Unable to start into Normal or Safe Mode

[KornGeek]

I'm trying to help somebody out by cleaning up their PC, but I'm encountering some strangeness that I can't explain.

When I power on the computer, it tries booting, fails, and brings up the screen where it gives me the option of Safe Mode, Normal, Last Known Good Configuration, etc. Selecting anything other than Last Known Good results in another failed boot attempt.

I finally booted using Last Known Good Confuration and ran Spybot S&D (it had been updated about a month ago). It found a small handful of things. I let it clean them, rebooted, and re-scanned. Everything came back clean. However, I'm still getting the strange boot behavior.

Unfortunately, the PC has no internet access right now. Spybot is the only anti-virus/malware tool that is up to date. I might have some old versions of other tools on it somewhere though.

Any suggestions on how to proceed?

 

[2ffat]

Just a thought, the problem may lie in the hard drive. You may have to use your OS disk and see if it can repair the problem.




James P. Cottingham
^{I'm number 1,229!
I'm number 1,229!}

 

[hawkdaddy]

Have you run error checking? located in the tools tab under disk properties

 

[KornGeek]

Thanks for the suggestions. I haven't taken another crack at it yet (and I'm not exactly sure when I will), but I appreciate the opinions.

I might try bringing my laptop over and trying to hop on a neighbor's (non-secured) internet connection to look up resources and possibly download tools.

 

[BadBigBen]

I might try bringing my laptop over and trying to hop on a neighbor's (non-secured) internet connection to look up resources and possibly download tools.

That is illegal in most countries... if you have the neighbors permission to do so, then go ahead, but get it in writing...

and you might infect the neighbors network while you do so...

best practice would be to take out the drive and place it into another PC (e.g. over a USB adapter) which has all the tools needed to do the clean up...

Ben

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

How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.

 

[KornGeek]

(I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV.)
Here in America, if your computer sees an unsecured internet connection, it is perfectly legal to attempt to use it. However, if any security is in place, attempts to bypass it are considered hacking and are illegal. I'm unclear about the legality of attempting to access other comptuers on an unsecured network.

 

[sggaunt]

In the UK if you use someones connection without there permission, and they are paying to use that connection themselves then technically its theft.

But I cannot say that I have ever heard of a case involving this.

One of our main providers allows their users to connect via other users (of the same ISP) 'hubs' its in the contract.



Steve: N.M.N.F.
If something is popular, it must be wrong: Mark Twain

 

[BadBigBen]

Here in America, if your computer sees an unsecured internet connection, it is perfectly legal to attempt to use it.

Not from my research...

Each State in the US has their own laws covering that, here is a list of states that have laws and links to them:

http://nsi.org/Library/Compsec/computerlaw/statelaws.html

Federal Law(s):

§ 1029. Fraud and related activity in connection with access ­devices

(a) Whoever—

...

(9) knowingly uses, produces, traffics in, has control or custody of, or possesses hardware or software, knowing it has been configured to insert or modify telecommunication identifying information associated with or contained in a telecommunications instrument so that such instrument may be used to obtain telecommunications service without authorization; or

...

Source: U.S. Code collection Access Device Fraud 18 U.S.C. § 1029 - Fraud and related activity in connection with access devices.




Ben

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

How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.

 

[KornGeek]

My understanding is that by not securing their wireless connection, they are granting authorization.

If you sit down in a cafe, open your laptop and see an unsecured connection named Linksys. You have no way of knowing if that is the free connection offered by the cafe, or the unsecured connection of the guy living in the apartment across the street. Either way (by my understanding), you are free to use it.

This is an interesting side topic, but a brief update on the main topic. I was unexpectedly over at the house this weekend, and was told that the internet should be back up and running (it wasn't yet, but any time now). It looks like I can just use the main internet connection to download what I need.

 

[sggaunt]

My understanding is that by not securing their wireless connection, they are granting authorization

I doubt it. This is like saying that if you enter the same cafe and find a plate of hot food on a table you are entitled to eat it, as it wasnt secured!





Steve: N.M.N.F.
If something is popular, it must be wrong: Mark Twain

 

[KornGeek]

Interesting. Upon doing further research, I've found that the legality of it is not 100% clear. There have been arrests, and even felony charges for it, in some places. In other places, it's viewed as acceptable.

From

http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=latestnews&id=1686

Since there have only been a few cases to date, mostly in lower judicial instances, there is no guiding case law on this issue. Experts in the United States believe that sometimes, such use of an unsecured wireless network may be considered an "unauthorized access of a computer" which is prohibited under Federal law and even theft of communications. Legal causes of action which were cited include defrauding the Internet service provider and a breach of the Internet service agreement.

I would imagine that the laws could sometimes be difficult to enforce. Many people leaving the default name (such as "Linkysy") and do not secure the connection. A laptop might be set to connect to a home network as such. If something happens (the wireless router accidentally gets unplugged, for instance), the computer will check for other available connections, and if it finds a matching connection, will use it without notifying the user.

At home, I have DSL service, which often fails briefly when somebody calls on the land line (I thought this wasn't supposed to happen with DSL, but it's such a rare occurance, it's not worth pursuing). More than once, I've noticed that my connection was going slowly, only to discover that Windows, without my telling it to, had selected a different internet connection to use when mine was unavailable. I always switch it back to mine (better performance), but I hardly think it could be prosecutable.