swapfile missing prooblem

[Ulrich Prinz]

Lets describe the problem chronological:

While reordering my drives W2K tried to convert my bootdrive into a
dynamic volume... After that the system glances with absence...
Maybe I misunderstood something reading the KB articles for get a
mirrored system partiton...

For recovery I installed a small w2k onto an old blank harddrive to get
access to that dynamic volume but access failed. As several partiton
recovery systems failed to find the old datastructure I managed to
recover bootsector and partition tables with a good pocket calculator
and a diskeditor.

Now status is that the old volume is a basic one again and w2k boots up
to the login prompt.

Now the Problem:
When I login, the system tells me, that there is no pagefile and
therefor not enough memory. It tells me, that I have to assign or resize
a swapfile by clicking computer...bla bla...

But after that message w2k falls back to the login prompt. No way to
reach the console or even a command line for starting the MMC that way.

I tried login in recovery mode, same problem
I tried repair console from the CD, no options for editing registry or
repair/ create a swapfile
I tried reordering drives from the mini-w2k on the second disk, nothing
goes.

I asked MS-KB and they give a lot of tips how to setup and optimize the
swapfile, but all tips are basing on a working gui with access to the
console.

Please, help!
Is there an option to start w2k in a minimalistic way like holding shift
while booting w98 that might help to get the system running within the
512MB of RAM I have without swapspace.
Is there another way to assign, create or relocate a swapfile externally?
Or, may be there is a way through the repair option from the CD?

Thanks in advance

Ulrich

 

[Daniel Chang [MSFT]]

Ulrich,

See the following KB article.

102081 Limited Virtual Memory Changing Drive Letter
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=102081


--
--
Daniel Chang
Server Setup Team

Search our Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com/directory
Visit the Windows 2000 Homepage at
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/default.asp
See the Windows NT Homepage at http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/

NOTE: Please reply to the newsgroup and not directly to me. This allows
others to add to and benefit from these threads and also helps to ensure a
more timely response. Thank you!
This posting is provided "AS IS" without warranty either expressed or
implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
The views and opinions expressed in this newsgroup posting are mine and do
not necessarily express or reflect the views and / or opinions of Microsoft.


: Lets describe the problem chronological:
:
: While reordering my drives W2K tried to convert my bootdrive into a
: dynamic volume... After that the system glances with absence...
: Maybe I misunderstood something reading the KB articles for get a
: mirrored system partiton...
:
: For recovery I installed a small w2k onto an old blank harddrive to get
: access to that dynamic volume but access failed. As several partiton
: recovery systems failed to find the old datastructure I managed to
: recover bootsector and partition tables with a good pocket calculator
: and a diskeditor.
:
: Now status is that the old volume is a basic one again and w2k boots up
: to the login prompt.
:
: Now the Problem:
: When I login, the system tells me, that there is no pagefile and
: therefor not enough memory. It tells me, that I have to assign or resize
: a swapfile by clicking computer...bla bla...
:
: But after that message w2k falls back to the login prompt. No way to
: reach the console or even a command line for starting the MMC that way.
:
: I tried login in recovery mode, same problem
: I tried repair console from the CD, no options for editing registry or
: repair/ create a swapfile
: I tried reordering drives from the mini-w2k on the second disk, nothing
: goes.
:
: I asked MS-KB and they give a lot of tips how to setup and optimize the
: swapfile, but all tips are basing on a working gui with access to the
: console.
:
: Please, help!
: Is there an option to start w2k in a minimalistic way like holding shift
: while booting w98 that might help to get the system running within the
: 512MB of RAM I have without swapspace.
: Is there another way to assign, create or relocate a swapfile externally?
: Or, may be there is a way through the repair option from the CD?
:
: Thanks in advance
:
: Ulrich
:

 

[Dave Patrick]

In addition these articles may help
Unable to Log on if the Boot Partition Drive Letter Has Changed
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q249/3/21.ASP



How to Restore the System/Boot Drive Letter in Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q223/1/88.ASP

 

[Ulrich Prinz]

Ulrich,

See the following KB article.

102081 Limited Virtual Memory Changing Drive Letter
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=102081

Thanks Daniel,

but that doesn't solve my problem. I cannot reach any console tools nor
the regedit. Immediately after loging into the system it tells me about
the paging file problem and then throws me back to the login prompt
again. There is no way around that, even in save boot with or without
network I don't come through to the GUI.

Is there any way to access the non booting systems registry from the
second 'rescue system' I installed onto another drive?

As I told before, all KB-articles depend on reaching the gui, but that's
not possible for me.

Ah, before there is a mistake, the box that shows up doesn't give me any
option to go to the system settings. What I have not tried is to reach
the taskmanager while the warning message is on the screen and start a
new task like 'regedit' or the matching control panel. I don't think
that this will work as at the moment the error message appears the
system had already run out of memory. But I will try.

