Boot failure; Began with multiple infections cleaning attempt

I am posting a link to the Malware/Virus removal section of this board as that is where I first posted because this began during an attempt to clean a friends PC of multiple infections.

http://www.windowsbbs.com/malware-v...ons-cannot-boot-critical-stop-0x0000007b.html

That contains the background on the issue and steps taken thus far to resolve.
Any advice and help appreciated.

This is a Dell desktop PC Model DMC S/N 5MK4V31; I believe it contains an Intel CPU but do not have the specifics. It has a very large heat sink and fan cover on the CPU and I've not attempted removal to gain that info.

I do not see a MFG name or info on the motherboard. Only a tag that has "Dell REV.A00" There are also two other tags made into the MB: one has "AA C23438-402" and bar code, other has "DS/N CN-0N2828-48111-39L-00TM C/O CN" and bar code.

MB has 4 DIMM slot with 2 ea. 256 mb RAM in place.
3 PCI slots
1 AGP slot

Using 120 GB Seagate HDD connected to serial ATA
DVD/CD drive connected to secondary IDE

Kevin

 

Go HERE and get either the floppy or CD download, whichever applies to the available drive on the non-booting system.

Follow the directions for creating the quick boot media.

After creating the boot media, test it in a working system to get familiar with it. To explain, it supplies the bootloader files rather than trying to get them from the your hard drive. That may render the system bootable but not if other key Windows System files are missing or corrupt. It's worth a shot before trying anything more desperate.

Place the QB media in the drive bay and boot to it. Select the first option listed and see if it boots to a Windows session. If not, reboot and select the second option and try again. If it's a single drive system, that's probably all the options you need to try.

If the system boots to Windows (rather iffy) post back before going further. It it doesn't boot to Windows, report any error message received.

 

Well, tried that. No luck. I still get the same message: Bad boot.ini file then Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:<Windows root> \system32\hal.dll.
Please re-install a copy of the above file.

 

The options are slimmer now.

1. Attempt a repair by using a BartPE boot disk.

2. Attempt a repair using the Recovery Console.

3. Perform a Repair Install (no reformat) using a full retail XP install CD. (Saves your personal files)

Also, please read the sticky post on the XP section regarding using Safe Mode for System Restore. HERE Although you can't get Safe Mode to work, there is still some pertinent information in that sticky that may help you.

 

Thanks for the help and ideas Surferdude!
Tried the RC copying old RP's but that didn't work either.

She didn't have any irreplaceable'files or data so I'll just do a format and then a clean re-install

Thanks again

 

That'll probably be best under the circumstances. Good luck.

BTW, I think I would not do the Format but instead install Windows back to the same folder where it was. That would give you all new System files yet not dump all the personal files or added programs. Any added programs would need to be re-installed (generally) but at least the settings and personal data added would be intact.

 

Great suggestion. Thanks again for you help!