Question
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Topic
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WPA + MSconfig safe mode boot problems
LockedI have a catch 22-like problem I can’t seem to find my way around. Because my computer was infected by a trojan in ndis.sys I needed to reboot via msconfig into safe mode to run AntiMalware to try to get the infection out of the system.
During my efforts to clean the system I had several messages popping up, some most likely from the infection (eg “khvcol.exe failed to launch”), and two apparently legitimate messages, but likely in hindsight resulting from the Trojan infecting ndis.sys. These were 1. “The driver for the ethernet card is missing, choose how to install a driver” and 2. “The computers configuration has changed significantly so you must reactivate windows within 3 days”.
Since I didn’t have a working ethernet connection I couldn’t reactivate and I wasn’t able to sort the ethernet controller – nor the infection – before the 3 days time limit was up. So now that I’ve finally, thanks to AVG Rescue CD, seem to have managed to get the infection cleaned up I’m stuck in, as I stated earlier, a catch 22-like problem.
To activate Windows I need to log into normal mode. Because msconfig is directing XP to boot into safe mode I have not been able to go back to normal mode to turn off safeboot and activate Windows. And Windows doesn’t allow me to log in to safe mode without activating Windows. Every time I boot I keep going to safe mode.
Hitting F8 and manually selecting “boot normally” doesn’t work, it still boots into safe mode. Which means I cant access msconfig and I can?t activate Windows.
How can I get the PC to boot back into normal mode when msconfig is telling my PC to boot into safe mode? Is there another way? Maybe some way from using the XP CD and booting into R-mode from the disc? Or, is there another way to activate Windows, without having to log in to normal mode?
PS: I’ve got a complete backup of all my files which I took as soon as I got suspicious that my system was infected, so theoretically I could just reformat and do a clean install. But that takes quite a lot of time, and I’d rather not, if possible. DS