Some Odd Things In Startup Config And Other Problems. Need Help.

[SonicBrewtality]

I'm on my friends laptop because he had loads of viruses and things and had never run any maintenance of any kind (didn't even have a firewall) and it got to a point where it wouldn't even load the desktop, so i tried to fix it up as best i could. I used Malwarebytes and found like 127 viruses, free'd up 15GB of space with CCleaner, and am now running a defrag. He's using Vista, not W7 sorry, hoping that won't matter though. Went on here because i'm already a member.

First major problem is i can't update windows. I read about the internet and it sounds like it's a really bad virus that will require a reinstallation of Windows to get rid of it. Any thoughts on that?

The weird things i've found in the startup config just look like random letters. They're all in System32 and labelled things like 'fvvppk', 'vkkfvv1', 'avkkfv' etc. I typed these into google and got no results. Any idea what they are?

 

[zigzag3143]

I'm on my friends laptop because he had loads of viruses and things and had never run any maintenance of any kind (didn't even have a firewall) and it got to a point where it wouldn't even load the desktop, so i tried to fix it up as best i could. I used Malwarebytes and found like 127 viruses, free'd up 15GB of space with CCleaner, and am now running a defrag. He's using Vista, not W7 sorry, hoping that won't matter though. Went on here because i'm already a member.

First major problem is i can't update windows. I read about the internet and it sounds like it's a really bad virus that will require a reinstallation of Windows to get rid of it. Any thoughts on that?

The weird things i've found in the startup config just look like random letters. They're all in System32 and labelled things like 'fvvppk', 'vkkfvv1', 'avkkfv' etc. I typed these into google and got no results. Any idea what they are?

The only way to be sure that he is malware free is to format and re-install windows 7. That will fix the problem with the updates.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello mate.



If you can find any Vista installation DVD you could do a clean install of the exact same version the PC shipped with, to the lappy and use the activation key on the COA sticker attached to the PC though it may take a robo-call to MS to sort the OEM batch key but that's easy.

How to Activate Vista by Phone Activation



As Ken has said, it would be best to wipe (secure erase) the entire Hard Disk Drive first, have a look at this tutorial.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

 

[Ivan the SoSo]

Might also want to write over the drive....some viruses can survive a format....also any external drives, usb sticks, ect, ect, he used are also suspect....

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

You may want to have a look at this second tutorial I linked.

Might also want to write over the drive....some viruses can survive a format....also any external drives, usb sticks, ect, ect, he used are also suspect....

Hello mate.



If you can find any Vista installation DVD you could do a clean install of the exact same version the PC shipped with, to the lappy and use the activation key on the COA sticker attached to the PC though it may take a robo-call to MS to sort the OEM batch key but that's easy.

How to Activate Vista by Phone Activation



As Ken has said, it would be best to wipe (secure erase) the entire Hard Disk Drive first, have a look at this tutorial.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

 

[SonicBrewtality]

Ok thanks. I'll let him know his options