E
Eric Schmenk
I've got a complicated problem that I've been unable to resolve. I think
there is a corrupted file that prevents me from log in to be able to use
system restore. I could reinstall, but I'm nervous about doing that. For
one thing, my latest backup isn't that current (naturally).
I've got a dual-boot system with Windows 98SE (works OK) and Windows XP Home
SP2 installed on an NTFS partition. A couple of nights ago, I got some
notifications (from something in the system tray) that some file was
corrupted and I needed to run scandisk or chkdsk. Unfortunately, I don't
remember the file's name, other than it was a DLL. I'm not sure, but I
thought the messages were coming from both the Google desktop search and the
Microsoft system security tray icons. I ran chkdsk about three times, but it
always said it could not continue (without explanation) when it completed
the second phase. I thought I had seen that before, and that if I rebooted
then chkdsk would run and fix things.
I shut down for the night and restarted the computer the next day. I wasn't
paying much attention, but I didn't notice chkdsk running. I have a
password, and when I entered it I got the message: "The system cannot log
you on now because the domain [my computer's name] is", with "is" being the
last word in the message. (It doesn't say "... is not available"!) If I
click OK, I go back to the login screen, and get a message about resetting
the password (if I forgot it). I tried that (even though I didn't forget my
password) but it didn't help. The computer has never been in a domain.
Giving the 3-fingered salute twice brings up an older-style log-in box, with
a "More options" button, but clicking it does nothing. Trying to log in
using that box does the same thing. Rebooting into safe mode (with or
without networking) results in the same thing for both the Administrator and
my account. Disconnecting the network makes no difference.
Another thing I noticed is that as soon as the normal XP boot item is
selected from the boot menu, a white band appears at the bottom of the
screen for about one second before the XP splash screen comes up. I don't
remember seeing that before, but that could be normal. Also, the computer
stays on the "Windows is starting" screen for a long time before the log-in
screen comes up, as if it is searching for a domain to connect to. I'll
point out that the nework card is connected (via cable) to a Wireless
router. A laptop (Windows ME) also connects to the router using wireless
over a home network (no domain!) and there is a DSL modem too.
I've run recovery console (several times) off my install CD (which is SP1).
If I run chkdsk (no options) on the Win XP drive it says everything's fine
so it didn't check. Chkdsk /p says it found one or more errors. Chkdsk /p
again (immediately after) says it finished (nothing about errors, so I
assumed it fixed everything the first time). Rebooting and trying to log in
to normal XP still results in the "... domain is" problem. Returning back
to the recovery console results in: chkdsk (no options) says everything's
fine; chkdsk /p says it found one or more errors (again!); chkdsk /p a
second time says it found no errors; chkdsk /p /r says it found and fixed
errors (chkdsk /p never specifically said it fixed anything, but there isn't
any option to not fix errors it found); reboot, try to log in, "... the
domain is"!!!!! Reboot; recovery console; chkdsk /p found one or more
errors. This is getting really frustrating!
As I said, the computer is dual-boot. I can use Win 98 SE with no problems.
Both chkdsk (recovery console) and scandisk found no errors (on the FAT
drive), so I don't think I've got a hardware problem. I installed the free
"NTFS for Windows 98 v2.0 Read-Only" driver from sysinternals. The XP
partition looks OK at first glance. The hidden System Volume Information
folder looks like it has some recent system restore checkpoints in it, but I
don't know how to get to System Restore if I can't even log in using safe
mode. However, their NTFSCHK replacement for dskchk throws an exception
every time I try to use it. (I assume that if it is included in the free
version it is supposed to work even though the free version is read-only.)
Anyway, I could really use some help here.
I can't for the life of me understand why Win XP thinks it's in a domain.
I'm not even sure you can connect XP Home to a domain. But I need to log
in. Are there some dll's that I need to copy to overwrite something that
got corrupted? Is there some setting somewhere? If so, how do I fix it if
I can't get to regedit?
I don't know how to use recovery console very well. This is my first time.
But it seems very limited in what it can do. Should I be trying to do more?
I see that I can disable services for example, but what could be making XP
Home think it's in a domain that would be running before I log in, yet
wasn't absolutely required?
What is chkdsk doing? If it found "one or more errors" did it fix them?
What were they? Are they the same each time? AFAIK, the way to find out
(perhaps) is to use the event viewer, which I can't access! Is there
another way?
I'm using an older XP install CD (SP1), and I'm leery about using it with XP
SP2. Particularly if I was going to reinstall XP over the top, I think I
might be better off slipstreaming SP2 on top of it, which I might (?) be
able to do using Win 98 SE (I have a burner). That's something I've not
really looked into, but any feedback would be helpful. Normally that's
something a sysop (not a home user) would do, but I'm a fairly advanced home
user. I'd be surprised if my problems with chkdsk could be SP2 related, but
I don't know.
