Is my pc dead?

[cabin boy]

I discovered some spyware on my pc, so I ran Superantispyware. At the end of the scan, I did a reboot. That is where my problems started! I immediately received "the blue screen of death" I am now unable to even start up in safe mode, I keep getting the same BSOD page. This is the message I receive:

stop: 0x0000007E (0xc0000005,0x81e76113,0xf9711b0,0xf97114ac)

Dell desktop about 5years old-Windows XP. Am I dead in the water?

Help if you can!!

[upnorth]

Did you run the software from a CD or USB stick. If so and you removed it it may still be looking for it. I have had that happen. If so try putting it back. If that is not the case make sure you remove any thing else you recently plugged in.

I hate to ask this, but are you sure you are using the correct procedure to go into safe mode.

It also never hurts to completely unplug power to the PC and let it sit for several minutes to completely clear all memory addresses.

[spearchucker]

My guess is that your SuperAntispyware deleted something that it shouldn't have like a driver for a piece of hardware or a Windows System file. Its not dead, just wounded.

[Shack]

If you have second PC, you can scan the harddrive for your files if you have not back them up on something else. This would require a third party software for around a $100.

If you have an OS c/d recovery disk, go into BIOS and have the cd drive boot up on start up. Go into the menu's and see if you have an option for start up repair. Select this and let it run (will take hours most likely). This option will not erase your info/files on your harddrive. If this does not work, go back into the CD and select recover to factory settings. This option will erase your harddrive of any files you have saved over the years.

Like said above, this will reset start up drivers that have been corrupted or lost.

[spearchucker]

What would require 3rd party software for $100?

I would try booting into safe mode (keep pressing F8 after the bios screen is done) before getting too crazy.

[upnorth]

Yeah I would exhaust a few of the suggestions made already before buying any software or messing with the BIOS. And if comes to it you can connect the drive to another PC and get your files off that way. No real need for 3rd party software.

[spearchucker]

If you can get booted in safe mode and run Superantispyware, sometimes they have an undo. This might undo the changed that it did.

[Shack]

Yeah I would exhaust a few of the suggestions made already before buying any software or messing with the BIOS. And if comes to it you can connect the drive to another PC and get your files off that way. No real need for 3rd party software.

How is that going to be done? If the hard drive is not booting in the original PC, how is another PC going to gather the files? I will bet that if the HDD is slaved to another PC, it will request to format the HDD or the HDD will not show up at all.

Check out getdataback. This is a third party software that can go further into an HDD (if the disk will spin at all), even when the HDD will not boot to the OS.

[upnorth]

Originally Posted By: upnorth

Yeah I would exhaust a few of the suggestions made already before buying any software or messing with the BIOS. And if comes to it you can connect the drive to another PC and get your files off that way. No real need for 3rd party software.

How is that going to be done? If the hard drive is not booting in the original PC, how is another PC going to gather the files? I will bet that if the HDD is slaved to another PC, it will request to format the HDD or the HDD will not show up at all.

Check out getdataback. This is a third party software that can go further into an HDD (if the disk will spin at all), even when the HDD will not boot to the OS.

He never said his hard drive was dead, he said he was getting the BSOD(blue screen of death). If in fact his disk was dead it would not have got that far.

[Shack]

I would bet with this situation cabin boy is trying to go into safe-mode the correct way. The error code and blue screen of death will not let you into/boot any OS. \

If a recovery CD does not work, I have another way that has helped me with Vista and the blue/black screen of death. Might even have some video bring an HDD back to life I forgot about .

[Shack]

He never said his hard drive was dead, he said he was getting the BSOD(blue screen of death). If in fact his disk was dead it would not have got that far.

Agreed! Nor did I say anything about the HDD being dead. I did mention "If the disk spins".

All we can go on right now is assume that he said it will not go into safemode. Most times when I have had a pc that will not go into safemode, it will start and display all drivers, pause and then go to the black screen of death with just a cursor in the upper left hand of the screen.

