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From: Shenan Stanley on 16 Feb 2010 11:11
<this is one thread of the conversation only>
<for all the threads of this conversation...>

<entire conversation archived indefinitely>
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/browse_frm/thread/53e73f0faca047a6/
</entire conversation archived indefinitely>

Roy wrote:
> A friend of mine asks how come his PC bought from second hand is
> weird .have anything that was made by him( documents, saved
> downloaded files, and programs installed recently by him was erased
> everytime the PC is shut down . He can't even instal an antivirus
> in it for the same reason
>
> The OS is WinXP SP2
> Can anybody provide me some tips to sort it out so I can relay it
> to him.
> He is keen to instal programs that he needs including antivirus and
> want his pc to behave normally .

R. McCarty wrote:
> Advise him that a 2nd-hand PC should always be restored to it's
> factory state. Depending on the age of the PC this process is
> either a "Hidden" partition that holds the image or a disk ( or set
> of disks ) to restore the PC.
> He can visit the manufacturer's website and ether the PC's unique
> S/N
> or service tag to find information on how to restore the unit.
>
> Using a 2nd-hand PC with the original owner's profile & data is
> risky.

PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
> +1

Roy wrote:
> Thanks for all the comments...
>
> I have asked him (by email) recently where did he buy it and indeed
> it was from the lot of computers in the internet cafe that closed
> down as the owner relocated and changed business and it was bought
> at a bargain knowing that the PC is a high performance type already
> core2 duo extreme with 1 gig of dedicated graphics card.
> When he started using it after bringing it to his home
> He tried to instal antivirus in it( avira 9 free edition) made a
> thorough scan and found a few minor malware that was then removed so
> he think it was clean.
> Therefore he was pleased with it and did not format it anymore as it
> too much work for him going from the scratch and he has no time to
> spare for it now.
> He was thinking that there might be is something to do with the
> administrative settings , or registry that makes the PC run that
> way so it will prevent any malware that might have infected the PC
> from taking a firm hold.
> I think this is the way he want it sorted, minimum effort from his
> part ......
> Any ideas....?

PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
> The security of the computer (and his data, including online
> banking usernames & passwords) cannot be guaranteed unless he
> formats the HDD and does a clean install of Windows.

Roy wrote:
> Hmm I relayed it to him, and acording to him at the moment that
> was not his real concern as he conduct internet banking with his
> favorite laptop. BTW He is aware of the perils you mentioned.
> This desktop is just for gaming, video encoding and general
> internet surfing, etc
> He insisted there is nothing wrong with that PC (except for that
> fault enumerated above ) that it needs formating and something
> like that... Just want a simple solution with minimal
> effort..from his side . if that can be possible.

PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
> Also tell him that the computer's a thread to the entire online
> community and to run a Google search on the word 'botnet.'

Roy wrote:
> Hmm so it implies that there is no simple solution to this problem?

If that PC/the stuff currently on it is not all that important to them - is
just to be used for gaming, viodeo encoding, etc - then the *simple*
solution is the *best* solution as well. Format and install Windows XP
fresh and clean. Update the drivers so the gaming and video encoding
performance is the *best* it can be for that system (no unknown/strange
overhead - just the bare minimal to do what they want on said system.)

It has been setup to do this. Undoubtedly the Internet Cafe set it up to
revert back all changes (either for the user profile or for the entire
computer) using something - there are many ways of doing this.

The best fix is to set it up to do what the new owner wants. That is a
format/install thing. Since there is no data to recover, no loss of
anything possible - this is a no-brainer in my mind. Start the installation
process, walk away. Come back and download the latest hardware drivers for
the system and install them and then - it's a matter of installing the
things the new owner wants - and ONLY the things the new owner wants.

It doesn't get much more simple or straight-forward.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html


From: Roy on 16 Feb 2010 23:17
On Feb 17, 12:11 am, "Shenan Stanley" <newshel...(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> <this is one thread of the conversation only>

>
> It has been setup to do this.  .


> Shenan Stanley
>      MS-MVP
> --
I have shown him the threads of his post and he called me and
underlined this the paragraph that he wants more
information as this is the remedy he wants it done.


'>Undoubtedly the Internet Cafe set it up to
> revert back all changes (either for the user profile or for the entire
> computer) using something - there are many ways of doing this


What are the many ways of doing such? Can't he not reverse the
process?

He is still reluctant to do that formatting job.....



From: Shenan Stanley on 16 Feb 2010 23:35
Roy wrote:
> I have shown him the threads of his post and he called me and
> underlined this the paragraph that he wants more
> information as this is the remedy he wants it done.
>
> What are the many ways of doing such? Can't he not reverse the
> process?
>
> He is still reluctant to do that formatting job.....

All the time is being wasted asking questions when a format/installation
would have been over with days ago.

Does he just not have the original media - is that the problem?

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html


From: Shenan Stanley on 16 Feb 2010 23:54
Roy wrote:
> I have shown him the threads of his post and he called me and
> underlined this the paragraph that he wants more
> information as this is the remedy he wants it done.
>
> What are the many ways of doing such? Can't he not reverse the
> process?
>
> He is still reluctant to do that formatting job.....

I'll give a few popular examples...

http://www.faronics.com/html/deepfreeze.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/sharedaccess/whatis/default.mspx
http://www.returnilvirtualsystem.com/products

The fact is - even if the 'freeze' is undone/turned off - the *best* course
of action is and will remain being that the computer is actually formatted
and installed from scratch by your friend.

This is not a technical issue - this is one of getting something and not
knowing what you paid for and then being stubborn about what you should do
to know you have remedied any and all such problems that may arise from not
knowing what all was done to a machine via software in one fell swoop.

Just because the system gets unfrozen, there may be (probably is) other
protections in place that will make the computer difficult to use for what
you have mentioned it will be used for. It would only make sense that an
Internet Cafe would not only reset the computers configurations each
restart - but also lock down many other features - turning the machine into
a fancy kiosk to protect themselves and their customers.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html


From: PA Bear [MS MVP] on 17 Feb 2010 01:28
[TYPO CORRECTED]

PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
> Also tell him that the computer's a [THREAT] to the entire online
> community
> and to run a Google search on the word 'botnet.'

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