Don't stop giving further hints on that problem as I need my system very
urgently back up running.

regards

Ulrich

 

[Ulrich Prinz]

In addition these articles may help
Unable to Log on if the Boot Partition Drive Letter Has Changed
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q249/3/21.ASP

Oha, ok, I will built up a second computer, I hope there are enough
spare parts... Would be great if that works.

How to Restore the System/Boot Drive Letter in Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q223/1/88.ASP

For performance tuning the swapfile was outsourced to another disk that
now doesn't have the same driveletter than before the system crashes.
But I don't remember what drive letter it had. I have actually about 15
partitions so trial and error would keep me awake this night if I don't
find another solution.

So a simple readout of that registry variable would help, but I didn't
find anything that works under the rescue-console of the w2k-cd.

thanks and regards

Ulrich

 

[Willard]

You might boot with Win98 floppy, Find the Pagefile.sys with Attrib,
Attrib -h -s (drive):\ Pagefile.sys, Copy Pagefile.sys to your boot
hard drive and there Attrib +h +s Pagefile.sys..
This might get your GUI back to work with the problem...

Willard

 

[Dave Patrick]

Ridiculous.

 

[Daniel Chang [MSFT]]

Yes you can load hive from a working OS (regedt32, Registry | Load Hive).
Or move the drives to a physically different machine. Or access the
registry remotely through the network.

--
--
Daniel Chang
Server Setup Team

Search our Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com/directory
Visit the Windows 2000 Homepage at
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/default.asp
See the Windows NT Homepage at http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/

NOTE: Please reply to the newsgroup and not directly to me. This allows
others to add to and benefit from these threads and also helps to ensure a
more timely response. Thank you!
This posting is provided "AS IS" without warranty either expressed or
implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
The views and opinions expressed in this newsgroup posting are mine and do
not necessarily express or reflect the views and / or opinions of Microsoft.


: Daniel Chang [MSFT] wrote:
:
: > Ulrich,
: >
: > See the following KB article.
: >
: > 102081 Limited Virtual Memory Changing Drive Letter
: > http://support.microsoft.com/?id=102081
: >
: >
:
: Thanks Daniel,
:
: but that doesn't solve my problem. I cannot reach any console tools nor
: the regedit. Immediately after loging into the system it tells me about
: the paging file problem and then throws me back to the login prompt
: again. There is no way around that, even in save boot with or without
: network I don't come through to the GUI.
:
: Is there any way to access the non booting systems registry from the
: second 'rescue system' I installed onto another drive?
:
: As I told before, all KB-articles depend on reaching the gui, but that's
: not possible for me.
:
: Ah, before there is a mistake, the box that shows up doesn't give me any
: option to go to the system settings. What I have not tried is to reach
: the taskmanager while the warning message is on the screen and start a
: new task like 'regedit' or the matching control panel. I don't think
: that this will work as at the moment the error message appears the
: system had already run out of memory. But I will try.
:
: Don't stop giving further hints on that problem as I need my system very
: urgently back up running.
:
: regards
:
: Ulrich
:
:

 

[Daniel Chang [MSFT]]

Agreed.

--
--
Daniel Chang
Server Setup Team

Search our Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com/directory
Visit the Windows 2000 Homepage at
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/default.asp
See the Windows NT Homepage at http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/

NOTE: Please reply to the newsgroup and not directly to me. This allows
others to add to and benefit from these threads and also helps to ensure a
more timely response. Thank you!
This posting is provided "AS IS" without warranty either expressed or
implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
The views and opinions expressed in this newsgroup posting are mine and do
not necessarily express or reflect the views and / or opinions of Microsoft.


: Ridiculous.
:
: --
: Regards,
:
: Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
: Microsoft MVP [Windows NT/2000 Operating Systems]
:
: "Willard" wrote:
: > You might boot with Win98 floppy, Find the Pagefile.sys with Attrib,
: > Attrib -h -s (drive):\ Pagefile.sys, Copy Pagefile.sys to your boot
: > hard drive and there Attrib +h +s Pagefile.sys..
: > This might get your GUI back to work with the problem...
: >
: > Willard
:
:

 

[Daniel Chang [MSFT]]

--
--
Daniel Chang
Server Setup Team

Search our Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com/directory
Visit the Windows 2000 Homepage at
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/default.asp
See the Windows NT Homepage at http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/

NOTE: Please reply to the newsgroup and not directly to me. This allows
others to add to and benefit from these threads and also helps to ensure a
more timely response. Thank you!
This posting is provided "AS IS" without warranty either expressed or
implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
The views and opinions expressed in this newsgroup posting are mine and do
not necessarily express or reflect the views and / or opinions of Microsoft.


