Tag Archives: WIN

How do you fix a FAT32 hard disk partition which Windows XP won’t read, but every other OS will?

Posted on January 25, 2011 by admin| 7 Comments

I have a 60GB FAT32 harddisk partition on a dual boot (Windows XP/Win98) PC. It has worked fine for 2 years. Now, following an improper shutdown and the resulting WinXP ‘checking disks for errors’ screen on startup, Windows XP can’t even read the volume name and asks if I want to format the drive when I try to open it. Properties dialog shows Filesystem: RAW. However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the partition as far as Windows 98 is concerned (verifies fine with scandisk), and Linux Live CDs such as SLAX also open the partition with no trouble. There is nothing wrong with the physical disk or XP drivers, since other partitions on the drive are fine even from XP. Is there any way to ‘fix’ the disc, i.e. persuade XP that it is fine, short of backing up everything and reformatting (not easy since I don’t have any large HDDs to hand so I’d have to use a stack of DVDs).

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Would doing System restore but not removing data files remove a Win32 virus?

Posted on July 29, 2010 by admin| 1 Comment

Long story short, I have a Win32 virus on WinXP SP2, and disabled task manager, command prompt, and even AVG Antivirus Free Edition. So I’m going to do a system restore, but it has two options. Normal System Restore and the “Destructive Method”. Normal system restore I guess removes all programs and files and returns to factory default, however the Destructive method apparently removes all data files created as well.

So, question: Would a Win32 virus create any data files, and if so, does that mean I should do the destructive method, or will a normal system restore remove it? I’m worried because I’m not sure if there are actually any data files worth keeping, mostly because I’m not sure what a data file is.

Also, bonus question, you don’t have to answer, but: I’m dual booting XP and Ubuntu 9.10 and I have the live cd. So I know system restore will remove the Grub menu and replace the MBR, but I wanna know if it will also delete the linux partition. or will recovery simply recover the windows partition, leave the Ubuntu one intact, and all I’d have to do is insert the Live CD and restore the grub menu to access it?
D: Thanks so much, first answerer, but also, AVG says asyncmac.sys is infected, but it can’t remove the virus because asyncmac is white-listed. Will this be an issue with the antiviruses you recommended?

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Will Linux recognize my drive?

Posted on July 28, 2010 by admin| 2 Comments

When the time on my free Win7 installation runs out, I want to switch to linux, not sure about the distro yet, maybe one of the *buntus or fedora. I have 2 drives on my windows installation. The C: drive, with all the windows files, which i’d be formatting to replace with linux, and a G: drive, which has all my pictures, music, videos, etc. It is formatted to NTFS (i’m not sure if this matters). Once I install linux, will it be able to recognize my G: drive? I’d go burn a live disk but I don’t have any extra cds.

thanks!

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error loading operating system?

Posted on July 22, 2010 by admin| 3 Comments

i had two hard drives in my computer one with win xp on it. i wanted to put linux ubuntu on the other from a live cd so i installed but after i installed it i didnt want it any more so i tried aborting the installation but now it says erroer loading operating system plz help it sukaz badly.ps i cant reinstall xp cuz dont have cd. pps i tried taking out one of the hds and it said “loading grub please wait” then “error 21″
also it wont let me finish installing ubuntu at all it stops like at 79% and shows bakground

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Problem booting linux after Win reinstall?

Posted on July 9, 2010 by admin| 2 Comments

I had my machine set up to dual boot (Ubuntu 8.10, and Windows XP) and I recently re-installed Windows XP.

XP Wiped out my bootloader and made my linux partition almost a waste of space. I can access all of my files/folders from my Ubuntu Live CD, but I want my boot loader back.

I have no idea what to do, as I am really bad with this sort of thing. Oh and I DO NOT have a floppy drive, if it matters.

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