System Recovery Options

CrazyMel

Hey lads, well right where do I start... always download my music from limewire (i know stupid) but downloaded a load of techno the last day from it and while downloading it, it said it had detected a trojan so I healed it... then when I went 2 put my laptop on power off for a bit (not turn off) it said it needed 2 install some updates, so said ya, came back about two hours later turned on my laptop and it was froze on the updating part, so i switched it off....

Turned back on the laptop and it had blue screened on me....so turned off again and turned back on and got 2 options:-

1. Start windows normally or
2. Repair

So I obviously went repair, it does the bit where its repairing it and then goes blue screen again (most annoying) So after doing that and seen the blue screen bout 15 times I know somethings up :mad: so today pressed F8 to start up recovery, asks for language for the keyboard, pick U.K. then it says "to access recovery options log on as a local user"...

Gives me name, administrator and guest I'm just so afraid if I click my name on it 2 move forward I'm going 2 loose everything on my hard drive 10gbs of music I've built up and listen 2 all the tunes on it, pics, internet sites/passwords..

Would anyone be able 2 tell me will it delete everything off it if I press my name and move forward, (mate said it would) Would be very very very grateful if anyone would be able 2 help me, the system only got wiped about two months ago and when yer man was doin it he wiped the whole laptop without even asking me if I needed 2 save anything on it :rolleyes:

So with clawing back the ten gb's I REALLY don't wanna loose the tunes and pics etc. and start again.

Thanks a million and sorry for the long read ..

j1smithy

Its rather ambiguous what you're saying... you're logging into safe mode? Well if thats the case then nothing will be deleted.

The other thing that could be happening is that your system is about to do a full recovery from a hidden partition, although this seems unlikely considering its asking if you want to log in as a guest or admin.

If I were you and unsure about how to proceed for fear of losing data, I would download a copy of Linux or Ubuntu onto a live CD and boot up from that. I would then back up all my Data (pics, music, emails, whatever). I'd remove the live CD, reboot and do a full system restore.

In fact I'd recommend you do that fairly regularly anyway, keeps the OS from getting corrupted, cluttered and the speed improvements can be like getting a new machine.

CrazyMel

I try loggin in under safe mode and it keeps bringin me 2 the blue screen, went ahead last night and just clicked next and got a blue screen, is it a virus r is me laptop fu@ked, thanks man for your advice btw

An Fear Aniar

A good way to recover your 10GBs of stuff is to boot into a Linux Live session, download an Ubuntu iso, burn the CD, boot up from the CD (it won't change your hard drive in any way) and then in the Live CD session you can access your files and copy them onto a USB.

Here's a brief how-to:

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/use-ubuntu-live-cd-to-backup-files-from-your-dead-windows-computer/

.

Rofl Lundgren

Alternatively, if you can't get Safe Mode started, you can try this to recover your files:
If it's a Dell, hit F8 to get to the set-up screen after you switch the computer on.

• Select the System Recovery option (or whatever equivalent)
• On this screen, the last option is "Command Prompt"
• In Command Prompt, type "notepad", hit enter and the notepad should pop up.
• In the notepad, select File, the Open (or hit Ctrl+O) to bring up the open dialog.
• From there you can navigate to wherever your music is kept
• Pop in a flash drive, and then, still in the open file dialog (don't actually open any files) just right click on the stuff you want to save, select "Send To" and your flash drive.

Had to do this on a friend's Inspiron the other evening. Did the trick, even though I'm sure there's a better way. He didn't have as much as 10GBs though, so it could take you quite a while.

Good luck.

Rofl Lundgren

Feck, forgot to mention, but he did have to reinstall Vista from the factory image (an option on the same menu as the one where Command Prompt is) to get his computer working again though.