bootdisc to get files off a corrupted installation

[news.microsoft.com]

I have a heavily corrupted installation of XP Pro on my laptop and need
probably to do a full reinstall. It is on a C drive, I have some files I
need to transfer onto a D partition before reinstalling as I presume there
is no way I could burn them onto a CD ROM under any circumstances. I dont
have a floppy on this machine.

A repair install just involves sending the computer around in loops where it
turns off at the blue restarting setup screen and starts the loop again.I
MAY try creating a slipstreamed XP Install disk with SP2 on it but don't
hold out much hope.

Is there some way of burning a CD on another computer which will be the
equivalent of a Windows 98 floppy which I can boot from and then move all
files? (I did google this a few times and found a place where I was shown
how to do this which involved downloading a measly 2Kb Microsoft .img file
and burning whatever that created to a CD and THAT didn't work). I also
started Easy CD Creator and searched for boot.ini, NDETECT and NTLDR in all
files to try to burn that onto a CD but for some reason couldn't find them
on my drive, either with a simple search or in the system/hidden files.
Anyway am wondering if simply burning these files onto a CD creates a
bootable CD with all utilities on it to let me copy these files or xcopy the
my documents directory to the D drive as suggested? (I am hoping there is a
way of reinstalling the OS without FDisking the D drive out of existence).

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

What brand of laptop do you have? Do you have a retail XP cd or a restore
cd? How is the D: drive being used on your computer?

If you are going to do a clean install of XP, there is no need to fdisk.
Fdisk will destroy all partitions now on your hard drive. In any case,
fdisk is incorporated into the XP installer (you delete the partitions and
then create a new partition.)

To do a clean install of XP onto the C: drive, simply boot with the XP cd
and when you reach the point in the text phase where it gives you the
options to format your drive, choose full format of C: and not a quick
format. D: will not be affected.

Why are you trying to create a bootable cd for all of this?

 

[DJ Borell]

First, if you are getting into a loop while trying to do a repair install,
you may have more significant issues than simply a corrupted HD. You may
benefit from trying to figure that out before going to the trouble of saving
your files, and reinstalling Windows...only to find that Windows still won't
work.

However, there are several ways to accomplish your goal.

1) Move the drive to another working system (I realize this is a laptop, but
there are adapters readily and cheaply available that allow you to install a
laptop drive to a desktop.)

2) Boot your laptop from Linux. If you use a "Live" CD, you will be running
Linux, but will make no changes to your HD will doing it. This will allow
you to transfer the files from one partition to another without compromising
the integrity of the drive. Several distros allow this. Notably, "SuSE",
"Knoppix" and "Austrumi". Go to www.linuxiso.org, download the .iso file,
burn it to CD and boot from it. Once running, move the files you want to
save to your "D" drive and you'll be in business.

 

[Richard Urban]

Yes! The significant issues he may have is in the bios.

Example: The Asus A7V133 M/B must be set to boot from the CD to begin the
install of the operating system. After the first reboot, the system wants to
boot from the hard drive to continue - but the bios will not allow it to
happen. You now have to enter the bios again and turn off "boot from CD" and
enable booting from the hard drive. If you don't, you will be stuck in a
continuous LOOP!

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[news.microsoft.com]

Thanks for the suggestions: The reason I wanted to do this was to move some
pictures from the drive onto the other partition, not OS files which are
irretrievably and totally broken so that I can use them again (though that
isnt a too bad idea, - see later comments on licensing agreements on this
computer which is totally legal at the moment but which soon won't look it).

you may have more significant issues than simply a corrupted HD.

You arent suggesting that I might have hardware issues are you?

It is a Toshiba and came with one of those pathetic recovery discs but I
also have a friend with an install disc which he has lent me to repair my
installation. Unfortunately I suspect it has given me HIS product serial
number and key so I am hoping there aren't any FBI agents and Microsoft
attorneys waiting on the tarmac for me when I land at a US airfield next
time I come into the US gestapoing me into answering how MY computer has an
already used serial number. I don't suppose you can retain an XP Pro OS
serial number can you.

The "Live" CD Linux idea seems to be the best assuming I can just drag and
drop the whole My Documents directory from the C partition to the D
partition. The only problem being that people trying Knoppix might find it
a bit too enticing to ignore with threats of enforcement of XP licensing
'agreements'?

