reinstall XP without losing data? 2

[manhunter2826]

Hi, a friend's PC has been corrupted. He has no issues doing a reinstall of XP but he wishes not to lose his data. Can someone remind me of the correct option to choose before I go ahead and tell him. Is it:
Boot from the xp cd and go past the recovery console to the install menu. Select repair the existing installation?

He does not mind if windows updates have to be reinstalled.
Thanks all.

 

[smah]

How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341

 

[manhunter2826]

Thanks smah. Strange that the MS article implies that you must backup your data. I thought the point about an in-place upgrade (repair the existing installation) was that your existing data (c:\documents etc.) would remain intact. Or am i misreading? Can this not be achieved?

 

[goombawaho]

I wouldn't really recommend a repair install. You get a much cleaner end result if you do a total reinstall. Yes, you have to back up your data and reinstall your programs, but I think the end result is getting a better performing, cleaner machine.

I've also seen some repair installs go wrong and then you're back to square one and have to do double the work. My 2 cents.

 

[manhunter2826]

Thanks goombawaho. My buddy seems to be implying that a virus/malware is preventing him from accessing his data. He has tried a system restore (in safe mode also) but to no avail. He dearly wants to save his existing data and not have it deleted.

 

[goombawaho]

The best way to save your data is to boot up the computer using a BartPE CD and copy the data off onto another hard drive or memory stick attached to it. If you say HUH??? when I say BartPE, then maybe skip that and see below.

You could also install the hard drive into another computer as a slave drive and grab the data that way. You could then run a malware scan on the slave drive and maybe take care of two birds with one stone.

 

[manhunter2826]

^^Thanks goombawaho.

 

[smah]

If that re-installation proceedure goes through correctly, no data will be lost. The backup warning applies to all tasks of this nature - back it up ahead of time in case something does go wrong. You must backup your data <unwritten>if you're wise and want to be safe</unwritten>

 

[linney]

Microsoft are only covering their rear ends, with the comments about backing up data before doing a repair install. 99.99% of the time you will be able to do a repair install and not lose any data. However, backing up data regularly is a good practice that should be carried out as a matter of course, rather than waiting for disaster and then wishing you had a backup of your valuable data.

With malware on your machine, a repair install, because of its' nature, will probably save your malware (as well as your data) for you.

I see lots of recommendations here for programs like -

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php

SuperAntispyware

http://superantispyware.com/

 

[edfair]

I understand the concerns. One machine here picked up the antiviruspro.2010 last week (now slightly miffed at AVG) and before it was over there were bunches of infected stuff. Did am overlay off the recovery partition without losing anything, although I did spend time backing it up first. All the bad stuff got wiped out.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[goombawaho]

Don't be miffed at AVG or any other antivirus program. I've seen computers with all different brands of AV program (up to date to boot) that had one flavor or another of malware.

Apparently, they just can't stop some of the drive-by downloads and trojans that get on your machines and then download their friends.

It seems like they should be able to detect and stop them, but I've seen AVG, Mcafee, Norton, BitDefender and Kapersky "protected" machines with malware.

 

[edfair]

I know, Greg. I spent about 7 or 8 hours on it trying to find the original source (everybody needs to do that once in a while) and watched it keep getting worse and worse. So it was partially frustration, because I should have been able to find the one file that originally got in.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[manhunter2826]

Thanks smah for the clarification; thanks linney also and everybody else. Update: the repair install worked as it should and all his data remained intact. He now has Avast and Spybot installed also. Thanks again - and on his behalf - for all your help.

 

[goombawaho]

Skip Spybot - use MalwareByte's Anti-Malware or both, but definitely have the MBAM and use it monthly and especially right NOW to check the drive.

 

[wchull]

Here's a question I have regarding the repair install.... To do the repair you need to use your original Windows XP boot disk to perform the repair. My CD is the original Windows XP Home (retail) CD however my system is at SP3 with all patches up to August 2009. Do I need to slip stream my CD up to SP3 before running the repair? If so, is there any way to slipstream the remaining patches or will Windows Update simply take care of this issue after the repair has taken place?

 

[donb01]

My usual hail mary play is (assuming I can get to the internet)using Internet Explorer because of an Active-X control, to go to

http://www.pandasoftware.com

and run their free activescan application. That tends to find losts of resistant garbage, and helps to find stuff that tries to prevent a traditional AV program from running because it runs in the browser.

Some of it they will clean up for free, and others they will ask you to pay $10 - but that also allows unlimited usage (with a user/password so you can use it on other people's computers too) for about 6 months....

Funny thing is that even though I use that software for the final cleaning and it has saved my butt numerous times I still use AVG or Vipre rather than panda's stuff for my day-to-day virus programs....

 

[manhunter2826]

wchull: I am no expert, unlike many folk here who indeed are. But my friend was not concerned with losing updates which indeed he did. He also had SP3 installed prior to the reinstall. He did not take into account slipstreaming (his concern was his data), but he ran windows updates and everything is ticking along nicely.

goombawaho: thanks also, will tell him to install and run MWBytes also. Thanks.

 

[linney]

wchull, the answer to both your questions is yes. This link should explain it further.

Slepstreaming Windows Updates
thread779-1246830

 

[edfair]

I'll now add Panda to those who let the bad stuff slip in. AntivirusPro.2009 hit this afternoon on one machine. Fortunately I got the network disconnected before any friends arrived.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[wolluf]

Ed - antivirusproxxxx and its cousins are a pain in the proverbial and seem to be able to bypass all known realtime security. Are your infected machines running local administrator accounts (as I've been advising customers to run as limited users, which seems to totally cramp the malware's style on their home PCs at least).