I think I broke Windows

[NadineH]

I have been trying to re-install a software package, since Thurs. I have been
working with tech support for the software vendor with no success.

In yet another attempt, I decided to try a system restore. My first attempt
at the system restore, I chose a point in time that I thought would be early
enough to take me back to full function. On reboot, Windows came back saying
that the system restore couldn't be done for that date, nothing had been
changed on my computer, and I was free to try another date. So I chose a date
a little earlier than the first and tried again. Same result. The next
attempt was a little later than the first one. Still no go. Then I chose the
last possible date that would have any value. It completed the restore and
rebooted once again. When the logon screen came up, I had no keyboard or
mouse. Neither would allow me to input the password. I did a soft reset on my
power switch and Windows shut down. I started it again thinking that it was a
bad reboot. But it came up to the logon screen again and I still had no
keyboard or mouse. I tried a different keyboard and mouse before using the
soft reset again. Still no keyboard or mouse. I was able to get into the BIOS
setup and navigate through it with the original keyboard. I booted up in safe
mode and got to the logon screen again and still had no keyboard or mouse.

I put the original XP CD in the drive and booted to it.

I'm now sitting witha command prompt. The keyboard is working just fine. But
I don't know what to do at the command prompt.

Can anybody tell me what to do next?

 

[neil]

If this is a retail version of Windows XP then you need to do a repair
install.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

See if the link helps
Neil

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I have been trying to re-install a software package, since Thurs. I have
been
working with tech support for the software vendor with no success.

In yet another attempt, I decided to try a system restore. My first
attempt
at the system restore, I chose a point in time that I thought would be
early
enough to take me back to full function. On reboot, Windows came back
saying
that the system restore couldn't be done for that date, nothing had been
changed on my computer, and I was free to try another date. So I chose a
date
a little earlier than the first and tried again. Same result. The next
attempt was a little later than the first one. Still no go. Then I chose
the
last possible date that would have any value. It completed the restore and
rebooted once again. When the logon screen came up, I had no keyboard or
mouse. Neither would allow me to input the password. I did a soft reset on
my
power switch and Windows shut down. I started it again thinking that it
was a
bad reboot. But it came up to the logon screen again and I still had no
keyboard or mouse. I tried a different keyboard and mouse before using the
soft reset again. Still no keyboard or mouse. I was able to get into the
BIOS
setup and navigate through it with the original keyboard. I booted up in
safe
mode and got to the logon screen again and still had no keyboard or mouse.

I put the original XP CD in the drive and booted to it.

I'm now sitting witha command prompt. The keyboard is working just fine.
But
I don't know what to do at the command prompt.

Can anybody tell me what to do next?

What was it you intended to do next?

What you're seeing is the recovery console. You might have intended to do
a repair install, instead, which will repair system files (and cause you to
have to reinstall service packs and updates to current) but will use most if
not all of the existing registry - and if the problem is in the registry,
may have no positive effect.

To get to the repair install option, type EXIT and reboot the system, and
take the options to do a repair install rather than the recovery console.
The other poster Neil provided a link to more explicit directions. Once
the install is complete, be sure that you also reinstall the system drivers
from the driver CD that came with your system.

You might try, though, first powering OFF, leaving it off for a few minutes.
Then turn it back on and start pressing F8 to get to the boot selector
(where you can select Safe Mode). On that screen, however, try "Last Known
Good configuration".

Is this a laptop or a desktop system? What is the software package you are
trying to reinstal?

HTH
-pk

 

[NadineH]

Thanks for your replay.

After a few more attempts and a little help from my brother, I figured out
how to do the repair.

I was able to get through the logon screen. But now my IE is broken.
Whenever I try to access ANY web page, I get an error: "The requested lookup
was not found in any active activation context." That sounds like nonsense
words. They don't even make any sense at all.

I tried to repair IE. It isn't working.

I have done the repair twice. I have done the "upgrade" install once.

It appears that the system restore that triggered this whole actually did
work. But with IE broken, I can't access the internet and can't do any
upgrades to Windows or anything else.

I had already tried the "last Known good configuration" option.

