Hello:

I was trying to install a new video driver for our org's computer and in the
process I disabled the standard vga driver through the control panel. Now my
computer will boot just fine, XP logo screen shows up then goes black. I get
the nice sounds that a boot was successful, but have no video at all - just
charcoal colored screen.

I tried booting in safe mode, but it hangs after '...installing mup.sys...
or something like that. Can anyone help? (maybe if I could memorize the
keystrokes to enable the driver that would work - lol) I'm desperate - we're
a small non-profit and I've rendered our only computer useless!

Did you try 2 of the Safe Mode boot optional mode(s):
Last Known working configuration
Enable VGA mode


"Annabananamc" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:1CE5587D-C8C0-4189-B400-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello:
>
> I was trying to install a new video driver for our org's computer and in
> the
> process I disabled the standard vga driver through the control panel. Now
> my
> computer will boot just fine, XP logo screen shows up then goes black. I
> get
> the nice sounds that a boot was successful, but have no video at all -
> just
> charcoal colored screen.
>
> I tried booting in safe mode, but it hangs after '...installing mup.sys...
> or something like that. Can anyone help? (maybe if I could memorize the
> keystrokes to enable the driver that would work - lol) I'm desperate -
> we're
> a small non-profit and I've rendered our only computer useless!

yes, same thing - I also tried booting in debug mode. and with command
prompt. I think the problem is that with VGA mode, that is the driver I
disabled. We don't have a video card on this pc, so that is really the only
driver that could work.

I just don't know where to go next with this one....

isn't there a way to boot where you step through the driver loading one line
at a time?

"R. McCarty" wrote:

> Did you try 2 of the Safe Mode boot optional mode(s):
> Last Known working configuration
> Enable VGA mode
>
>
> "Annabananamc" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:1CE5587D-C8C0-4189-B400-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Hello:
> >
> > I was trying to install a new video driver for our org's computer and in
> > the
> > process I disabled the standard vga driver through the control panel. Now
> > my
> > computer will boot just fine, XP logo screen shows up then goes black. I
> > get
> > the nice sounds that a boot was successful, but have no video at all -
> > just
> > charcoal colored screen.
> >
> > I tried booting in safe mode, but it hangs after '...installing mup.sys...
> > or something like that. Can anyone help? (maybe if I could memorize the
> > keystrokes to enable the driver that would work - lol) I'm desperate -
> > we're
> > a small non-profit and I've rendered our only computer useless!
>
>
>

You may want to try the procedure in this KB article.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304449
*Hopefully your machine has and is using System Restore


"Annabananamc" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:F4AE77DA-0833-44C8-B744-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> yes, same thing - I also tried booting in debug mode. and with command
> prompt. I think the problem is that with VGA mode, that is the driver I
> disabled. We don't have a video card on this pc, so that is really the
> only
> driver that could work.
>
> I just don't know where to go next with this one....
>
> isn't there a way to boot where you step through the driver loading one
> line
> at a time?
>
> "R. McCarty" wrote:
>
>> Did you try 2 of the Safe Mode boot optional mode(s):
>> Last Known working configuration
>> Enable VGA mode
>>
>>
>> "Annabananamc" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:1CE5587D-C8C0-4189-B400-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> > Hello:
>> >
>> > I was trying to install a new video driver for our org's computer and
>> > in
>> > the
>> > process I disabled the standard vga driver through the control panel.
>> > Now
>> > my
>> > computer will boot just fine, XP logo screen shows up then goes black.
>> > I
>> > get
>> > the nice sounds that a boot was successful, but have no video at all -
>> > just
>> > charcoal colored screen.
>> >
>> > I tried booting in safe mode, but it hangs after '...installing
>> > mup.sys...
>> > or something like that. Can anyone help? (maybe if I could memorize
>> > the
>> > keystrokes to enable the driver that would work - lol) I'm desperate -
>> > we're
>> > a small non-profit and I've rendered our only computer useless!
>>
>>
>>

Thanks, I'll try that. I do not know about the System Restore as this was a
donated computer and the donor has no clue about anything (sometimes free is
VERY expensive!)

I was able to get into repair mode/command prompt so at least I have some
access to the disk drive. Not that I know what to do with it - lol

<rant>I am about ready to throw in the towel. I actually used to know a lot
about computers - CS degree and working on them since 1980, but XP has just
about wiped out any confidence I had in understanding what is going on.
</rant>


"R. McCarty" wrote:

