tried to actually launch windows, then it went boinnnnnggg. Only 4 screens now! Tried again just on the chance I'd get a different result...nope. Pulled out the hard drive and put it in my external enclosure just to see if I could recover any of her important data, but all the important stuff appeared to be gone already, in spite of the "non-destructive recovery". So I reinstalled the hard drive and formatted the useable partition with an XP Pro disc. Normal screen. Download SP2...normal screen. Download SP3...normal screen. Download "critical security updates"...screen goes boinnnnngggg. Started from scratch...same result. It works fine as long as I don't download the security updates. The other problem with that is that she loses alot of the Media Center functionality. It also will no longer access the restore mode from the boot sequence...not that it did me any good before. I'm pretty stumped at this point and don't know what else to try besides a restore disc, or have her drop it in the Olentangy River on her way back to campus and buy something else. She's going to check through her stuff when she gets back to school on the chance that she and her mother did in fact make a restore disc and just don't remember.

[/semi-long story]

I don't suppose anybody here knows the answer to this one???

 

[wfooshee]

Yeah, XP Antivirus 2008, or the latest, XP Antimalware 2009.

These are about as nasty as they get. Two weeks after you think you've killed it, it comes back.

Strange that it's after downloading security updates post-SP3. If you did a format with the installation of the new system, (not the quick format) then there should be no trace of the evilware.

Saying that, I can't remember if the Windows install writes a new master boot record, so there might still be something small there, just a loader for something.

 

[DaSpyda]

It's obvious the Anti-virus client she had didn't do it's job. If it was Norton or McAfee, then they are specifically targeted to shutdown in the background so the malware (malicious software) downloads undetected - until that authentic-looking Windows screen pops up.

What happens then is that more adware, spyware, and Trojans download - until you buy it. Then, the creeps have your credit card info - and then you're done. Even then, there's no guarantee it works to remove anything - it's just a front for a ripoff.

///////////////////////////////////

First, download CCleaner for free at download.com - this will get rid of Temp files which will slow down the next two scans.

I have the perfect cure for Antivirus 2008 and 2009: Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.30 free at download.com

I've used this on several machines with great success. Most have become infected by Facebook and YouTube.

Also, Super Antispyware Free is very effective, too and should be used after the above tool.

NOTE: Be sure you update each product immediately after installing and before using.

/////////////////////////////////////

Once you do all that, grab bitdefender antivirus for $29.95 (for use on up to 3 computers) and use that for real-time protection. It's highly effective and "off the radar".

Then, put the shortcuts to the above programs into a folder on the Desktop called "Maintenance", and then run those programs every few weeks.

 

[Dangerous Dave]

I'll try all of the above. Right now the box is at least functional with XP Pro, so I should be able to do all that. I also found that HP will "give" you a recovery disc, you just have to pay an absurd price for shipping, but still cheaper than in FNGs link. I ordered one up...we'll see if I can salvage this puppy rather than use it for lousy fish bait. :lol:

Thanks for all the tips. I was previously using Kaspersky anti-virus myself and was VERY happy with it. But when my year expired and I tried to re-up it online, I had nothing but problems and their tech support is flat non-existant. After 10 days I called them and demanded my money back. Amazingly, they put up no fight at all and just issued me a refund. Pity...it was really good A-V software...just not worth the hassle.

 

[DaSpyda]

I forgot...it's late.

Firstly, go to Start>Run>type msconfig>Okay>Startup tab

Uncheck Antivirus 2009 and any other program you do not recognize (you can sort the names alphabetically). Numerous programs running in the background sap processing and memory resources.

Click Okay, and then reboot.

This will prevent that malware from even starting so you can eradicate it.

 

[Dangerous Dave]

I forgot...it's late.
Firstly, go to Start>Run>type msconfig>Okay>Startup tab

Uncheck Antivirus 2009 and any other program you do not recognize (you can sort the names alphabetically). Numerous programs running in the background sap processing and memory resources.

Click Okay, and then reboot.

This will prevent that malware from even starting so you can eradicate it.

It wasn't there. That hard drive has now been formatted multiple times. There were only two things in the start menu...MSN messenger (which I despise) and the freebie Avast anti-virus I downloaded just to have something on there now. I did uncheck the MSN messenger. Still plan to follow your other suggestions. Still not sure why the MS security updates make the screen go berserk. Hopefully a combination of all of your other suggestions, plus the HP recovery disc which will hopefully have all updated drivers, will get this puppy back on the road, er, desktop.

Tanks,

 

[Dangerous Dave]

BTW, what happened to your clutch lever???

Couldn't resist.