It is a desktop. The software package is Roxio Creator 2009. It's not a very
stable program, but I have been using it since February and I haven't
finished the project quite yet. I'm not even going to attempt a re-install of
it until I have full functionality of Win XP.

I am truly afraid that my next step is to do a full re-install of Win XP.
Unless you have any other viable suggestions.

--
TIA
Nadine

I have been trying to re-install a software package, since Thurs. I have
been
working with tech support for the software vendor with no success.

In yet another attempt, I decided to try a system restore. My first
attempt
at the system restore, I chose a point in time that I thought would be
early
enough to take me back to full function. On reboot, Windows came back
saying
that the system restore couldn't be done for that date, nothing had been
changed on my computer, and I was free to try another date. So I chose a
date
a little earlier than the first and tried again. Same result. The next
attempt was a little later than the first one. Still no go. Then I chose
the
last possible date that would have any value. It completed the restore and
rebooted once again. When the logon screen came up, I had no keyboard or
mouse. Neither would allow me to input the password. I did a soft reset on
my
power switch and Windows shut down. I started it again thinking that it
was a
bad reboot. But it came up to the logon screen again and I still had no
keyboard or mouse. I tried a different keyboard and mouse before using the
soft reset again. Still no keyboard or mouse. I was able to get into the
BIOS
setup and navigate through it with the original keyboard. I booted up in
safe
mode and got to the logon screen again and still had no keyboard or mouse.

I put the original XP CD in the drive and booted to it.

I'm now sitting witha command prompt. The keyboard is working just fine.
But
I don't know what to do at the command prompt.

Can anybody tell me what to do next?

What was it you intended to do next?

What you're seeing is the recovery console. You might have intended to do
a repair install, instead, which will repair system files (and cause you to
have to reinstall service packs and updates to current) but will use most if
not all of the existing registry - and if the problem is in the registry,
may have no positive effect.

To get to the repair install option, type EXIT and reboot the system, and
take the options to do a repair install rather than the recovery console.
The other poster Neil provided a link to more explicit directions. Once
the install is complete, be sure that you also reinstall the system drivers
from the driver CD that came with your system.

You might try, though, first powering OFF, leaving it off for a few minutes.
Then turn it back on and start pressing F8 to get to the boot selector
(where you can select Safe Mode). On that screen, however, try "Last Known
Good configuration".

Is this a laptop or a desktop system? What is the software package you are
trying to reinstal?

HTH
-pk

 

[ushere]

Thanks for your replay.

After a few more attempts and a little help from my brother, I figured out
how to do the repair.

I was able to get through the logon screen. But now my IE is broken.
Whenever I try to access ANY web page, I get an error: "The requested lookup
was not found in any active activation context." That sounds like nonsense
words. They don't even make any sense at all.

I tried to repair IE. It isn't working.

I have done the repair twice. I have done the "upgrade" install once.

It appears that the system restore that triggered this whole actually did
work. But with IE broken, I can't access the internet and can't do any
upgrades to Windows or anything else.

I had already tried the "last Known good configuration" option.

It is a desktop. The software package is Roxio Creator 2009. It's not a very
stable program, but I have been using it since February and I haven't
finished the project quite yet. I'm not even going to attempt a re-install of
it until I have full functionality of Win XP.

I am truly afraid that my next step is to do a full re-install of Win XP.
Unless you have any other viable suggestions.

install firefox or chrome. what do you need ie for anyway?

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Thanks for your replay.

After a few more attempts and a little help from my brother, I figured out
how to do the repair.

I was able to get through the logon screen. But now my IE is broken.
Whenever I try to access ANY web page, I get an error: "The requested
lookup
was not found in any active activation context." That sounds like nonsense
words. They don't even make any sense at all.

I tried to repair IE. It isn't working.

What version of IE? If it isnt' 6, uninstall till you get to it, and later
re-install IE7.

I have done the repair twice. I have done the "upgrade" install once.

As previously noted, repair installs often don't address problems located in
the registry. This is why a repair install leaves installed programs
intact.

Did you also install the motherboard drivers? That's often not optional.

