[ruacriado]

I am running XP Home Edition. When trying to run chkdsk from the startup CD, it gets to 74% and goes back to 50% and starts over there.

Problems started with just a blank screen, not a blue screen. Two different errors I got were "ntoskrnl.exe corrupt or missing" ( that's probably misspelled) and "hal.dll missing or corrupt". I re-installed the "ntoskrnl" but when trying to re-install the "hal.dll" it said it could not do it.

Now when I boot up without the startup CD, it tells me Windows had a problem starting and to choose a startup mode. No matter what I choose ( Safe Mode, Last Known..., or Start Normally) it always comes back to the same page. First it puts a row of about 1/2 inch tall vertical lines at the bottom of the screen which fills in to a solid line and then goes back to the sme page.

Don't want to lose the info on the hard drive by reformatting. I homeschool but in a act of thoughtlessness bought a used laptop that does not have a CD-R drive just a CD drive.

All help is greatly appreciated.

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Howdy and welcome to GTG:

If you have the XP cd you can try a "Repair" install. That should keep everything together rather than losing it all with a clean instll.

HERE is a tutorial.

To be safe, if you have USB ports you can get a USB flash drive and copy your files, docs, pics to it as a safeguard.

Murray

Edited by Murray S., 14 February 2008 - 10:27 AM.

[Murray S.]

Howdy and welcome to GTG:

If you have the XP cd you can try a "Repair" install. That should keep everything together rather than losing it all with a clean instll.

HERE is a tutorial.

To be safe, if you have USB ports you can get a USB flash drive and copy your files, docs, pics to it as a safeguard.

Murray

Edited by Murray S., 14 February 2008 - 10:27 AM.

[ruacriado]

My install CD doesn't offer the repair install. The page says:

WINDOWS XP HOME EDITION SETUP

The following list shows the existing partitions and unpartitioned space on this computer.

Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to select an item in the list.

To set up Windows XP on the selected item, press ENTER.

To create a partition in the unpartitioned space, press C.

To delete the selected partition, press D.

28616 MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on bus 0 and atapi [MBR]

C: Patrition1 [NTFS] 28608 MB ( 16075 MB free)

Unpartitioned space 8 MB



ENTER = install D= Delete Partition F3=Quit

Am I doing something wrong?

[Murray S.]

Is this a normal XP install cd or one of those Recovery/Restore cd's? What is the make and model of your system?

Always give that info as well as any other system specs when you post a question. Odds are, that info will be needed.

Murray

[ruacriado]

It is a XP install CD. I am running a Dell Latitude D600.

[Murray S.]

A Microsoft original or a copy from the net or from someone else?

Good.. did you read and print out the tutorial?

If you had, you would see what it tells you to do at the screen you are stuck/unsure of.

Murray

Edited by Murray S., 14 February 2008 - 04:34 PM.

[ruacriado]

I am using a copy of Windows XP Home Edition install CD I copied from someone else.

I'm sorry I must just be overlooking the part where it tells me what to do where I am stuck. My screen doesn't say anything about repairing an XP installation, just installing one.

I don't mean to be dense. If I deleted the unpartitioned space, would it then offer the repair option?

Thanks for your patience.

[wannabe1]

Press Enter, then F8...then you'll see the option to repair by pressing the R key.

You will need to be using the same version of Windows to run the repair and you will be asked for your product key.

[ruacriado]

I know I must be doing something wrong. It still doesn't say anthing about "repair". Nothing is different. When I get to the page that offers "Set up Windows XP, press ENTER" , Repair Windows installation using Recovery Console, press R, quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3, I'm supposed to press "ENTER" and then F8, correct? Pressing "ENTER" bringing me to the licensing agreement. F8 agrees to the license and then I am back to the existing partitions and unpartitioned space page. F8 at this point does nothing.

I am not an experienced computer user (big surprise, huh?). Therefore, the problem must be something I am doing wrong. Please don't give up just make it very, very simple to understand and step by step.

Thanks again.

[Murray S.]

And that is exactly where you are supposed to be.

Are you using this other persons product/key code as well?

Is the screen you are seeing the same as the first pic in Part 2 of the tutorial I gave you?

Murray

[ruacriado]

I have the product key code that goes to the computer I am working on but nothing has asked for it yet.

The page I see is like what I described in post 3. I don't know how to take a picture of the page.

[Murray S.]

Press <enter>

Again, if you have a flash drive, use it to backup any personal stuff on the system.

If you don't have a flash drive, get one and do the above.

If the cd you are using (got from someone else) was made from a different system's Recovery/Restore cd, then you may end up wiping the hdd and NOT being able to install anything back on it.

Murray

[The Skeptic]

I have personally seen, and read in other places, that there are cases in which the repair option is not available. I don't know what is the reason for that. I read somewhere, but I forgot.

If I understand correctly then the computer is not bootable. If this is true, then you can create a BartPE bootable CD which will enable you to backup your data. It's an xp based, small operating system, that works entirely from the ram of the computer.

Use the following link to craete a bootable CD. It really isn't complicated. You just need the XP cd that you have and a computer on which you can download the file and burn the bootable cd.

Boot the computer with the new disk and search in the menu for the option that will open windows explorer (the list of drives, folders etc). Backup the data that you want to save to an external storage device.

Now clean format your computer.

[ruacriado]

I have used this XP install cd on this laptop before. In an attempt to help you visualize better what I am talking about, I have tried to take pics of the screens that come up when I follow the instructions given.



then

[img]http://http://www.msnusers.com/tf595ccmj7hqijn8atjf5i1hn1/files/Pictures/repair%20laptop%20002.jpg[/img]

next

http://www.msnusers.com/tf595ccmj7hqijn8at...aptop%20003.jpg

and finally

http://www.msnusers.com/tf595ccmj7hqijn8at...aptop%20004.jpg

[ruacriado]

I have used this XP install cd on this laptop before. In an attempt to help you visualize better what I am talking about, I have tried to take pics of the screens that come up when I follow the instructions given.



then

[img]http://http://www.msnusers.com/tf595ccmj7hqijn8atjf5i1hn1/files/Pictures/repair%20laptop%20002.jpg[/img]

next

http://www.msnusers.com/tf595ccmj7hqijn8at...aptop%20003.jpg

and finally

http://www.msnusers.com/tf595ccmj7hqijn8at...aptop%20004.jpg