system check virus

that is correct. The machine does not boot up at all. Upon turning the machine on. 1st The bios screen comes up. once that is completed there is a cursor that blinks up in the left hand corner of the screen. That's all. I have attempted restarting the machine over 10 times. I tried re-starting with hitting the esc button and without touching anything. I tried to reboot with the operating system disc in and with it out as well. Not really sure what to try next. I have been unable to complete any of the tasks in the prior post.

Hello portpalgal

Try tapping the F8 key to get into Safe Mode with Networking…

• Restart your computer.
• As the computer begins to come back up, tap the F8 key about every second.
• When the Windows Advanced Options menu appears, use the ARROW keys to select Safe Mode with Networking, then press ENTER.
• If you are running other operating systems on your computer, use the ARROW keys to select Microsoft Windows XP, and then press ENTER.

Please let us know if that works.

Sunyata, thanks but no response. I keep tapping the f8 button until it starts beeping at me.

Hello portpalgal

Even if the malware prevents you from accessing your hard disk, you should still be able to get into your BIOS menu.

• Restart your computer.
• As the computer begins to come back up, tap the F2 key about every second.
• Hopefully, your Dell BIOS Menu should appear
• Go to Settings > General > Boot Sequence
• On the right panel select CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive and move it to the top line
• Put your install DVD in the drive bay and boot up.

If you get this far, do not do anything else yet, just please post back and let us know

Yahoo! I was able to get it to the install now/repair now screen by using the f2 button and the system disc.

Hello portpalgal

Yahoo! I was able to get it to the install now/repair now screen

Once on the install now/repair now screen

• Click Repair your computer.
• Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.
• In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Startup Repair.
• If Startup Repair claims that it worked, try booting the machine from your HD.

Tried booting both from the hdd and also from the dvd drive neither worked.

I'm about to go get the 12ga shotgun!

Hello portpalgal

I'm about to go get the 12ga shotgun!

Wait till were all out of tricks first.

Try repairing the master boot code…

• Boot back into the install now/repair now screen from the DVD
• Click Repair your computer.
• Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.
• In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt.
• At the command prompt type bootsect.exe /NT60 All and press ENTER
• Try booting the machine from your HD.

The command prompt that comes up is X:\Sources> The window says Administrator:X:\windows\system32\cmd.exe When I type in the command it comes back with ' bootsect.exe is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

Is there an X:\boot directory? Change your current directory to there and try the command again please.

I tried changing the directory using the cd command and the chdir command and it did not work. My dos skills are not the best.

Like this:

cd \boot

Then hit ENTER

tried both cd\boot and cd \boot and it keeps going back to the X:\sources> command line

Hello portpalgal

I dug up one of those Dell Vista install disks and found the program we are looking for…

• Boot back into your install CD
• Get back to the System Recovery Options dialog box and click Command Prompt.
• At the X:\source prompt type e: and hit ENTER
• ( Note that on your computer the drive we are looking for may be f: or g: or d: )
• Then type cd boot and hit ENTER
• You should be at the E:\boot prompt
• Type bootsect.exe /NT60 All and hit ENTER

Then see if you can boot from your HD