Have a look in Device Manager and COntrol Panel / Network to see if the
network components are functioning. You might want to uninstall them
(after installing the motherboard drivers) and allow them to be
re-installed.

HTH
-pk

It appears that the system restore that triggered this whole actually did
work. But with IE broken, I can't access the internet and can't do any
upgrades to Windows or anything else.

I had already tried the "last Known good configuration" option.

It is a desktop. The software package is Roxio Creator 2009. It's not a
very
stable program, but I have been using it since February and I haven't
finished the project quite yet. I'm not even going to attempt a re-install
of
it until I have full functionality of Win XP.

I am truly afraid that my next step is to do a full re-install of Win XP.
Unless you have any other viable suggestions.

--
TIA
Nadine

I have been trying to re-install a software package, since Thurs. I have
been
working with tech support for the software vendor with no success.

In yet another attempt, I decided to try a system restore. My first
attempt
at the system restore, I chose a point in time that I thought would be
early
enough to take me back to full function. On reboot, Windows came back
saying
that the system restore couldn't be done for that date, nothing had
been
changed on my computer, and I was free to try another date. So I chose
a
date
a little earlier than the first and tried again. Same result. The next
attempt was a little later than the first one. Still no go. Then I
chose
the
last possible date that would have any value. It completed the restore
and
rebooted once again. When the logon screen came up, I had no keyboard
or
mouse. Neither would allow me to input the password. I did a soft reset
on
my
power switch and Windows shut down. I started it again thinking that it
was a
bad reboot. But it came up to the logon screen again and I still had no
keyboard or mouse. I tried a different keyboard and mouse before using
the
soft reset again. Still no keyboard or mouse. I was able to get into
the
BIOS
setup and navigate through it with the original keyboard. I booted up
in
safe
mode and got to the logon screen again and still had no keyboard or
mouse.

I put the original XP CD in the drive and booted to it.

I'm now sitting witha command prompt. The keyboard is working just
fine.
But
I don't know what to do at the command prompt.

Can anybody tell me what to do next?

What was it you intended to do next?

What you're seeing is the recovery console. You might have intended to
do
a repair install, instead, which will repair system files (and cause you
to
have to reinstall service packs and updates to current) but will use most
if
not all of the existing registry - and if the problem is in the registry,
may have no positive effect.

To get to the repair install option, type EXIT and reboot the system, and
take the options to do a repair install rather than the recovery console.
The other poster Neil provided a link to more explicit directions. Once
the install is complete, be sure that you also reinstall the system
drivers
from the driver CD that came with your system.

You might try, though, first powering OFF, leaving it off for a few
minutes.
Then turn it back on and start pressing F8 to get to the boot selector
(where you can select Safe Mode). On that screen, however, try "Last
Known
Good configuration".

Is this a laptop or a desktop system? What is the software package you
are
trying to reinstal?

HTH
-pk

 

[Patrick Keenan]

install firefox or chrome. what do you need ie for anyway?

Windows Update, for one.

 

[NadineH]

install firefox or chrome. what do you need ie for anyway?

Without IE how am I going to be able to get Firefox???

 

[NadineH]

I spent the better part of today trying to figure out another way to deal
with all of this. I just wanted to get it done with.

The repair procedure never requested the MB drivers.

I started a complete re-install of the OS this afternoon. It's going well
enough, but now I can't seem to get Windows to be able to recognize my NIC.
So I'm still left without the internet for updating Windows.

I have the driver I need, but Add New Hardware won't continue after going
through "Have Disk". It will only let me go back or cancel.

BTW, the network connection before, when IE wasn't working, was solid. No
issue with the NIC or the connection. Just with IE. Now I have the new IE (it
is 6), but no NIC. It's wireless because I don't have access to the router.

I'll be contacting Tech Support in the AM.

Thanks for your efforts to help. I am a fan of forums, since the tech
support procedures take so long and generally are not as helpful at all.

 

[Daave]

Without IE how am I going to be able to get Firefox???

You need to use another PC, of course! Simply download the installation
executable and copy it to a flash drive.