boot.ini ? so much malware, I just want to format!

squarepusher

squarepusher

squarepusher

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I need some help on what to do here!

Basically a year ago before I started uni, my computer was so jam packed with malware, spyware, whatever that i gave up, left it at home as I bought a macbook pro to take to uni with me. Now I'm home and bored and wouldn't mind a spot of gaming on my Windows machine.

Basically I'm to a point where Malwarebytes, Spyware doc, etc everything I have found and tried will not get rid of all the crap on my computer (exe's wont even open). It's fully infected and my only option is to reformat, I've backed up my important files and I just need to format.

I have a Windows XP CD and a Windows 7 one. Non will bring me to the screen to give me the option to format when i restart! i get a 'unvalid BOOT.INI' which I have tried replacing on C:/ but does not remove the message during my start up, I have no idea if this is to do with me not giving me the option to format, I have looked at my DVD drives and the priorities seem to be right.

Is there a way I can, say, FORCE FORMAT, just delete every frigging thing hassle free! Any help would be great...
 
Are you sure you're booting from the CD?

If not you could use some of the tools on UBCD or even DBAN (make sure any drives which you don't want formatting are unplugged first).
 
ok you've pressed del to get into the bios and set the boot sequence to CD / DVD drive. Placed the windows CD into the drive and allowed it to boot from CD? Does the windows CD allow you to access the recovery console or do a full format or is that where you're having the trouble?
 
Yes, DEL, checked priorities, save exit, (I then can press f8 to tell which to boot first even, select the drive the cd is in, which i've tried both, holds for a bit showing info etcc (where it should say press c to continue etcc) hangs, then takes me to a 'BOOT.INI UNAVAILABLE' screen then continues to XP logon :S

On a ASUS A8N -SLI SE motherboard.
 
Also, this is something that may be the problem and potential to embarrass myself very much.

I'm loading the iso for windows off OSX, will this have any effect? currently have no other Windows systems around me, I've also tried burning onto different discs, and the iso has worked and been installed successfully before.
 
Are you even getting this far?

repair02.gif


As boot.ini on C:\ should be irrelivent if your booting from the CD as your harddrive isn't been used as boot device. If its saying it when booting from the CD I'd guess theres a problem with the CD, especially since it sounds like your not using a legit disc.
 
What do you mean you're loading it off OSX?

If you're burning it in OSX, you need to burn it as an image file, so you need to burn the ISO file as an image, to disc
 
Yes, sorry, I'm burning it off osx, after doing a bit of reading up this shouldn't be a problem but thought it was worth mentioning as I really cant think what it could be.

No johnno93, I don't get that far - it should starts up as normal basically - I've tried 3 versions on disc, Windows 7, a XP SP3 and XP S2.

I've tinkered with something as I use to with this machine, but after two years on OSX I don't feel as familiar.

Thanks for the suggestions and let me know of anymore if you can think of, going to have another look today with it.
 
Sounds like its not being burnt as a bootable disc, have you tried the disc on another windows machine to see if it boots?

I'd disconnect all the drives except the cd drive to then determine if the disc is correct or not.
 
check your bios does not have the optionto boot from sata / ide CDdrive but gives the specific drive name


mine gives both and only works if you specify the exact name
 
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