I was getting help from oldman960, and didnt completely follow through due to various reasons (sorry oldman, i did appreciate the help!) my fathers laptop just started showing this screen when he turns it on. I tried booting in safe mode, and returning to an earlier time using system recovery, that didnt work. when i get to the login screen, only my login which i havent used in years, and administrator is there, with a password that no one knows or uses, not my dad's login. Thanks for looking and any help.

okay, i have a imac with superdrive, so i can burn with it. will a cd-rw work? i think im out of cd-r's.

Hi coryjames80,

I'm not sure how this will go using a Mac but I'm willing if you are.


We'll give this a try and see if resetting a registry key will get you back into the Recovery Console.

Hopefully creating it on a Mac won't be a problem. I don't use a Mac so I'm not sure what you will see when you download.



Download OTLPE.iso and burn to a CD using a program capable of burning an iso. NOTE: This file is 276Mb in size so it may take some time to download.


note: when saving this program make sure you save it the save as file type is set to all files and the file after it is downloaded is 276mb.


Using a program capable of burning an iso image burn the program to a cd.


After it has completed burning, put in cd in the effected computer and reboot.

On the ailing computer make sure the cd is set to be the first drive booted from. This can be set in the bios. When the computer is first started you should be given an option to boot to setup. You will be told which key to press to enter setup. As each computer is different you will need to look for a setting called Boot Order or similar. Follow the instructions there to set the cd first in the order. Save the changes, if you made any, and exit setup. The computer should now boot from the cd.

Please be patient as it is running from the cd and can be quiet slow. One of the first screens you will see is a confirmation it is booting from the cd. This will be followed by a screen saying starting Reatogo X PE. It may take awhile to load the necessary files. You should be presented with a light blue screen followed shorty by a Reatogo desktop. It will have what looks like a Swiss Army knife and some icons on it.

I'm not sure if the default Mac text editor will work so I'll give you the manual steps to edit a key. Navigating the registry is much like working in Windows Explorer. The keys and subkeys have a folder icon and are located in the left hand panel.

The start button is the first button on the lower left. Click it and click run. regedit should already be in the run field, click ok. If regedit is not in the field, type regedit and click ok.

When the Registry Editor opens, navigate to this key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Setup\RecoveryConsole

by clicking the + signs beside

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
• SOFTWARE
• Microsoft
• Windows NT
• CurrentVersion
• Setup

Click once on the RecoveryConsole key

• in the right hand panel look for the entry named securitylevel
• right click it and select modify
• in the field change the setting to 1 by typing 1
• click ok

Close the Registry Editor with the X

Click the start button, click Shut down. The cd should eject and the computer should shut down.

Remove the CD and restart the computer and try to boot to the Recovery console and follow the steps given before for restoring the ERUNT backup.

Let us know how you make out. If you have any difficulty getting around in the registry let me know and we can try something else. Just take care not to change anything else.

Ok, everything went smoothly until I got back to the recovery console. It is the same story with the unknown administrator password. Is there anyway I can find that out? possibly dell has access to it? I did an online chat with them, and they finally decided the drive was bad and are sending me a new one.

Hi coryjames80,

Since you are getting a new hard drive that will mean a new install of windows I'm guessing.

You do have a couple of options if you are planning on installing a new copy of windows on the new had drive.

OTLPE does give you access to most of your personal data on the affected computer. It also gives you access to any USB device you have attached to the computer. You could boot to OTLPE and copy any thing you want to keep onto a USB device. You CD wouldn't be available as it's where you are running OTLPE from.

I have another thought bouncing around but want to check it out a bit more before suggesting it.

As for the password, it could have been set by almost any one from a Tech that worked on or installed windows originally or even as you suggsted Dell.

Let me know how you wish to proceed.

Thanks

Okay, i have the new hard drive and am planning on putting it in in the morning. What options do you mean about installing windows if i do this?

Hi coryjames80,

I was referring to options regarding anything you may want to recover from the old HD. Documents or pictures for example.

If you want to get any personal data off the old HD, it is possible to do so with OTLPE and a flash drive. You could then transfer your data to the new HD after you have reinstalled windows.

We may even be able to get the old HD to boot from within OTLPE, but if it's only personal items you wish to recover you may as well just recover what you want and forget about trying to boot up.

Oh ok, great. Thank you. I have moved anything we need onto a couple flash drives. Which programs should I download or re-download onto the new hard drive to keep my father from accidentally going to sites that will infect the new drive? Or keep the sites that he does go to from infecting the system again.

Hi coryjames80,

I'll give you my standard spiel with some slight modification as I don't know what you have already installed.

Some Recommendations and prevention tips

Basic security consists of 1 antivirus program, 1 resident antispyware program, 1 on demand antispyware program and a firewall. You have an antivirus program (hopefully you have one installed by now) and an on demand antispyware program.

Please note that with any of the above programs, only one of each type should be installed at a time. Otherwise conflicts will occur and you may find you have less protection.


These are 3 free antivirus programs. If you don't already have an antivirus program, chose one of these.

Avast
Help and support can be found here Avast Forum
AVG
Help and support can be found here AVG Forum
Antivir PersonalEditionClassic
Help and support can be found here Avira Personal Support Forum


For resident antispyware I suggest either

Windows Defender
OR
Winpatrol


For a non resident (on demand) antispyware program I highly recommend Malwarebytes Anti-Malware you can download a free copy from HERE[/color]


* If you are behind a router Windows firewall should be fine. Otherwise a 3rd party firewall with outbound monitoring is recommended.

Click FIREWALL</a> for tips, reviews and links to good, free and paid for firewalls. (Note: Zone Alarm is becoming bloatware,IMO)


You should also use Spyware Blaster to help immunize your computer.

- SpywareBlaster will add a large list of programs and sites into your Internet Explorer
settings that will protect you from running and downloading known malicious programs.

OR

A guide to understanding and using the hosts file.

Learn how your Hosts file can protect you and how you can protect it.
Besides the Hosts file information, there are links to a very good updated hosts file, a host file manager. and some programs that can protect your hosts file.
HOSTS

Please read the info on disabling the DNS Client before installing a custom hosts file.


-Secure your Internet Explorer

From within Internet Explorer click on the Tools menu and then click on Options.

• Click once on the Security tab
• Click once on the Internet icon so it becomes highlighted.
• Click once on the Custom Level button.
• Change the Download signed ActiveX controls to Prompt
• Change the Download unsigned ActiveX controls to Disable
• Change the Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe to Disable
• Change the Installation of desktop items to Prompt
• Change the Launching programs and files in an IFRAME to Prompt
• Change the Navigate sub-frames across different domains to Prompt
• When all these settings have been made, click on the OK button.
• If it prompts you as to whether or not you want to save the settings, press the Yes button.

Next press the Apply button and then the OK to exit the Internet Properties page.


- Keeping your Windows up-to-date is crucial to your computer's security. Please go to the Windows Update Site (using Internet Explorer) and download and install all critical updates on a regular basis.


- Ensure that Automatic Update is turned on so you get all the latest patches.
Click start, control panel, click Security Center.


- Keep your antivirus program updated, as well as any other security programs you have.

-Check this site out to check for out of date programs
[URL=http://forums.whatthetech.com/redirect.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsecunia.com%2Fvulnerability_scanning%2Fpersonal%2F]Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI) 1.0


-More tips and programs can be found HERE


- You may also want to read this article By Tony Klein
http://www.freedomlist.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22879

We will keep this thread open for a couple of days. Please post back if you have any problems or questions. Please post back when you have finished so this thread can be marked "Resolved".


Take care

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