reinstalling XP using OEM CD or help with corrupt files needed for bootup

  • Thread starter Thread starter CC
  • Start date Start date
C

CC

Hi. I urgently need some accurate info on reinstallation
of Windows XP Home OEM version (with service pack 1)or
help with corrupt files stopping bootup happening.

I have installed XP before, but on that occasion, I
formatted the hard drive and had a clean install. For
some reason as I was loading some HP printer driver
software, I had a message that some unknown files were
being loaded and in order to keep the system stable, I
should pop in my OEM CD, which I did, it accepted it all
fine and everything looked hunkydory, the printer worked
fine etc. BUT, when I rebooted, it came up at startup
that there were files missing or corrupt and to reinstall
them and would go no further.

I have tried booting with the XP OEM CD and it will not do
it, just gives me 3 options - to exit without change, to
reinstall XP or use a repair facility. I have tried the
repair choice, but it just brings up a basic form of DOS.
I cannot get the missing file/s on to the machine, as at
least one is too big for a floppy and the CD reader will
not allow me to remove the XP CD to pop in one with the
missing file/s on it to copy them back into the Windows
system 32 directory.

So, right at the minute I am stuck with wondering if I am
going to have to reinstall XP from the OEM CD and, if so,
whether it will wipe all the important data on my machine,
along with the drivers, software and so forth. I know
previous versions of Windows do not do this, but I have
been told that XP does. So, if there is anyone out there
who really can tell me definitively one way or the other
about this, I would be eternally grateful. OR, of there
is something else which can be done which I haven't
mentioned in my babble, then again please do answer!

Many, many thanks in advance!

CC.
 
CC,

Ok, simple questions first :)
- Have you tried LKG? (Last Known Good)
- What were the files that the error said were missing or corrupt?

Missing or Corrupt NTLDR?
If this is the case create an NT Boot floppy & try to boot the
machine
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;131735
If the machine boots replace the boot.ini file on your
%systemroot% (usually C:\) from the NT Boot floppy If
replacing the boot.ini doesn't boot the machine w/out NT Boot floppy then
replace the NTLDR on your %systemroot% from the NT Boot
floppy

Missing or Corrupt NTOSKrnl?
Make the NT Boot floppy (see Missing or Corrupt NTLDR?) & try to
boot the machine
If the If the machine boots replace the NTOSKrnl file on your
%systemroot%\windows\system32 from another Windows XP Home
edition's %systemroot%\windows\system32

***** Please note, to see these files you will need to enable "Show Hidden
Files & Folders" & uncheck "Hide Protected Operating System Files" in Folder
Options (right-click Start button & choose "Explorer", on the Tools menu
select "Folder Options", you will find these settings on the "View" tab). IT
IS RECOMMENDED that you change these settings back after you are done. *****

I'm not following you with the repair process you did, sounds like you got
into the Recovery Console... which is not a bad thing. Unfortunately I do
not believe you would be able to copy these files via the RC, you cannot in
Windows XP Pro (although you can edit the registry to allow copy from
floppy, but again, I'm only sure of this for XP Pro). This is a by-design,
security feature.

If you do not have any success w/ the above you can do an inplace upgrade,
this is a last resort, & ONLY if the "Missing or Corrupt" files are related
to system files, meaning... they are not related to a 3rd party software
package. IF they are related to a I'd product you can use the Recovery
Console to disable drivers or services.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows200...2000/en/server/help/recovery_console_cmds.htm

Best of luck CC
--
Mark R. Wilson, MCSA/MCSE
Enterprise Platform Support
Server Setup

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
 
CC said:
Hi. I urgently need some accurate info on reinstallation
of Windows XP Home OEM version (with service pack 1)or
help with corrupt files stopping bootup happening.

I have installed XP before, but on that occasion, I
formatted the hard drive and had a clean install. For
some reason as I was loading some HP printer driver
software, I had a message that some unknown files were
being loaded and in order to keep the system stable, I
should pop in my OEM CD, which I did, it accepted it all
fine and everything looked hunkydory, the printer worked
fine etc. BUT, when I rebooted, it came up at startup
that there were files missing or corrupt and to reinstall
them and would go no further.

I have tried booting with the XP OEM CD and it will not do
it, just gives me 3 options - to exit without change, to
reinstall XP or use a repair facility. I have tried the
repair choice, but it just brings up a basic form of DOS.
I cannot get the missing file/s on to the machine, as at
least one is too big for a floppy and the CD reader will
not allow me to remove the XP CD to pop in one with the
missing file/s on it to copy them back into the Windows
system 32 directory.