Here is a basic video for cabin boy:

[PierBridge]

I certainly wouldn't spend any money on 3rd party software regardless of the problem.

Start with the basic advice above and get back to us.

[spearchucker]

If a recovery CD does not work, then no amount of software is going to bring the drive back to life.

Just because a disk doesn't boot doesn't mean you won't be able to access it on another machine. It is probably just a missing system file that the spyware program removed that windows needs to boot. I have only had a couple hard drives physically fail where I couldn't get the data from it.

Also there are many different error codes for the Blue screens. Does is have anymore information associated with the error message? Does it reference a *.sys file or anything?

[Shack]

Quote:

If a recovery CD does not work, then no amount of software is going to bring the drive back to life.

I beg to differ big time This little run down fixed my blue screen/black screen of death:

Click Here!!!!!

If what I ended up doing did not get the recovery/repair disk to boot, the only way I could get back my files was with a third party software like getdataback The slaved HDD would not transfer files or even display the drive on the host PC. Every time I clicked it it would prompt me to reformat drive (which I did not want to do). Thus a powered up, spinning hard drive with all my data on it was coming up blank. I ran the free trial of getdatatback and all my files showed after the scan.

AGAIN, THIS ONLY WORKS IF THE HDD POWERS UP BUT NO FEASIBLE WAY TO GET FILES VIA A USB ENCLOSURE OR CABLE, TRANSPLANT OR ANYTHING. AS LONG AS THE INTERNAL DISKS SPINS, THE SOFTWARE WILL GET STORED FILES WHEN CLICK AND DRAG TO ANOTHER HDD VIA ANOTHER LAPTOP IS NOT POSSIBLE! I LIVED IT!

Quote:

Just because a disk doesn't boot doesn't mean you won't be able to access it on another machine.

If you get the blue screen, the mother board is working. If what this poster has said (can not get into safemode), what makes it possible (other than a third party repair software that scans the HDD for problems) for the other PC to over ride the problem when slaving the HDD that has issues?

[PierBridge]

Plenty of free software available to attempt do the same if need be.

Not saying this didn't help or save you and others Shack but we're a long away from having the poster spend a $100 on software when it's probably not necessary.

[muddpuppy]

I would start by (but probably too late now) Press F8 at startup and use the last know good config. If that does not work try it again. if that does not work try again but select safe mode instead. If that does not work. I would buy a IDE/SATA to USB device to get the data needed backed up. Then I would find your recovery CD and Press F12 at startup to select your boot device. Also if you do not have recovery materials it may be stored on a seperat partition. Pressing F12 at startup may reveal an option to launch the recovery partition.

Good luck

[Shack]

Pier,

At the time I spent hours, days and even weeks looking for key codes and free (non-demo/limited) software. Plenty? My e-mail is in my sig... I have 2 HDD's sitting at home right now with the same issue. Give me an e-mail bud!

Short of switching the platter to a new HDD, getdataback is the only way I can even get an acknowledgment of the files still existing.

[PierBridge]

I'm glad you recovered your data... most people have there stuff backed up so spending a $100 on a software package that probably won't work for 95 percent of Blue screen issues makes no sense when you can get a whole new hard drive for $69.

I do agree if it's important to retrieve some data from a drive your info could be a life saver.

So thanks for that info for sure. I just don't think we're quite there yet in this case.

[Shack]

Funny you should say that Pier

One of the Harddrives I have at home that will power up (once plugged in the zoom occurs), display as drive F or E in the computer screen, is a 500g external back up drive with someones taxes and financial data stored on it When you hook it to a PC, go into computer, click (normal or open file right click) on which drive it shows up on, it prompts you to reformat the drive to access it. Has happened with three different PC's now. Getdataback demo pulls up all the files, but you have to buy it before it will let you extract the files. The manufacture says send it in and they will fix it for a fee, but all the data will be lost. Estimate for repair starting at $100

I just have to get the data back and I was told to do what it takes It could mean buying the same name brand external drive and swapping the inner platters.