: Ridiculous.
:
: --
: Regards,
:
: Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
: Microsoft MVP [Windows NT/2000 Operating Systems]
:
: "Willard" wrote:
: > You might boot with Win98 floppy, Find the Pagefile.sys with Attrib,
: > Attrib -h -s (drive):\ Pagefile.sys, Copy Pagefile.sys to your boot
: > hard drive and there Attrib +h +s Pagefile.sys..
: > This might get your GUI back to work with the problem...
: >
: > Willard
:
:

 

[Daniel Chang [MSFT]]

I don't think that will work, Willard.

--
--
Daniel Chang
Server Setup Team

Search our Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com/directory
Visit the Windows 2000 Homepage at
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/default.asp
See the Windows NT Homepage at http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/

NOTE: Please reply to the newsgroup and not directly to me. This allows
others to add to and benefit from these threads and also helps to ensure a
more timely response. Thank you!
This posting is provided "AS IS" without warranty either expressed or
implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
The views and opinions expressed in this newsgroup posting are mine and do
not necessarily express or reflect the views and / or opinions of Microsoft.


: Ridiculous.
:
: --
: Regards,
:
: Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
: Microsoft MVP [Windows NT/2000 Operating Systems]
:
: "Willard" wrote:
: > You might boot with Win98 floppy, Find the Pagefile.sys with Attrib,
: > Attrib -h -s (drive):\ Pagefile.sys, Copy Pagefile.sys to your boot
: > hard drive and there Attrib +h +s Pagefile.sys..
: > This might get your GUI back to work with the problem...
: >
: > Willard
:
:

 

[Willard]

It worked once for me, when I couldn't get in to safe mode in order to
correct a problem, after booting by mistake with two duplicate HDDs...

Willard

 

[Ulrich Prinz]

Hi!

I don't think that it will work, cause the swapfile was not located on the
boot drive. So with the actual registry settings the pagefile.sys will not
be found even if I copy it back to the systems drive. I have to find out on
which disk/ partition it is and to which the registry of the crashed system
points. Then I>ll have to match those entries either by relocating the file
or the registry setting.

Unfortunately the regedt32 on my rescue installation will not load the
registry from file. I'll have to look at that once more.

Isn't there any offline registry editor? To bad!

regards

Ulrich

It worked once for me, when I couldn't get in to safe mode in order to
correct a problem, after booting by mistake with two duplicate HDDs...

Willard

I don't think that will work, Willard.

--
--
Daniel Chang
Server Setup Team

Search our Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com/directory
Visit the Windows 2000 Homepage at
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/default.asp
See the Windows NT Homepage at http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/

NOTE: Please reply to the newsgroup and not directly to me. This allows
others to add to and benefit from these threads and also helps to ensure a
more timely response. Thank you!
This posting is provided "AS IS" without warranty either expressed or
implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
The views and opinions expressed in this newsgroup posting are mine and do
not necessarily express or reflect the views and / or opinions of Microsoft.

: Ridiculous.
:
: --
: Regards,
:
: Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
: Microsoft MVP [Windows NT/2000 Operating Systems]
:
: "Willard" wrote:
: > You might boot with Win98 floppy, Find the Pagefile.sys with Attrib,
: > Attrib -h -s (drive):\ Pagefile.sys, Copy Pagefile.sys to your boot
: > hard drive and there Attrib +h +s Pagefile.sys..
: > This might get your GUI back to work with the problem...
: >
: > Willard
:
:

 

[Ulrich Prinz]

Yes you can load hive from a working OS (regedt32, Registry | Load Hive).
Or move the drives to a physically different machine. Or access the
registry remotely through the network.

Hi Daniel!

No, I can't.
I tried access through the network but it seems that the network is not
started on the faulty machine. Yes, normally it is started and the ip is
assigned by dhcp. But there is no connection handling when this machine
comes up.

I tried regedt32 by booting the rescue w2k, selected HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
and clicked load hive. I selected the hive HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE from the
file 'crashed_w2k'\WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM and found that the entry
for HKLM\System\Current Config\ does nopt exist. I checked
HKLM\System\Config001 and 002 for Session Manager\Memory
Management\Pagefile and those have C:\pagefile.sys 768 5xxx as default
which cannot be. There had never been an C:\ Drive unit in my machine. (
That's cause years ago I had w98 on a c:\ and wnt on d:\)

I think the idea to move the drive with the system on it to a physically
other machine will be the same as i try now with the rescue system. To
not screw up those systems both I installed the rescue system onto a
single SCSI drive while all other drives where disconnected. After that
I reconnected the defective W2K again to repair the Bootsector, PartTabs
and MFTs.

So there is only one thing left to do: How could I get a new
pagefile.sys onto a drive that the old system accepts? I don't
understand, why there is no normal fallback in w2k, that if the pagefile
is not found it is created new?

helplessly

Ulrich