[NTLUG:Discuss] HD problems from a Windows machine

[Russ]

Thanks for the reply,

Again, my apologies for a Windows question on a LUG mailing list.  I
was hoping I could use Linux to safely assist my friend.

On 12/19/05, Rev. wRy <slot0k at pogox.org> wrote:
> On Mon, Dec 19, 2005 at 09:27:18PM -0500, Russ wrote:
> <snip>
>
> Have you considered pulling the drive and mounting it in a working box, linux or windows?

I thought that I would be able to use Knoppix to read/copy selected
files to a floppy and that would be good enough.  I was somewhat
reticent to expose a working PC to what looked like a particularly
nasty virus/trogan/worm/rootkit (?) that looked like it trashed the
motherboard, and/or the memory, and/or the HD of the first PC.

I admit I didn't remember the status of the PC into which I put the
HD.  I had been using it to look at various distros of Linux and at
one time it had been set up as WinXP Pro with SP2.  I just don't
remember when all that was and I didn't check to see what was on the
PC before I did the R&R of the HD.  I didn't take the time to put a
double-head ribbon cable in the PC.  Since there was only the direct
connect ribbon cable, I just disconnected the old HD and connected the
new one.

Are you thinking that a fully functional, protected Windows PC would
be the way to go?  I'm a bit nervous with that because I've been told
that the first PC was running WinXP Home with SP2, all the patches,
Norton Internet Security, Microsoft Antispyware, Spybot-S&D, AdAware,
and SpywareBlaster.  It still got hit by something.

CompUSA's solution was a new motherboard, memory, and HD; I think
because it would make them money.  My friend's solution was to buy a
new machine when he saw the parts/labor estimate from CompUSA.

Russ