HUGE PROBELM

kviper_ns3 · Post by **kviper_ns3** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:49 pm

sry if my spelling sucks...im at school right now and have to go fast

allright my desktop is messed up. When ever i start the computer i see the loading screen howerver another screen comes up in whcih says

Primary hard disk drive 1 not found
strike the f1 key to continue, f2 to run the setup utlility

when ever i press f1

its takes me to another screen in which says safe mode
safe mode with newworking
safe mode with command promt
last known good confiquration
start as normal

it doesnt matter which one i choose because every one that i pick it acts like its going ot work but then a blue screen pops up and the computer restarts itself...

Other than getting a new computer, how can i fix this one, i know it can be done, iv seen it i just dont know how to do it

Also i never thought this would happen and my neverwinter nights cd keys were on it... i dont know where the book is at the moment so this is really gay...

kviper_ns3 · Post by **kviper_ns3** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:58 pm

how can i open up the computer so i can loook at the hardrive?

DM Iris_ns3 · Post by **DM Iris_ns3** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 9:04 pm

Seems like you got one of the most recent viruses.
I got it myself. Computer started locking on me every few minutes and restarting on its own. Beware of memory failure, virus attacks it and the computer gives in after trying, unsatisfactory, to run any executive program (ie. NWN)

Bring up the system properties (Its in the control panel, keyboard shortcut is WIN+Pause/Break). Go to the Advanced Tab, Startup and Recovery/Settings, Uncheck the "Automatically Restart" button. So the next time it crashes, you will see the familiar NT/2000 BSOD that we all know and love... but at least you will have information to help you diagnose the problem.

The virus hides itself while infecting .exe and .scr files and lowering security settings, including deleting certain files that are part of your antivirus software, in order to stop them from working properly. I havent found a way to get rid of it, except for backing everything up and reformatting your hard drive

Sorry and good luck to you!

Oh!, the longer it stays in the computer, it mutates and spreads through the exe files, and the locking up and crashes start to happen in a more and more frequent form.

kviper_ns3 · Post by **kviper_ns3** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:07 pm

i cant reinstall windows or anything like that untill i fiqure out a way in which i can make the dam thing detect the hardrive

cryodog2_ns3 · Post by **cryodog2_ns3** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:55 pm

you might need a new hardrive bro.

DM PHANTASM_ns3 · Post by **DM PHANTASM_ns3** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 12:58 am

if you have acces to another computer download hijack this and run that utility in safe mode. It works wonders! But then again it could have infected alot of your windows files that it can not repair the files and like iris said reformat is the only way out of it.

kviper_ns3 · Post by **kviper_ns3** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:47 am

good news is that i finally fiqured out how to reformat the computer

i deleted a file that was called fat so im guessing that had some bad stuff on it

also by reformating the computer does that mean every file thaat i had is going to be lost?

DM PHANTASM_ns3 · Post by **DM PHANTASM_ns3** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 9:07 am

DM Iris_ns3 · Post by **DM Iris_ns3** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 9:37 am

You do the usual ritual for refformating your computer (please, make sure you know what you are doing, or you wont have a computer if its done wrong), then you reinstall windows, whichever one you have.. 98, XP.. and you start from scratch. You would have to install NWN all over again, so make sure you go to the NWN folder and retrieve your CD key before you flush your PC.

If you have a CD write or DVD write drive in your PC you could back up the folders you want to keep.. (ie. My Music, My Pictures, etc) by burning them into discs (using Nero or any other CD burning software) if not, well, wave good bye to all your folders, cos they will be gone.

On the good side, you will have a brand new computer.. I myself enjoy starting fresh every once in a while

If you need any help, ask away

duodave_ns3 · Post by **duodave_ns3** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 11:06 am

I had a problem like that recently, but the hard disk was toast, couldn't even reformat it. Ended up replacing it, but luckily I had a similar problem several months earlier and had copied a partially corrupted hard disk from that period... essentially i was able to recover data and only missed out everything from like May of last year to sometime in December.... I really have to start backing up my digital photos...

Aaron315_ns3 · Post by **Aaron315_ns3** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 11:25 am

I have a recommendation. Although it will not suit everyone who may have comp case restrictions, PSU restrictions (splitters Ahoy!) or monetary restrictions.

