My '05 Dell got a virus - should I pay to fix it or just buy a new computer?

P

PT99

Member
I have a 2005 Dell running XP that was pretty loaded with the best hardware when I bought it and was still working perfectly fine, if a little slow but still plenty fast for my needs. All I really use it for is downloading music, syncing/backing up my iPhone and doing homework. I do almost all of my browsing on my phone.

I got a virus recently and halfway through running a full system scan on Avast it froze up and when I restarted the computer I got this -

“Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE”
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I called around and it sounds like it will cost around $125 to get if repaired and cleaned up. Am I just going to run into the same problem again soon and better off buying a new desktop? Again, the speed and power of it was fine I'm just worried about the security and getting another virus, esp since XP is no longer supported. How good of a computer could I get for $3-400? Thanks!
 
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If you have an xp cd I can give you link to a page and it shows you how to fix this problem. However, with xp not being supported anymore and if you have the money it would be in your best interest to get a new machine.
 
johnb35 said:
If you have an xp cd I can give you link to a page and it shows you how to fix this problem. However, with xp not being supported anymore and if you have the money it would be in your best interest to get a new machine.
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Yeah I saw that in my search, won't that throw me back to the issue with the virus though? Is $125 a waste?

Where can I get an XP CD?
 
Yeah $125 is a waste when you can fix it yourself for free. Do you know anyone that has one that you can borrow? All that needs to be done is being able to access recovery console and enter commands. If the infection is still there I can help you remove it once you get back into windows.
 
johnb35 said:
Yeah $125 is a waste when you can fix it yourself for free. Do you know anyone that has one that you can borrow? All that needs to be done is being able to access recovery console and enter commands. If the infection is still there I can help you remove it once you get back into windows.
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Not off hand, I'd have to order one off eBay. I kind of need the computer for school work I have saved on there. Is there any way to do it without the disc? What are these techs gonna do?
 
Here is the website that basically tells you what you need to do.

http://www.myfixes.com/articles/system

Start at resolution B where it says perform the system restore.

It takes about 10 minutes and this process usually works in getting the system back up running.

If you install dropbox I can send you an iso of XP and you would have to use burning software that will write the iso to a cd then you can use it. I would just need your email address that you used to set it up.
 
johnb35 said:
Here is the website that basically tells you what you need to do.

http://www.myfixes.com/articles/system

Start at resolution B where it says perform the system restore.

It takes about 10 minutes and this process usually works in getting the system back up running.

If you install dropbox I can send you an iso of XP and you would have to use burning software that will write the iso to a cd then you can use it. I would just need your email address that you used to set it up.
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Wouldn't I lose all of my data if I did a restore? I hadn't heard back from you and I really need some school stuff on my comp so I went ahead and took it in. For $99 he's getting my data, wiping it clean then installing windows vista. For $40 extra he can do 7. Is that a ripoff? I don't know how else I would do a restore without losing my data. If I simply repaired the boot up problem I would still have to deal with the virus and I don't know that I'd be able to fix it.
 
Your not doing a system recovery but a system restore back to a day where you could access windows again, so you wouldn't lose any personal files. Windows 7 costs more than $40. I told you I would help you remove any infections. Hopefully you are getting a genuine version.
 
johnb35 said:
Your not doing a system recovery but a system restore back to a day where you could access windows again, so you wouldn't lose any personal files. Windows 7 costs more than $40. I told you I would help you remove any infections. Hopefully you are getting a genuine version.
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But how would I get the copy of XP from you without another computer? I'm typing this from my phone.
 
As I said before, any new OS is gonna cost. Cheapest windows 7 is probably $79 on sale. Just make sure you are getting a genuine OS. Make sure you get the cd and product key sticker. If it was back in 2005, it probably don't have decent amount of specs to run 7. Whats the processor and amount of ram in the system?
 
johnb35 said:
As I said before, any new OS is gonna cost. Cheapest windows 7 is probably $79 on sale. Just make sure you are getting a genuine OS. Make sure you get the cd and product key sticker. If it was back in 2005, it probably don't have decent amount of specs to run 7. Whats the processor and amount of ram in the system?
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It's a dual core pentium I think.
 
What about how much memory is installed? If you have less than 2 gb installing Vista or 7 then you would need more. They run like crap on less then 4gb.
 
johnb35 said:
What about how much memory is installed? If you have less than 2 gb installing Vista or 7 then you would need more. They run like crap on less then 4gb.
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They run bad on less than 2 or 4? I'm not sure how much, if I have less than that though what is my best option, putting XP back on it?
 
It sounds like you'd be better off with a newer PC anyway at this point simply based on the age of the system.
 
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