I have a Dell Dimension w/ XP. (have two computer networked via cable few feet away). The computer in question is on it's VERY last leg. Overwrought with viruses and spyware, etc. The bottom line is that I'm going to jettison said computer, but I want to save a few precious file folders in the 'my documents' section.

Whenever I boot the PC, popups ads clog the screen and will NOT allow me to access documents. Net access still seems to be available (via wireless) because Yahoo messenger will automatically signon. I can run Spybot. I cannot run Adaware SE (system will crash w/ error message half way through).

Even more onimously, I cannot boot in SAFEMODE. Midway through the booting process, the 'string readout' on the screen just stops.

I'm open to all suggestions but I'm really trying to keep this simple as this PC is destined for the bin upon retrieval of my documents.

Thanks in advance guys! this is one of the best sites on the net. :)

PS. One idea I had but have not tried is to disconnect said computer from wireless and just try to boot that way and manually transfer files to disk. Just an idea.

If the computer won't boot up enough to allow you to copy files, and it is destined for the junkyard, then the easiest way of recovering files is to remove the hard drive, and connect it as a slave in another machine. Then any files that are needed can be either copied to the other HD, or burned to CD or CD/RW. As the computer you are taking the drive from is running XP, it will be necessary to use another XP machine, if the drive is formatted NTFS.

If you only copy data files, then the possibility of cross infection is very slight, but scanning the files with Anti virus software as they are copied makes sense.

When you have recovered the documents, it should be possible to use the system restore disks to reformat/reinstall, giving you a working machine again.

Thanks for the reply. That was my original gameplan, then it dawned on me that all the popup programs, etc. would still not allow me to get at what I wanted as they're all embedded on the harddrive that I'm transferring. Is this not correct ?

Thanks, M

The popups are an action taken or executed from when the primary partition on the infected drive is active or booted to. When you put the harddrive into another pc as slave and boot to the other pc's primary HDD, the now slaved harddrive will not prompt any popups.

Fruss, thanks. Can you point me or list for me an easy step-by-step for slaving that harddrive ?

Thanks, M

Put the HDD into anopther pc by connecting it to the middle connector on the primary ide cable that the primary drive is connected to as master, is. Put jumpers on main one to master, the slave one to slave. Boot up. In my computer, there should ba another drive detected and you can copy or burn what you want from within Windows or with the burner program.

Couldn't be much simpler than that. :)

"The computer in question is on it's VERY last leg. Overwrought with viruses and spyware, etc. The bottom line is that I'm going to jettison said computer"
I hope you're not getting rid of it because of a software problem! :confused:

Wow, gettin rid of a computer just because of software!!! If you can't reformat, just buy a new HD. I can get a 80gb HD for about $82 canadian!

Even more onimously, I cannot boot in SAFEMODE. Midway through the booting process, the 'string readout' on the screen just stops.
It is usual for there to be a delay when this string of while on black lines reaches mup.sys. Sometimes that delay can be very prolonged with only the occasional flicker form the HDD LED. Unless you are sure there is no more activity for a long time don't give up on getting into SafeMode. Attempt the boot and go away and have a couple of cups of coffee. "A watched LED never loads" as the saying goes. ;)

Instead of playing with jumpers, what I do is:

1) Shut the system off

2) Unplug the system.

3) Open the case

4) Touch a piece of the metal case to discharge static electricity.

5) Remove the ribbon and power cable from the master cable on the secondary IDE cable, this is usually either empty or the CD-ROM.

6) Attach the power & tibbon cables from step 5 to the drive to be cloned.

7) Plug power back in

8) Boot system

9) Copy files

10) Shut system off

11) Unplug power

12) Remove power & ribbon cables from old hard drive

13) Attach ribbon & power cable to CD-ROM

14) Plug system back in.

15) Re-boot system

16) Replace cover.