I have three drives in my PC, two large ones (200Gb) for storage of game files, pictures, movies, music and anything else. This is all data which would take me forever and a day to replace (and since I have those annoying guess your own NWN key labels, the keys are backed up too). I then have one smaller (say 20Gb) drive with windows and all my program files on it (so the primary drive). The primary drive I can afford to lose as all the data is just software on disks etc. This is useful for viruses too as most of them (granted not all) will opt for hitting your system drive.
I find having windows and not a whole lot else bar system software on a single drive helps because if anything goes wrong or I decide to do a reformat I'm generally back up and running within about 2 hours (then I just install any other software as and when i need it).

Razarr69_ns3 · Post by **Razarr69_ns3** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 12:14 pm

OK, here is a shot at a solution. (I have worked as a IT Consultant and things such as this were fairly standard fare)

You got some friends that have a computer?
Hopefully, the answer is yes. If so, remove your harddrive (HD) from your PC. Before doing anything on your friend's PC, make sure the AntiVirus is fully updated and get AdAware and HiJackThis to help scan your HD. Take your HD to your friend's PC and hook it into the secondary cable. Boot his PC up and then have it scan your HD using AntiVirus, HijackThis, and Adaware. That should pretty much eliminate any contamination that might have been present on your HD. There may not be any, it could be that your HD is about to fail completely. In which case, you should grab your files ASAP if you think you need them. A new HD can be had cheap ($50 = 80 GB drive), though you would have to reinstall your system.

Once you are sure the drive is not contaminated, go into your NWN folder and look for the file that has your CD Keys in it. I am at work so I can't check, but I think it is in an .ini file. Aynway, once you find it, print it out or something so you will have them if you need to reinstall NWN.

The initial message you described sounds like a BIOS message. Have you tried going into your BIOS and looking for problems there? Do you even have a Disk 1? Oftentimes, Disk 0 is your system drive. You could go into the BIOS and disable disk 1 and see if that helps. Usually hitting Del during the initial powerup of the PC will allow you to enter the BIOS.

There are many problems you could be experiencing.

Having multiple HD, is a good idea though. And for the person who posted that if you want to be able to get your system back and running much quicker than 2 hours for the windows install. Get your PC setup exactly as you want it. Run a good defrag on it and optimize it to perfection. Then get a Norton Ghost Boot disk and create a image of your System drive and have it saved on your secondary data drive. Then if the system ever gets corrupted again, Ghost can have you back up and running from that image in about 5 minutes or less. Whatever you have setup at the time of image creation will be set to go. You can even do this on a single HD if you create multiple partitions. You do a partition image and save that image to the other partition. Same mechanics to get it complete.

As a side note, if your HD is about to fail, you may want to go for data recovery before doing anything else. (get a couple of floppies ready to do this)
Get a Win98 Boot Disk and NTFSDOS (links if you need em)
(http://www.bootdisk.com)
(http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/NtfsDos.html)

Boot using the Boot Disk and then run the NTFSDOS.exe. Now you can see your NTFS drive (WinXP uses NTFS and cannot normally be seen from Win98 which uses FAT16 or FAT32)

navigate to the NWN folder and copy all of the .ini files. (copy *.ini a:)
You could use edit to look into them and see which one has the keys, but just grab em all to be safe.

The reason I say you might want to do this first is because if your HD is failing, it will ONLY get worse. And the more you use it, the worse it will get and the more you will lose.

PM me if you need more ideas.

(I have assumed you have a modicum of computer savvy, and know to turn OFF and unplug the PC first before messing with cables)

DM Iris_ns3 · Post by **DM Iris_ns3** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 12:20 pm

Razarr69 wrote:(copy *.ini a:)

He was not smiling at you.. he aint that nice..

He meant this ( copy *.ini a: )
The forum took it as a smiley

DrakhanValane_ns3 · Post by **DrakhanValane_ns3** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:46 pm

DV: What's a smiley? :)
Iris: Well, you know, that curve that forms in your face.. sometimes.
DV: I dont know what you are talking about.
Iris: Of course not, how could you?
DV: *growls*
Iris: Dorfs dont smile.

(Edited by me, Iris, at some point of the night.)

Aaron315_ns3 · Post by **Aaron315_ns3** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:46 am

Oh I know Norton Ghost would get any system running again in less than 2 hours, but I'm one of these people who physically hates the idea of 'Ghosting' a system. Don't ask me why, I just don't like it.

Yes I am a weirdo. I put a rough figure of 2 hours on it for the time to re-install windows, certain software (Office etc) and any other software I deem necessary. Then allowing time for coffee breaks (or maybe the odd alcoholic beverage) = 2 hours.