 

[Dangerous Dave]

Ok, I'm just about ready to give up. Got the O-fishul recovery disk straight from HP. Totally formatted both partitions on the hard drive, since the instructions that came with the disks said it would create a new recovery partition automatically, and I ran the recovery disks. I just don't get it. The screen looks perfect until it actually starts Windows, and then the display is f#*ked...everytime! I can install XP with SP2 & SP3, and the machine works fine, and it will do whatever I want. But if I load the security updates, then the screen wigs out. If I load XP Media Center, the screen wigs out...but only once it actually starts Windows. The display is perfect during boot-up. I don't have a spare SATA hard drive laying around for test purposes, and if there's an IDE plug hiding somewhere on that mother(!)board, it's sure too crowded in that case to find it. I'm gonna see if I can jones a spare SATA HD from a co-worker for test purposes, but I just don't really want to put alot more time, money, or effort into this turd. If I can't fix it, I'm gonna gut it. Anybody got any other thoughts before I put a bullet in it??

 

[DaSpyda]

Did you run the software above already?

Also, remove and reinstall the memory sticks to erase any data in the memory.

I'm calling this a Master Boot Record virus...

///////////////////////////////

Low level format utilities for the hard disk

Important drive information (servo, sector layout, and defect management, etc.) is stored in the low-level format at the factory. This information is designed to last the life of the drive and therefore it is not possible to low level the drive outside the factory. Although some drive manufactures and BIOS provided so-called "low level format utilities", they actually perform a write-read verify of the drive’s user data sectors, and do not actually perform a low-level format. In the event of a corrupted master boot record or boot block virus, use FDISK /MBR command to restore the master boot record. If you need to low level format your hard drive then check the drive manufacturer and download such an utility from its website. Every drive manufacturer provides just such a utility. Below is a list of hard drive manufacturers with a links to low level format utilities.

Note: If normal (high level) hard disk formatting is required, you can use DOS FDISK command to first erase and create partitions and then use FORMAT. It is also a good idea when you hard disk becomes inaccessible to see if it is just the system files that are corrupted. Most of the time, it is the case. SYS will do the job of replacing system files. Therefore, low level format is always of LAST RESORT when you encounter HDD problems.

IBM(Hitachi)

https://www.hgst.com/hdd/support/download.htm

Seagate

https://www.seagate.com/support/disc/utils.html

Maxtor

https://www.maxtor.com/en/support/downloads/index.htm

Fujitsu

https://www.fel.fujitsu.com/home/drivers.asp?L=en&CID=1

Samsung

https://www.samsung.com/Products/HardDiskDr...ities/index.htm

FAQ: Low level format

Western Digital

https://support.wdc.com/download/index.asp

 

[Dangerous Dave]

Did you run the software above already?

I did everything you suggested...all good stuff. Now as for the rest of it...............

The problem has been resolved. And it's such a stupid thing I'm embarrassed to say it. My daughter did in fact click on a nasty virus, but it seems that after she did, she got the "blue screen of death", not the multiple screen thing I was getting.

I have a "test bench" since it seems like I'm always building or repairing a PC for somebody...keyboard, mouse, monitor, power, LAN, etc. I can just hook up a tower and I'm ready to go. It's always worked out well for me. Well not this time. It seems my daughter's high-zoot graphics card was just thumbing its little digital nose at the dinosaur of a monitor that I use for test purposes. When we plugged in my wife's LCD monitor...problem GONE! Ran all updates and all is right with the world again. I still don't get why I could load XP with service packs and the display was fine, until I loaded the security updates and then it went to ****. It makes no sense to me at all, but it must have something to do with a video driver (or driver update). So in reality, I probably resolved the real problem (the virus) a week ago, I just couldn't see that because of the display issue. I'm just glad it's resolved. I was already shopping for a new PC for her. I'm perfectly happy not to have to buy one right now. Thanks Spyda-man and wfooshee for all your ideas!

 

[dbvolfan]

My wife's new HP made it clear that you must format the recovery disks when setting it up outta the box....total PITA as it took 3 DVD's and ~3 hrs to do it.

I guess they quit sending them with the computers to save money or something b/c all of my Dell's have had them.

 

[Dangerous Dave]

My wife's new HP made it clear that you must format the recovery disks when setting it up outta the box....total PITA as it took 3 DVD's and ~3 hrs to do it.I guess they quit sending them with the computers to save money or something b/c all of my Dell's have had them.

Yeah, after I got the new recovery disks from HP, it took about 3 hours for it to rebuild the recovery partition on the hard drive. Somebody told me that most new PCs are doing it that way now, that is having a separate recovery partition on the hard drive, rather than sending you a stack of CDs with the PC. It does seem like a silly way to do it, since it does take so long to burn them and they recommend you do it first thing. No wonder people don't always do it. You're right, PITA, but bigger PITA if you don't. Glad I didn't pay extra for expedited shipping on those recovery disks...they arrived in just a few days anyway. I have never found it to be worthwhile to pay extra for expedited shipping. It doesn't get there any faster, it just makes your wallet lighter. <_<