I think someone reinstalled XP on my comp, how do i check?

[TheDebater]

Over christmas I went home for two weeks and left my desktop in my appartment. My roommate and i left a key with a good friend so she could grab our mail, paper, etc. While the appartment is fine my desktop is completely different, as if windows was reinstalled with the option to keep the old files. The start menu is at its most basic, just after new install look. "My Pictures" folder was emptied. Windows claims 0 programs installed even though i found some program files. To me it seems like windows was reinstalled however before i go on a crusade to find out why i'd like to make sure this is the case. I left the computer unplugged for 2 weeks so i'm wondering if this could have something to do with it. This seems unlikely to me because the my pictures folder was emptied and windows now doesnt recognize 6 or so devices, including my video card, that of course used to be functioning perfectly. I'm confused and would love any ideas about how i can check on all this stuff and find out what happened. Thanks

 

[SpeedFreak03]

I use this script for coolmon to tell me the days since the OS has been installed:

Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set outFile = fs.CreateTextFile("format.txt", True)

For Each objOS In GetObject("winmgmts:").InstancesOf ("Win32_OperatingSystem")
intYear = Left(objOS.InstallDate, 4)
intMonth = Mid(objOS.InstallDate, 5, 2)
intDay = Mid(objOS.InstallDate, 7, 2)

outFile.WriteLine(Date - CDate(intYear & "-" & intMonth & "-" & intDay))
Exit For
Next

outFile.Close

Copy all that text into a VBS file, like installdays.vbs (just make a file in notepad called installdays.txt, then rename it to installdays.vbs). Then double click it, and wait a couple seconds, and it will make a file called "format.txt". You will see one number in there, and that is how many days it has been since you installed windows. Should help! BTW thereis no virus in this, I use it every day with coolmon.

-Josh

 

[horhey]

SpeedFreak03 Great script.
I use a script to do the same thing basically but instead of the number of days from the last install, I like seeing the date on which the OS was installed.

I use this for the file output
outFile.WriteLine(intMonth &"/"& intDay & "/"& intYear)
Instead of this your method
outFile.WriteLine(Date - CDate(intYear & "-" & intMonth & "-" & intDay))
Just my personal preference.
Still the easiest way to find out when you OS was installed, that I know of.

 

[bacillus]

hmm, wouldn't it be simpler to just check the windows folder properties>date created?

 

[horhey]

Guess i was mistaken.

hmm, wouldn't it be simpler to just check the windows folder properties>date created?

This is much easier.

 

[CTho9305]

or start-run "cmd", then type "systeminfo", and it will give you install dates.

 

[SpeedFreak03]

Originally posted by: horhey
Guess i was mistaken.

hmm, wouldn't it be simpler to just check the windows folder properties>date created?

This is much easier.

yea that would be easier, unless the person didnt format, then it wouldnt be accurate. lol and I didnt write that script I got it off the CoolMon website .

-Josh

 

[TheDebater]

Thanks for the help, sure enough the OS was reinstalled. I got a feeble excuse "it wouldnt boot, we had to" and then to the "well why didnt you call so i could fix it, and why were you using it in the first place?" there was the reply "uhhhh.... we didnt think about it..." I really dislike dumb people sometimes. At least some of the liquor is still here... Anyways, thanks for the help

 

[Smilin]

setupapi.log

 

[farscape]

So, they took the chance that you wouldn't "lose anything"???

Personally, I think a good swift smack across the head with a 2x4 might nock some sense into people who "didn't think" about it. Hope yo hang them out to dry over lost and/or corrupted irreplaceable data.

(And maybe a few 'missings', to boot!)

 

[Idoxash]

Originally posted by: TheDebater
Thanks for the help, sure enough the OS was reinstalled. I got a feeble excuse "it wouldnt boot, we had to" and then to the "well why didnt you call so i could fix it, and why were you using it in the first place?" there was the reply "uhhhh.... we didnt think about it..." I really dislike dumb people sometimes. At least some of the liquor is still here... Anyways, thanks for the help

So wut probly happen was these ppl you left the key with took it on their own stay to freak with your computer, freak that computer up, went nutz, and the only thing they could even thot up to fix the issues they might have caused was to throw in the windows xp cd and upgrd over the copy that was on the computer. In the end you lost your programes and some of your files. You could have pervented this if you had a password on xp, so now I advice you to put a password on xp and if you know how and the bios can do so place a system password so that when the computer turns on before it totaly boots into windows it ask for a system pass. Unless they know how to clear the bios this will stop them before they can even make it to the windows. I would also tell them ----- heh and let them know they no longer welcome at the house. You can't exactly call them trusted ppl anymore now can yas. Anyways I would go ahead and backup what you did have left and format the computer installing windows fresh.

--Idoxash