Problems with reinstall and partitioning

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oldshape

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#29188 28-Dec-2008 10:50

Hi all, 1st post to what looks like a great forum.

I'll start from the start so hopefully you can help me.
I'm running XP pro SP3, Office 2003 SP3. IE7.

After a nasty christmas virus I had to rebuild the C drive of my PC. I have one HDD, partitioned into C (Software) D (Files) and (E) Internet stuff.

Since the rebuild, there are a few odd things, all of which I think are related.
(a) A non important update from Windows will not install. It is only a HID update but that isn't the point, it should install if I ask for it.
(b) In the "Safely remove hardware" icon in the noti tray, I can see my 3 partitions of the HDD! Not good! They also appear same place in my other user account, for my 6 year old. He could select this by mistake....so could my mrs on the main account.
(c) After the rebuild, windows created another account (Limited) called ASP.net machine A. I understand this is quite normal though (From internet research).
(d) I posted to the discussion groups Microsoft.window.update and although I can see my question, I cannot see the post nor any other answers to it. "Community message not avaliable".

I've convinced myself that all these problems are related, but (a) and (b) are the only ones concerning me at the moment.

evidence: -

MS updates discussion page

Cheers.

edit...apols, I didn't realise pictures weren't allowed.

[Moderator (ND): Moved to correct forum, made subject more descriptive and fixed up images. Phew.]

boby55

1539 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#186354 28-Dec-2008 11:03

They are you just have to click the picture icon

oldshape

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#186360 28-Dec-2008 12:39

Thanks for that.

What picture icon?

leostretch

21 posts

Geek

#187304 4-Jan-2009 13:09

Hi Oldshape,

Whats the optional hardware component update that appears in the WU screenie you posted? Is it related to USB/HDD updates?

euanandrews

1528 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#187305 4-Jan-2009 13:23

This may or may not be your answer...

Having just had a nasty virus, you said you rebuilt the C drive...what about the other partitions?

I know you may have info/data on them you don't want to loose/wipe, but the virus may have infected those partitions/files as well, or where traces of the virus could still be thats messing up your C drive still.

I personally would recommend transfering the data you want to keep onto a portable HD, then formating those partitions and starting from scratch...only way to be sure.

Also scan all your portable HD's for virus's.

oldshape

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#187307 4-Jan-2009 13:30

leostretch: Hi Oldshape,

Whats the optional hardware component update that appears in the WU screenie you posted? Is it related to USB/HDD updates?

Hi, from the details......

Microsoft - Other hardware - HID Non-User Input Data FilterDate last published: 12/31/2008

Microsoft Other hardware software update released in November, 2008

System Requirements
Recommended CPU: Not specified.
Recommended memory: Not specified.
Recommended hard disk space: Not specified.

Get help and support
http://support.microsoft.com/select/?target=hub

More information

http://winqual.microsoft.com/support/?driverid=20230616

It still won't go in (Down) but I'm not bothered about it....it was optional anyway. Other updates have been downloaded - so I know that part of my system works. All my hardware is working, I've even reloaded the Intellimouse S/w and the Logitech K/b S/w. Just annoying that "Something" isn't 100% working. I am now lead to believe that my OSE.exe file is disabled, preventing the update. How do I enable that?
As for the C,D,E drives being visible in "Safely remove hardware" icon, I believe this is a SATA mobo problem. I tried to remove the E drive....as expected it told me it was busy - try later.

oldshape

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#187309 4-Jan-2009 13:37

TheBartender:
This may or may not be your answer...

Having just had a nasty virus, you said you rebuilt the C drive...what about the other partitions?
I know you may have info/data on them you don't want to loose/wipe, but the virus may have infected those partitions/files as well, or where traces of the virus could still be thats messing up your C drive still.

I personally would recommend transfering the data you want to keep onto a portable HD, then formating those partitions and starting from scratch...only way to be sure.

Also scan all your portable HD's for virus's.

Hi,
in rebuilding the C, I was able to get my SOPHOS protection back on. I did a few "Deep" scans of all drives and all my USB sticks and my camera cards.
I also used Anti Malware and super anti Spyware (Both freeware), and did the same deep scans with those too. I found infected files on the C using the Sophos and the freewares, and removed them...one of them crawled back in but Sophos threw it in jail. I went to the sophos support site for the instructions to kill it. I've been stable since Christmas eve. Touchwood!
Oh, I also did ALL those scans again in Safe mode on Boxing day!

euanandrews

1528 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#187312 4-Jan-2009 13:43

Have you done a google search of the virus to find out its capabilities/what damage it does?

You may have removed the virus, but you may not have repaired the damage done by it (possibly to your other partitions)

It may have left damaged/corrupt system files on those partitions, causing your microsoft update problems.

That said...I am just speculating.

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oldshape

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#187315 4-Jan-2009 14:24

TheBartender:
Have you done a google search of the virus to find out its capabilities/what damage it does?

You may have removed the virus, but you may not have repaired the damage done by it (possibly to your other partitions)
It may have left damaged/corrupt system files on those partitions, causing your microsoft update problems.

That said...I am just speculating.

Hi again. The D and E partions have no S/w at all on them. D is my files, E is a sort of half-way house that I use to upload to Flickr or download stuff in a partition that I can scan before moving it.

The virus was an Mp3 downloader, it lodged in Root C and added a couple of Registry entries. It also hid a file in the system restore area, hence I turned that off in safe mode and checked all that. There was about +10,000 mp3 files (About 5gig) on my root C drive that I couldn't open or play or delete. I could see the number increasing/changing but could do nothing. Then things started to slooooooooooooooooow down, I mean like 8 minutes before my desktop built properly at startup. Looking back, I let it in. Sophos warned me, but I was expecting it to do so as I was downloading what I thought was a Patch to correct an error with Correl Painter Classic. It gives a warning if anything has a sniff in the Registry, or any other critical area.