End of the Microsoft rant, I hope

[altivo]

I was out of the library at a meeting for much of today, but someone else managed to get the errant PC to deliver the necessary code number so they could call Microsoft support. They talked to someone with a very strong East Indian accent who assured them that the problem would be solved by the new activation code he gave them, and "no need to write it down, just enter it into the prompt and click OK." So they didn't write it down, did enter it into the prompt as it was dictated to them and it did unlock the copy of XP, sort of.

You can now log in. However, many files are missing (mostly Microsoft applications, such as Word and Outlook) and the contents of the disk have obviously been tampered with in some way. I see no option other than to wipe the HD and reinstall from scratch. I cannot locate the data files belonging to the machine's primary user, and have delayed any further action until I can talk to her (she doesn't work on Wednesday after noon, and I didn't get to the library until 5:30 pm.)

Knowing the environment and the behavior of this user (who sits next to me, after all) I'm reasonably sure she didn't get a virus or trojan, but the evidence suggests otherwise. The disk does not appear to be crashed physically, but I can't get scandisk to run. It says something about being unable to run and exits, even when you schedule it to run before bringing the system up. Looks like I'm going to have to build a Windows XP Pre-install Environment CD, as suggested by treadlok in order to properly diagnose this. Two of the three Linux distributions I have on hand do not include the NTFS driver in their LiveCD and therefore can't mount the drive at all. The third (Slackware) can mount it once you copy in the ntfs module and activate it, but has no Samba available at that level to let you transfer files elsewhere. Once again I damn Microsoft for their proprietary file system that they make so difficult for anyone else to support properly.

Other news: Our farrier was here this morning to trim all three horses' feet. He gave Tess a clean bill of health and says her hooves are now back to normal after her grass founder incident of a year ago. I am finally about caught up on non-work-related activities, and have no pressing deadlines, which is nice.

Comments

[corelog.livejournal.com]

What about pulling the files off using NTFS4DOS? My boot CD has that option integrated into it. Can pull off NTFS drives and put them on a FAT or FAT32 USB or Firewire drive. With some tweaking, you could also dump them into a network. All within DOS.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I didn't recognize that option on your boot CD. I'll look again. I don't mind working at the command line level as long as the necessary commands are there.

The "recovery" mode built into the XP install itself is worthless. It has neither network nor USB drivers, and seems only to be capable of moving files about, renaming them, or copying them to and from a floppy diskette.

[corelog.livejournal.com]

It's been long enough since I sent it to you, I don't recall if I left the NTFS4DOS directory on it. Root level, so it would be obvious if it was there.

I know for a fact that I didn't leave any of the network drivers on there, because I removed them to make room for the USB and Firewire stuff. But I can easily put them back on, because I've been doing more network customization for Canfor lately.

It may end up easier for you to build an XP PE disc, but I don't mind doing the work for this, because I know it inside out. Feel free to pop online to discuss it with me, if you want. :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I just looked. The copy you gave me has NTFSPRO but no NTFS4DOS.

[corelog.livejournal.com]

That's it. :P Can't even remember my own tools...

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'll see what it can do for me, if anything.

Well...

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It doesn't look good. I'll still build that PE and try it because it might be useful in the future. NTFSPRO crashes (locks up hard) when trying to access some folders. I could see how it could be used to copy stuff to a USB drive, but does it even do network access?

I also tried Spinrite but it dies about 3% of the way into the drive. Just locks up and sits there. So now it looks like it is a hard drive crash or a controller problem. The machine is still in warranty, so Dell will replace parts, but the data is probably gone.

Re: Well...

[corelog.livejournal.com]

If Spinrite is crashing, it's most likely a controller or drive issue. Doesn't look good.

NTFSPRO works by detecting any currently connected devices and searching them for NTFS partitions. Then it sits in between DOS and those partitions to translate the functions.

The boot disk itself, like I said, had the network client and drivers removed because I didn't have any use for them. Ghost (which I use) has its own network drivers built-in. But if I restored the network drivers and client, you'd have network access in DOS as well. NTFSPRO only works on local devices, but the network client translates from NTFS when DOS access it anyways, so that's not an issue either.

