another Windows nightmare

[Guest]

i appreciate the advice i got here yesterday. i attempted a repair using, NOT
the repair console option, but the first one that begins as an installation
then, when it sees an exisiting installation, offers to repair. on the
reboot, it looks like its going into windows GUI setup, but i then get a
screen saying setup is going to continue then it begins a new loop of
neverending reboots. when i then tried to go into safe mode, where i was able
earlier, before this process, to back up files and folders to an external
HDD, i was told that setup couldnt run in safe mode so a whole new endless
reboot cycle begins again.
then i went booted from the HP OS cd. the repair console option takes to a
prompt of c:\windows. (no help from there from the system)
going through HELP options, i saw an option to fixboot and fixmbr. i didnt
like the warning i got from fixmbr buit i did do fixboot. now it doesnt see
some file it needs. so i cant clear the setup state its in, fixboot didnt,
and now i dont know if a new installation will put the system functional
again even if it does overwrite my files.
this is just ridiculous that an OS just goes bad then its so difficult, and
cryptic, to attempt to repair. (faster, more secure, more productive yeah
right. 20yrs of that mantra...)
at this point id just be happy saving what i havent of my documents folder.
if anyone has a suggestion, id appreciate it.
thanks.

 

[Malke]

i appreciate the advice i got here yesterday. i attempted a repair
using, NOT the repair console option, but the first one that begins as
an installation then, when it sees an exisiting installation, offers
to repair. on the reboot, it looks like its going into windows GUI
setup, but i then get a screen saying setup is going to continue then
it begins a new loop of neverending reboots. when i then tried to go
into safe mode, where i was able earlier, before this process, to back
up files and folders to an external HDD, i was told that setup couldnt
run in safe mode so a whole new endless reboot cycle begins again.
then i went booted from the HP OS cd. the repair console option takes
to a prompt of c:\windows. (no help from there from the system)
going through HELP options, i saw an option to fixboot and fixmbr. i
didnt like the warning i got from fixmbr buit i did do fixboot. now it
doesnt see some file it needs. so i cant clear the setup state its in,
fixboot didnt, and now i dont know if a new installation will put the
system functional again even if it does overwrite my files.
this is just ridiculous that an OS just goes bad then its so
difficult, and cryptic, to attempt to repair. (faster, more secure,
more productive yeah right. 20yrs of that mantra...)
at this point id just be happy saving what i havent of my documents
folder. if anyone has a suggestion, id appreciate it.
thanks.

Since you didn't keep to your original thread, I have no idea what the
problems were on this machine. To retrieve data you didn't back up:

1. Boot the target computer with either a Bart's PE or a Linux live cd
such as Knoppix and retrieve the data that way. Here is information on
using Knoppix for this:

You will need a computer with two cd drives, one of which is a cd/dvd-rw
OR a usb thumb drive with enough capacity to hold your data OR an
external usb/firewire hard drive formatted FAT32 (not NTFS). To get
Knoppix, you need a computer with a fast Internet connection and
third-party burning software. Download the Knoppix .iso and create your
bootable cd. Then boot with it and it will be able to see the Windows
files. If you are using the usb thumb drive or the external hard drive,
right-click on its icon (on the Desktop) to get its properties and
uncheck the box that says "Read Only". Then click on it to open it.
Note that the default mouse action in the window manager used by
Knoppix (KDE) is a single click to open instead of the traditional MS
Windows' double-click. Otherwise, use the K3b burning program to burn
the files to cd/dvd-r's.

http://www.knoppix.net
http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/ - Bart's PE Builder

2. If the target computer is a laptop or you don't have an external hard
drive or usb thumb drive (or the machine has other hardware problems
and won't boot), you can pull the drive and slave it in a computer
running a working install of XP. Depending on the target drive's
characteristics, you may need a drive adapter; i.e., laptop-to-IDE or a
SATA controller card, etc. Use the working Windows Explorer to copy the
data to the rescue system's hard drive. Often XP will not boot with a
slaved drive that has a damaged file system. In that case, boot your
rescue system with a Bart's PE or Knoppix cd.

Once you have all your data saved, do a clean install of Windows:

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install How-To
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#reinstall_Windows - What
you will need on-hand

Malke

 

[Guest]

Hi Malke, thanks for your suggestions. Im gonna try the second option first
as I have another laptop available to me and enclosure for the bad laptops
hdd.
my original post i copied and put below FYI.
i cant try your suggestions till tonight after work but im wondering if
after i hook this hdd up to the other laptop, will i be able to see contents
of the drive.
when i got the c\windows prompt under recovery console, i couldnt change out
of the windows directory. is that just because of the boot issue?
im asking you to read my original post below because what had happened was
each program i was running was telling me it had become damaged prior to
closing down the system. it was after i rebooted the laptop that i couldnt
get back into windows. each time i boot now i get to the windows screen where
the lights go scrolling by under windows then it just goes black and reboots
to the HP screen again. appreciate any comments. but remember, i cant get
fully into safe mode now since i did michaelstevenstech.com procedure then
afterwards attempted the recovery console option.

something happened after virus and spyware scans last night and now i cant
get into windows xp home. i can boot into safe modes and log in otherwise the
system just keeps rebooting.
last know working configuration and system restore both dont work.
would the best option be to get a new laptop hard disk (the sytem is
21months old) and just access my needed files after a clean install on the
new hard disk or try the repair option on its hp OS cd. (assuming its there)?
the breakdown that happened yesterday was a bank download into quicken
rendered quicken damaged. then avast anitvirus warned it couldnt update while
doing a scan which froze. then winzip became damaged. then a .rar
application. then the browser wouldnt open. then ghostsurfs spycatcher said
it was damaged and had to be reinstalled. then webroot spysweeper wouldnt
start. then i rebooted and i couldnt get into the OS. so much for safer,
faster, more secure.
terrific. apple anyone?)

 

[Malke]

Hi Malke, thanks for your suggestions. Im gonna try the second option
first as I have another laptop available to me and enclosure for the
bad laptops hdd.

I read your original post and I think you should retrieve your data and
do a clean install of Windows. If you have difficulty copying the data
from within a working XP install, try booting with Knoppix as
previously described.

Malke