On 17/04/2012 8:40 AM, dani wrote:
Hello,

I have a bit of a problem! I purchased an Acer 5250-BZ853 last year, in October
(I remember because it was my birthday), and it's been working fine aside from
a
few minor mishaps. But then yesterday, it all went to hell.

[snip tale of woe]

I'm just at a loss. I'd really like to get my files off. My plan was that
apparently the update did something, so I'd use Ubuntu to get my files off and
then reformat it to factory settings. Now I can't even get as far as logging
in/installing Ubuntu!

Help, please?

Acer has a recovery/repair partition on all its machines. I would try
using that first. See if you can find help on how to boot into that
partition. I'd tell you how if I knew, but I've converted our Acer
laptop to a Linux machine, which wiped out the recovery partition.

IMO most likely your machine is seriously infected, so I would try one
of these solutions first:

http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_run_an_a...cant_boot.html

Search on "running anti-malware for windows on linux" for more hits.

The "use Ubuntu" is OK advice, but IMO LinuxMint (available as Live CD
download) is easier to use. LinuxMint is Ubuntu with a more familiar
interface. But installing any flavour of Linux on a Windows machine
involves resizing partitions, etc, so I wouldn't advise that route. You
could lose the data you want to save. Instead, use a Live CD version:
you run it directly off the CD/DVD, and don't need to install it. NB
that when the live CD starts it will offer an Install option. Do _not_
choose it!

To run anything from the Live CD, you'll have to make sure the BIOS
boot-sequence is set to boot from CD/DVD first. Hold down / tap F2
repeatedly during boot, and you should get the BIOS screen. Go through
the menus until you find the boot sequence options. Set them all to boot
from CD/DVD first, and if available from USB second. Save and Exit.
Insert the Live CD and restart the machine. It should boot into Linux
from the Live CD. I would buy an external drive for backing up the
must-keep files. Get a big one, 500GV ones cost under $100 these days.

If you can't get to BIOS setting, or it won't boot from Live CD after
resetting the boot sequence, your machine is in very serious trouble,
and the only solution I can see is to take it to a really savvy tech and
ask him to extract the HDD and get what he can from it. That will cost
you. ;(

If and when you get back to a clean Windows, I strongly suggest you
create a repair CD/DVD. See:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...em-repair-disc

HTH,
Wolf K.