S
Seum
Paul said:
Thanks again Paul.
I have been looking for the right kind of scanner. From what I have seen
there are many different kinds. Please excuse my ignorance :-(
Thanks again Paul.
I have been looking for the right kind of scanner. From what I have seen
there are many different kinds. Please excuse my ignorance :-(
S
Seum
Seum said:
XP single core and 32bits are enough for me.
Thanks again for your help
I have extracted the .sif file and have it pasted into a .txt file. Now
I need a program to 'vet' the file and, hopefully, clean it up.
S
Seum
Seum said:XP single core and 32bits are enough for me.
Thanks again for your help
I have extracted the .sif file and have it pasted into a .txt file. Now
I need a program to 'vet' the file and, hopefully, clean it up.
I found what was supposed to be a sif repair tool on:
http://microsoft.pcfilefix.com/?t202id=31737&t202kw=File Extension SIF&c1=SIF
It claimed: "This tool fixes file errors with the ability to open any
file extension type."
In addition: "Follow These 3 Steps To Get Started (Instructions)
Notice: Your Pc may be malfunctioning if it will not open files with
extension (.Sif)
It's highly recommended that you download the file repair tool to help
you resolve this problem."
When I started the download, I found that this "cure all" was a
registrybooster.exe.
OK, experts, where is the file that finds the bugs in the .sif file?
P
Paul
Seum said:
The txtsetup.sif file on my system, looks like it was automatically
generated at Microsoft. It's almost like a laundry list, a list of
files that should be installed for that version of Windows.
I doubt there is any aspect to the file that makes it "repairable".
To make a file repairable, requires that the file have redundancy,
or internal checks.
*******
When I refer to a scanner, I'm referring to doing a simple "read attempt"
of each sector on the CD. Like a "bad block scan". Such a tool exists as
Nero DiskSpeed.
ftp://ftp6.nero.com/tools/DiscSpeed.zip
It looks like this version doesn't even install. You unzip it, then
run the DiscSpeed executable from the folder.
Select the "ScanDisc" tab, insert the CD and try reading it
from end to end. Is the disc easily readable, or does the
drive eventually hang up trying to read the disc ?
This is what a ScanDisc sweep of my WinXP CD looks like.
Txtsetup.sif is rated "100%", not because the program knows
the file was correct, but because the sectors used to
contain the file were error free and the drive could
read the associated sectors.
http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/8364/discspeed.gif
Since my CD is "all green blocks", it looks good. If the disc
had been really bad, the test likely would never finish running.
I bought some CD media a number of years ago, with a "bit rot"
problem. Virtually all the discs I burned, failed within about
three months, and the ones in the package also stopped being
usable. Using the Nero tool, I could see the drive was
having trouble with the discs, and didn't even need to
run ScanDisc to the end of the scan, to prove the discs
were garbage.
I'm suggesting testing the disc first, so you don't waste
time trying to "patch together" a set of files. If txtsetup.sif
is damaged, how many others are ?
Now, if the disc reads smoothly, all green blocks, all files
100%, then you know the media is good. Then the issue would
be, have any of the files on the disc been modified ?
Paul
S
Seum
Seum said:
I found a page that might contain the solution:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/81839-35-file-txtsetup-corrupt-missing-status-32768
P
Paul
Seum said:
Another thing to consider, is how you're using the CD.
Are you actually booting the computer with the CD, and starting
the install that way ?
The thing is, the error
txtsetup.sif is corrupt or missing - status 256
consists of two parts. The "corrupt or missing" is a generic error
message, generated by the installer. The person writing the
installer, maps virtually any kind of failure to be able to
access the file, as that error message "corrupt or missing".
But the 256 part, is coming from somewhere else. It comes
from the actual file system call.
If the installer was properly written it would say
Installer attempted to open txtsetup.sif
File system returned error 256.
Using ntstatus.h, a 256 error is "the dog ate my homework"
In other words, as a software designer, you're supposed to look
up the 256 number, in the appropriate header file, and print
the resulting string. The header file does *not* say
"corrupt or missing" for error 256, 4096, 32768, etc.
