Expert: Lorry - 5/21/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hi. We have a computer running on windows 95 that we are getting ready to clean off and donate to a local charity that can use the parts. BUT, my partner went online with it (dialup) to download a virus scanner as Norton protection expired and a virus seems to have hopped aboard as we cannot use the CD player or internal modem and our system boot floppy is damaged and won't boot the computer. Downloaded a boot floppy off the internet but it won't boot the computer into dos mode. Downloaded Sophos emergency antivirus on floppy, but it needs a clean boot and I keep getting an error message when I try to run it. Can you suggest any way I can either get a clean boot, or download something to see which virus I have so I can then download a cleaner for it?  Any help would be appreciated. The computer isn't used often and our regular XP computer is properly protected with up-to-date Norton Antivirus software. Thanks.

ANSWER: Hi Elizabeth,

Not knowing which site you downloaded the boot disk from, try the following site:

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

Put the floppy in the A Drive and start the computer. After  you boot up using the boot disk, choose CD-ROM support, then type FORMAT C:

Just follow the prompts.

When it is done reformatting, put the windows CD in the cd-rom drive, take out the floppy, type CD <drive letter> such as CD D or CD E (whatever your CD-ROM drive is).

When you are on D:, type setup and follow the prompts.

Do you have the Windows 95 CD? If yes, reformatting will remove the virus.

Hope this helps!
Lorry

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the info.  Will try a boot disk from that site. I didn't really want to do a reformat if I could help it, as I don't have the windows 95 CD and I have files that I wanted to be able to email to myself so I was looking for a way to be able to get back online.  Have a CD drive in that computer, but no burner so have to either figure out a way to get the files on floppies (they're big files) or email them to another account. No matter how I boot up the computer, it won't recognize the internal modem, probably because of whatever worm or virus is on it. Thanks for the site address though for the boot disk.  

Answer
Hi Elizabeth,

Asked a friend, who came back with:

Since they plan on donating the computer, I recommend they get Ubuntu Linux and install it. The computer will run better on Linux and the virus problem is solved.

You can download Ubuntu from:

http://www.ubuntu.com/

Hope this helps!
Lorry