BleepingComputer.com: Laptop won't boot up

Hi Guys, I'm wondering if anyone can please help. I have a Sony Vaio laptop. Yesterday it got what looked like a malware infection. I rkilled it and started to run an anti-malware programme. Unbeknowingly in my annoyance at the infection, I failed to spot I had pulled the power cable out with my chair and it wasn't charging. It went dead. On switching on again, it won't boot up or give me any options. All I get is a white flashing hyphen in the top left corner on a black screen. Tried taking battery out etc but not sure how to get a screen to actually allow me to do anything. Please please can anyone help as it's driving me mad - has my CV on it (yes which I hadn't backed up on external hard drive) and I'm desperately looking for new work. Not in IT you'll be pleased to hear!!

Hello and to the BC forums.

Please sit tight and be patient.

I have requested that an experienced helper who specialises in malware-related un-bootable computers respond to your topic.

Thank you.

Thank you and thank you in advance to any expert who can stop me re-creating a rock and roll laptop through the hotel window incident!

Hello,

Try this please. You will need a USB drive.

Download GETxPUD.exe to the desktop of your clean computer

• Run GETxPUD.exe
  
• A new folder will appear on the desktop.
  
• Open the GETxPUD folder and click on the get&burn.bat
  
• The program will download xpud_0.9.2.iso, and upon finished will open BurnCDCC ready to burn the image.
  
• Click on Start and follow the prompts to burn the image to a CD.
  
• Remove the USB & CD and insert it in the sick computer
  
• Boot the Sick computer with the CD you just burned
  
• The computer must be set to boot from the CD
  
• Gently tap F12 and choose to boot from the CD
  
• Follow the prompts
  
• A Welcome to xPUD screen will appear
  
• Press File
  
• Expand mnt
  
• sda1,2...usually corresponds to your HDD
  
• sdb1 is likely your USB
  
• Click on the folder that represents your USB drive (sdb1 ?)
  
• Press Tool at the top
  
• Choose Open Terminal
  
• Type the following and press enter:
  
  dd if=/dev/sda of=mbr.bin bs=512 count=1
  
  
  
• Press Enter
  
• After it has finished a file will be located on your USB drive named mbr.bin
  
• Remove the USB drive and insert it back in your working computer and navigate to mbr.bin, zip it up and attach it to your next reply.

This will allow me to have a look at the MasterBootRecord of your drive and see if it is infected.