BTW is there any easily explicable difference between "SuSE", "Knoppix"
Mandrake 10.1 and "Austrumi". To a non-linux non-techie, they all look
bewilderingly the same and nowhere does anyone explain or set out in a
simple chart what the differences are, especailly while when you try to
distinguish them from each other, the techies are constantly claiming (in
lengthy charts which tell you nothing) that each one is a variant of some
other one

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

The pathetic reinstall cd also installs the pathetic proprietary drivers
required by your laptop. Hopefully you have a separate driver cd so you can
reinstall the drivers. If not, the drivers should be available for download
from Toshiba.

 

[news.microsoft.com]

I wonder if the install procedure changes the BIOS settings (or anything
else for that matter) to do this? I do know that on this Toshiba laptop you
ARE supposed ot install from that recovery disc but was assured by a Toshiba
premier Service Agent in England (where Toshibas DO have support and they DO
know what they are talking about) that I can install from an ordinariiy XP
install CD and then download all those drivers from the Toshiba site. In any
event, during the boot process, I AM given the option to boot from CD so I
assume that if I dont select CD, it will boot from CD

In any event, changing the boot device in BIOS in any way still results in
the continuous loop after "Setup is being restarted" (during which it does
look for a CD) whic is just after the XP splash screen and still gives you
the option of booting from CD by pressing C

 

[news.microsoft.com]

2) Boot your laptop from Linux.
Well I tried that and Linux woulndt let me write to the D partition. It
could read it but woulndt let me mount it or change its state so that it
could be written to.

Possibly something to do with it being NTFS?

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Accept the option on the initial boot to the cd. The option to boot from cd
is offered following each reboot during a normal setup. Ignore these and XP
will proceed from the setup files it loaded initially. If you keep hitting
boot from cd you will just loop back to the beginning of the installation.
When you let the offer to boot from cd time out, the system boots from the
hard drive. This is what you want after the initial boot.

 

[news.microsoft.com]

Sorry not to have given a fuller explanation

Initially I had an installation in which various stages weren't working: The
PC card stage, USB, and various other bits. I did a repair install and SFC
etc. The whole thing started to get better but still vital parts weren't
working. At that stage I probably had an irretrievably broken system. SO I
found a Microsoft Backup file on my D drive which seemed to include a
restore system state provision which presumably meant a registry dating from
the time Windows was working properly. As a last resort, I installed that
backup, ticking the C drive, the D drive and the system state. THAT killed
the whole OS. Then it would do nothing other than give me a BSOD after the
initial seven second XP splash-screen-with-flowing-blue-dots.

So I booted from the install CD and did a repair install of XP. It failed to
finish numerous times (although to be fair it did tell me that it was
identifying that REPAIR had not completed the last time I tried it). It did
delete various install files from some directory I had never heard of called
$NT_USER$ or something and installed its own install files into its own
install directory. It THEN rebooted and when I let it go to its hard drive
to install the OS from those files, THAT is when it started looping. I cant
imagine there is any way of resuscitating this dead system and want to do a
full reinstall on the C drive, wiping that partition in the process because
otherwise all registries there which would be found on restart are
irretrievably corrupted. I know that there isn't a scanreg /restore
function within XP whereby you can restore an old registry like there used
to be on windows 98.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

What support are you recieving from the manufacturer?

 

[Enkidu]

I have a heavily corrupted installation of XP Pro on my laptop and need
probably to do a full reinstall. It is on a C drive, I have some files I
need to transfer onto a D partition before reinstalling as I presume there
is no way I could burn them onto a CD ROM under any circumstances. I dont
have a floppy on this machine.

A repair install just involves sending the computer around in loops where it
turns off at the blue restarting setup screen and starts the loop again.I
MAY try creating a slipstreamed XP Install disk with SP2 on it but don't
hold out much hope.

Is there some way of burning a CD on another computer which will be the
equivalent of a Windows 98 floppy which I can boot from and then move all
files? (I did google this a few times and found a place where I was shown
how to do this which involved downloading a measly 2Kb Microsoft .img file
and burning whatever that created to a CD and THAT didn't work). I also
started Easy CD Creator and searched for boot.ini, NDETECT and NTLDR in all
files to try to burn that onto a CD but for some reason couldn't find them
on my drive, either with a simple search or in the system/hidden files.
Anyway am wondering if simply burning these files onto a CD creates a
bootable CD with all utilities on it to let me copy these files or xcopy the
my documents directory to the D drive as suggested? (I am hoping there is a
way of reinstalling the OS without FDisking the D drive out of existence).

