[Kat]

I'm going to leave this topic open. However, I removed your reference to downloading an illegal copy of windows in your last post. The suggestions being given to you are legit, and they should be allowed to continue. However, we cannot help you in using an illegal copy.

As stated before, if your copy of windows on your pc is legit, then you can borrow a like CD from someone to do the recovery.

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Have you looked into getting the coot cd for XP from bootdisk.com?

[wannabe1]

Have you looked into getting the coot cd for XP from bootdisk.com?

[Phlegmbot]

Sorry, Kat, I didn't mean to break the rules. When you first deleted the other post, I saw no explanation.

Wannabe: the only "boot disk" bootdisk.com has for burning onto a CD is a "Fresh Install" disk. I do not know what that is or how to utilize it. I do not want to wipe my harddrive. My laptop does not have a floppy drive.

So, two questions:

1. I do now have a disc from a co-worker...but it doesn't say SP1...Just WinXP Home Ed. Was SP1 branded "SP1" only after SP2 came out or does it actually say "SP1" on it??


2. If anyone knows why Jet's suggestion (above) didn't work, please tell me. I put the file onto the CD, but when my computer attmempts to boot from the CD, nothing happens and it moves onto the next thing in the boot order -- which is the HD.

Edited by Phlegmbot, 24 August 2006 - 08:40 AM.

[silverbeard]

Bart's PE is a great tool But you have to have an install disk to Build it. You could try the latest Slax 5.18. It has the drivers to read and write NTFS from a Linux bootable CD. Slax is light (about 200MB) and fast and fits on a mini-CD. But the best way to repair Windows is with Windows software, though a Linux bootable and an extenal storage media are a good way to recover data.

[Phlegmbot]

Thanks, Silverbeard!

I only quite understood about half of what you said (ahem) but, in sum, I think you told me to get a fershlugginer Windows XP Home boot cd.

I have one thanks to a co-worker, but I'm afraid to use it b/c a) I'm uncertain if it's SP1 and b) I was told if I use the wrong version I can eff up my computer.

Thoughts?

Phlegmbot

p.s. cool name, Silverbeard!

Edited by Phlegmbot, 24 August 2006 - 10:15 AM.

[wannabe1]

Ever thought about installing a floppy drive? They're cheap, easy to install, and would really help with this issue. Microsoft has available, a boot floppy set that would get us in to Recovery Console...from there, we could probably get XP running again.

[noahdfear]

Hi Phlegmbot,

When creating a BartPE boot disc, you will be promted for the Windows Installation Files. It is at that point you need to insert your Windows cd. Bart pebuilder will then search all drives for the required files, extract them, and burn them to the boot cd. You then start your dead pc with the BartPE boot disk. Once BartPE is loaded and running, click the Go button>Programs>Accessories>Wordpad. When wordpad opens, click File>Save As and name it winemv32.doc or winemv32.txt, then save in the drive root; Local Disk C:
Click Go>Programs>A43 File Management utility, locate the winemv32 file, right click and rename to winemv32.dll, then cut/paste it to the system32 folder.

Restart and remove the cd (since BartPE is running from cd, the cd cannot be removed until the comp is shut down/restarted).

Please take a few moments to check out the Getting Started and screenshot sections on the BartPE site so that you know what to expect.

[Phlegmbot]

Hi, all.

Sorry for the delay in updating you...

Perhaps I don't understand the concept of creating a BartPE boot disc -- I put the program on it per Jet or someone else's instructions and when the computer tried to boot from it, it found nothing and moved to trying the HD, which -- as we know -- brought me to nothing more than a frozen Windows page.

I asked on here if there was some other way to create a boot disc and neverreceived info. So I moved on to other things.

Since this is a site for helping and education, here's what happened next:

None of the above worked. In part, b/c some people were not reading the post in full, which is very important, and in part b/c some were giving me instructions that were possibly not clear to a layman ("Create a boot disk from BartPE"; "How?"), and in part b/c the problem was perhaps far too deep.

(Those who've helped, please do not be insulted by the above; it doesn't mean you're not appreciated -- just try to learn from this as I have.)

So, I went to Plan B -- I got a WinXP boot disk (something which may have also been suggested here) from a co-worker. I went nuts searching for SP1. Some things everyone who offers advice on here should know that no one seems to either know or state:
1. WinXP Home Ed. SP1 does not, as I surmised here or on another board, say SP1 on it. (b/c, of course, MS did not know there was gonna be a need for an SP2)
2. SP1 automatically updates itself to SP2 -- so if you've a computer that was loaded with SP1 (or, as it is actually listed: WinXP Home Edition), after the first automatic update or two, you'll have SP2.

I tried booting with my SP1 disc. As it booted, I got a DOS screen asking me for a password. This is odd since I NEVER SET A PASSWORD! At this point, an IT guy at work was helping me out. He took out a disc labeled...hmmm...I think it was ERD or something. It was a program that basically created a simulation of the Windows desktop. It shows you your files and, msot importantly, let's you go in and CHANGE the password!

So, since I didn't have one to begin with, we created one; rebooted.

The new password did not work.

Plan C.

The IT guy gave me a USB device and took my HD out of my laptop (this was much easier than I would have ever anticipated -- anyone can do it [I've a Toshiba Satellite A105]). He plugged the HD into the USB device. Once I plugged the USB device into another computer, a new drive was automatically created, allowing me to manually move all of my files onto another computer. It was like being on a network or moving files from folder to folder.

With ALL of my files (and I checked and re-checked and checked again) safely stored on a computer (one with updated virus software -- just in case my files were infected [they were not]), I put the HD back in the laptop and used my recovery disc to wipe 'er clean and start over.

I then easily moved everything back from the other computer to mine. For me, my most important files were Word files.

** I recommend to others who may have to do this (or recommend this idea) that, if you're using a friend's computer for this, do him and yourself a favor, and pick and choose the MOST IMPORTANT files. I used my work computer which was able to take all my MP3s, vids, and pictures, so I was lucky.

****Also, don't forget your browser folders which hold your bookmarks and your AOL Organize folder which holds your AOL info.

I didn't worry about msot of my programs and their info. I either had discs or they were mostly freeware -- Winamp, Firefox, etc. Those things are quick to take care of.

That's it. Be healthy...put a condom over your computer before you use it.

Thanks again to everyone!

BYE!

Phlegmbot

[wannabe1]

Thank you for sharing your "fix" with us.