Unable To Load Windows After Scan

[rchusid]

Windows had been running fine and then a scan ran claiming that a program and some registry keys were Maleware. Since then I cannot boot into Windows. I get a message saying Windows did not start successfully, and that a recent hardware or software change might have caused this.

I'm wondering if the program could have picked up false positives and if eliminating those programs is why I cannot get into Windows at all. If there is any way possible I would like to restore the files and registry settings which were changed.

I cannot get into the version of Windows that had been running in either regular or safe mode. A few years ago the computer crashed and I wound up reinstalling Windows 98. When I try to load in safe mode I cannot load the newer install but from the options there I can get into the old version. I'm wondering if there is any way from this version of windows to get to the quarantined files and to revert the registry settings of the newer installation of Windows.

[rchusid]

That should saw Windows XP, not 98 above.

[whatmeworry?]

Windows had been running fine and then a scan ran claiming that a program and some registry keys were Maleware. Since then I cannot boot into Windows. I get a message saying Windows did not start successfully, and that a recent hardware or software change might have caused this.

I'm wondering if the program could have picked up false positives and if eliminating those programs is why I cannot get into Windows at all. If there is any way possible I would like to restore the files and registry settings which were changed.

I'm VERY interested in what you've said, since tonight I had exactly the same problem! All was well, but a routine quick scan with Malwarebytes told me that a rootkit was present in C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\atapi.sys and in three registry keys. Any chance that this is the same message that you got? At any rate, I too can no longer load Windows. I get the same message you did. I'm hoping that perhaps there's a solution for this--right now I'm totally done in. After seeing your message, I too am wondering whether all this could possibly have been caused by a false positive. But even if it was, is there a way to repair the damage and get Windows to load?

[rchusid]

I'm VERY interested in what you've said, since tonight I had exactly the same problem! All was well, but a routine quick scan with Malwarebytes told me that a rootkit was present in C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\atapi.sys and in three registry keys. Any chance that this is the same message that you got? At any rate, I too can no longer load Windows. I get the same message you did. I'm hoping that perhaps there's a solution for this--right now I'm totally done in. After seeing your message, I too am wondering whether all this could possibly have been caused by a false positive. But even if it was, is there a way to repair the damage and get Windows to load?

Yes, that was it.

My old version of Windows XP is very unstable but at least it allows me to change files, etc. If I don't hear of a way quickly to simply make anti-malware reverse what it did I'm thinking of loading atapi.sys from another computer.

I was thinking back to Windows 98 (leading to my error in the first message) and recall that it was possible to revert to an older stored copy of the registry. I'm wondering if this is also possible in XP to restore the three registry keys.

[rchusid]

Fixed.

If anyone else is in this situation, check the discussion here:

http://www.malwarebytes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=30371