File recovery from non-booting PC [Update: Windows keys]

Scosglen

Today I was browsing some webs that I probably should not have been on, and I got hit with a trojan which immediately hijacked my system, and made it so I couldn't launch internet browsers and was generally going to town on my computer and throttling my cpu doing god knows what. I yanked out the ethernet cord and powered the computer down quickly to try to halt its progress until I could figure out what to do, but to my horror I cannot boot into windows anymore and I am guessing I shut it down while it was in the middle of corrupting my windows install. Specifically, booting up gets to the windows xp screen with the blue loading bar and past that about 10 seconds of blank screen, some flickering and a big fat BSOD. I didn't write down the error but it was a fatal error and something about being unable to sign in to windows, same one every time, even booting in safe mode and every other boot variant I could try.

I found a tutorial which was theoretically supposed to let me use the Recovery console when booting off a windows XP disk to copy fresh windows files to my computer and get it to boot up on barebones and then recover back to a previous point. The plan was to copy a few folders that I want to try to save and then nuke my install and start over fresh. After following the first portion of the tutorial though, now I simply get a chain reboot after it goes through the mobo startup stuff with no bsod. For those curious here are the exact lines I put into the recovery console

md c:\windows\tmp
copy C:\windows\system32\config\system C:\windows\tmp\system.bak
copy C:\windows\system32\config\software C:\windows\tmp\software.bak
copy C:\windows\system32\config\sam C:\windows\tmp\sam.bak
copy C:\windows\system32\config\security C:\windows\tmp\security.bak
copy C:\windows\system32\config\default C:\windows\tmp\default.bak
delete C:\windows\system32\config\system
delete C:\windows\system32\config\software
delete C:\windows\system32\config\Sam
delete C:\windows\system32\config\security
delete C:\windows\system32\config\default
copy C:\windows\repair\system C:\windows\system32\config\system
copy C:\windows\repair\software C:\windows\system32\config\software
copy C:\windows\repair\sam C:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy C:\windows\repair\security C:\windows\system32\config\security
copy C:\windows\repair\default C:\windows\system32\config\default
EXIT

Is there any obvious reason why this isn't working before I pursue less favorable routes? I know enough about windows that I understand In abstract what I was doing in the console, but I'm at a loss for what else I can try there.

So moving on from this option, I guess my next choice is to use the actual REPAIR tool on the boot CD, which, if I am not mistaken should still preserve the personal data that I want to save, right? Am I running the risk of still losing the data doing it this way or is it relatively safe?

The final wrench in the gears with this whole fiasco is that I just fished up where I had written down my (legitimate)XP cd key.. and 2-3 digits are smudged away because I am a twat and used a marker on the cd sleeve with a glossy finish to write it down. If I can get the first solution to work, I can run rockxp and find out what my key is again, otherwise I have heard that I might be able to get a new key if I call microsoft and give them serial info from my xp disk?

Anyway, any advice here is much appreciated.

Beri

If you are able to boot from a cd, you should be able to do this. That should get you some files back anyway.

theclam

The recovery console commands you used will replace a corrupt registry. Using the repair utility on the xp disc will almost always get your computer booting if you don't have hardware problems. A guide can be found here:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

It will not delete any of your data, it basically just replaces your system settings with original copies.

However, if you're ok with doing a complete fresh install, do it. It's the easiest way to get rid of trojans. Follow Beri's link and you should be able to access all your files to back them up.

Scosglen

I've gone ahead with a repair install. I was able to successfully boot into windows and I borrowed a product key from another PC in the house temporarily. I seem to be able to get at my files fine so I am in the process of herding my important data on to thumb drives. Hopefully this isn't some kind of uber crafty super virus that is going to stow away on my thumb drives.

I will be doing a complete format and fresh install after I get my data off.

My main problem now has switched to my windows key. I have an OEM system builders copy of windows and I lost the sticker with the key, but I had it written down, however 3 digits are smudged and illegible. I tried guessing them during the repair but nothing worked, which is why I resorted to "borrowing".

I know I am entitled to less support from microsoft by having only an OEM license but is there a chance I can still get them to issue me a new key? Does anyone have experience with this?