[Rexxy]

Hello all,

I've been trying to get input from forums across the web about my problem, but so far I've had no help at all. It all started yesterday when I restarted my computer and explorer.exe would start up, then close within 10 seconds of being open. I had to do everything through run or cmd and nothing proved to solve my issue. I took one of my friend's advice (he works at the local bestbuy as a computer tech), and he told me to go get SP2 from the microsoft website and install it to try to overwrite the explorer.exe. Everything goes over well, and then I restart my computer....

So, I'm restarting my computer, giddy with excitement, when without warning I blue screen on the Windows XP loading screen. This has happened before and the only way I've fixed it was formatting, and I'm not going to do it again. The blue screen flashes very fast before my computer restarts itself and trys to load up windows again.

Now I'll give you some information in hopes of fixing my problem, please feel free to give me things to try!

1) I DO NOT have my Windows XP discs. The Computer is an HP and did not come with the disks.
2) I have ran a chkdsk /r and I'm getting the same errors.
3) I have Hirens Boot CD on my flash drive which is currently plugged in, I just want to know how to access it via a command line etc.
4) I'm looking to not lose my data.... please guys, try your hardest!

Thank you very much for your time, I understand you all are very busy and I appreciate any help I can get!
I'll be waiting!
-Rexxy

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Hello Rexxy...

A System Restore may be just what the doctor ordered here, but with the machine not starting we'll have to use either a command line or Recovery Console.

Restart the machine and tap the F8 key as it starts to access the Advanced Boot Options screen. On that screen choose "Safe Mode with Command Prompt". Login to the Administrator account...a command session window should open automatically.

At the prompt, type %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe and press "Enter". The system restore applet should open. Restore your machine to a date before the problem began.

Let us know if you are able to accomplish this. If you can't, we'll try Recovery Console.

wannabe1

[wannabe1]

Hello Rexxy...

A System Restore may be just what the doctor ordered here, but with the machine not starting we'll have to use either a command line or Recovery Console.

Restart the machine and tap the F8 key as it starts to access the Advanced Boot Options screen. On that screen choose "Safe Mode with Command Prompt". Login to the Administrator account...a command session window should open automatically.

At the prompt, type %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe and press "Enter". The system restore applet should open. Restore your machine to a date before the problem began.

Let us know if you are able to accomplish this. If you can't, we'll try Recovery Console.

wannabe1

[Rexxy]

Hello Rexxy...

A System Restore may be just what the doctor ordered here, but with the machine not starting we'll have to use either a command line or Recovery Console.

Restart the machine and tap the F8 key as it starts to access the Advanced Boot Options screen. On that screen choose "Safe Mode with Command Prompt". Login to the Administrator account...a command session window should open automatically.

At the prompt, type %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe and press "Enter". The system restore applet should open. Restore your machine to a date before the problem began.

Let us know if you are able to accomplish this. If you can't, we'll try Recovery Console.

wannabe1

Thank you wannabe for the quick response,
F8 Does not work on my computer for the advance options, rather if I let it wait I am given the option to start it in 4 different safe modes. I started up Safemode with Command Prompt, and it worked! I think it's because it didn't go through the startup screen.
Anyways, I've logged onto my HP_Administrator account and it's a black screen with the cmd box taking up half the screen. Right now I'm awaiting restrui.exe to open up... everything's going veryyy slow.

After Restore:

Alright, so the restore took about an hour, and still doing the same thing, blue screen on windows loading.
Any more advice?

[wannabe1]

Will it start in Safe Mode? It would really help if we can get the error code off that BSOD. Go back to the boot options and select "Safe Mode"...then log into the Administrator account again. If it will load to Safe Mode Windows, right click on My Computer and choose "Properties". Under the Advanced tab, in the Startup and Recovery section, click the "Settings" button. In the window that opens, remove the tick from the box next to "Automatically Restart". Apply the change and reboot.

When Windows tries to load normally and blue screens, the screen should stay up. Copy the numbers you see and any file names if there are any displayed.

As a side note, if it will start in Safe Mode, we may be looking at a hardware issue.

[Rexxy]

Will it start in Safe Mode? It would really help if we can get the error code off that BSOD. Go back to the boot options and select "Safe Mode"...then log into the Administrator account again. If it will load to Safe Mode Windows, right click on My Computer and choose "Properties". Under the Advanced tab, in the Startup and Recovery section, click the "Settings" button. In the window that opens, remove the tick from the box next to "Automatically Restart". Apply the change and reboot.

When Windows tries to load normally and blue screens, the screen should stay up. Copy the numbers you see and any file names if there are any displayed.

As a side note, if it will start in Safe Mode, we may be looking at a hardware issue.

MAJOR UPDATE!!!
I did another recovery because when I tried what you just posted it said that the restoration had failed. I'm now back to my desktop with no explorer.exe, the base of my gigantic problem!

So now I can boot windows, however, Explorer WILL NOT stay open. It opens for about 10 seconds then closes without warning.
Any suggestions for this? Your advice helped loads before, thank you Wannabe, I can only hope you have advice for me this time!

[wannabe1]

Normally, there are two procedures I would have you try for this problem. Unfortunately, they both require the XP installation cd to run. The first you can try without the cd...should the check ask for the cd, you'll know there is a problem with a file on the machine.

Click Start, then Run, type sfc/scannow and click "Ok".

The second procedure would be the Repair Installation...for which you must have the cd containing the same version of Windows that's installed on your machine and a valid product key.

[Rexxy]

Normally, there are two procedures I would have you try for this problem. Unfortunately, they both require the XP installation cd to run. The first you can try without the cd...should the check ask for the cd, you'll know there is a problem with a file on the machine.

Click Start, then Run, type sfc/scannow and click "Ok".

The second procedure would be the Repair Installation...for which you must have the cd containing the same version of Windows that's installed on your machine and a valid product key.

Tried everything Wannabe, and I burned a copy of windows XP professional and media center addition and they both won't work. When I do sfc /scannow it says I have the wrong disk inserted, but I have the closest thing I could find! I could re-install windows using the disks though, yes? I have a valid key just not the disks, you know?

Let me know with anything else you may know!
Thanks!
Rexxy