> You may want to try the procedure in this KB article.
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304449
> *Hopefully your machine has and is using System Restore
>
>
> "Annabananamc" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:F4AE77DA-0833-44C8-B744-(E-Mail Removed)...
> >
> > yes, same thing - I also tried booting in debug mode. and with command
> > prompt. I think the problem is that with VGA mode, that is the driver I
> > disabled. We don't have a video card on this pc, so that is really the
> > only
> > driver that could work.
> >
> > I just don't know where to go next with this one....
> >
> > isn't there a way to boot where you step through the driver loading one
> > line
> > at a time?
> >
> > "R. McCarty" wrote:
> >
> >> Did you try 2 of the Safe Mode boot optional mode(s):
> >> Last Known working configuration
> >> Enable VGA mode
> >>
> >>
> >> "Annabananamc" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> >> news:1CE5587D-C8C0-4189-B400-(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> > Hello:
> >> >
> >> > I was trying to install a new video driver for our org's computer and
> >> > in
> >> > the
> >> > process I disabled the standard vga driver through the control panel.
> >> > Now
> >> > my
> >> > computer will boot just fine, XP logo screen shows up then goes black.
> >> > I
> >> > get
> >> > the nice sounds that a boot was successful, but have no video at all -
> >> > just
> >> > charcoal colored screen.
> >> >
> >> > I tried booting in safe mode, but it hangs after '...installing
> >> > mup.sys...
> >> > or something like that. Can anyone help? (maybe if I could memorize
> >> > the
> >> > keystrokes to enable the driver that would work - lol) I'm desperate -
> >> > we're
> >> > a small non-profit and I've rendered our only computer useless!
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
>

ok, now I can navigate to this directory

systemroot\system32\restore

and I can see this file in there

rstrui.exe

but how do I get it to run? If I type rstrui.exe or run rstrui I get a
command unknown message....

using command shell you would have to change to that directory in order to
run the exe.

ie run cmd cd/ yadda yadda yadda

"Annabananamc" wrote:

> ok, now I can navigate to this directory
>
> systemroot\system32\restore
>
> and I can see this file in there
>
> rstrui.exe
>
> but how do I get it to run? If I type rstrui.exe or run rstrui I get a
> command unknown message....

well poop - I wasn't really in the command shell, I was in the Recovery
Console from my install CD....

I think I'm going to need a break here. I am fairly certain that what I
need to do is re-enable the standard VGA driver but have no clue where to
start and I'm driving blind. Hope I can find a way to do this from the
Recovery Console or something else.

Thanks for being so patient with me - any additional ideas are welcome!




"sgopus" wrote:

> using command shell you would have to change to that directory in order to
> run the exe.
>
> ie run cmd cd/ yadda yadda yadda
>
> "Annabananamc" wrote:
>
> > ok, now I can navigate to this directory
> >
> > systemroot\system32\restore
> >
> > and I can see this file in there
> >
> > rstrui.exe
> >
> > but how do I get it to run? If I type rstrui.exe or run rstrui I get a
> > command unknown message....

See if this page helps. You should be able to type "enable vga" at the
recovery console but I'm not sure this will undo your mistake.
Louis

"Annabananamc" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:3A8F299B-24A9-47A4-A8A2-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> well poop - I wasn't really in the command shell, I was in the Recovery
> Console from my install CD....
>
> I think I'm going to need a break here. I am fairly certain that what I
> need to do is re-enable the standard VGA driver but have no clue where to
> start and I'm driving blind. Hope I can find a way to do this from the
> Recovery Console or something else.
>
> Thanks for being so patient with me - any additional ideas are welcome!
>
>
>
>
> "sgopus" wrote:
>
> > using command shell you would have to change to that directory in order
to
> > run the exe.
> >
> > ie run cmd cd/ yadda yadda yadda
> >
> > "Annabananamc" wrote:
> >
> > > ok, now I can navigate to this directory
> > >
> > > systemroot\system32\restore
> > >
> > > and I can see this file in there
> > >
> > > rstrui.exe
> > >
> > > but how do I get it to run? If I type rstrui.exe or run rstrui I get a
> > > command unknown message....

Oops! Forgot link :-)
http://www.elitesolutions.info/Smart...?articleid=292
Louis

"3c273" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:g3rt9q$72g$(E-Mail Removed)...
> See if this page helps. You should be able to type "enable vga" at the
> recovery console but I'm not sure this will undo your mistake.
> Louis
>
> "Annabananamc" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:3A8F299B-24A9-47A4-A8A2-(E-Mail Removed)...
> >
> > well poop - I wasn't really in the command shell, I was in the Recovery
> > Console from my install CD....
> >
> > I think I'm going to need a break here. I am fairly certain that what I
> > need to do is re-enable the standard VGA driver but have no clue where
to
> > start and I'm driving blind. Hope I can find a way to do this from the
> > Recovery Console or something else.
> >
> > Thanks for being so patient with me - any additional ideas are welcome!
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > "sgopus" wrote:
> >
> > > using command shell you would have to change to that directory in
order
> to
> > > run the exe.
> > >
> > > ie run cmd cd/ yadda yadda yadda
> > >
> > > "Annabananamc" wrote:
> > >
> > > > ok, now I can navigate to this directory
> > > >
> > > > systemroot\system32\restore
> > > >
> > > > and I can see this file in there
> > > >
> > > > rstrui.exe
> > > >
> > > > but how do I get it to run? If I type rstrui.exe or run rstrui I get
a
> > > > command unknown message....
>
>