There are real error messages, with real meanings in the
header file, which could be useful to humans receiving
the error message. Whenever I wrote error dialogs at
work, I would pass the errnum and string to the user,
to aid in debugging. Not everyone does that.
Because I'm not a Windows programmer, I don't know which
header files would be appropriate to search. I have a
copy of ntstatus.h here, but that isn't the one to look
in, for the 256 error. It's gotta be some other .h file.
Maybe if I still had a DJGPP install on here, I'd have
a copy of it.
*******
When you install the OS, there are several distinct stages.
I don't know these in enough detail to do a good job, but
it goes something like this.
1) First boot. CD boots and attempts to load drivers for virtually
any kind of hardware. This is for the purpose of getting
the installer to start.
2) Installer copies files to hard drive. I don't really know whether
it uses a manifest to do it, whether it only copies things
relevant to the hardware or whatever.
3) Eventually, the info copied to the hard drive is going to be
used to boot the computer. And perhaps, even before the
installation is completely finished.
4) You're asked to reboot several times. Maybe you didn't set
the boot order right. If the CD boots again, and finds a hard
drive with a half finished install, the CD may be clever enough
to do the right thing. If the CD isn't clever enough, your
installation process can loop and start over again. If there is
a poorly written installer, knowing when to change the boot
order, can be important to finishing the install.
5) Somewhere along the way, the issue of "press f6 and add driver"
comes along. The BIOS has its own hard disk drivers, the INT 0x13
stuff. At some point, on every boot, the BIOS hands over control
to the OS, and then the OS (even the installer CD can be considered
to have a mini-OS on it) uses its drivers. If you needed drivers,
and didn't install them via F6, sooner or later an attempt to boot
will be met with "inaccessible boot volume". If your disk controller
in the BIOS is set to AHCI, and you're installing WinXP, you're going
to need to install via adding a driver at the F6 prompt.
Now, if you had some Windows OS already running, inserted the WinXP CD
and tried to install from there, you're going to get different results
than if you boot the computer with the WinXP CD.
You've already displayed a weird sense of humor, when it comes to
trying to install, so there are many possibilities to consider.
When I suggest "scanning the CD", that's because I believe you've
booted from the CD and the install process broke. If you've come
up with some other creative way to attempt installation, then
there may be other explanations for
txtsetup.sif is corrupt or missing
If you were running Windows 7, shoved the WinXP CD into the tray,
and tried to install from there, I don't see the outcome of doing
it that way, to be very productive. At the very least, you're likely
to ruin the Windows 7 install in some way.
If you start with:
1) A single blank hard drive, connected to a disk controller in
the computer.
2) Boot the computer using the WinXP install CD
the odds are much greater of finishing the install, and without
surprises.
Once you've succeeded in doing the most basic kind of install,
then you can graduate to some of the more creative options.
Paul
S
Seum
Paul said:
Again Paul, my thanks
The XP CD came in a flimsy envelope. I moved it into a strong plastic
enclosure and didn't bother with the envelope. Today I came across the
envelope again and found some interesting info on the back. I scanned it
and my Omnipage SE did a great job of providing what you see below.
Here it is:
"Restoring with Product Recovery-CD - ENG (<-- presumably English)
The following instructions are only required in the case of a
malfunction, e.g. if the PC can no longer be started. You need an
appropriate Fujitsu Siemens PC with CD-ROM drive and a Recovery-CD To
install Windows you need the product key. This is available as a sticker
on your system unit.
Save important data to a backup medium before you restore the hard disk
contents.
Proceed as follows when restoring Windows:
• Restart the PC.
• Call the BIOS Setup e, g. by pressing the key F2(see the BIOS Setup
description, normally provided on CD-ROM).
• In the Boot Sequence field define the following sequence in which the
system BIOS searches the drives for system fifes:
1. ATAPI CD-ROM drive (it similar
2. Hard disk drive or similar
3. Floppy disk drive / removable devices or similar
• Save the changes and terminate BIOS Setup.