You could try Bart's PE CD. You will need to download the
iso and get someone to burn it to CD. If you do this,
*follow the instructions* properly. You do not just copy the
iso to the CD.

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

Cheers,

Cliff

 

[news.microsoft.com]

None whatsoever: Toshiba don't offer technical support any more.They suppose
that only the serious user buys their computers who all have their own MIS
departments. Which is probably why they only offer a recovery disc

SO they only have people who answer phones, pretned to listen to a problem
and tell everyone to destroy all their data and configurations by using the
recovery disc

What support are you recieving from the manufacturer?

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

Sorry not to have given a fuller explanation

Initially I had an installation in which various stages weren't working:
The
PC card stage, USB, and various other bits. I did a repair install and SFC
etc. The whole thing started to get better but still vital parts weren't
working. At that stage I probably had an irretrievably broken system. SO
I
found a Microsoft Backup file on my D drive which seemed to include a
restore system state provision which presumably meant a registry dating
from
the time Windows was working properly. As a last resort, I installed that
backup, ticking the C drive, the D drive and the system state. THAT killed
the whole OS. Then it would do nothing other than give me a BSOD after the
initial seven second XP splash-screen-with-flowing-blue-dots.

So I booted from the install CD and did a repair install of XP. It failed
to
finish numerous times (although to be fair it did tell me that it was
identifying that REPAIR had not completed the last time I tried it). It
did
delete various install files from some directory I had never heard of
called
$NT_USER$ or something and installed its own install files into its own
install directory. It THEN rebooted and when I let it go to its hard drive
to install the OS from those files, THAT is when it started looping. I
cant
imagine there is any way of resuscitating this dead system and want to do
a
full reinstall on the C drive, wiping that partition in the process
because
otherwise all registries there which would be found on restart are
irretrievably corrupted. I know that there isn't a scanreg /restore
function within XP whereby you can restore an old registry like there used
to be on windows 98.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

I find it very hard to believe that Toshiba does not support what they sell
unless you made a purchase outside of their support policies.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

None whatsoever: Toshiba don't offer technical support any more.They
suppose
that only the serious user buys their computers who all have their own MIS
departments. Which is probably why they only offer a recovery disc

SO they only have people who answer phones, pretned to listen to a problem
and tell everyone to destroy all their data and configurations by using
the
recovery disc

What support are you recieving from the manufacturer?

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

Sorry not to have given a fuller explanation

Initially I had an installation in which various stages weren't
working:
The
PC card stage, USB, and various other bits. I did a repair install and SFC
etc. The whole thing started to get better but still vital parts
weren't
working. At that stage I probably had an irretrievably broken system. SO
I
found a Microsoft Backup file on my D drive which seemed to include a
restore system state provision which presumably meant a registry dating
from
the time Windows was working properly. As a last resort, I installed that
backup, ticking the C drive, the D drive and the system state. THAT killed
the whole OS. Then it would do nothing other than give me a BSOD after the
initial seven second XP splash-screen-with-flowing-blue-dots.

So I booted from the install CD and did a repair install of XP. It failed
to
finish numerous times (although to be fair it did tell me that it was
identifying that REPAIR had not completed the last time I tried it). It
did
delete various install files from some directory I had never heard of
called
$NT_USER$ or something and installed its own install files into its own
install directory. It THEN rebooted and when I let it go to its hard drive
to install the OS from those files, THAT is when it started looping. I
cant
imagine there is any way of resuscitating this dead system and want to do
a
full reinstall on the C drive, wiping that partition in the process
because
otherwise all registries there which would be found on restart are
irretrievably corrupted. I know that there isn't a scanreg /restore
function within XP whereby you can restore an old registry like there used
to be on windows 98.

 

[news.microsoft.com]

Then try calling them with the simplest of problems. Their number is 800 457
7777. Watch as the guy either tires to wriggle out of helping you at all by
asking interminable irrelevant questions and then says "just let me double
check that" (implying that there is something to DOUBLE check when in
reality he is completely untrained and hasnt the vaguest idea what you are
talking about, - this is Indian tech support at its cheapest) and tells you
to put the recovery disc in and restart your computer.