So, right at the minute I am stuck with wondering if I am
going to have to reinstall XP from the OEM CD and, if so,
whether it will wipe all the important data on my machine,
along with the drivers, software and so forth. I know
previous versions of Windows do not do this, but I have
been told that XP does. So, if there is anyone out there
who really can tell me definitively one way or the other
about this, I would be eternally grateful. OR, of there
is something else which can be done which I haven't
mentioned in my babble, then again please do answer!

Many, many thanks in advance!

CC.
Click to expand...

You are on the right track with booting from the XP OEM CD and
choosing the Install option. A bit further into the process you will
be given the option to "repair the existing install".

See http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm for detailed
instructions and some cautions.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
 
Hi Mark, thanks for the quick reply! I think you are on
the right track....

Okay, first things first, sorry I didn't make myself clear
in the first post. I cannot get as far as a boot up into
either normal mode or even safe mode. The boot fails
right at the start after it has detected the bios listing
info. It comes up with the missing file message at that
point, so there is no chance of restoring back to a last
known good point. :-( Would be easy if that were so! At
this point, as soon as you hit any key, it tries to reboot
again, so I cannot get any further without the XP CD.

I do have another computer running XP Home as well and
looked up a first missing file and through the RC replaced
this via a floppy. Then, it came up missing or corrupt
NTOSKRNL.EXE, which you mentioned. As far as I can tell,
this is one of the very first system files it uses to boot
up. So, I popped this onto a CD as it was too big for a
floppy, but... I have to use the XP CD to boot it up to
the point where it gets to the RC and it will not let me
remove the XP CD from the drive to put in the one with the
needed file, so at the moment I am stumped... If you know
a way of compressing a 1.8M file down onto a normal floppy
which the RC's basic DOS commands can open, then please
tell me about it! (I am not a great DOS worker, just do
the basic stuff normally needed.)

I was told by a technician in our computer centre that OEM
software versions wipe out the contents of the hard drive
on installation, as they are designed to go onto a clear
HD, so don't need to worry about picking up on what is
already there. I desperately need to know whether this is
the case, as there is going to be a lot of important stuff
going missing if I get it wrong and it will be a pain to
renstall and reset it all up as it is the main computer of
a small network. <GROAN!> I am at present working off a
laptop runnung XP Pro, which is the only other computer
set up for internet access. The one gone wrong - which is
the newest apart from this laptop! - is the broadband
server for the network. :-((

I am right in thinking that even if I could make a boot
disk from the other XP machine, it would not work, as the
BOOT.INI file would contain incorrect info, yes? I have
floppy startup disks for 95, 98 and ME, but not XP, as it
takes great pains in telling you that the XP CD is the
boot disk - but it won't actually boot right into Windows
with it which seems odd to me. Just gets to the point of
the three choices described in my first post.

What exactly do you mean by an "inplace upgrade"? I am
fairly sure that the corrupt/missing files are system
files, as it seems the logical conclusion. What is so odd
is that I did nothing abnormal, was just loading a driver
(the correct version) and this happened... I am a pretty
well versed computer person, but this caught me unawares.

So, if there is anything else you or anyone else can
offer, then I look forward to hearing it and say thanks
for anything of help.

Regards,

CC.
 
Hi Ron.

Thanks for the link to that article. It goes some way
towards pointing me in the right direction except that it
presumes that I am able to get to Windows and back up all
my files which isn't the case at all. Any work done must
be from basic DOS type commands in the Recovery Console.
I really could do with some help on how to use the BOOTCFG
function, too, as there are several options for its use in
the RC! (A lot of different commands tacked onto the
endof your command.)

It does also tell me what I lose if I have to reistall.
Not looking good for me if I have to use this option.

Thanks again.

CC.
 
CC said:
Hi Ron.

Thanks for the link to that article. It goes some way
towards pointing me in the right direction except that it
presumes that I am able to get to Windows and back up all
my files which isn't the case at all. Any work done must
be from basic DOS type commands in the Recovery Console.
I really could do with some help on how to use the BOOTCFG
function, too, as there are several options for its use in
the RC! (A lot of different commands tacked onto the
endof your command.)

It does also tell me what I lose if I have to reistall.
Not looking good for me if I have to use this option.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

A "repair install" will normally preserve all of your installed
applications, user data files, and program configuration settings. It
is only the Windows Updates that need to be reinstalled afterwards,
provided everything goes well.

Backing up your user data files is a precaution only, based on the
oten-proven principle that Murphy (of Murphy's Law) was an optimist.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
 
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