Computer crapped out following game installation

mrochester · 23 Feb 2011 at 11:30

Hi everyone, I hope someone can help me with this problem!

I have a dual-boot setup with XP and 7. I booted into XP and installed a game. When I next rebooted, 7 wouldn't load with an error saying that a component required for startup was missing. I tried XP and this would just blue screen on boot.

The first thing I've tried is booting from the 7 DVD and using startup repair. However, this was unable to run and suggested I report the issue to Microsoft (big help there!). Next I tried booting from the XP CD but this would blue screen following the 'starting Windows' message.

I booted back into the 7 DVD and used the console to do chkdsk /r on the XP installation drive. This reported fixes in the file system, but the computer still wouldn't boot. Again I ran the 7 startup repair. This was able to successfully run this time, but was still not successful in fixing the boot problem.

I really don't know where to turn now! Something appears to have happened to the boot record on the XP installation, which has subsequently broken the 7 installation too, with no apparent way for me to access the tools to fix it. What I really need to do is try an XP system restore, but I am unable to do so with the XP installation CD blue screening.

Has anyone got any thoughts on the matter?

Many thanks

Michael.

rhysduck · 23 Feb 2011 at 13:16

So what component is windows saying is missing?

You can take the hard drive out, attach it to another system and check the boot file (holds the boot record for both windows installs) for problems.

Can't see how installing a game would do this. What game was it?

mrochester · 23 Feb 2011 at 17:12

rhysduck said:
So what component is windows saying is missing?

You can take the hard drive out, attach it to another system and check the boot file (holds the boot record for both windows installs) for problems.

Can't see how installing a game would do this. What game was it?

Well that's just say it was less than legit, so I have a feeling I got an MBR virus. I managed to fix it by booting my Ultimate Boot CD and running one of the MBR fix tools. Do you think this would have got rid of the virus completely?

JRS · 24 Feb 2011 at 07:53

mrochester said:
Do you think this would have got rid of the virus completely?

If the virus was solely in the MBR, then yes.

Next time you do something 'less than legit', get it from a safer source

EniGmA1981 · 24 Feb 2011 at 08:04

Yeah, like 'a shop'

cos I'd never get anything from a 'less than legit' source :rolleyes:

honest guv lol

Do you virus scan everything you 'acquire' before running it?

mrochester · 24 Feb 2011 at 08:17

It's the Alureon trojan/virus I've got which apparently only very recently started to work on 64bit Windows. I'm taking the opportunity to do a clean install as I haven't done one in ages. Coincidently it is a game I have an order anyway

. Apparently this virus goes undetected by anti-virus software. It sure fooled MSE!

rhysduck · 24 Feb 2011 at 08:44

Make sure you format your hard drive properly then if it is a MBR virus.
Just putting Windows back on won't do anything.

mrochester · 24 Feb 2011 at 08:54

rhysduck said:
Make sure you format your hard drive properly then if it is a MBR virus.
Just putting Windows back on won't do anything.

Which is precisely what I'm trying to do, but I'm getting nowhere fast with that as the XP CD still won't boot (BSOD).

Would a simply quick format not be sufficient?

OK I'm thinking now that it's having AHCI enabled in the BIOS that's causing the XP installation to BSOD when starting up.