Laptop won't boot - says "pci.sys missing or corrupt"

[Guest]

I have a Toshiba satellite laptop. Recently updated Toshiba console program.
Reboot unsuccessful always giving above message. I have xp home sp2 and
have tried to boot up using 6-floppy sp2 boot program. Upon loading of 6th
disk, I get message that windows has detected error and has shutdown to
protect my computer. Is suggests checking hard drive with chkdsk. But I
can't figure out how to boot up in dos to run the program. If I could, I
would try to write a new pci.sys file to windows directory to see if that
works. Anyone have any ideas how I can get booted up to copy the file and/or
run the chkdsk program? Thanks

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

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

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Michael Stevens]

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

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| I have a Toshiba satellite laptop. Recently updated Toshiba console program.
| Reboot unsuccessful always giving above message. I have xp home sp2 and
| have tried to boot up using 6-floppy sp2 boot program. Upon loading of 6th
| disk, I get message that windows has detected error and has shutdown to
| protect my computer. Is suggests checking hard drive with chkdsk. But I
| can't figure out how to boot up in dos to run the program. If I could, I
| would try to write a new pci.sys file to windows directory to see if that
| works. Anyone have any ideas how I can get booted up to copy the file and/or
| run the chkdsk program? Thanks

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the link. I will try it out tomorrow. I am traveling and my
recovery disk only has ghost files that I can't see or access. It will only
let me wipe the harddrive and reimage the original OS copy. I am trying to
borrow a retail CD from a training mate to use to recover. It looks like
this website's instructions should do the trick. Will give feedback in a
couple of days. Thanks again. Mike

 

[Taurarian]

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=330181
Windows XP Problems with Damaged or Incompatible Hardware

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the link. I have checked it out and it looks like it does not
apply. My problem is with my laptop, and I am not using any addons. The
only thing I have added (many months ago) is an extra memory module. I saw
some newsgroup discussions that said memory could cause it. So I removed the
added module, then replaced and removed the module that came with the laptop.
Neither configuration change worked. Still get the same message.
Mike

 

[Guest]

I hate to say this...but...

I had a friend bring their machine to me with the exact same problem. I
tried using the recovery module...nogo.

Then tried a reinstall...that didn't help. Did the normal chkdsk, etc,
yada-yada and finally, in a real fit of exasperation fdisk -> format c:

That worked!!!

If someone has a real answer to this problem, I'd also like to see it. I
have another system with the same problem and am really, really going to hate
fixing it. 200GB hard drive that is at 52%. If I have to do a complete
reinstall on this puppy...it's going to cost my client a lot!!

Oh...yeah...there was also one client that their 1.5 yr old, brand named
hard drive was failing and it had the same error. I did reformat that one
too, only to have it finally die the next day...sigh... the life of a techie!!

bill