The first time it happened to me, I was a slight newbie, and had a very
minor SCSI termination problem on a Zip drive which anyone with five minutes
training could have identified. Hardly a reason to destroy all my data,
configurations and software. But a problem which a recovery disc wouldnt
help with in the slightest. When I demurred, he got his supervisor who had
the temerity to ask if I was refusing to do what they said!!

I find it very hard to believe that Toshiba does not support what they sell
unless you made a purchase outside of their support policies.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

None whatsoever: Toshiba don't offer technical support any more.They
suppose
that only the serious user buys their computers who all have their own MIS
departments. Which is probably why they only offer a recovery disc

SO they only have people who answer phones, pretned to listen to a problem
and tell everyone to destroy all their data and configurations by using
the
recovery disc

What support are you recieving from the manufacturer?

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
Sorry not to have given a fuller explanation

Initially I had an installation in which various stages weren't
working:
The
PC card stage, USB, and various other bits. I did a repair install

and
SFC

etc. The whole thing started to get better but still vital parts
weren't
working. At that stage I probably had an irretrievably broken

system.
SO

I
found a Microsoft Backup file on my D drive which seemed to include a
restore system state provision which presumably meant a registry dating
from
the time Windows was working properly. As a last resort, I installed that
backup, ticking the C drive, the D drive and the system state. THAT killed
the whole OS. Then it would do nothing other than give me a BSOD

after
the

initial seven second XP splash-screen-with-flowing-blue-dots.

So I booted from the install CD and did a repair install of XP. It failed
to
finish numerous times (although to be fair it did tell me that it was
identifying that REPAIR had not completed the last time I tried it). It
did
delete various install files from some directory I had never heard of
called
$NT_USER$ or something and installed its own install files into its own
install directory. It THEN rebooted and when I let it go to its hard drive
to install the OS from those files, THAT is when it started looping. I
cant
imagine there is any way of resuscitating this dead system and want

to
do

a
full reinstall on the C drive, wiping that partition in the process
because
otherwise all registries there which would be found on restart are
irretrievably corrupted. I know that there isn't a scanreg /restore
function within XP whereby you can restore an old registry like there used
to be on windows 98.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Sorry. They are still your support.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

Then try calling them with the simplest of problems. Their number is 800
457
7777. Watch as the guy either tires to wriggle out of helping you at all
by
asking interminable irrelevant questions and then says "just let me double
check that" (implying that there is something to DOUBLE check when in
reality he is completely untrained and hasnt the vaguest idea what you are
talking about, - this is Indian tech support at its cheapest) and tells
you
to put the recovery disc in and restart your computer.

The first time it happened to me, I was a slight newbie, and had a very
minor SCSI termination problem on a Zip drive which anyone with five
minutes
training could have identified. Hardly a reason to destroy all my data,
configurations and software. But a problem which a recovery disc wouldnt
help with in the slightest. When I demurred, he got his supervisor who had
the temerity to ask if I was refusing to do what they said!!

I find it very hard to believe that Toshiba does not support what they sell
unless you made a purchase outside of their support policies.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

None whatsoever: Toshiba don't offer technical support any more.They
suppose
that only the serious user buys their computers who all have their own MIS
departments. Which is probably why they only offer a recovery disc

SO they only have people who answer phones, pretned to listen to a problem
and tell everyone to destroy all their data and configurations by using
the
recovery disc


What support are you recieving from the manufacturer?

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
Sorry not to have given a fuller explanation

Initially I had an installation in which various stages weren't
working:
The
PC card stage, USB, and various other bits. I did a repair install and
SFC
etc. The whole thing started to get better but still vital parts
weren't
working. At that stage I probably had an irretrievably broken system.
SO
I
found a Microsoft Backup file on my D drive which seemed to include
a
restore system state provision which presumably meant a registry dating
from
the time Windows was working properly. As a last resort, I installed
that
backup, ticking the C drive, the D drive and the system state. THAT
killed
the whole OS. Then it would do nothing other than give me a BSOD after
the
initial seven second XP splash-screen-with-flowing-blue-dots.

