I saw a previous thread, here
https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=152050.0
but the link to download Windows Vista RC was down. I have 32-bit windows. Can anyone help me?
I PMed you the link to download and PMed Essexboy.
Do you have a Vista DVD or Recovery CD by chance ?
I have a Sony Vaio, and a recovery disk sent to me by Sony titled, Windows Vista Recovery Media for Windows Vista Products SP1. It’s a recovery DVD
OK…
- Can you reboot PC and hit F8 and try Last Known Good Config ?
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/f/start-windows-last-known-good-configuration.htm - If above does not work can you reboot and hit F8 and select Safe Mode…does it boot to Safe Mode Vista/Windows ?
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/ss/safe-mode-vista.htm#step-heading
Go ahead and post the Farbar FRST log for Essexboy.
As you saw from other thread go to this link and scroll down and follow section under “If You Can’t Boot Computer”
https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53253.0
Last known good config and safe mode result both result in crashing and then restarting. In fact, no matter what option I choose, my computer crashes, restarts, and comes to a black screen saying windows was not shut down properly.
I will work on getting the FRST log. It may take a little while…
So, I looked at the link you posted and read the section, “If you can’t boot computer”…
I am unable to create a CD to boot from, as the only computer I have that can burn CD’s is the one that is sick. So, I went to the original link that I posted, and followed the instructions. I ran rufus, and burned the ISO of vista-32 onto the flash drive, copied FRST onto it as well, and booted the sick computer from the USB drive.
A blue screen (with lines a graphics like vista has - not a solid blue like a blue screen of death) has loaded, with a pointer that I can move, but that is it. I’m not sure if it is taking a long time to load from USB or if something is wrong.
**Update. The install Windows window came up, but no repair windows option. What should I do?
All we are trying to do is get to Command Prompt to go to USB stick and run FRST.exe to then post log.
I hesitate to take you too much further since Essexboy is the resident expert.
However, looking at your Sony Vaio there is way to get to the Command Prompt from the Advanced Boot Options…read down thru link.
BE VERY CAREFUL TO NOT PLAY AROUND HERE BECAUSE SOME OPTIONS RESET YOUR PC BACK TO FACTORY SETTINGS
https://us.en.kb.sony.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/41949/~/cannot-start-the-vaio-recovery-center-because-the-computer-will-not-start-to
In “theory”…at the Command Prompt (USB stick in PC) type the following:
notepad and press Enter
The notepad opens. Under File menu select Open.
Select “Computer” and find your flash drive letter and close the notepad.
In the command window type e:\frst.exe and press Enter
{Note: Replace letter e with the drive letter of your flash drive.}
The tool will start to run.
When the tool opens click Yes to disclaimer.
Press Scan button.
It will make a log (FRST.txt) on the flash drive. Please copy and paste it to your reply.
Essexboy is on holiday. I’ve requested the help of one of the other qualified removal experts.
Thank you. In response to thekochs, it seems I am unable to enter command prompt from the advanced boot options.All the articles I read say that I get there from choosing the “repair my computer” option, but the “repair my computer” option is not among the choices on the advanced boot options screen.
Since the USB RC boot and Advanced Options did not show “repair” then only thing I can think of is to get CD burned on friend’s machine for OTLPENet.exe, go online and get a Boot CD (again issue to burn CD), or see/research what your Sony Vaio recovery CD is. I would research the contents of this CD online first but I would assume you boot using it for a recovery environment…the question I would have does it give you utils & Command Prompt or is it just a Wizard that restores your PC to factory settings ? …if just the latter I would assume it tells you before it does this but I’d be 100% sure before I booted using it…perhaps some Googling on it or Vaio forum (http://community.sony.com/t5/VAIO-Computers/ct-p/Vaio) can tell you. Bottom line, you want a boot environment to Command Prompt you can run FRST.exe from.
At the Command Prompt (USB stick in PC) type the following:
notepad and press Enter
The notepad opens. Under File menu select Open.
Select “Computer” and find your flash drive letter and close the notepad.
In the command window type e:\frst.exe and press Enter
{Note: Replace letter e with the drive letter of your flash drive.}
The tool will start to run.
When the tool opens click Yes to disclaimer.
Press Scan button.
It will make a log (FRST.txt) on the flash drive. Please copy and paste it to your reply.
I tried the USB boot again, and did get the repair my computer option (i just needed to advance one screen) but my operating system does not show up on the list of options to repair. It says to load drivers if I don’t see my OS, but I need guidance to do that.
Read this…seems if you click NEXT it will get you to command prompt ?
http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/system-recovery-options-help
So anyway, I click next and the next screen says “Choose Recovery Tools”. The only one I can choose is Command Prompt
After you run FSRT and get the log at the command prompt you can run…
sfc /scannow
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/ht/sfc-scannow.htm
chkdsk /f
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ee872425.aspx
…to check issues with the O/S & file system.
Note, the recovery environment is not “running” on your C: drive but it’s recovery environment.
Thus, you may see X: when you get into Command prompt…this is the reason to run the open notepad instructions listed above.