• Insert the Recovery-CD and follow the instructions on the screen.
• After having installed Windows call the BIOS Setup.
• In the Boot Sequence field define the following sequence in which the
system BIOS searches the drives for system files:
1. Floppy disk drive or similar
2. Hard disk drive or similar
3. ATAPI CD-ROM drive / removable devices or similar
• Install the drivers and programs as described below.
After the installation you must install all the other drivers and
programs again. Some installed hardware components will not be correctly
supported until this has been done. For this purpose use the CDs
provided (e. g. "Drivers & Utilities" or "Utility-CD-ROM") and any other
floppy disks."
Hopefully it will lead somewhere.
Yesterday I noticed that you made a post: 30 July 2011 8.25 PM and I
made one at 30 July 2011 8.30 PM. That suggests that we may be living in
the same time zone, or one of our computers has a bad clock. Which is
it?
Have a great weekend
S
Seum
Paul said:
Yes, I was booting from my CD and it was going very well until it hit
that txtsetup.sif problem.
Funny!
I noticed that and it took several minutes before it hit that .sif file
Maybe I should save the CD contents to the hard disk and then try from
there?
I never got that far.
I'll check the boot order next time. Which order do you suggest?
Good advice.
What about a single blank partition? If I don't get an installation
soon, I'll just have to erase the Seagate drive.
Yeah, like chasing a few women
Thanks again, and again!
P
Paul
Seum said:Again Paul, my thanks
The XP CD came in a flimsy envelope. I moved it into a strong plastic
enclosure and didn't bother with the envelope. Today I came across the
envelope again and found some interesting info on the back. I scanned it
and my Omnipage SE did a great job of providing what you see below.
Here it is:
"Restoring with Product Recovery-CD - ENG (<-- presumably English)
The following instructions are only required in the case of a
malfunction, e.g. if the PC can no longer be started. You need an
appropriate Fujitsu Siemens PC with CD-ROM drive and a Recovery-CD To
install Windows you need the product key. This is available as a sticker
on your system unit.
Save important data to a backup medium before you restore the hard disk
contents.
Proceed as follows when restoring Windows:
• Restart the PC.
• Call the BIOS Setup e, g. by pressing the key F2(see the BIOS Setup
description, normally provided on CD-ROM).
• In the Boot Sequence field define the following sequence in which
the system BIOS searches the drives for system fifes:
1. ATAPI CD-ROM drive (it similar
2. Hard disk drive or similar
3. Floppy disk drive / removable devices or similar
• Save the changes and terminate BIOS Setup.
• Insert the Recovery-CD and follow the instructions on the screen.
• After having installed Windows call the BIOS Setup.
• In the Boot Sequence field define the following sequence in which
the system BIOS searches the drives for system files:
1. Floppy disk drive or similar
2. Hard disk drive or similar
3. ATAPI CD-ROM drive / removable devices or similar
• Install the drivers and programs as described below.
After the installation you must install all the other drivers and
programs again. Some installed hardware components will not be correctly
supported until this has been done. For this purpose use the CDs
provided (e. g. "Drivers & Utilities" or "Utility-CD-ROM") and any other
floppy disks."
Hopefully it will lead somewhere.
Yesterday I noticed that you made a post: 30 July 2011 8.25 PM and I
made one at 30 July 2011 8.30 PM. That suggests that we may be living in
the same time zone, or one of our computers has a bad clock. Which is
it?
Have a great weekend
"Product Recovery-CD
You need an appropriate Fujitsu Siemens PC with CD-ROM drive and a Recovery-CD"
In some cases, it's true that the CD that comes with the PC, is a real
installer CD. But for the majority of PCs, those CDs restore an image
of the OS, rather than being true promiscuous installers.
I don't have the experience will all manner of those things, to be
able to tell you which ones are "real" CDs, and which ones that
are only going to work on the branded machine in question.