Yes, we are getting ahead of our selves here (well I am)

[spearchucker]

Shackbash you are assuming lots of things here and I feel that you are getting the cart ahead of the horse. You are also assuming that cabin boy's problem is identical to the one that you had.

Quote:

If you get the blue screen, the mother board is working. If what this poster has said (can not get into safemode), what makes it possible (other than a third party repair software that scans the HDD for problems) for the other PC to over ride the problem when slaving the HDD that has issues?

You are assuming the drive cannot be read. My guess is that you pop the drive in another PC or drive enclosure and you will be able to read it just fine. Just because it doesn't boot doesn't mean that you can't read the disk. If cabin boy comes back and says "I connected the drive to another PC and it says it needs to be formatted", then you would need some kind of data recovery software to attempt to get his data.

All blue screens are not the same. A blue screen does not mean that your motherboard is working correctly. Blue screens can be the result of component failures. You can't assume that what fixed your blue screen will fix his. That is like saying my car wouldn't start until I put new plugs in therefore anytime a car won't start you need to put plugs in.

[upnorth]

And don't discount different OS uses differing file types and even with the same OS you can fdisk differing file types and they are not compatible. Newer OS can usually read older file types but not vice versa. Or you may just have a corrupt FAT or MFT without one of those depending on file system type it will not be normally readable. There are a few free Geek utilities that do work and you won't be asked to pay a fee, but they are not user friendly.

[muddpuppy]

Seems to me that this turned into a I'm right, your wrong, and let's assume post?

All anyone knows here is CabinBoy installed some antispyware to remove threats and windows did not like it. We should concentrate on what we know and Offer any reasonable advice. Then wait for a repost from cabinBoy and proceed.

Cabin boy here is an article you might check out

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/156669

Good luck

[spearchucker]

Seems to me that this turned into a I'm right, your wrong, and let's assume post?

All anyone knows here is CabinBoy installed some antispyware to remove threats and windows did not like it. We should concentrate on what we know and Offer any reasonable advice. Then wait for a repost from cabinBoy and proceed.

Cabin boy here is an article you might check out

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/156669

Good luck

That was my point. Until cabin boy responds we don't know anything.

[Shack]

That is where my problems started! I immediately received "the blue screen of death" I am now unable to even start up in safe mode, I keep getting the same BSOD page.

Ya, I am assuming? By what was posted, the only thing I am assuming is possibly he might want the file/programs currently on the HDD. If he can not go into the OS via the regular way or safemode, how is he supposed to get those files? He posted he can "not" get into safemode. No assumption on my part I just suggested that if he wanted to backup (should) the files before running the recovery CD, and could not get to them, there ways (software) that can help.

99% of the time BSOD is caused by faulty drivers (software). Most time it has something to do with the video drivers. The other 1% would be faulty RAM, maxing out on GB's or something. If your motherboard is damaged, chances are you are not getting past BIOS Hence a black screen and no BIOS.

I am not assuming he has the same issue as me. He does not even has the same OS as me. This all started when I gave an option (which spearchucker said was impossible) to get his data back if a set to factory settings or HDD replacement was done.

I have heard of the BSOD occurring after the motherboard was replaced, but never the motherboard being the cause.

Originally Posted By: Microsoft BSOD Cause

This behavior occurs because your computer processor detected and reported an unrecoverable hardware error to Windows XP. To do this, the processor used the Machine Check Exception (MCE) feature of Pentium processors or the Machine Check Architecture (MCA) feature of some Pentium Pro processors. The following factors may cause this error message:

If the motherboard is failed, how is the BSOD supposed to even display?

[Shack]

We should concentrate on what we know and Offer any reasonable advice.

I think we did that back on page one.