Thanks for any help.
Eric
there is a corrupted file that prevents me from log in to be able to use
system restore. I could reinstall, but I'm nervous about doing that. For
one thing, my latest backup isn't that current (naturally).
I've got a dual-boot system with Windows 98SE (works OK) and Windows XP Home
SP2 installed on an NTFS partition. A couple of nights ago, I got some
notifications (from something in the system tray) that some file was
corrupted and I needed to run scandisk or chkdsk. Unfortunately, I don't
remember the file's name, other than it was a DLL. I'm not sure, but I
thought the messages were coming from both the Google desktop search and the
Microsoft system security tray icons. I ran chkdsk about three times, but it
always said it could not continue (without explanation) when it completed
the second phase. I thought I had seen that before, and that if I rebooted
then chkdsk would run and fix things.
I shut down for the night and restarted the computer the next day. I wasn't
paying much attention, but I didn't notice chkdsk running. I have a
password, and when I entered it I got the message: "The system cannot log
you on now because the domain [my computer's name] is", with "is" being the
last word in the message. (It doesn't say "... is not available"!) If I
click OK, I go back to the login screen, and get a message about resetting
the password (if I forgot it). I tried that (even though I didn't forget my
password) but it didn't help. The computer has never been in a domain.
Giving the 3-fingered salute twice brings up an older-style log-in box, with
a "More options" button, but clicking it does nothing. Trying to log in
using that box does the same thing. Rebooting into safe mode (with or
without networking) results in the same thing for both the Administrator and
my account. Disconnecting the network makes no difference.
Another thing I noticed is that as soon as the normal XP boot item is
selected from the boot menu, a white band appears at the bottom of the
screen for about one second before the XP splash screen comes up. I don't
remember seeing that before, but that could be normal. Also, the computer
stays on the "Windows is starting" screen for a long time before the log-in
screen comes up, as if it is searching for a domain to connect to. I'll
point out that the nework card is connected (via cable) to a Wireless
router. A laptop (Windows ME) also connects to the router using wireless
over a home network (no domain!) and there is a DSL modem too.
I've run recovery console (several times) off my install CD (which is SP1).
If I run chkdsk (no options) on the Win XP drive it says everything's fine
so it didn't check. Chkdsk /p says it found one or more errors. Chkdsk /p
again (immediately after) says it finished (nothing about errors, so I
assumed it fixed everything the first time). Rebooting and trying to log in
to normal XP still results in the "... domain is" problem. Returning back
to the recovery console results in: chkdsk (no options) says everything's
fine; chkdsk /p says it found one or more errors (again!); chkdsk /p a
second time says it found no errors; chkdsk /p /r says it found and fixed
errors (chkdsk /p never specifically said it fixed anything, but there isn't
any option to not fix errors it found); reboot, try to log in, "... the
domain is"!!!!! Reboot; recovery console; chkdsk /p found one or more
errors. This is getting really frustrating!
As I said, the computer is dual-boot. I can use Win 98 SE with no problems.
Both chkdsk (recovery console) and scandisk found no errors (on the FAT
drive), so I don't think I've got a hardware problem. I installed the free
"NTFS for Windows 98 v2.0 Read-Only" driver from sysinternals. The XP
partition looks OK at first glance. The hidden System Volume Information
folder looks like it has some recent system restore checkpoints in it, but I
don't know how to get to System Restore if I can't even log in using safe
mode. However, their NTFSCHK replacement for dskchk throws an exception
every time I try to use it. (I assume that if it is included in the free
version it is supposed to work even though the free version is read-only.)
Anyway, I could really use some help here.
I can't for the life of me understand why Win XP thinks it's in a domain.
I'm not even sure you can connect XP Home to a domain. But I need to log
in. Are there some dll's that I need to copy to overwrite something that
got corrupted? Is there some setting somewhere? If so, how do I fix it if
I can't get to regedit?
I don't know how to use recovery console very well. This is my first time.
But it seems very limited in what it can do. Should I be trying to do more?
I see that I can disable services for example, but what could be making XP
Home think it's in a domain that would be running before I log in, yet
wasn't absolutely required?
What is chkdsk doing? If it found "one or more errors" did it fix them?
What were they? Are they the same each time? AFAIK, the way to find out
(perhaps) is to use the event viewer, which I can't access! Is there
another way?
I'm using an older XP install CD (SP1), and I'm leery about using it with XP
SP2. Particularly if I was going to reinstall XP over the top, I think I
might be better off slipstreaming SP2 on top of it, which I might (?) be
able to do using Win 98 SE (I have a burner). That's something I've not
really looked into, but any feedback would be helpful. Normally that's
something a sysop (not a home user) would do, but I'm a fairly advanced home
user. I'd be surprised if my problems with chkdsk could be SP2 related, but
I don't know.
Thanks for any help.
Eric