With a "recovery CD", generally the idea is, there is no "activation
step". That's because the restoration process, checks some detail
of the PC, to ascertain the branding of the PC, and whether the CD
is appropriate. The installer on the CD won't run, unless the
right computer is detected.
Such a PC (a branded PC like a Dell or a Fujitsu Seimens), comes
with a license key (COA) sticker adhering to the PC. That is not
needed, if the accompanying Windows installation is used. If you
use the Recovery CD, the idea is, you don't have to enter anything.
After all, it's just putting an image back, and the image could
already have the appropriate licensing details entered and then
the OS sealed.
Now, with that PC, if you lose the Recovery CD, you can still
use the license key on the sticker. If you can find the right
kind of installer CD (maybe, like the OEM one I bought from NCIX),
you could do an OEM install, then enter the key off the license
sticker, and then have to activate with Microsoft. Maybe it
would take a phone call, but if you explained you were using
the license key off the Fujitsu Seimens, along with a regular
unbranded OEM CD, the person on the other end of the line would
complete the activation sequence for you.
So branded PCs come with two license options. The Recovery image,
the one on the CD they provide (or have you burn), has its own
branded OEM specific key internal to it. But if, at any point,
you have the hard drive fail, the Recovery CD is lost, the
manufacturer has no more Recovery CDs for sale, you still have
the second option, of using the license key on the COA sticker,
plus a regular OEM installation CD.
*******
Now, let's review what you've got. A non-Fujitsu Seimens computer,
with no COA sticker on the outside. Depending on what is on that
CD, it could be a regular Windows installer CD. Or, it could be
just an image, which will be restored. If it's Fujitsu Seimens
specific, and looks for some kind of tattoo info, it's not
going to work. If it is a regular installer CD, then you'll need
a key, and you have no COA at the moment. Your seller may be
willing to "provide you some numbers", like a 25 character sequence,
but the thing is, it's likely a Volume License Key (VLK) which
belongs to some big company. VLK licenses which "escape" into
the wild, may be disabled by Microsoft, and at some point you
then discover your install is no longer "genuine". If you report
the seller to Microsoft, you may have the option of buying a
replacement license key. I don't know if they do that with an
OS that is no longer for sale or not. Maybe they'd just tell
you to go with Windows 7.
I wouldn't have thought, if the CD was an "image", that it
would be using txtsetup.sif in the regular way. But the
question I'd want to clear up first, is whether there is
any way the activation is going to work on this install
or not. No sense doing all sorts of tricks to get the files
onto the computer, if in three days time, WinXP stops working
because of activation. You want a license key, and preferably
something that isn't going to get flagged by Microsoft at
an inopportune time.
Also, I'm not aware of any web site, that "validates" license
keys, or warns you that you have a disabled VLK. You can
try the key your seller gives you, have it fail or whatever,
and talk to Microsoft. But I can't promise you what the outcome
will be. You probably don't need another copy of Windows 7
If Microsoft goes after anyone, it'll be the seller's details
they'll be after. And generally, legal action occurs when
the seller racks up $500K in sales or so. They like to nab
the big fish, and fry them...
Maybe "(e-mail address removed)" will have a few sage words
to say, on what your options are at this point.
Paul
S
Seum
Paul said:"Product Recovery-CD
You need an appropriate Fujitsu Siemens PC with CD-ROM drive and a
Recovery-CD"
In some cases, it's true that the CD that comes with the PC, is a real
installer CD. But for the majority of PCs, those CDs restore an image
of the OS, rather than being true promiscuous installers.
I don't have the experience will all manner of those things, to be
able to tell you which ones are "real" CDs, and which ones that
are only going to work on the branded machine in question.
With a "recovery CD", generally the idea is, there is no "activation
step". That's because the restoration process, checks some detail
of the PC, to ascertain the branding of the PC, and whether the CD
is appropriate. The installer on the CD won't run, unless the
right computer is detected.
Such a PC (a branded PC like a Dell or a Fujitsu Seimens), comes
with a license key (COA) sticker adhering to the PC. That is not
needed, if the accompanying Windows installation is used. If you
use the Recovery CD, the idea is, you don't have to enter anything.
