XP Startup failure.... can someone offer something I haven't already tried??

[Robert]

I have an older Gateway 600MHz P4 (original OS=98SE). I upgraded the system
to XP Pro (after months of weekends @ uninstalling incompatible 98
software/drivers, etc etc etc). Sound card still didn't work. I ordered a
new updated CD from Creative to me up and running in that department. I
went to install it all last night and XP wouldn't even start, not even in
safe mode. It worked fine last week. I get didfferent errors. The first
error was "isapnp.sys is missing or corrupted". It said run setup repair to
attempt repair/replacement of file. Setup won't run. It says "setupdd.sys
could not be loaded. Error code 4". I tried starting in safe mode and it
locks up loading at Windows\AppPatch\drvmain.sdb. I have tried "all" the F8
startups to no avail. I have tried to boot with the XP install CD.
Somewhere in all this I also got "pci.sys is missing or corrupted". I also
got this pci.sys message weeks ago soon after the initial upgrade; however I
was able to get into XP and delete the corrupted pci.sys to get another
installed and then things ran fine. The Quantum Fireball HD tests fine.
Can I, should I, make a boot floppy to copy these files over? If so, just
boot to cmd.com?? ANY IDEAS OUT THERE WOULD BE A GODSEND. MTIA.

Robert

 

[Black Baptist]

Robert rambled on in microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support:

I have an older Gateway 600MHz P4 (original OS=98SE). I upgraded the
system to XP Pro (after months of weekends @ uninstalling incompatible
98 software/drivers, etc etc etc). Sound card still didn't work. I
ordered a new updated CD from Creative to me up and running in that
department. I went to install it all last night and XP wouldn't even
start, not even in safe mode. It worked fine last week. I get
didfferent errors. The first error was "isapnp.sys is missing or
corrupted". It said run setup repair to attempt repair/replacement of
file. Setup won't run. It says "setupdd.sys could not be loaded.
Error code 4". I tried starting in safe mode and it locks up loading at
Windows\AppPatch\drvmain.sdb. I have tried "all" the F8 startups to no
avail. I have tried to boot with the XP install CD. Somewhere in all
this I also got "pci.sys is missing or corrupted". I also got this
pci.sys message weeks ago soon after the initial upgrade; however I was
able to get into XP and delete the corrupted pci.sys to get another
installed and then things ran fine. The Quantum Fireball HD tests fine.
Can I, should I, make a boot floppy to copy these files over? If so,
just boot to cmd.com?? ANY IDEAS OUT THERE WOULD BE A GODSEND. MTIA.

Robert

Try another cd-rom drive