Virus Won't Let Me Boot/Reformat

[Flipz]

(Wow... Seeing all these new topics makes me feel bad about posting another one for you guys... well Anyway!)

My Specs:
AMD ATHLON XP
Windows XP SP2
512 MB RAM
1.9GHz
That's about all I know on Specs...

Hey guys, it's me again. I've got another delima for you guys. Unlike last time, I feel that there is more hope for me actually getting this problem solved. I want to reformat my C drive. Good news though! I backed up all the important data I needed, so no holds barred! But there's a problem...

Some Virus won't let me Reformat, or Boot Windows for that matter. lemme explain:

Here's what happened:
I got a slight batch of malware and the sort by trying one of those f***ing p2p programs. I uninstalled it emidiately (Kazaa lite... or so it claims to be). I had "Avast! Antivirus/Firewall" installed at the time, feel free to suggest anything else you know might be better. Since then I have been using Spybot S&D to help fight the buggy bastards. It diddn't help much. something was "eating" my C drive but I could not pinpoint what it was. Everytime I use ANY virus scannning software and the virus is discovered, it shuts my system down. Like a maniac hiding in a building with a bomb in his hand. It got to the point where I was LUCKY to see my desktop for half an hour a day, total. But since I already tried to reinstall Windows, there's no chance of seeing my desktop anymore. The reinstall attempt was unsuccessful because the Disk is slightly damaged.

Here's what I know:
One of my Hard drives have been making weird clicking and "myip myip myip" noises since the attack. The clicking noises sound like the hard drive(s) were being turned off and on over and over in like 2 second intervals, as where the "myips" are in half-second intervals. Sometimes both noises are mixed together. I'm not sure which one. I have two IDE drives and one SATA, and I made sure they were all plugged in correctly. Every once in a while, one of them won't be detected. I checked the heatsink again, it's still secure. Whatever the virus is, it sure dosent want me to boot up Windows or reformat. Whenever I try, it either freezes, restarts, or shuts down. I'm still trying to locate a smooth disc to use for the reinstallation.
 
Questions:
Am I able to just reformat without using the disk? How would I go about doing that?
Know any good way to remove or cover small scratches and abrasions from a CD? I'm kinda broke, so I can't exactly go buy a new copy of XP...
Can a Virus really shut you off in the process of reinstalling Windows? What else could be causing that?

My goal is simple: NUKE my C: drive!! Bomb it and whatever Virus is on it egatin my system!! I can't ever get enough time before the random shutdown to scan my other drives... I took everything that's important to me, and it's all clean anyway. Again, any and all suggestions are HIGHLY appreciated. Now let's nuke us a Virus! >:D
BA-BOOM!!

Thanks again, guys!

[dl65]

Flipz.... First a few questions .....
How old is you system ?
Do you happen to have a floppy drive installed . If you do , you can format using that drive .

Have you removed all non required software from your machine , using the add/remove feature .
Have you manually cleaned the registry for remnants of ......Kazza Lite and do you have any other P2P apps installed .
Have you run M/S antispyware on your pc ?
Have you run Ewido on it ?
Have you tried isolating the other drives and just try to scan the drive containing the O/S

Having a virus , if thats what it is , doesnt necessarily require formatting .

let us know

dl65  

[patio]

That clik, clik, clik, sound is the sound of a HDD getting ready to take a dump...double check your backups and get prepared to replace that drive.

patio  

[Flipz]

Flipz.... First a few questions .....
How old is you system ?
Do you happen to have a floppy drive installed . If you do , you can format using that drive .

Have you removed all non required software from your machine , using the add/remove feature .
Have you manually cleaned the registry for remnants of ......Kazza Lite and do you have any other P2P apps installed .
Have you run M/S antispyware on your pc ?
Have you run Ewido on it ?
Have you tried isolating the other drives and just try to scan the drive containing the O/S

Having a virus , if thats what it is , doesnt necessarily require formatting .

let us know

dl65  

I've had it for about 2 years. Custom built.
Yes I have a floppy drive installed.
Yes all extra baggage software was removed, but some things kept coming back (malware and the sort).
No I diddnt know a registry clean was required for the kazaa crap, and I have(had) Shareaza installed, but it's completely virus/crapware free.
No, diddnt know M/S had an antispyware
No, never heard of Ewido
Yes, The other drives were fine. They are disconnected now.

And yes, it does require formatting in my case. whatever it is/was, SCREWED up my windows system files and damaged Windows to a point where I can't stay logged in for more than 5 minutes. I would rather have went through and backed up my things to prepare for a reformat, than risk using another so-called "antivirus" and getting my computer and all of the data I would NOT have backed up permenantly destroyed... again.

And if it's not a virus, and the Drive is about to be destroyed like Patio said, then at least my things are safely bailed out of the drive. It has occurred to me that I could pull off a successful reformat if I had a copy of XP that was not damaged. Let me see how that goes. In the meantime if I do not come across a clean disk, you guys can explain how reformatting with a floppy works.

