Right,

One of my users has managed to corrupt a number of Windows XP System files.

How?

I have no idea!

So now they can't connect to the network or internet anymore. The laptop acts as if it cannot see the proxy server at all.
They also can't open any MS-Office applications. Now I thought that this was the actual problem so re-installed Office but it hasn't helped at all.

The damaged file is ou7viewer.dll in the System32 Folder.

The research I've done suggests that this might be a virus but doesn't tell me what virus it is or how to sort the problem out.

The only suggestion was to format and re-install.

So now I am going to try and repair the installation. Will there be any danger to my users data? Or am I being unnecessarily paranoid?
I've never done a repair install (I prefer to re-install when ever I can).

Please advise.

I have done a lot of repair installs and it has always preserved the users data. This is just my experience with running repair installs. Don't take it is written law.

Nah, XP's repair is a lot nicer than 2k's.

There's a trick to it though. Don't choose the repair option on the first setup screen. Go through the steps until setup finds the current xp installation and choose the repair option there

yeah, do not choose the auto recovery etc... like Millennia said go through the steps.

but if it's a virus... then repairing wouldn't help

situations like this you need GHOST

I wish I could be using ghost at this site.

These guys don't have the best I.T setup though.

I'll give the repair install a bash, if that still doesn't help, then they must give me the go ahead to backup the data and re-install the OS.

Coz I've tried everything.

If that fails you can use your trusted friend regsvr32 to manually remove the registration from the registry, copy a fresh one and add it again.

I don't know why I am suprised...

But they don't have any original Windows XP CD's in this place...

So needless to say... the repair install can't take place as I refuse to use illegal copies of software.

He he.

Thanks for the help in anycase guys.

You could always buy some original copies and charge them for it (plus some extra on your tab )

Always need to have you os cd!

LOL, from my understanding this company is not interested in spending money on IT, so the chance of them buying a copy of Windows is HIGHLY unlikely.

That would be correct.

So now I've placed this laptop on the pile of: "Broken-stuff-I-can't-fix-because-the-client-wont-spend-money"

I am trying to convince them to go with group licensing but we'll see where that goes.

so how big is this so called pile

Whats in it

I'll take a picture or two and post them up.

So far there are 6 laptops, 3 PC's, 3 Printers and 2 monitors.

Some of the stuff could be fixed, if the client spent a little money.

What laptops are they? if they don't want them send them my way, and I will fix them and use them.

send the stuff my way. If they can't be bothered to use them. I know someone who will :nudge:

Get in line buster.

1 x Ferrari 300LXi
2 HP 4500i's
1 x Acer Travelmate 240.
An HP NX9010 and NX7010.

Most of these are really buggered though and really filthy!

Bleugh.

I got rubber gloves. R200 for all of them. well, I don't want the 9010, or 7010.

If you're lucky I'll see what I can do.

Will give you a call next week and let you know.

Excellent, thanks.

/Yells from the line!/

SAVE ME SOMETHING

Hi,

Me too, me too... send me some some stuff too!

Maybe I can get some brownie points by saying: Use System File Checker. A repair installation is a real last resort. To access System File Checker, simply type "sfc" from a command prompt and select a relevant program argument.

Hope that helps!

RavenServers