How to do Repair Install- newbie

[Uncle Scotty]

Hi,

I cannot boot into windowns so I stuck the repair CD into my optical
drive and ran the Recovery Console but I don't know what to do once it
gets me to the C: drive. There doesn't seem to be any utilities where
I can say "repair yourself" or "find damaged files and replace them".
How do you actually do the repair once you have the console up and
running? I've heard of a Repair Install, but I also hear that it can
delete files. I want to back my files up before I do any reinstall of
XP Home.

RSVP ASAP! Scott

 

[Leonard Grey]

Exactly what happens when you start your computer?

 

[Guest]

In recovery type:Fixboot Agree,then type:CHKDSK C: /R When its thru,
type:EXIT Remove cd,let xp start..Also,a "repair" installation wont delete
any user files,settings,etc,you'll only loose all xp updates,& the time it
takes
to repair (same as new install,almost),& having to reinstall all xp
updates,why
not do a clean installation,if the repair doesnt work,you'll have to
completly
reinstall again,that'll be 2 installations......

 

[GreenieLeBrun]

Hi,

I cannot boot into windowns so I stuck the repair CD into my optical
drive and ran the Recovery Console but I don't know what to do once it
gets me to the C: drive. There doesn't seem to be any utilities where
I can say "repair yourself" or "find damaged files and replace them".
How do you actually do the repair once you have the console up and
running? I've heard of a Repair Install, but I also hear that it can
delete files. I want to back my files up before I do any reinstall of
XP Home.

RSVP ASAP! Scott

How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

 

[Uncle Scotty]

why not do a clean installation,if the repair doesnt work,you'll have to

I don't want to lose my data files. Won't a clean install do that? How
can I backup the files to CD if I cannot get into Windows?

 

[Uncle Scotty]

Exactly what happens when you start your computer?

The HP splash screen shows and then the screen goes black and that's
it. It just hangs there.

-Scott

 

[Uncle Scotty]

How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windowshttp://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Installhttp://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

I am sure you are right, but as a newbie, those instructions are
overwhelming. Can you distill it for me into simple steps?

 

[GreenieLeBrun]

I am sure you are right, but as a newbie, those instructions are
overwhelming. Can you distill it for me into simple steps?

If you find those instructions too daunting then perhaps you should take
your machine, CD and product key to a computer repair shop and have them do
a "Repair Installation" on your machine for you

 

[Leonard Grey]

Can you start your computer with the Last Known Good setting?

"How to start your computer by using the Last Known Good Configuration
feature in Windows XP"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307852

If not, can you start in Safe Mode?

To start in Safe Mode:
1) Restart your computer.
2) As your computer restarts but before Windows launches, press F8.
3) When the boot options menu appears, select Safe Mode.

You are much better off to diagnose your problem, if possible, and then
try to solve it. (We can help.) Reinstalling your software may not solve
the problem, e.g., if it's a hardware problem. Besides which, and with
all due respect, some of the reinstall advice you've been given is wrong.

 

[peter]

Press Enter to start the Windows Setup. do not choose "To repair a Windows
XP installation using the Recovery Console, press R", (you Do Not want to
load Recovery Console). I repeat, do not choose "To repair a Windows XP
installation using the Recovery Console, press R".
Accept the License Agreement and Windows will search for existing Windows
installations.
Select the XP installation you want to repair from the list and press R to
start the repair. If Repair is not one of the options, END setup. After the
reboot read Warning#2!
Setup will copy the necessary files to the hard drive and reboot. Do not
press any key to boot from CD when the message appears. Setup will continue
as if it were doing a clean install, but your applications and settings will
remain intact.
peter

 

[Lil' Dave]

Press Enter to start the Windows Setup. do not choose "To repair a
Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console, press R", (you Do Not
want to load Recovery Console). I repeat, do not choose "To repair a
Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console, press R".
Accept the License Agreement and Windows will search for existing Windows
installations.
Select the XP installation you want to repair from the list and press R to
start the repair. If Repair is not one of the options, END setup. After
the reboot read Warning#2!
Setup will copy the necessary files to the hard drive and reboot. Do not
press any key to boot from CD when the message appears. Setup will
continue as if it were doing a clean install, but your applications and
settings will remain intact.
peter

You forgot the addendum IF the version of XP installation CD is older than
the one installed... For instance, original XP install CD, attempting to
repair XP updated to SP2.
Dave

 

[Uncle Scotty]

I can neither start in Safe Mode or with Last Known Good Config. :
( After those both failed, I just let it try to boot into Windows XP
the normal way, and the process hung and then I got the error message
that it couldn't boot because /WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/CONFIG/SYSTEM was
either missing or damaged. So, it suggested trying to do the repair
with the CDROM, though it says use the select "r" option right up
front, which I read people telling me not to do that.

What to do?

 

[Uncle Scotty]

When I type Fixboot, it says "Are you sure you want to write a new
Bootsector to the partition C:?"

Is that gonna cause me to loose data?

 

[Uncle Scotty]

Well, I took a chance with the "Y" answer and it eventually returned
me to the C: prompt. I typed CHKDSK C: /R, and it said "The volume
appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems".

Does that means its a hardware problem? Is there anything that can be
done to repair it- its an HP pavillion laptop.

 

[Uncle Scotty]

BTW, when I typed exit and allowed a restart, I got the error message
that the file NTLDR was missing. What does that indicate? I don't mind
doing a new install, but I really want to back up the data on disk
before I do that.

 

[Leonard Grey]

You can follow the instructions here...

"How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from
starting"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

..../if/ you have a retail copy of Windows. Do not use the procedures
described in this article if your computer has an OEM-installed
operating system.

If you can't use the instructions described above, you will probably
have to erase your hard disk and reinstall all your software from scratch.

Before erasing your hard disk, you may be able to recover your files by
installing your hard disk as the second disk in a computer running a
known good copy of Windows XP. You may be able to use the good copy of
XP to copy files from the bad disk.

Frankly, at this point I would bring the computer to a professional.

 

[Uncle Scotty]

Yea, the computer is a laptop and knowing how to remove its H/D and
attaching it to another computer is beyond my skill set. I may have to
punt and bring it to a data recovery place.

I also posted another situation with a different computer to this list
under the subject "Cannot reinstall XP Home". If you have any thoughts
on that one, I'd appreciate hearing from you on that.

Thanks again, Scott

 

[Uncle Scotty]

I should have added that I have an OEM-installed version of XP on that
laptop, so I can't use your thought...

 

[Leonard Grey]

My friend, you are way out of newbie territory. Stop flailing and
possibly doing more damage, and bring the computer to a pro.