windows\system32 HELP

[Lucy Locket]

Originally Posted by Gadget

Got any anti-virus software installed (up-to-date anti-virus that is)?

norton anti virus & norton firewall, both been on there since i had the computer. They do run automatically. I'll run them now check if they find anything.

[Lucy Locket]

just scanned the floppy with the programme & it's ok. the only file on there is setup.exe.

started a scan on computer.

no anti virus updates to apply.

[Lucy Locket]

Computer scanned for virus & nothing to report

[David Franklin]

In the Start Menu, under Accessories, do you have an entry Command Prompt? And does it work? (You should end up with the black window Gadget described).

[Lucy Locket]

Originally Posted by David Franklin

In the Start Menu, under Accessories, do you have an entry Command Prompt? And does it work? (You should end up with the black window Gadget described).

yes found it

[Lucy Locket]

in the black box it says
c:\documents and settings
tried typing cd & it shows the same, tried typing
c:\windows
and it comes up with c:\windows is not recognized as an internal or external command

[Lucy Locket]

Originally Posted by Lucy Locket

yes found it

in the black box it says
c:\documents and settings
tried typing cd & it shows the same, tried typing
c:\windows
and it comes up with c:\windows is not recognized as an internal or external command

[David Franklin]

OK, to get to your windows directory, you need to type cd \windows. To be honest, I'm not exactly clear what you're supposed to do once you get there, so perhaps Gadget can add to this.

[The good news is that you can open a command window. The fact that didn't seem to be working is what had Gadget (and me) immediately thinking "Oh s**t - sounds like a virus"]

If Gadget doesn't respond, my next suggestion is:

type:

cd \windows\system32
dir *.nt

Ignore the first bit of the output, but you should get some lines looking like:

04/08/2004   11:00                1,688  AUTOEXEC.NT
01/01/2005   09:58                2,577  CONFIG.NT

Let us know exactly what those lines say, or if they don't appear.

[Lucy Locket]

Originally Posted by David Franklin

OK, to get to your windows directory, you need to type cd \windows. To be honest, I'm not exactly clear what you're supposed to do once you get there, so perhaps Gadget can add to this.

[The good news is that you can open a command window. The fact that didn't seem to be working is what had Gadget (and me) immediately thinking "Oh s**t - sounds like a virus"]

If Gadget doesn't respond, my next suggestion is:

type:

cd \windows\system32
dir *.nt




Ignore the first bit of the output, but you should get some lines looking like:

04/08/2004   11:00                1,688  AUTOEXEC.NT
01/01/2005   09:58                2,577  CONFIG.NT

Let us know exactly what those lines say, or if they don't appear.

dir*.nt is not recognized as internal or external command, operable program or batch file

[David Franklin]

Originally Posted by Lucy Locket

dir*.nt is not recognized as internal or external command, operable program or batch file

You need a space between dir and *.nt (you are now discovering why some of us are more pedantic about punctuation than others...)

[Lucy Locket]

Originally Posted by David Franklin

You need a space between dir and *.nt (you are now discovering why some of us are more pedantic about punctuation than others...)

autoexec nil
config 2577

[David Franklin]

OK - my guess is you need a replacement autoexec.nt file. I would really like (hint hint!) someone else with a bit more experience to suggest the best way of doing this - my suggestion would be someone uploads theirs as an attachment, and we then have to work out the simplest way to describe how you replace it, but someone may have a better plan. I also don't know how readily transferable the autoexec.nt file is (i.e. will my one work on your machine).

N.B. With all due respect - I don't think asking you to enter the new autoexec.nt by hand is going to work; I'd be wary about doing it, and I am both an accurate typist and understand enough about the commands to know where spaces are/aren't required etc.

[Lucy Locket]

Originally Posted by David Franklin

OK - my guess is you need a replacement autoexec.nt file. I would really like (hint hint!) someone else with a bit more experience to suggest the best way of doing this - my suggestion would be someone uploads theirs as an attachment, and we then have to work out the simplest way to describe how you replace it, but someone may have a better plan. I also don't know how readily transferable the autoexec.nt file is (i.e. will my one work on your machine).

N.B. With all due respect - I don't think asking you to enter the new autoexec.nt by hand is going to work; I'd be wary about doing it, and I am both an accurate typist and understand enough about the commands to know where spaces are/aren't required etc.

Thank you so much for your help. It is much appreciated. I guess i need 'the professionals' as you suggest. I understand doing it wrong could corrupt everything on my computer.

You have all been amazing, thank you x

[David Franklin]

A bit of googling came up with a likely solution, so have been on the 'phone to Lucy Locket and we've got this sorted.

If it helps anyone, and for future reference, apparently under XP there's a backup copy of autoexec.nt in c:\windows\repair, so all my worries about uploading a copy etc. weren't needed. We just copied it over to c:\windows\system32 and all seems to be well.

[Lucy Locket]

Originally Posted by David Franklin

A bit of googling came up with a likely solution, so have been on the 'phone to Lucy Locket and we've got this sorted.

If it helps anyone, and for future reference, apparently under XP there's a backup copy of autoexec.nt in c:\windows\repair, so all my worries about uploading a copy etc. weren't needed. We just copied it over to c:\windows\system32 and all seems to be well.

David, thank you so much you are a star I owe you when we meet.

All is working again. I've written down what to do, just in case.

David you can be my superhero!!!!

Thank you everyone for all your help.

x x x

[David Franklin]

Originally Posted by Lucy Locket

David you can be my superhero!!!!

[Hmmm... that smiley doesn't quite look like I planned. It was supposed to be an "Aw shucks - it was nothing" blush, but it looks more like a "I'm sorry I reformatted your hard disk" blush ]

Anyway, glad you're up and running now....