[Davedavedavedave]

First of all, thanks for any help you can give me.

I went away for a couple of days with a fully functioning desktop, and came back today to one that didn't work. This is my girlfriend's computer, so I'm not exactly sure of the history, but I know it's functioned fine to date, aside from a small disk formatting problem a few weeks which was fixed by a simple tool.

Basically, I can't get windows xp to start at all. There's two versions installed, and it gives a choice each time the comp starts, but I've never had cause to use the second- either way, neither works.

[Sorry for typing out everything, I just don't want to leave anything out.]

The main one brings this text screen:

[...]Windows did not start successfully. A recent hardware or software change may have caused this.

If your computer stopped respondingm restarted unexpectedly, or was automatically shut down to protect your files and folders, choose Last Known Good Configuration to revert to the most recent settings that worked.

If a previous startup attempt was interrupted due to a power failure or because the power or reset button was pressed, or if you aren't sure what caused the problem, choose Start Windows Normally.

Then I'm given the following options:

Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt

Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked

Start Windows Normally

Each of the Safe Mode choices brings up a string of, I guess, commands at the bottom of the same screen:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe

And in the same system32 folder:

hal.dll
KDCOM.DLL
BOOTVID.dll
\config\system
c_1252.nls
c_437.nls
L_intl.nls

Back to the windows folder:

\Windows\fonts\vgaoem.fon
\Windows\AppPatch\drvmain.sdb

Then in system32\drivers:

pci.sys
isapnp.sys
intelide.sys
PCIIDEX.SYS
MountMgr.sys
ftdisk.sys
PartMgr.sys
atapi.sys
sr.sys
PxHelp20.sys
KSecDD.sys
Ntfs.sys
NDIS.sys

Then it restarts.

The other two options are easier, they just have a little progress bar that moves for a minute, freezes, then restarts after about ten minutes.

------------------------------------

So I tried to repair Windows from the disc, using the tutorial on this site, but as it's repairing it tells me it cannot delete a number of files:

Setup cannot delete the file: 3CDMINIC.EXE

This error will not prevent Setup from completing successfully.

* to skip deleting this file, press ESC.
* to retry deleting this file, press Enter.
* to quit Setup, press F3.

I have to skip.

The same thing happens for:
alert_1.gro
BCAITDI.SYS
BCAMHWAC.DLL
cabr.exe
daas_td.dll
dx3r.exe
dxar.exe
fail_1.gro
gen_1.gro
jdbc.exe
ka_1.gro
license.txt
mba_1.gro
NIC-3Com.MIB
oakley.dll
OEMSETUP.INF
partno
raschap.dll
readme.txt
rwu.gro
std_1.gro
UNDMINT.EXE
UNDMIW2K.EXE
imeskdic.dll
imeskf.dll
multibox.dll
sotkey.dll
imeskdic.dic
hwxjpn.dll

Then, finally, it fails when this happens:

Setup cannot create the folder:

\WINDOWS\Media

Setup cannot continue until the folder is created.

I can't get this to work, so I'm forced to quit.

It's very important that I get this computer up and running without losing any data- it has a lot of stuff that can't be replicated (I know, always back up...). I'd be massively, hugely, "wow, that's big"ly grateful for any help.

[Advertisements]

You will be able to run this on the computer if you can use another one to download and save to a disc, floppy or CDR

It's possible that a memory error is causing this

Click this for a guide to using Memtest

Click this to download Memtest

Run it overnight if possible

[Retired Tech]

You will be able to run this on the computer if you can use another one to download and save to a disc, floppy or CDR

It's possible that a memory error is causing this

Click this for a guide to using Memtest

Click this to download Memtest

Run it overnight if possible

[Davedavedavedave]

Thank you very much, I'm downloading it now.

[Davedavedavedave]

I ran 50+ tests and it passed them all. Is that a good or bad sign?

[Retired Tech]

Good in one way, though nothing to change the install

If you have two CD ROM drives in the PC try using that, check the disc is spotless, or try using another disc, using the product key for the PC is the important thing

[Davedavedavedave]

Well we can't find the other copy of windows, but the one we were using looks perfect but it still won't work. I'm not sure how I'd get it to boot from the second CD drive though.

Is there anything it could be aside from memory or a scuffed CD?

Thanks.

[Retired Tech]

Have you opened a PC case before

[Davedavedavedave]

Yes.

[Retired Tech]

Unplug any printers, scanners, remove the USB leads for them, leave it so you only have the monitor and keyboard and mouse plugged in to the tower

Remove the soundcard and all but one memory stick, you can remove the video card as well if you also have onboard graphics

Try the repair then

Another option is to install this hard drive as the slave drive in a working PC, transfer the data from the slave drive to the working PC, then put the drive back in its own PC and format the drive

[Davedavedavedave]

Thanks, I'll try that.

[Retired Tech]

If you need to install the drive as a slave drive, double check the data is on the other PC and check it after you have saved it to CDR / DVDR discs