I think i've got a really bad virus help please

[new_b_l33t]

okay here's the deal. Yesterday i walk up to my computer and see the logon screen, funny, i thinkl. Because i was just on and don't remember logging off. Whatever i thought, so i logged on, while it was loading my settings it said that this copy of windows xp needs to be activated. WTF!! i thought, i've had this computer well over a year and already activated it long long ago. Whatever, so i activate it by phone. Computers working great everythings cool, well then last night my sister is writing a research paper, and midway through typing the thing restarts. She gets the message:

ntldr is missing
press ctrl-alt-del
to restart

restarted several times with the same prob. The other problem i'm having is that i've been told that if i have my bootable windows cd i can boot from that and copy the files i need over. But, i've got one of those moms that puts things away and then forgets where she put it. Or throws "junk" away. So no xp disk anywhere. I'm thinking that this is due to a virus. Thats the only thing i can think of as i have not changed anything about my computer hardware wise, or installed any programs etc.

[AngelicKnight]

So...Have you run any antivirus progs?

[new_b_l33t]

i can't i can't even log into the computer (this computer belongs to my sis). Anybody know of an antivirus that will run from linux (knoppix) and scan a windows partition? Or one that will just scan that partition from this computer (take the drive out of that one, put it in here, scan, repair, be happy )

[djscribble]

have you tried using the mcafee command line scanner?? i don't know if it works in windows, but i do know it works in bart PE

[new_b_l33t]

can you get it in bootable floppy form?

[AngelicKnight]

Just to clarify: You said you tried booting from the Win CD and copying files -- So you performed a full Windows repair from the CD?

[new_b_l33t]

no i don't have the windows cd anymore, at least i can't find it right now. I have one of those moms that just puts things away and they then dissappear FOREVER! I do have the old 30 or 90 or wahtever day eval copy for xp pro ( i have home edition) that we had on there for a while before we actually bought windows. Could i use that?

[AngelicKnight]

Oh duh, it would help if my memory lasted longer than 30 seconds, I remember you saying that now! Not sure if the evaluation CD will work or not, but anything's worth a try. Depends on if it has a repair feature and the right files to copy over.

[new_b_l33t]

is it possible to just download the ntldr file from somewhere? Does anybody know what this file does?

[djscribble]

you would have to use an illegal app to make it so that it doesn't expire in 30/60/90 days... furthermore, it sounds like the operating system is corrupt... i havn't seen/read about/heard of a virus that does that type of damage for quite awhile... i would suggest looking for the restore cd's for the comptuer (assuming it is bought and not built) otherwise, you could contact the manufacturer and re-purchase the cd's and then put them in a safe place where your mom won't get at them

ntldr is the file that tells the system how to boot -- make sure there are no floppies in the drive and no cd's in the drive (sometimes a system will halt on boot if they are not bootable media)