Using an Ubuntu Live-CD to Fix Windows -------------------------------------- 1. Insert the Ubuntu Live-CD/DVD into a computer and reboot -------------------------------------------------------- Recover files from a failing drive. 2. Open a terminal and run these commands to reset the administrative password --------------------------------------------------------------------------- sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu $(lsb_release -sc) universe" sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install chntpw 3. Open the file manager from the launcher and click your Windows drive under Devices. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This will "mount" the drive and make it available in the terminal. 4. Find the Windows directory and clear the administrative password using the Terminal ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- a. Type the following command, but do not press Enter: cd /media/ b. Press the Tab key twice. You'll see an alphanumeric label that corresponds to your hard drive. Type the first few characters and press Tab again to automatically fill the label in. Now type /Windows/System32/config so you end up with a command that looks like the following, and then finally press Enter: cd /media/9A72A08872A06AA9/Windows/System32/config c. Next run the command sudo chntpw SAM and press Enter to start modifying the Administrator account. SAM is the name of the Windows system file containing the hashed user account passwords. If your Administrator account is locked--and it is by default--type 4 at the prompt and press Enter to unlock it. Type y at the confirmation prompt and press Enter to confirm. d. Unlocking the Windows admin account. To get back into the program run again: sudo chntpw SAM e. Type 1 and press Enter at the prompt to clear the Administrator's password and make it blank. f. Type y at the prompt and press Enter to confirm again. Important: Do not use the change password option here, as it could cause problems. You can now log into Windows with the username Administrator and a blank password. From there, you can open the Control Panel and reset other user account passwords. (Worried about other people doing this to your Windows system? Set a BIOS password to ensure they can't boot to removable media and mess around with it.) 4. Malware/Virus Scan with ClamAV ------------------------------ a. To install ClamAV, open the terminal and type each of the following commands into the terminal in order, pressing Enter after each. (Again, if you've already run the first two commands performing another task, you don't need to run them again—just start at the third.) sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu $(lsb_release -sc) universe" sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install clamtk Type y and press Enter to confirm the installation. b. Next, run the following command to update your virus definitions: sudo freshclam c. Be sure to have ClamAV scan all files and directories. Run the command: clamtk (or open ClamTk from your list of installed applications.) Be sure to click the Preferences button and enable the "Scan all files and directories in a directory" option after you do. d, Selecting a recursive scan while ClamTk is open. To actually scan your Windows drive for malware, click the Scan option on the menu at the top of ClamAV's screen and select Recursive Scan. Select your Windows drive in the sidebar and click OK. ClamTk should scan every file on your Windows drive with the ClamAV antivirus engine. 5. Hard Drive a Check-Up --------------------- The SMART hard drive status system allows a failing hard drive to warn you before it goes down in flames. To check a drive's SMART status from Ubuntu, click the Ubuntu logo icon at the top-left corner of your screen, search for "Disk Utility" and press Enter. Select your Windows drive and look next to SMART Status to see the drive's health status. You can click the SMART Data button to see more details and perform self-tests. SMART isn't perfect. A drive may be failing and reporting that everything is fine even as it grinds to a halt. Another drive may report a serious problem and continue working fine for months. But, if you see a serious warning, you should get your files off the drive and replace it as soon as possible. 6. RAM Test -------- Ubuntu comes with the popular memtest86+ memory-testing utility built-in. This utility will write data to your computer's RAM, read it back, and check if it's correct. If your RAM has a problem, memtest86+ will notice when the RAM returns different data. In normal computer use, these problems can lead to application crashes, file corruption, and even the dreaded blue screen of death. This utility must be chosen at boot, so you'll have to restart your computer if you're already at the Ubuntu desktop. a. When Ubuntu starts booting, repeatedly press Escape and you'll see the normally hidden boot menu. Select the Test Memory option here to launch memtest86+. b. You want the "Test Memory" option. Give memtest86+ some time alone with your computer after it begins. After a single successful batch of tests, known as a pass, you'll see the message "Pass complete, no errors, press Esc to exit." You can exit memtest86+ after the message appears or allow it to perform multiple passes. If you see an error, you likely need to replace one or more of the RAM sticks in your PC.