help'a'newb

[scraps]

Hi, I've been using windows 7 on my newly built pc and have recently contracted a virus I can't seam to shift. The virus affects the boot procedure (and probably a lot of things I'm unaware of). When installing the OS, like the newb I am, I did not partition the drive.

So here's what I want, to format my hard drive, partition and re-install windows 7 (sorry I just don't get linux) and save important data from my hard drive on the way.

The problem; I no longer have the windows 7 cd, I lost it in a move a month or so back. Searching through my house mate and resident tech guru's cd collection I found he only had windows 7 in Russian (I don't speak Russian and he is on holiday for the month) and several linux editions.

I thought I would be able to use the linux OS (mint 8?) to download windows 7, write a cd and continue nicely. However the **** space allocated when booted from cd is not enough to hold the ISO. If I want to install Linux onto the hard drive I have to format and lose all my data.

Can anyone help me find a way round this problem?

Is there a way I could use linux to locate the files and back them up before formatting? as then I could install linux, download windows and install that also, running both OS' although I don't really know how to do that.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

[Bombalur]

you tried running the startup recovery tool? dont think you need a disc for it.

And on the linux front, you will need to install it to the harddrive as when you boot from a cd, it just gets loaded into ram.

HAve you got access to another pc or a friend who could download and burn the cd for you?

There are websites that hold legitimate isos for downloading such as:
http://www.mydigitallife.info/download-windows-7-iso-official-32-bit-and-64-bit-direct-download-links/

which I used the other week for my reinstall upgrading to 64 bit as the retail (non-oem) keys are transferable between 32 and 64 bit versions.

maybe your friend who had the russian disk could download it for you?

hope it helps.

[FlasH]

Should be able to use the Windows 7 Russian CD just change the language to English at the start.

[scraps]

Should be able to use the Windows 7 Russian CD just change the language to English at the start.

The problem is i don't know the russian for language :(

[Bombalur]

The problem is i don't know the russian for language :(

to google translate!!!!

'язык' for language and 'английский' for english apparently

or 'Великoбритания' for United Kingdom.

hope that helps :)

[Cosford]

Theyre just drop downs, click them until you find the above translations.

[Iaink]

usually they write languages in their native forms/spellings so It shouldn't be too difficult

[panta]

What AV have you tried?