It also applies to how you run SFC & CHKDSK…example: X:\windows\sysetm32> chkdsk /F c:
The link I posted if you read it shows this scenario: http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/system-recovery-options-help
The moderator in this link showed the OP how to find the O/S partition on the HDD…
X:\windows\system32>diskpart
DISKPART> list disk
DISKPART> select disk 0
DISKPART> list partition
DISKPART> select partition 2
DISKPART> detail partition
DISKPART> exit
The “detail partition” will show info including DRIVE letter & the word BOOT…obviously what we are looking to confirm.
Thanks for all the help so far. I was able to run the FRST and here is the log:
Please attach your logs. Don’t copy and paste. 
http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/screenshots/u/Lh/1419788198584-72334.png
Whoops. Sorry :-\
Hi rhadenfeld,
Can you please post me the fresh FRST logs with this instruction?
[*]On a clean machine, please download Farbar Recovery Scan Tool and save it to a flash drive.
Note: You need to run the version compatible with your system.
Plug the flashdrive into the infected PC.
[*]If you are using Windows 8 consult How to use the Windows 8 System Recovery Environment Command Prompt to enter System Recovery Command prompt.
If you are using Vista or Windows 7 enter System Recovery Options.
To enter System Recovery Options from the Advanced Boot Options:
[*]Restart the computer.
[*]As soon as the BIOS is loaded begin tapping the F8 key until Advanced Boot Options appears.
[*]Use the arrow keys to select the Repair your computer menu item.
[*]Select US as the keyboard language settings, and then click Next.
[*]Select the operating system you want to repair, and then click Next.
[*]Select your user account an click Next.
Note: In case you can not enter System Recovery Options by using F8 method, you can use Windows installation disc, or make a repair disc. Any Windows installation disc or a repair disc made on another computer can be used.
To make a repair disk on Windows 7 consult: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html
To enter System Recovery Options by using Windows installation disc:
[*]Insert the installation disc.
[*]Restart your computer.
[*]If prompted, press any key to start Windows from the installation disc. If your computer is not configured to start from a CD or DVD, check your BIOS settings.[/*]
[*]Click Repair your computer.
[*]Select US as the keyboard language settings, and then click Next.
[*]Select the operating system you want to repair, and then click Next.
[*]Select your user account and click Next.
[*]On the System Recovery Options menu you will get the following options:
Startup Repair
System Restore
Windows Complete PC Restore
Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool
Command Prompt
Select Command Prompt
[*]Once in the Command Prompt:
[*]In the command window type in notepad and press Enter.
[*]The notepad opens. Under File menu select Open.
[*]Select “Computer” and find your flash drive letter and close the notepad.
[*]In the command window type e:\frst (for x64 bit version type e:\frst64) and press Enter
Note: Replace letter e with the drive letter of your flash drive.
[*]The tool will start to run.
[*]When the tool opens click Yes to disclaimer.
[*]Press Scan button.
[*]It will make a log (FRST.txt) on the flash drive. Please copy and paste it to your reply.
As @bob1360 said, please delete/edit your post (Reply #13)…remove the cut-n-paste…and “attach” the log.
This is where my expertise ends…an Avast Expert who can read the log & provide a FRST fixlist will need to comment.
However, the combination of the FRST log saying the Software Hive is not there and you reported prior in the thread “my operating system does not show up on the list of options to repair” may mean there is more serious things up here.
I’ll leave it to the true experts but some links in case part of the Expert’s solution is Hive (ie. Registry) recovery.
https://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/en-us
http://botcrawl.com/how-to-restore-microsoft-windows-vista-microsoft-windows-xp-and-microsoft-windows-7/
http://www.registryfix.net/restore-registry/
Also, as FYI…some light reading on Vista Repair environment.
A very thorough link and something you should read and bookmark.
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/repair-windows-with-windows-startup-repair/
Hello magna86. I ran the FRST 32 bit (as the Vista on my sick machine is 32 bit) again, but I had to do so with a USB drive. I don’t have a recovery disk for the sick computer and don’t have the capability to make one. My other laptop doesn’t have a CD-ROM drive.
So I booted the sick computer from a USB drive (using Rufus, and an ISO of vista 32 bit following the instructions from this thread https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=152050.0). As my computer booted up, I hit F8 to come to the “Advanced Boot Options” screen just to double check that there is no “repair my computer option”. There wasn’t, so I chose “Start Windows Normally” (which boots from the USB as I said).
After a while, I came to the Windows installation screen, chose US and English, and hit next. Then, I chose “Repair my Computer”. It searches for operating systems, but finds nothing. At the bottom of the window, I have the option to “Load Drivers” or hit “Next”. I don’t know what I’m doing to look for drivers, so I hit “Next”. Then I get a list of options:
-Startup Repair
-System Restore
-Windows Complete PC Restore
-Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool
-Command Prompt
I chose “command prompt” and followed the instructions below to get the FRST log. Before hitting scan, I noted that there were two boxes of options: one labeled “whitelist” with the options registry, services, drivers, and known DLLs - all checked; the other labeled “optional scan” with the options list BCD, and drivers MD5 - both unchecked. Then I hit scan. When complete, I closed the windows and shut down the computer.
The log is attached.
BTW, thanks thekochs for all your help. I appreciate it!