G
Guest
Hi I have following problem:
Due to fact than my webcam software conflicts with on of my video programs
on my PC, every 1-6 weeks I am forced to reinstall both, in order for both of
them to work (did it numerous times in past for period over 3 years - never
observed any problems). Every time when I reinstall any program, my: AdAware,
Window Defender as well Kerio firewall produces large number of pop-ups
(usually referring to registry changes, application starting other
application – etc) – which I typically click “allow†without reading all
detail, knowing that such behavior during installation is normal and
expected.
Last time during webcam reinstallation while clicking pop-ups I registered
that Adaware produced pop-up referring to something called “%Root%†– (most
likely some registry change) – which I clicked “allowâ€.
When I rebooted PC (part of webcam installation process), after restarting,
booting Windows screen displayed “Windows†logo (part of booting process),
than hang on black (lightly highlighted) screen, before reaching “Welcome/log
in†screen. Rebooting it again prompted me automatically to “choose safe
mode†screen. No matter what safe mode option I choose, when booting in safe
mode, screen always stuck at “agp440/sys†driver (booting in safe mode
displays long list of drivers loading – usually reaching “agp440†– than it
stuck).
I did lot of online research and already tried number of approaches – here’s
what I tried already:
1. Tried using: “boot using last good configurationâ€
2. Tried instruction from following article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324764
Following instruction from page makes Windows stuck on “mup.sys†driver in
safe mode instead ( mupd.sys displays immediately before agp440 on safe mode
“load drivers†screen) – after unsuccessful trial I enabled apg440 back to
original
3. Tried following commands from Windows Recovery Console: SCANDISK, CHKDSK,
CHKDSK /p, CHCKDSK /r, - last one produced result “one ore more problem has
been found and corrected by Windowsâ€
4. Tried “FIXBOOT†command from Recovery Console (not sure of wisdom (or its
lack) of this step)
5. Tried coping “agp440†from working not affected copy of Windows (which I
have on another Hardrive) and replacing agp440 with copied one on not booting
Windows – using recovery console command prompts.
6. Following advises found online I tried changing some options in NETBIOS
sector (some I couldn’t find while other didn’t produce any results) – all
restored back to original state (before any changes).
7. Following some online suggestions, I tried disconnecting all USB
connected devices before and after booting (webcam, external HDD, keyboard,
optical mouse, power cord)
8. Following advices I tried swapping (and removing one) memory chips.
9. I scanned affected hardrive with “Spin Rite†recovery software from GRC
(designed to locate and check HDD for errors) – results came “no errors or
bad sectorsâ€.
Affected PC is Dell Laptop (Inspiron 8600) with Windows XP SP2 Professional
version 2002 (Pentium 2GHz, 512 RAM), fully patched, legal copy.
Due to fact that different HDD works on same PC without any problems, seems
to suggest troubles are not hardware related. Not booting HDD contains some
very important to me personal data files which I would like to recover.
According to some found online advices, deleting entire C:\Windows - using
Recovery Console, and installing fresh copy of Windows over it, would not
affected my private files and folders. I was scared to try this option
without conforming first that indeed my personal files would survive process
– wondering would MS community confirm that indeed process is safe.
Internet floods with post relating to this issue, suggesting that huge
number of people experiencing same problem. From found online discussions,
most suggest that problem is video related, speculating that Windows is
trying to load screen settings which it cannot understand – hence it stuck.
Fact that my problem occurred while installing “video related†software seems
to confirm this. Some other people has been speculating that it might be not
agp440 driver which produces problem, but one immediately after it. Some
people were referring to some ASCI driver (???) – couldn’t find any ASCI
driver (which suppose to be listed on NET BIOS according to post).
Even this probably has no any significance to problem, just would like to
mention I was forced to reset Administrator account password in order to get
to Recovery console. I don’t remember have a disabled Administrator account
totally (some info on screen while using reset CD seems to suggest this), or
just forgot its password. In any case I tried log in with password of “User
with administrative privileges account†which I created and been using to log
in (which to my knowledge should use same as Administrator password - unless
I screwed something while configuring Windows after installation) – and it
didn’t worked. I made boot CD and used instruction for this purpose from
site below than successfully rested password to “blankâ€:
http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/
Wondering does anyone have any suggestion I could try and what community
thinks about reinstalling new copy of Windows over old? Would this indeed not
erase my private files and folders stored on C:\ and Desktop?
