Symsnap.sys driver missing or corrupt

[Guest]

A staff member trialling (without my permission) Windows Vista Beta 2 on a
company provided Notebook has installed it without first uninstalling Norton
Systemworks 2006 Premier. Using the Norton Removal solution Systemworks now
appears to be gone, however upon restarting the following message appears:

Windows failed to load because a critical system driver is missing, or
corrupt.

Status: 0xc000000f

File: \windows\system32\drivers\symsnap.sys

It then suggests using system recovery cd to repair the problem, however the
only option available (due apparently to system restore being deactivated) is
a clean install which will obviously erase all files and folders. This system
contains data critical to the operation of our business, and as such this is
not an option.

Is there a way to reinstall the missing driver file (without Norton
remaining part of the system in any way which will cause harm) and if so, am
I right to assume the file is on the Norton Systemworks disc, or is it on the
Windows Vista Beta 2 disc?

Thank you in advance for any assistance you may be able to offer.

 

[Mark D. VandenBeg]

A staff member trialling (without my permission) Windows Vista Beta 2 on a
company provided Notebook has installed it without first uninstalling
Norton
Systemworks 2006 Premier. Using the Norton Removal solution Systemworks
now
appears to be gone, however upon restarting the following message appears:

Windows failed to load because a critical system driver is missing, or
corrupt.

Status: 0xc000000f

File: \windows\system32\drivers\symsnap.sys

It then suggests using system recovery cd to repair the problem, however
the
only option available (due apparently to system restore being deactivated)
is
a clean install which will obviously erase all files and folders. This
system
contains data critical to the operation of our business, and as such this
is
not an option.

Is there a way to reinstall the missing driver file (without Norton
remaining part of the system in any way which will cause harm) and if so,
am
I right to assume the file is on the Norton Systemworks disc, or is it on
the
Windows Vista Beta 2 disc?

Thank you in advance for any assistance you may be able to offer.

Since the actual name of the file starts with "sym" this is most likely from
Symantec. It may be on the installation disc or you may be able to copy it
from another computer that has Norton SystemWorks Premier installed. But
this is no guaranty, either. It may get past this error and move on to the
next one, ad infinitem.

The best solution would be to have this employee go down to the local
computer store, purchase (with his or her own money) an adaptor kit that
allows a notebook harddrive to be used externally, install the hosed hard
drive in the kit and then spend evenings and weekends recovering the data.
Then, wipe the drive, put it back in the notebook and re-image it.

 

[Bernie]

I vote for solution 2 and add that all other staff should be present and
watching when you tell him what is needed.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Does it boot into Safe Mode?

 

[Guest]

No it cannot boot into safe mode.

 

[Michael Cecil]

No it cannot boot into safe mode.

Then your course of action is to put that harddrive into another, working,
machine and copy your data that needs preserving. Then I'd put the drive
back and wipe and reinstall XP or whatever and restore the data.

I'm surprised it won't boot in safe mode though. I tried removing the
various Symantec driver files from an XP machine with NSW 2006 and it had
no problem booting into safe mode. But it didn't have the Vista upgrade.