boot to command prompt (xp)

[leopold99]

how can i boot to a command prompt in xp?

the reason i ask is because i discovered what appears to be a couple of rootkits in my registry.

[MacGyver1968]

You can press f8, when windows starts. Or you can boot a windows xp installation disk and use the recovery console.

[leopold99]

what do i choose?
safe mode with command prompt or debugging mode?

i don't have any XP boot disks.

[MacGyver1968]

Safe mode with command prompt.

[Dr Mabuse]

Why don't just type 'cmd' in the run box?

start>run>cmd (click 'ok')

[RubiksMaster]

Because he wants to get to a command prompt before Windows is fully loaded.

[leopold99]

Why don't just type 'cmd' in the run box?

start>run>cmd (click 'ok')
i can't delete the keys when the registry is in use.
typing "cmd" or selecting "command prompt" just shells you out of windows.

[Gustav]

what do you wanna do?

[leopold99]

why, you of course. :shake:

on a serious note i want to run regdelnull -c

[MacGyver1968]

I had luck booting in safe mode and using "smitfraudfix.exe" to restore admin controls.

[leopold99]

i haven't lost any of my admin rights to my knowledge.
the only problem i've noticed is that my browser crashes every so often for no apparent reason, it just started this behavior recently.
a port scan reveals at least one of my ports is "listening" while a different scanner says they are all stealthed.

stryder,
i forwarded you a PM to reply to.

[Dr Mabuse]

I'm not sure what I was thinking there.

If you have rootkits in your registry the only solution is to back up data, format and reload.

[Stryder]

I passed on a PM to Leopold, however I don't think what his program identified as a Rootkit was a rootkit. Thats the problem with some of these small programs that people write to define things, they sometimes make out things are something they aren't and this in the long run can actually do more damage to your system.

Imagine:

A virus writer writes a virus to destroy a system
The same writer can write a program to find pseudo-faults in the system so you go about chopping registry entries and files out your system to of course Destroy your system.


In the instance of the first a program can be written to remove a virus and Anti-virus programs do a pretty good job of patching your system up, however the latter is completely different on a user per user basis, there is no telling what a person chops out of their system and this means there is no single patch to fix all. In fact it's worse than a Virus with a mutation.

[Gustav]

I'm not sure what I was thinking there.

If you have rootkits in your registry the only solution is to back up data, format and reload.


ahh
i now install iffy shit in a vm or a clone in another partition if lazy
if not, i play the waiting game sounding out feedback

/cautious

[firdroirich]

Sandboxie (http://sandboxie.com) runs things in a sandbox so you can try as much 'iffy' stuff in there, it has a browser mode or application mode. Best of all, it's free for personal use.