Solved Sony Vaio issue - please help

[entusiast]

Hi.
I have Sony VAIO VPCEB33FM laptop with Windows 7 Home Premium OA 64 bit here. It belongs to my friend. It got infected with Pc performance & stability analysis report virus. He took it to the store where he bought it and was told that it would be $ 400 to fix it (laptop is not even 1 year old so it seemed like a lot of money). I offered to help since I got rid of several Trojans, malicious soft. etc with success before. Because there are no important documents I wanted to reinstall OS from 3 recovery discs - created by Geeksquad that came with laptop. 1st dvd worked, PC asked for 2nd dvd. I put in the drive, hear it spinning and then it spits it out. Tried several times, even tried dvd 3 of 3 thinking they might have wrote #2 on #3 disc and #3 on #2. Didn't help. I restarted computer. Vaio logo comes on, black screen says OS not found. I restared again and as soon as VAIO logo came on I used F10 to load Vaio Care Rescue. Enter. Starting Windows screen etc... Started Recovery vizard, skipped data rescue, started recovery. Computer shows Formatting to 2% and Error: 320 message operation was not completed comes on. In hardware diagnostics checked check and repair HD. No errors were detected in 2 hours scan, also quick test result: HD and CPU work normally, no errors detected on this VAIO computer. I tried install again and selected Factory condition. Result: same 320 error. Went to option #2 Custom recovery resize C: and create D: - error 320 again. Went to option 3 - Custom recovery - C: drive only. Error: 1. If I go back I see Current: Partition 1, 2, 3, New: Recovery (10.2 GB blue=unaffected), System (0.1 GB red=recovered area) C: drive (287.8 GB red=recovered area).
Any idea what I could do to fix this? Would Windows 7 HomePremium Recovery CD solve anything? I am desperate, please help.

 

[Britton30]

Welcome to Seven Forums entusiast!

To answer your question, you can use a retail Windows 7 DVD and install doing a full clean install using the Key from the laptop's OEM sticker. The same DVD will allow you to boot into the repair options as well.

If you can still boot into Windows you may try removing the infection first. See my sig for links to MalwareBytes Free and Super AntiSpyware. download, update and do full scans with each one.
This page points to a hardware failure with error 320 during install.

 

[seavixen32]

Welcome to Windows Seven Forums.

$400 to fix a virus infection? The store is trying to rip you off.

The laptop should still be under warranty and I think your first port of call should be Sony to see if they can recover the system for you or at least put pressure on the retailer to do so.

View Document

 

[Britton30]

Very expensive, but I don't think infections are covered with warranties unless owner has purchased extra coverage.

 

[theog]

How to make Sony Recovery Disks:
View Document

How to use Sony Recovery:
View Document

How to use Sony Hardware Diagostics:
View Document

How to order Sony Recovery disks:
1.Go to http://servicesales.sel.sony.com.
2.Enter your computer's model number (for example, PCV-XXXX), and click List Parts and accessories.
3.Follow the online instructions to order the Recovery Media Kit.
If you are not able to access the Sony Direct Accessories and Parts Center Web site, contact a customer service representative at 1-800-488-7669.

 

[gregrocker]

You should be using Sony Tech Support which is included with the price of a laptop for the first year. Just tell them it won't start, nothing more. They will walk you through troubleshooting then Factory Recovery, replacing the disks as necessary.

If your friend doesn't need the preinstalled factory bloatware or utiltiies (which have better versions built into Win7) you can use a Win7 installation DVD to clean reinstall following these steps to get a perfect reinstall of factory OEM: Reinstalling Windows 7

 

[entusiast]

Thank you all very much for replies. I just ended live chat with Sony representative. I was recomended to use F2 and Reset - Get Default Values in BIOS. Didn't work, No OS found. Later I was told to press F8 in order to run Windows System Restore and see if it recognizes hard disk?. Computer didn't responded to F8 at all. I was adviced to contact Sony repair service. Still I wish I could fix it myself. I am not sure my friend registered the product and saved receipt... I will have to try Windows Repair CD. One more question: could you please tell me, if you are able to tell from pictures attached if HD is ok? I thought that HD failiure message was part of the virus.

 

[Britton30]

I believe the error messages are the virus. Windows 7 Repair is a trojan in and of itself. The link may help you remove it. DON'T download anything else from that program.

A pay-for-removal program SpyHunter.

 

[entusiast]

that is why I am surprized that I can't just simply use recovery DVDs and wipe computer clean...

 

[theog]

Check your computer for virus or malware.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/166445-microsoft-standalone-system-sweeper.html?ltr=M

The bootkit malware Trojan:Win32/Popureb.E
Don

 

[Britton30]

The malware has entwined itself deeply in the system. It wants to make the user believe he has to pay $XX to fix his system while only adding to the problems. The bad guys are smart.

Theog has a GREAT idea, the Sweeper runs at boottime.

 

[gregrocker]

See if you can boot into Safe Mode to run Malwarebytes. This type of infection can disable any programs it doesn't want to run by blocking the .exe. If you google it's exact name or some of its error/fake infection messages you will learn how to run a tool which exists for most of these fake-AV scannners that will reenable the .exe's to run, then you can run Malwarebytes and kill it.

If you can't get into Safe Mode then run the MS Standalone boot scanner or a bootable AV CD like Bitdefender.

You can still find a copy of Win7 and boot it to clean reinstall since the virus cannot stop booted installers.

 

[entusiast]

Thank you for all your help. After trying everything possible with no success, I was very lucky to have found somebody who owns same model of Sony Vaio. I simply used backup DVDs from her laptop and installed OS with no problem.

 

[seavixen32]

That's great news. Thanks for letting us know.

 

[theog]

Thank you for all your help. After trying everything possible with no success, I was very lucky to have found somebody who owns same model of Sony Vaio. I simply used backup DVDs from her laptop and installed OS with no problem.

Now make a set of disk for self, all ready for next time. (hoping not for a next time)

How to make Sony Recovery Disks:
View Document

How to use Sony Recovery:
View Document

How to use Sony Hardware Diagostics:
View Document

How to order Sony Recovery disks:
1.Go to http://servicesales.sel.sony.com.
2.Enter your computer's model number (for example, PCV-XXXX), and click List Parts and accessories.
3.Follow the online instructions to order the Recovery Media Kit.
If you are not able to access the Sony Direct Accessories and Parts Center Web site, contact a customer service representative at 1-800-488-7669.

 

[marinnsa]

sony vaio windows 7 help

Hii, i think i may have gotten the same virus only my laptop is years old and has all my stuff, i tried rescuing the data but it says error. What I'd like to know is did you loose all your data when you used backups to install a new os?

 

[gregrocker]

What backups do you have? If these are images then your data may be embedded in them.

Your data should always be backed up because the hard drive can fail at any time.

I would work through the steps for Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start which offers several options for data rescue, disinfecting the OS to see if it will start, everything that can be done up to Restore Sony Vaio to Factory Default Settings or doing a Clean Reinstall Windows 7.