XP Home System Files

[Guest]

My computer w/XP Home won't boot since XP system files seem to be corrupted.
The XP came installed on the machine so I don't have the XP CD to do a
repair. Is there a way to get around this and not have to do a clean
install? I'd like to save the data on the HD.

Thanks.

 

[Guest]

What brand computer do you have?
Don't you have "a" Recovery CD or set?

 

[Guest]

Dennis,

It is a Toshiba. The Toshiba recovery CD will only do a clean re-install of
XP Home. I want to avoid that since I do not want to reformat the HD. There
is data on the HD I want to save.

Thanks.
Dilip

 

[Guest]

Do you have option of putting HDD in another computer and copy files that way?
Install and configure as a slave drive ie jumper setting and ribbon cable
position. Windows should see it (in My Computer etc.) and then just copy to
HDD or burn to CD. Then restore jumper settings for bad HDD to be master
again and put in original computer. Perform clean install.

Are you positive that is only repair option on Recovery CD?

What model do yuo have? It's a desktop?

 

[Malke]

Dennis,

It is a Toshiba. The Toshiba recovery CD will only do a clean
re-install of
XP Home. I want to avoid that since I do not want to reformat the HD.
There is data on the HD I want to save.

Thanks.
Dilip

This is the joy of only having a "Recovery CD". Borrow a real OEM XP CD
matching your version (probably Home) and boot with it to do the
repair. If no one you know has this, take the machine to a local
professional shop which will have what is needed.

Depending on the error you're getting, you might be able to just go into
Recovery Console and take care of things. Before you go through finding
a real OS disk, see if Toshiba installed the Recovery Console and has
that as an option. It might be on the same boot option menu as Safe
Mode, etc. (press F8 repeatedly at startup).

You can also retrieve your data from a working hard drive even if
Windows won't boot. You can either use a Bart's PE or Knoppix. Here is
information about using Knoppix:

An easy way to retrieve Windows files is to boot with Knoppix, a Linux
distro on a live cd. You will need a computer with two cd drives, one
of which is a cd/dvd-rw OR a usb thumb drive with enough capacity to
hold your data. To get Knoppix, you need a computer with a fast
Internet connection and third-party burning software. Download the
Knoppix .iso from www.knoppix.net and create your bootable cd. Then
boot with it and it will be able to see the Windows files. If you are
using the usb thumb drive, right-click on its icon (on the Desktop) to
get its properties and uncheck the box that says "Read Only". Then
click on it to open it. Note that the default mouse action in the
window manager used by Knoppix (KDE) is a single click to open instead
of the traditional MS Windows' double-click. Otherwise, use the K3b
burning program to burn the files to cd/dvd-r's.

I would retrieve the data before doing anything else.

Malke

 

[Guest]

Malke,
Thanks. That gives me good ideas.
The Toshiba is a notebook, but I am creating a BartPE from an XP
Professional machine that will probably boot the XP Home machine. Then I
will copy all the data to CDs and do a clean install.

Dilip

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Dennis.
Its a notebook and I probably can't install the HDD into another computer.
However, I will make a BartPE boot disk from another computer and that
should boot the Toshiba and give me a chance to rocover the data before a
clean install.

Dilip

 

[Malke]

Malke,
Thanks. That gives me good ideas.
The Toshiba is a notebook, but I am creating a BartPE from an XP
Professional machine that will probably boot the XP Home machine.
Then I will copy all the data to CDs and do a clean install.

Dilip

OK. Good luck and let us know if we can help further.

Cheers,

Malke

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

'Repair' is not the same as 'clean'..

 

[Ron Martell]

Malke,
Thanks. That gives me good ideas.
The Toshiba is a notebook, but I am creating a BartPE from an XP
Professional machine that will probably boot the XP Home machine. Then I
will copy all the data to CDs and do a clean install.

Another option would be to purchase a 2.5 to 3.5 inch hard drive
adapter.

Then you could remove the hard drive from your laptop and install it
temporarily as a second hard drive in a desktop machine.

Good luck

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

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Ron.

Another option would be to purchase a 2.5 to 3.5 inch hard drive
adapter.

Then you could remove the hard drive from your laptop and install it
temporarily as a second hard drive in a desktop machine.

Good luck

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

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Dilip

Try Start, Run, type "sfc /scannow" without
quotes and hit Enter.
Description of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 System File Checker
(Sfc.exe)
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310747

What Toshiba Model do you have?
Does this apply to your computer?
http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/su/su_sc_dtlView.jsp?soid=806477

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
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[Guest]

Gerry
Thanks, but the computer does not boot so I can't run anything at all.

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Dilip

Have you tried a bootdisk?
Boot Disk - Windows XP (Home & Pro) boot disk
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Downright_pages/downrights_bootdisks.htm

How about answering my other question!

What Toshiba Model do you have?
Does this apply to your computer?
http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/su/su_sc_dtlView.jsp?soid=806477

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
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Stourport, Worcs, England
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