Best way to create clean Windows XP boot cd for running rootkit de

A bootable cd isn't going to get you anywhere unless it is a retail full
version Win XP install CD.

Why not use "Recovery CD" from Computer manufacturer?
You boot from this cd and use a recovery partition on yuor hard drive to
restore computer to original factory settings.

Some computers you create your own recovery set. Sometimes they can still be
created even if computer won't Boot. OR they can be ordered from MFG. If it
costs a significant amount you may just want to buy retail copy of XP instead.

What make and model do you have?

What is your reason for "Clean Install"?

--
Dennis S.
I''m from Illinois. I hope I helped you. Good Luck.


" wrote:

What is the best way for mere mortals to create a CLEAN Windows XP boot
CD?

From a related thread on available rootkit detection utilities, it was
suggested we attempt the Microsoft Strider GhostBuster Rootkit
Detection method recommended by the Microsoft Windows Defender Strider
GhostBuster Project ( http://research.microsoft.com/rootkit ).

Following those Microsoft instructions, we performed the following on
Windows XP:
NOTE WE ARE STUCK AT STEP 4!

1. Go to the Windows XP command line:
Start - Run - cmd

2. Go to your rootkit detection program folder:
C:\ cd c:\proggies\RKD\

3. Create an ordered list with bare headings of all hidden & not-hidden
files:
RKD:\ dir /s/ah/l/on/b c:\ all_hidden_files_before.txt
RKD:\ dir /s/a-h/l/on/b c:\ not_hidden_files_before.txt

4. Boot to a Windows XP CDROM.
- My question is:
Q: HOW TO BOOT TO A WINDOWS XP CDROM WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ONE!

5. Re-run step 3's lower-case ordered list from the Windows XP cdrom
boot:
RKD:\ dir /s/ah/l/on/b c:\ all_hidden_files_after.txt
RKD:\ dir /s/a-h/l/on/b c:\ not_hidden_files_after.txt

6. Run WinDiff from the clean WinXP boot to compare before/after files:
http://www.grigsoft.com/download-windiff.htm

We are stuck at step 4 for lack of the simplest way to obtain a Windows
XP boot cdrom. Our system came configured so we don't have that clean
Windows XP boot CDROM.

Googling we get MANY confusing ways to create a Windows XP bootable
CDROM, some of which seem to be promising, e.g.,
a. Bart's Preinstalled Environment (BartPE) bootable live windows
CD/DVD
http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder

b. Bart's way to create bootable CD-Roms (for Windows/Dos)
http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd

c. Creating bootable Windows 2000/XP/2003 Disc (Nero 6)
http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=297

d. The Ultimate Boot CD for Windows XP
http://www.ultimatebootcd.com

e. UBCD for Windows® Project
http://www.ubcd4win.com

f. Windows XP Fresh Install Bootdisk And Bootable CD
http://www.bootdisk.com

Since there are so many method, and since the whole point is to boot to
a KNOWN GOOD Windows XP, it behooves newbies like us to ask for a
recommended path so that we don't stray too far along the wrong
(perhaps dangerous) method

Which leaves me with the question at hand:
Q: Where is the safest & easiest mehod to obtain & burn a WinXP
bootable CDROM.

Dixonian69 wrote:
What is your reason for "Clean Install"?

Root kits.

We all need a bootable Windows XP CDROM so that we can check for root
kits installed without our knowledge on our systems. My kids, for
example, use the computer but I have no idea what they've used it for.
All I want do to is check for the presence of a root kit, if any exist.

Once I found out that "most users stumble across cloaked files with an
RKR scan", I immediately ran SysInternals' RootKitRevealer.exe from
http://www.sysinternals.com/utilitie...trevealer.html which duly
reported the presence of many cloaked registry entries of the format:
- "Key name contains embedded nulls (*)",
- "Hidden from Windows API",
- "Visible in directory index, but not WIndows API or MFT"

The problem is that these keys use cryptic 8-4-4-4-12 CLSID class id
registry entries which mean nothing to me, a mere mortal. For example,
what am I supposed to do with the information that this cloaked
registry key exists:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{47629D4B-2AD3-4e50-B716-A66C15C63153}\InprocServer32* 3/21/2005
2:41 PM 0 bytes Key name contains embedded nulls (*)

A. Should I just delete that cryptically named cloaked key?
B. How can I look up what that 8-4-4-412 hex digit class ID refers to?

The SysInternals root-kit revealer also reported cloaked entries of the
form:
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Services\sptd\Cfg\s0 12/3/2005 4:28 AM 4
bytes Hidden from Windows API.

Again, what are we supposed to do with this information?
A. Should we delete this cloaked registry key (or is this a cloaked
file)?
B. How do we find out more about what this "Cfg s0" really is?

My point is that the SysInternals RootKit detection utility download
worked except it reported information that wasn't meant for mere
mortals. Mere mortals, like I am, don't know what to do with this
cryptic data.

So, I tried the second-best method of revealing root kits on my system.
This method was suggested by the Microsoft Windows Defender web page
http://research.microsoft.com/rootkit

This Microsoft Project Strider GhostBuster Rootkit Detection web pages
suggests we locate rootkits by the three step method:
A. Run a command listing all hidden and non-hidden files on your system
B. Boot to a Windows XP CDROM & re-run those commands
C. Compare the results with WinDiff
(http://www.grigsoft.com/download-windiff.htm)

In summary, we don't need the clean Windows XP bootable CDROM for
system recovery; we need it in order to detect rootkits on our system
which have cloaked files or registry keys.

My main question at the moment still remains - how to find why I have
so many cloaked keys and files reported by SysInternals so cryptically
(that I just don't understand well enough to know what to do to resolve
them).
Pamela