After all, it's just putting an image back, and the image could
already have the appropriate licensing details entered and then
the OS sealed.
Now, with that PC, if you lose the Recovery CD, you can still
use the license key on the sticker. If you can find the right
kind of installer CD (maybe, like the OEM one I bought from NCIX),
you could do an OEM install, then enter the key off the license
sticker, and then have to activate with Microsoft. Maybe it
would take a phone call, but if you explained you were using
the license key off the Fujitsu Seimens, along with a regular
unbranded OEM CD, the person on the other end of the line would
complete the activation sequence for you.
So branded PCs come with two license options. The Recovery image,
the one on the CD they provide (or have you burn), has its own
branded OEM specific key internal to it. But if, at any point,
you have the hard drive fail, the Recovery CD is lost, the
manufacturer has no more Recovery CDs for sale, you still have
the second option, of using the license key on the COA sticker,
plus a regular OEM installation CD.
*******
Now, let's review what you've got. A non-Fujitsu Seimens computer,
with no COA sticker on the outside. Depending on what is on that
CD, it could be a regular Windows installer CD. Or, it could be
just an image, which will be restored. If it's Fujitsu Seimens
specific, and looks for some kind of tattoo info, it's not
going to work. If it is a regular installer CD, then you'll need
a key, and you have no COA at the moment. Your seller may be
willing to "provide you some numbers", like a 25 character sequence,
but the thing is, it's likely a Volume License Key (VLK) which
belongs to some big company. VLK licenses which "escape" into
the wild, may be disabled by Microsoft, and at some point you
then discover your install is no longer "genuine". If you report
the seller to Microsoft, you may have the option of buying a
replacement license key. I don't know if they do that with an
OS that is no longer for sale or not. Maybe they'd just tell
you to go with Windows 7.
I wouldn't have thought, if the CD was an "image", that it
would be using txtsetup.sif in the regular way. But the
question I'd want to clear up first, is whether there is
any way the activation is going to work on this install
or not. No sense doing all sorts of tricks to get the files
onto the computer, if in three days time, WinXP stops working
because of activation. You want a license key, and preferably
something that isn't going to get flagged by Microsoft at
an inopportune time.
Also, I'm not aware of any web site, that "validates" license
keys, or warns you that you have a disabled VLK. You can
try the key your seller gives you, have it fail or whatever,
and talk to Microsoft. But I can't promise you what the outcome
will be. You probably don't need another copy of Windows 7
If Microsoft goes after anyone, it'll be the seller's details
they'll be after. And generally, legal action occurs when
the seller racks up $500K in sales or so. They like to nab
the big fish, and fry them...
Maybe "(e-mail address removed)" will have a few sage words
to say, on what your options are at this point.
Paul
Once more Paul, I thank you. You are a martyr
I have read the info on the rear of the XP CD (or DVD) envelope and used
the boot sequence they indicated. Not unexpectedly I got nowhere, not
even to the point I was at the last time I tried, when it was really
into the installing when it hit the .sif and stopped.
Thanks for all your suggestions. Now I am at a point when my inclination
is to return both the ASUS board and the XP CD.
I started playing with computers and Windows in the middle 1980s. First,
there was Win 3, next 3.1, next NT, next Win2K. I have had more problems
with my present setup than ALL the others put together. I may move up to
Vista next.
My thanks to all who helped me.
P
Pennywise
From: FileInfo Feedback <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2011 09:18:02 -0500
Thanks for your suggestion! I added Notepad and other text editors to the
..SIF entry here:
http://www.fileinfo.com/extension/sif
Thanks,
Steve M.
www.fileinfo.com
S
Seum
Thanks Steve.
Paul mentioned recently that many of the XP Cds are often made for
Fujitsu - Siemens computers. He was right, as usual
The littlemanual that came with my CD had a line on the front cover "For
distribution only with a new PC", indicating that the CDs were for
Fujitsu - Siemens computers. I had missed that, and now I have given up
on these CDs and am returning mine very soon.