Crazy question

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Belalugosi
Posts: 12
Joined: 15. Nov 2022, 16:47

Crazy question

Post by Belalugosi »

Hi, my customer has the hard disk crypted by MaCafee at boot :oops:
Windows is in totally crash. No possible to complete the boot.
After the password at the boot, it begins to load but Windows goes in the loop trying to fix itself :lol:
My question:
If I transform the hard disk in an image to be used in VirtualBox, is it possible to freeze Windows 7 while is loading (in that monet the system can read the files having the password) and explore it?

Thanks.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Crazy question

Post by scottgus1 »

Belalugosi wrote:is it possible to freeze Windows 7 while is loading (in that monet the system can read the files having the password) and explore it?
No. Virtualbox doesn't have such a built-in system to "freeze" an OS yet allow one to dig into the OS.

You're looking for a debugging system that can step through a booting OS. I think it usually runs over a serial port. Note that Virtualbox can do this to a VM if you have the debugging system in place and then use the host's serial port tied into the VM. Virtualbox simulates a PC, and what you can do with an average PC you can do with Virtualbox. However, Virtualbox's hardware would be different than the PC's hardware, possibly complicating the recovery and definitely causing reactivation.

It may be better to talk with Microsoft on how to recover this PC's OS on the PC directly.

Acknowledging off-forum-scope:
Belalugosi wrote:After the password at the boot, it begins to load but Windows goes in the loop trying to fix itself
This means the encryption mentioned earlier is at least not getting in the way of the PC's OS booting. That's good. Theoretically, a repair install of the Windows OS should get the PC running again, if McAffee's encryption can be integrated into the repair install somehow. That would be a question for McAffee help channels to handle.

Or restore the PC from a backup. Restorable backups are ubiquitous nowadays.
Belalugosi
Posts: 12
Joined: 15. Nov 2022, 16:47

Re: Crazy question

Post by Belalugosi »

Thanks for reply.
The customer has not backup :? same old story.
It is a nice idea to integrate MaCafee encryption utility. But MaCafee forum is complete useless and I don't know how to do.
Thanks for the info.
scottgus1
Site Moderator
Posts: 20965
Joined: 30. Dec 2009, 20:14
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Windows, Linux

Re: Crazy question

Post by scottgus1 »

As a suggestion, if the customer bought McAffee and turned on the encryption, then they may have support available.
Belalugosi
Posts: 12
Joined: 15. Nov 2022, 16:47

Re: Crazy question

Post by Belalugosi »

It is a second hand PC, bought years ago.
No license activated from him.
He didn't know what was that thing at the boot. Always used and... none questions :(
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