...or I can look on Google after I've tried my luck with the disk. Google is my friend.

Thanks.

[dl65]

Flipz...If you can't start windows.......the only other thing that comes to mind is if you remove the affected hard drive and install it as a slave on another pc and then format it on that  pc .......then put it back in yours and set your 1st boot to cd rom , put your xp disk in the drive and reboot ........the xp cd is bootable and it should load.

What is antispyware by MicroSoft .......It's a very good aggressive tool......
Overview
Windows AntiSpyware (Beta) is a security technology that helps protect Windows users from spyware and other potentially unwanted software. Known spyware on your PC can be detected and removed. This helps reduce negative effects caused by spyware including slow PC performance, annoying pop-up ads, unwanted changes to Internet settings, and unauthorized use of your private information. Continuous protection improves Internet browsing safety by guarding over fifty (50) ways spyware can enter your PC.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=321cd7a2-6a57-4c57-a8bd-dbf62eda9671&displaylang=en
This app isn't a replacement for a good antivirus program......

Ewido.......
This tool will find things that few others will.

Antivirus programs and firewalls often protect insufficiently against the frequently arising threats of the newest generation. More trojans, worms, dialers, hijackers, spyware, and keyloggers are being spread everyday. These malicious programs make it possible for aggressors to not only delete and destroy your data but to pass it on over the Internet without encryption. In the meantime, hackers are able to use Webcams to tap your privacy. With the availability of broadband connections, file structures can be spied and duplicated. Ewido Security Suite supplements existing safety systems and becomes a complete solution, because only a complete safety system is effective. We offer protection in real time against more than 67,000 threats and our malware database is updated daily.

http://www.download.com/Ewido-Security-Suite/3000-8022_4-10326287.html  
Note ......this is a fully functional 14 day trial

The noise your HD is making may well indicate its done,
but before running out and buying a new one I'd try plugging it in on another pc (as a slave ) and wiping it clean .....if it won't wipe ...then get a new one ...BTW what make is it ?

Hope this helps you

dl65  

[Mac]

Try the WXPBOOT.EXE bootdisk...

XP INFO

[Flipz]

Well guys, the reformat was a success! The drive was wiped clean, and I dont hear anymore funny noises! The only remaining problem is installing Windows. I tried to proceed installing Windows after the format, but the disk was damaged, so there were 8 files that could not be copied from the disk. When Windows tries to start, I get a stop message (shown further below). The missing files are:

advapi32.dll - The one getting the stop message
adsldpc.dll
adslp.dll
adsmsext.dll
adsnt.dll
adsnw.dll
agentmpx.dll
agentsvr.exe

I think all I need to do now is find either a clean disk, or a way to find/install those components using a floppy. The stop message I got is still on my screen as we speak. It hasn't shut down or restarted at random yet, and it's been on for hours! This could be good news! I may not have to replace the Hard drive! Here's what the stop message said, word by word:

STOP: c0000135 {Unable to locate component}
This application has failed to start because ADVAPI32.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.


I should shut it off now
If anyone knows a way to use floppies to install those components, let me know. Knowing me, I'll never see a clean Windows XP Disk again

[Mac]

I what way is the XP CD damaged, scratched or cracked? Cracks are usually fatal whereas some scratches can be repaired.

Does it have SP2 or can you make a new CD by slipstreaming SP2?

Can you simply make a copy of your CD to a good quality CDR?

Have you tried very gently washing the CD?

NOT if there are cracks though!!!

[Flipz]

About 15 percent of the CD (mostly the outer rim) is covered in small scratches and abrasions. No cracks.

I do not believe it has SP2, I'm not sure what slipstreaming is, but I planned onupdating to SP2 after I fixed the original installation.

And as far as copying it, I doubt it's possible in it's condition, and I havent found anyone who has another copy.

So tell me, how exactly can i repair it? Is there a certain way to wash the CD? Certain chemicals? Certain cloths? Certain temperatures? Every so-called "CD cleaner" I've ever bought isn't worth a lousy five cents.

[patio]

If you have the registration info from your original install any XP CD will work...just borrow another from a friend.

patio.  

[Flipz]

If you have the registration info from your original install any XP CD will work...just borrow another from a friend.

patio.  

That kinda poses as the entire problem. Nobody I know has one. They're either broken completely, cracked, or they're still trying to find someone else who can give them a duplicate.

[2k_dummy]

You can use water and a soft cloth to clean a cd. NEVER wipe the cd around it circumference, always wipe from the center outward to the edge. A lens cleaning cloth and solution is also good.

[Flipz]

Ok I have the cloth, but what is this Solution you speak of?... and where can I get it? Because I HIGHLY doubt that water is ever gonna do the job.