Attempting to repair xp

**marmeduke** · 01-20-2010, 07:12 PM

I was hit with a nasty virus a few days ago which blanked out my desktop and won't allow access even in safe mode. I'm attempting to fix or recover by using knoppix. Yesterday i downloaded the latest version, 11/18 I believe and put it on a dvd. I have accessed it and am able to get online but what I need to do is to be able to accss my hard drive and edit the registry. I have found information on running regedit in a console window but I have yet to figure out how to open a console window. I have typed rededit, console, konsole, etc into thr run command window without success. All help is appreciated. I'm running xp.

**Harry Kuhman** · 01-20-2010, 07:23 PM

Don't edit the registery. Knoppix has no tools to edit a Windows registery, and assuming the partition is NTFS it is not safe to write to it with Knoppix. Instead back up whatever you need and don't have a good backup of, then reinstall from original media. When doing backups, I choose to transfer the files to another Windows box across the network by FTP, putting a free ftp server on the destination Windows system, but there are many ways to back up files depending on how much needs backed up.

**marmeduke** · 01-20-2010, 07:30 PM

thank you but I need to get into the registry. I will only look to backup files once I verify that the hard drives or computer is toast. I have not done so as of yet. My understanding is that it is possible to run regedit from knoppix?

**Harry Kuhman** · 01-20-2010, 07:39 PM

If you manage to write to that partition (not easy, as Knoppix will not do so by default), you risk destroying any data that you still have. I will not help in doing that.

**marmeduke** · 01-20-2010, 07:46 PM

My understanding is that this particular virus deposits two lines of information in the windows registry that disables task manager making it iimpossible to use windows. I need to get into the registry to delete those lines. I don't understand your relunctance to help? If this can't be done through knoppix, that is one thing but the information I have found indicates that it is possible? Without doing this my hard drive is useless.

Also, I have found and opened lxterminal...is this the access?

**Harry Kuhman** · 01-20-2010, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by marmeduke

...If this can't be done through knoppix, that is one thing but the information I have found indicates that it is possible? Without doing this my hard drive is useless....

Some people think that Knoppix can safely write to a NTFS partition. Maybe one of them posted the information that has you believing that you can safely write to NTFS. Years of experience on this forun has convinced me that this has never been safe and is still not, at least not with the default drivers in Knoppix. So I always advise against doing any operation that would write to NTFS, as this can make all data on the partition corrupt. And editing the registry is clearly a write to the NTFS partition.

Your hard drive is far from useless. It sounds like you can still read data from it. The safe way to proceed is still to recover that data that you want and then reinstall from original media, which no entry in the current registery will prevent.

This will be my last post on this matter here.

**chip.ling** · 01-20-2010, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by marmeduke

My understanding is that this particular virus deposits two lines of information in the windows registry that disables task manager making it iimpossible to use windows. I need to get into the registry to delete those lines. I don't understand your relunctance to help? If this can't be done through knoppix, that is one thing but the information I have found indicates that it is possible? Without doing this my hard drive is useless.

Also, I have found and opened lxterminal...is this the access?

Marmeduke,

If I were you, I will boot up knoppix, backup all my existing data I need. Then reinstall windows. Then perform a ghost disk copy.

However, you seem to want to go the hard way, here is a link you can refer to:

http://www.pcregedit.com/

This product claims it can boot up with a Linux live CD and fix the windows registry.

Be warned, I personally never use this software before and you use it on your own risk. And I am not responsible on any side effect it might has.

Good Luck and let us know if it works.

Rgds,
Chip

**laptopdragon** · 01-21-2010, 01:00 PM

i prefer Eterm.
just open a terminal window. ( like xterm), if thats what your asking.
you will have to mount that partition 1st btw.

btw.
why, o why would you want to get xp running again.
learn from mistakes

if (and i stress if, b/c it wont) this happened in gnu/linux, you could easily copy /home (and whatever else) and completely reinstall your distro....(and then, even leave /home alone, and not format that partition on a simple reinstall. (etc would need it tho)) .

i understand why people are reluctant to help. but don't let it stop you from self obliteration.

i have completely stopped supporting all of my friends "winblows" problems by 1 simple step.
when they call me for help, i say, "i can show you how to instlal linux" and thats it.
the few who have done this, have learned to fly, the others who stay in windows just cry and cry every other week about it. from youtube lags to issues your facing now (and will continue to deal with in a m.s. env).

so, here you are.
at the crossroads of a very problematic o.s. and know how to at least boot into a great one.
why not just make the change.

if you truly need windows, just use virtualbox or something.

you would NEED to have already backed up your registry before attempting this (unless you have a photographic memory of what it used to be valued at)
a shell (like python) or some script/ editor
possibly run wine, from linux, and open a windows program under its own power ?

but this should lead to failure.
1st, back up your stuff. (never say it enough, its the 1 standard that will save the day)

and sometimes, we have mechanical failures, such as HD's just breaking. we never know. so back it up frequently.

good luck.

**laptopdragon** · 01-21-2010, 01:12 PM

i replied with some links, but the spam blocker is preventing it from posting now.

so, wait a while...and they should arrive here...

**marmeduke** · 01-21-2010, 04:56 PM

I want to thank all who have replied...the help is greatly appreciated. Some great information, a bit of smugness that I can do without, but mostly a positive experience. To answer a question as to why would I want to repair XP - Very simply because I've been running Windows for many, many years now and I have many things integrated into it. Does this mean I will continue with it? Not really. I am new to the Linux world. I do like most of what I'm seeing and I suspect that the deficiencies are because of my inexperience. But before I move on I need to save my documents, photos, financial information, etc.

I'm at the point where I believe I may not be able to repair and am attempting to come up with a strategy for saving/moving what I can to a new hard drive. Can members speak to this but please realize that I am a newbie to Knoppix so not only may I not know how to open an xterm window but I probably also do not even know what it is.