NTLDR file and adminstrator missing

[NSolano]

here is the verdict, I believe I acquired a virus through AIM in my desktop in the office. This computer has windows XP. Just today I get the message NTLDR file missing. So I search and I found a fix that I could do with the windowx XP Cd.
BTW my computer never came with such a CD, XP was already installed in its harddrive just like it is on the laptops.
So I am trying to repair it through there by copying the files that are corrupt into windows. Well it asks for an administrator PW, which of course I thought I knew. I have tried all the Passwords I've had on my administrator account in the past 2 years with no luck. so right now i am stuck.
anyone got any other ideas on how to fix this. any other way to do this. I don't have a boot CD maybe someone can send me the files and I can burn one or something.
give me ideas plz, or tell me how to get my Pw??

thanks

 

[NSolano]

my guess is that xp forgot my adminstrator PW as a result of the virus in it. I have tried reinstalling XP using this burnt CD I got from my cousin. The other problem is that it says the Windows cannotn find a previous version of windows installed on the computer, which leaves the option of reinstalling donw to zero again. so please someone help.

 

[Zych]

You can try and get the admin password back with this site:

http://www.loginrecovery.com/

You make a floppy to boot up with, then boot up on the system you need the password for. If it is not a strong password it should get it back in a couple of hours. However if you want right away they charge you. On the flip side it will show you a variable of the password so you can make a reasonable guess. You can also wait 48 hours and it will be free.

Here is another site that mentions other ways to get the password back but I like the one above the best.

http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm

- Zych

 

[BadBigBen]

Hola...

Forget what Zych has said, in your case.

You have been hit by a real nasty, and I am afraid most of your system files have been deleted, not just NTLDR...

only option you have is to reinstall, to do this without wiping your DATA from drive C:/ you will have to RENAME the Windows Folder to something totally different "xxxdt", for example...

You can use the Recovery Console to do this, and do the following first before Renaming and Installing... CHKDSK C: /R (I believe this is the right combo, if not switch C: and /R), this will check the File Structure and repair it as best as possible... then you are ready to rename and reinstall Windows...

Good Luck...


Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[NSolano]

ok the problem is i cannot use the recovery console without knowing the admin pw. isn't there another way i can get some files for a boot disk that will reinstall everything in the computer. There really isn't many files that I need that I don't already have. I can retype some of the old documents that are needed which aren't very many.
btw how do I rename the files, can you explain step by step?
thanks

 

[bigbadbet]

try using cia commander there's plenty of copies of it on the net, and the older one is just as good as the new version but it doesn't have the pretty gui. it is really good and quick at p/w recovery, im sure somewhere here there is a faq or guide as to use it. version one is a bit more complex but can be talked through as how to use it. then once you've got your admin p/w changed you have some control back to do whatever you need to.

 

[bigbadbet]

sorry im struggling to find a free copy that works myself(just get read only version thats not any use whatsoever). always used to be able to get it pretty easy. anyway try and find a similar p/w cracker and im sure theres a guide - eg. john the ripper. theres plenty of stuff out there and guides as how to use them if you search hard enough. cia commander is a brilliant tool so might be worth buying!
i have had a quick look around here and it seems no one has posted a faq about basic password recovery, im sure someone either will, or will tell me there is one. If you cant get any of these to work try getting into dos and delteing the files C:\system32\config\sam.log and C:\system32\config\sam. this should give you an administrator ac with a blank password. after wards i would get the data off and wipe the machine cos sounds like youve got something nasty!