Just for fun, if you can get me the PCI Vendor and Device IDs of the network devices in your machines, I can also customize the network drivers and client to autodetect the cards and use the right drivers.

Re: Well...

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You do make me smile, Wuffy. Now, if a Linux installation routine had asked you for that same information, how would you have reacted?

Thanks for the offer, but I won't put you out this time. I built the Bart's PE that treadloc suggested, and it seems to have done what the other utilities couldn't do. It found and read the documents and settings folder and reveals all her files in the appropriate user location, even though Windows itself insists that the folder is empty. Some files may be corrupt, but I suspect most will be intact. We'll copy them off to a USB flash drive tomorrow and see.

I ran Dell and Maxtor diagnostics on the drive after that and sure enough it comes up a "failing". Called Dell (and thank goodness, these particular machines had gold service, so I didn't have to talk to someone in India) and they agreed that the drive is shot and are sending a replacement next day express. Meanwhile I could set the user up with a brand new machine anyway, so I did. Once her old one is restored, it will go elsewhere.

Re: Well...

[corelog.livejournal.com]

If a Linux routine had asked me for PCI Vendor and Device IDs, I'd have booted into DOS and dumped the PCI bus to disk, so I could look it up. I do that using a similar program inside Windows all the time. :)

[hellmutt.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear Tess is ok, and grr on the Microsoft woes. They should've written down any activiation codes like that on general principle, though...

[duskwuff.livejournal.com]

I expect they aren't reusable.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I think that's probably true, but on general principle I still would have saved it.

[farhoug.livejournal.com]

Depending on the system, usually those activation codes are one time only, so there might not be much use of saving them anyways. Don't know though if this is the case with Windows activation, but I'd think they're sneaky enough to randomize the non-identifying part of the code, to give the crackers little something more to snicker.

Windows tends to freak out almost by itself sometimes, I guess even a convenient timing of full system load might confuse it enough for something to hang. That works pretty well for my email client anyways, mail fetch process locks up when the system resources are low.

Reminds me, Windows on NTFS freaks out when the HD space runs low, finally corrupting the whole file system. I think you might have checked it already, just something that popped into my mind... =)

Hopefully you'll get the files out of there, that PE CD has worked for me in the past just nicely for that.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I have a bad feeling about this. ;p

The files are probably already toast. But I'll be trying today to rescue anything that's left.

[octatonic.livejournal.com]

I thought it was interesting that the entire country
of India is working to switch to Linux platforms on all
computers both public and private.

And I just learned there is an entire job called
Farrier to care for hoss hooves. c.c

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I hadn't heard that India thing. Can you give me a reference for the information?

Yep, farriers were once as important as auto mechanics are today. In fact, they served as the poor man's veterinarian, providing basic medical care and advice for horses.

Our farrier is a personal friend, so he gives us a good deal on his services. I think the normal price for hoof trim and shaping is probably around $50 here (per horse.) Putting actual shoes on runs more, perhaps as high as $150 for all four feet with normal stock shoes, and higher if custom shoeing is required. Basic hoof trimming is needed for most horses about six times a year. They can get by without it of course, but if they are carrying riders or have to pull buggies or wagons on paved roads, it's essential.

[octatonic.livejournal.com]

http://www.gearlog.com/2007/05/india_working_on_10_laptop.php

http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS2209345962.html

I kinda like the idea of "Farrier" Sorta a
vet that makes house calls, as you say in your
post.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Well, large animal vets do make housecalls as a general rule. Our actual horse vet (whose license plate reads EQ DOC) normally visits us here at home four or five times a year. I reduce the cost to about $500 per horse per year by paying her a flat rate in advance. That includes all their necessary vaccinations and health tests, as well as any nutritional or other advice we need. She's here regularly enough that the horses know her and her assistant and will come to them and behave reasonably well even if we aren't right at hand.

The local sheep vet also makes house calls, and is quite reasonable. We've had him in three or four times and it was never more than $80 or $90.

By contrast, an office call for one of the dogs will typically run us $250 or more.