Due to fact than my webcam software conflicts with on of my video programs
on my PC, every 1-6 weeks I am forced to reinstall both, in order for both of
them to work (did it numerous times in past for period over 3 years - never
observed any problems). Every time when I reinstall any program, my: AdAware,
Window Defender as well Kerio firewall produces large number of pop-ups
(usually referring to registry changes, application starting other
application – etc) – which I typically click “allow†without reading all
detail, knowing that such behavior during installation is normal and
expected.
Last time during webcam reinstallation while clicking pop-ups I registered
that Adaware produced pop-up referring to something called “%Root%†– (most
likely some registry change) – which I clicked “allowâ€.
When I rebooted PC (part of webcam installation process), after restarting,
booting Windows screen displayed “Windows†logo (part of booting process),
than hang on black (lightly highlighted) screen, before reaching “Welcome/log
in†screen. Rebooting it again prompted me automatically to “choose safe
mode†screen. No matter what safe mode option I choose, when booting in safe
mode, screen always stuck at “agp440/sys†driver (booting in safe mode
displays long list of drivers loading – usually reaching “agp440†– than it
stuck).
I did lot of online research and already tried number of approaches – here’s
what I tried already:
1. Tried using: “boot using last good configurationâ€
2. Tried instruction from following article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324764
Following instruction from page makes Windows stuck on “mup.sys†driver in
safe mode instead ( mupd.sys displays immediately before agp440 on safe mode
“load drivers†screen) – after unsuccessful trial I enabled apg440 back to
original
3. Tried following commands from Windows Recovery Console: SCANDISK, CHKDSK,
CHKDSK /p, CHCKDSK /r, - last one produced result “one ore more problem has
been found and corrected by Windowsâ€
4. Tried “FIXBOOT†command from Recovery Console (not sure of wisdom (or its
lack) of this step)
5. Tried coping “agp440†from working not affected copy of Windows (which I
have on another Hardrive) and replacing agp440 with copied one on not booting
Windows – using recovery console command prompts.
6. Following advises found online I tried changing some options in NETBIOS
sector (some I couldn’t find while other didn’t produce any results) – all
restored back to original state (before any changes).
7. Following some online suggestions, I tried disconnecting all USB
connected devices before and after booting (webcam, external HDD, keyboard,
optical mouse, power cord)
8. Following advices I tried swapping (and removing one) memory chips.
9. I scanned affected hardrive with “Spin Rite†recovery software from GRC
(designed to locate and check HDD for errors) – results came “no errors or
bad sectorsâ€.
Affected PC is Dell Laptop (Inspiron 8600) with Windows XP SP2 Professional
version 2002 (Pentium 2GHz, 512 RAM), fully patched, legal copy.
Due to fact that different HDD works on same PC without any problems, seems
to suggest troubles are not hardware related. Not booting HDD contains some
very important to me personal data files which I would like to recover.
According to some found online advices, deleting entire C:\Windows - using
Recovery Console, and installing fresh copy of Windows over it, would not
affected my private files and folders. I was scared to try this option
without conforming first that indeed my personal files would survive process
– wondering would MS community confirm that indeed process is safe.
Internet floods with post relating to this issue, suggesting that huge
number of people experiencing same problem. From found online discussions,
most suggest that problem is video related, speculating that Windows is
trying to load screen settings which it cannot understand – hence it stuck.
Fact that my problem occurred while installing “video related†software seems
to confirm this. Some other people has been speculating that it might be not
agp440 driver which produces problem, but one immediately after it. Some
people were referring to some ASCI driver (???) – couldn’t find any ASCI
driver (which suppose to be listed on NET BIOS according to post).
Even this probably has no any significance to problem, just would like to
mention I was forced to reset Administrator account password in order to get
to Recovery console. I don’t remember have a disabled Administrator account
totally (some info on screen while using reset CD seems to suggest this), or
just forgot its password. In any case I tried log in with password of “User
with administrative privileges account†which I created and been using to log
in (which to my knowledge should use same as Administrator password - unless
I screwed something while configuring Windows after installation) – and it
didn’t worked. I made boot CD and used instruction for this purpose from
site below than successfully rested password to “blankâ€:
http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/
Wondering does anyone have any suggestion I could try and what community
thinks about reinstalling new copy of Windows over old? Would this indeed not
erase my private files and folders stored on C:\ and Desktop?