Corrupted XP
 

Got nasty virus/malware/Trojan last week that I was able to remove using various tools. The problem now is that the system hangs when choosing the user. Can start up the laptop on safe mode, however. Safe mode with network doesn't work.

This was a two year old laptop so it was time to buy a new one. The problem is that the old one doesn't recognize external hard drives etc so moving the data is problematic. The DVD/CD does work but cannot burn. I have no idea at this point where the original windows XP pro disk is.

I have been thinking of maybe removing the internal drive and putting it into an external enclosure.

Any better ideas?

Boot into Ubuntu off a USB stick. You'll be able to access your internal hard drive and USB drives will work fine.

http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download

Does it have a working slot for a memory card? Bluetooth? An Intersect interface?

USB stick? Mouse and keyboard do work through the USB but it doesn't recognize external hardsrive/USB memory stick.

I have to check the memory card but no Bluetooth. What is the last option you suggested?

+1

Or, find someone with a desktop and see if they can just plug it in as a secondary drive and transfer the data.

So the USB system is fine, but there's something messed up with Windows's USB stack.

Which means that, provided your BIOS can boot from USB, you can still boot from a USB stick. You would not boot into Windows.

Try it. I bet you'll like it.

Understood now. I can try this tonight. The old laptop is HP DV2910US. Can anyone check if that bios supports booting from USB? Or maybe I could burn the ubuntu to a dvd on my new laptop and then try booting from it?

BTW I was really surprised how long that HP lasted. I normally think the projected life of a laptop as 12 to 18 months on a heavy use like mine i.e. no desktop and traveling all the time.

What got me was to mistakenly click one link on an email that started this. LOL!

you can use any linux based OS to boot into it and copy files/directories you need...just youtube it and you can find really great step by step directions...

I use KNOPPIX....google tha if you want and it will show you the light!

Either way will work. I have a pavillion from the same era and I boot off of USB drives often. Using the liveCD will not only waste a disk, but it will also take longer. As already mentioned, that malware wouldn't have touched your BIOS so your boot sequence shouldn't have any issues. Since the computer won't be touching Windows system files to run, an external/flash drive should be fine.

Stare at the screen and absorb all the contents of your computer as they flash by while special sound effects play in the background. You will then (hopefully) recall the appropriate information whenever you need it. There might be side effects.

I wonder if it would recognize a newly inserted USB ethernet jack or USB wifi adapter.

If you are scrapping the computer anyway, you may just want to get a 2.5" HDD enclosure and turn it into a backup or emergency drive. I keep a combination 2.5"IDE/3.5"IDE/SATA to USB adapter that lets me turn any drive into a USB drive. Comes in handy for fixing everyone's computer that they never backup.

UBUNTU would work, but you have to burn the disk/USB and still find somewhere to copy it to. One screw and the drive is out (probably).

I just realized you said this was a two year old laptop. Anything that recent should be fine for booting off USB...when you said "old", I thought you meant it was from around 2000. I would just do USB - it'll be faster than DVD and you won't waste a DVD.

Maybe he just needs to set the boot order in the BIOS so that it will work.

Just feel complete fool for not asking for a help here in the first place.

Picked up a wrong kind of enclose at Fry's tonight. Downloaded the Ubuntu on my new laptop and burn an image to a dvd.

Problem solved. Copying all the files to an external hard drive.