So I booted from the install CD and did a repair install of XP. It
failed
to
finish numerous times (although to be fair it did tell me that it
was
identifying that REPAIR had not completed the last time I tried it). It
did
delete various install files from some directory I had never heard
of
called
$NT_USER$ or something and installed its own install files into its own
install directory. It THEN rebooted and when I let it go to its hard
drive
to install the OS from those files, THAT is when it started looping. I
cant
imagine there is any way of resuscitating this dead system and want to
do
a
full reinstall on the C drive, wiping that partition in the process
because
otherwise all registries there which would be found on restart are
irretrievably corrupted. I know that there isn't a scanreg /restore
function within XP whereby you can restore an old registry like
there
used
to be on windows 98.

 

[news.microsoft.com]

Hi Cliff

Great idea: Looks like a great resource but I had a severe problem with
creating the boot disc: I have easy CD creator and haven't had any problems
with creating CDs thus far with this software. However when I tried to
create the boot disc from the ISO which I downloaded and then used their
tool to slipstream, I started getting error messages BIG TIME

For example:
E80041927 TrackWriter eror ASPI failure [T7121]
E80041934 TrackWriter eror flush failed [T7127]
E80004005 TrackWriter eror ASPI failure [T7121]
Unspecified error

All on the same write attempt and on two discs.

Is there some reason why writes end up this way when you are trying to burn
an XP bootable CD?

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

I found the same thing. For some reason when I dropped the .iso icon onto
the Roxio Drag to Disk icon Roxio burned the cd but then reported that the
639mb file was too large. I suspect I am reusing some older cd's so I am
going to get some fresh ones and see if it goes OK. I also suspect that I
need to update Roxio.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

Hi Cliff

Great idea: Looks like a great resource but I had a severe problem with
creating the boot disc: I have easy CD creator and haven't had any
problems
with creating CDs thus far with this software. However when I tried to
create the boot disc from the ISO which I downloaded and then used their
tool to slipstream, I started getting error messages BIG TIME

For example:
E80041927 TrackWriter eror ASPI failure [T7121]
E80041934 TrackWriter eror flush failed [T7127]
E80004005 TrackWriter eror ASPI failure [T7121]
Unspecified error

All on the same write attempt and on two discs.

Is there some reason why writes end up this way when you are trying to
burn
an XP bootable CD?

You could try Bart's PE CD. http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

 

[news.microsoft.com]

I found the same thing. For some reason when I dropped the .iso icon onto

the Roxio Drag to Disk icon Roxio burned the cd but then reported that the
639mb

file was too large. I suspect I am reusing some older cd's so I am going

to get some fresh ones and see if it goes OK. I also suspect that I need
to update Roxio.

Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]

V Interesting: I have so far composed three coasters from a program on which
I have never managed to make coasters before. And they all have the same
error message at the same (two thirds of the way through burning) part of
the disc so it ISNT the disc. My Roxio is completely updated except that it
is the bundled version of which I ALSO have the Platinum version: I wonder
if there is any point in moving to the Platinum version and updating the
serial number? Roxio calls it an 'upgrade' but this seems like propaganda
which they cant support with explanations: I tried asking them if there
were any differences between the Platinum version and the bundled version
and they didn't seem to know.

(Dont burn any more coasters until we have this worked out)

 

[Len]

I'm not sure who is typing what in your message... anyway, you do not use
Drag to Disk to burn an ISO image! If roxio (YUK) even finished the burn it
would still not work! You need to use the disk mastering section of EZ CD
Creator to burn an image file to CD. BTW, I have used Bart's PE CD and it
will read your drive if there is any thing left to read.

BTW, couldn't you find a few more groups to cross post to? Waste of
bandwidth...

Anyway, Good Luck!
Len

I found the same thing. For some reason when I dropped the .iso icon
onto

the Roxio Drag to Disk icon Roxio burned the cd but then reported that the
639mb

file was too large. I suspect I am reusing some older cd's so I am
going

to get some fresh ones and see if it goes OK. I also suspect that I need
to update Roxio.

Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]

V Interesting: I have so far composed three coasters from a program on
which
I have never managed to make coasters before. And they all have the same
error message at the same (two thirds of the way through burning) part of
the disc so it ISNT the disc. My Roxio is completely updated except that
it
is the bundled version of which I ALSO have the Platinum version: I wonder
if there is any point in moving to the Platinum version and updating the
serial number? Roxio calls it an 'upgrade' but this seems like propaganda
which they cant support with explanations: I tried asking them if there
were any differences between the Platinum version and the bundled version
and they didn't seem to know.

(Dont burn any more coasters until we have this worked out)