fast computer question

[CAP1]

ok....my brother........has some sort of "emachine" computer. i don't know what kind(if any) virus or maleware protection he has on it.
 it's his daughters computer...she's 11, so he doesn;t want to havr to get her another new one yet.

on bootup, he gets to the background picture, then a box that says "lsass error" then application fail....he can "X" out of that box, but then he has nothing. can't get to the start menu, no desktop icons....no nothing,

 it does the same thing if he tries to boot in safemode, or with last known good configuration.
 
 he;s running windos xp on it, but i don't know which service pack.


any suggestions, besides tossing it in the lake?


thanks doods!!

[CHAPPY]

[gpwurzel]

I vaguely remember sometime ago a problem with xp and lsass - as far as I remember, there was an update you needed to apply (so sounds like his service pack level is low). You could download the latest sp's to a different computer and try updating his, but might be problematical with the current lsass issue.

If I remember how I fixed mine with it, I'll let ya know..

Wurzel

[eagl]

How about just reinstalling windows?  Do they still have the original CDs or instructions on how to reset the hard drive to factory condition?

Do a search for the model number...  If it is reasonably recent (last few years) then it might even run windows 7 fairly well so you could drop $100 on an OEM copy of windows 7 and it'll feel like a new computer.

Better than throwing it out anyhow.

BTW this might have been better posted in the hardware/software forum...

[Meatwad]

last time I had an LSASS error I had to do a complete reinstall to fix it

[CAP1]

How about just reinstalling windows?  Do they still have the original CDs or instructions on how to reset the hard drive to factory condition?

Do a search for the model number...  If it is reasonably recent (last few years) then it might even run windows 7 fairly well so you could drop $100 on an OEM copy of windows 7 and it'll feel like a new computer.

Better than throwing it out anyhow.

BTW this might have been better posted in the hardware/software forum...

i had suggested to him to try reinstalling windoze, but he found the disc cases. minus discs........

i hadnot thought to suggest to him to look up the model # of the puter on line....but i shall do that now, along with the suggestion of windows 7.

 i only put this here, because i think more people come here than into the hardware/software forums.

thankya sir!!

[Fulmar]

Does it boot to safe mode?  If not, probably have to reinstall windows, good luck on finding a copy.  Not sure if they want to stick money into that computer or what not.

Minor spyware/virus infections are worth trying to remove with anti-virus software.  But once you get into a serious infection that is hard to remove, just reformat.  You'll save time and A LOT of headaches.  Plus you'll be sure you got rid of it and its not still hiding on the system.

[Mustaine]

lsass = give up, if you need to back up data use another PC with up to date AV, and add the HD to the new PC. After backup reinstall windows doing a full format not a quick one.

also don't store anything important on that HD any more, I've seen this due to bad sectors and the HD is destined to fail.

[CAP1]

Does it boot to safe mode?  If not, probably have to reinstall windows, good luck on finding a copy.  Not sure if they want to stick money into that computer or what not.

Minor spyware/virus infections are worth trying to remove with anti-virus software.  But once you get into a serious infection that is hard to remove, just reformat.  You'll save time and A LOT of headaches.  Plus you'll be sure you got rid of it and its not still hiding on the system.

he tried safemode with and without networking......tried booting to command prompt, tried last known good configuration.........

 as for the computer itself......i asked him how fast/how much memory. he doesn't know.

he made a comment.......go to target, look for the cheapest desktop you can get, which will be some emachines pos....that's what this is.

i'm not sure what he's gonna do with it right now........

[SectorNine50]

If there is a CD-key on the side of the box, you can find an ISO of the correct XP version on most bit torrent websites, while still maintaining legality.

Keep in mind that you must find the OEM version of the correct service pack.  If you download the wrong service pack, the CD-key will not work, same goes with non-OEM disks.

[Tac]

Tell him he should just buy her a real computer. An e-machine will hardly run the programs some schools use nowadays.

[4deck]

last time I had an LSASS error I had to do a complete reinstall to fix it

Hope he has a backup. Format the drive before proceeding though, may have been a sector, or some kind of hardware coruption.
Not to mention a virus destroyed the file. No telling, but the only fix I know of is re-install.

See if you can come up in safe mode, I dont even think that work, and you wont be able to use dos to copy a new
file over if you can if its NTFS format.

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

There was an LSASS virus years ago, copies are likely still floating around. I'd say the Microsoft tool to fix it may be. Otherwise, it may be a fatal error for a machine like that, they're usually too cheap to be worth fixing, even if there's enough recovery stuff and the owner can still find it.

[CAP1]

i got a bit of an update from him last night...late......

i asked him what she was doing when she got hit.

ready for this? she was downloading music for her itouch(or some sort of i thingie) but it gets better.

she downloaded it off of limewire. 

[Shuffler]

Limewire is a haven for infected programs.

Limewire has been shut down as od today.

It very well could be a virus corrupted ISASS.exe.

Generally a reinstall is the best path to a fix. If there was no important info on the drive all the better. If you attempt to retrieve any info off the drive now you may also pull the virus on another machine.

If he does not have the CDs and he does not have the keys then I'd suggest getting a copy of windows 7 home 32bit and installing it. Let the CD format the drive and the whole bit. E-Machines early on were some of the worst out there. Later they improved to be considered decent. If it is not ancient then it is worth fixing to save a few bucks.