[dodgy-dave]

I'm having the same problem a few people seem to be having, the blue welcome screen comes up but I cannot log onto any users (there's 2), it just sometimes shows me my wallpaper(no icons though) then says "logging off".
OK, so I've been snooping these forums for an hour+1/2 now and tried a few different methods. Nothing is working. I've rebooted from the xp disc, it's not giving me a repair option for the partition, only asking if I want to install windows on that partition (if I choose Yes, it says only one copy of windows per partition etc. which I think is odd that it is recognised but not showing up in the list).

I've also gone to recovery console and done a CHKDSK /p which came up with 'CHKDSK found one or more errors on the volume. Not sure if that is relevant.


I'd really like to save the data on there if possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Also, when this all started, I was about 90% through a Norton scan, not sure if that means anything. The reason I ran the scan was I think I downloaded a dodgy file as norton blocked/quarantined it.


Edit: I should add, when I access Safe Mode, I get exactly the same thing, stuck on welcome screen and even Administrator is logged out immediately. So any fixes I'm thinking would have to be done pre-welcome screen. Thanks

Edited by dodgy-dave, 08 February 2010 - 05:57 AM.

[Advertisements]

First let's get your data safe by using a Linux Live CD.

Get Puppy Linux from my signature below...Get puppy-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.iso download it and burn it to cd
..
if you don't have a burning program that will burn .ISO files get Burncdcc from my signature...it is a small FAST no frills iso burning program...

NOTE...do not put a blank cd in until burncdcc opens the tray for you
1. Start BurnCDCC
2. Browse to the ISO file you want to burn on cd/dvd ....in this case its puppy-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.iso
3. Select the ISO file
4. click on Start

make sure in the bios the cd drive is the first boot device....

put the cd in the cd drive..boot your computer....puppy will boot and run totally in ram...if your hardware is is good working order you will know...
after you get it running and your at the desktop...you take the puppy linux cd out and then you can use the burner to copy all your data to cd/dvds
you can also use it to backup your data to a external usb harddrive..just have it hooked to the computer when you boot up with puppy...

==========================
quick guide for saving data...music..files on a system that will not boot using puppy Linux..


after you get to puppy desktop..
click on the drives icon...looks like a flash drive...top row..it will list all the drives connected to

your computer...

click on the red icon for the drive you want to mount...in this case its a flash drive ...puppy will

mount the drive..the drive icon turns green when its mounted...
minimize the drives mounter window..you will need it again in a few minutes..
drag the right edge of it sideways to shrink it to its narrowest size...about half the width of the screen...then drag the window to the right edge of the screen...

now click on the icon that looks like a filing cabinet (kind of yellow) on the main drive...it should
already be green..
you will see a list of all the folders on the main drive Usually your C: drive..shrink that window to
the narrowest you can..about half the width of the screen...drag that window to the left side of the screen...
at this point you should have 2 windows open on your desktop..the flash drive on the right side..
go back to the folders on the C: drive...click on the documents and settings folder...then your user
name or all users..find the folders that has your data..
drag and drop the folder with the data you want to make copies of to the flash drive window...

your options are to move ..copy ect...JUST COPY..if its to big you will have to open the folder and
drag and drop individual files until the flash drive is full...(I have a 120 GB external USB drive for
big data recovery jobs and a 4 GB flash drive for the smaller jobs)..after you get the files copied to
the flash drive...
Click on the drives mounter you minimized earlier
UNMOUNT THE FLASH DRIVE by clicking on the green icon..you will once in awhile get error messages when
unmouting the drive..ignore them..when the flash drive icon turns red again its safe to remove the
flash drive..trot on over (stroll if you want to look cool) to another computer and plug in the flash

drive and copy all the data files ( I drag and drop) to the other computer..
make sure the other computer can read them...

now delete the data on the flash drive...take it back to the misbehaving computer and plug it in

again..click on the drives icon again and repeat until you have all your data transferred to the working
system..

Thanks to happyrock

When done we will then attempt to fix this problem using a Usernit Repair
[b]Repair Installation or Parallel Installation is another option.
Is this a brand name system and if so what is the make and model?

[rshaffer61]

First let's get your data safe by using a Linux Live CD.

Get Puppy Linux from my signature below...Get puppy-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.iso download it and burn it to cd
..
if you don't have a burning program that will burn .ISO files get Burncdcc from my signature...it is a small FAST no frills iso burning program...

NOTE...do not put a blank cd in until burncdcc opens the tray for you
1. Start BurnCDCC
2. Browse to the ISO file you want to burn on cd/dvd ....in this case its puppy-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.iso
3. Select the ISO file
4. click on Start

make sure in the bios the cd drive is the first boot device....

put the cd in the cd drive..boot your computer....puppy will boot and run totally in ram...if your hardware is is good working order you will know...
after you get it running and your at the desktop...you take the puppy linux cd out and then you can use the burner to copy all your data to cd/dvds
you can also use it to backup your data to a external usb harddrive..just have it hooked to the computer when you boot up with puppy...

==========================
quick guide for saving data...music..files on a system that will not boot using puppy Linux..


after you get to puppy desktop..
click on the drives icon...looks like a flash drive...top row..it will list all the drives connected to

your computer...

click on the red icon for the drive you want to mount...in this case its a flash drive ...puppy will

mount the drive..the drive icon turns green when its mounted...
minimize the drives mounter window..you will need it again in a few minutes..
drag the right edge of it sideways to shrink it to its narrowest size...about half the width of the screen...then drag the window to the right edge of the screen...

now click on the icon that looks like a filing cabinet (kind of yellow) on the main drive...it should
already be green..
you will see a list of all the folders on the main drive Usually your C: drive..shrink that window to
the narrowest you can..about half the width of the screen...drag that window to the left side of the screen...
at this point you should have 2 windows open on your desktop..the flash drive on the right side..
go back to the folders on the C: drive...click on the documents and settings folder...then your user
name or all users..find the folders that has your data..
drag and drop the folder with the data you want to make copies of to the flash drive window...

your options are to move ..copy ect...JUST COPY..if its to big you will have to open the folder and
drag and drop individual files until the flash drive is full...(I have a 120 GB external USB drive for
big data recovery jobs and a 4 GB flash drive for the smaller jobs)..after you get the files copied to
the flash drive...
Click on the drives mounter you minimized earlier
UNMOUNT THE FLASH DRIVE by clicking on the green icon..you will once in awhile get error messages when
unmouting the drive..ignore them..when the flash drive icon turns red again its safe to remove the
flash drive..trot on over (stroll if you want to look cool) to another computer and plug in the flash

drive and copy all the data files ( I drag and drop) to the other computer..
make sure the other computer can read them...

now delete the data on the flash drive...take it back to the misbehaving computer and plug it in

again..click on the drives icon again and repeat until you have all your data transferred to the working
system..

Thanks to happyrock

When done we will then attempt to fix this problem using a Usernit Repair
[b]Repair Installation or Parallel Installation is another option.
Is this a brand name system and if so what is the make and model?

[dodgy-dave]

I'll have to get some disc's and an external hard drive and try that on wednesday (used my last blank disc trying the usernit repair method).

The comp is a
Dell Dimension E520 Pent 4 3.06ghz
4.0gb DDR2 533mhz SDRAM
Only has an 80gb HDD so it's probly time to buy an external anyway lol

[rshaffer61]

If you buy a external you don't need blank cd's. Backup everything on the external as far as data only. Then after we are done you can copy everything back over to its original locations.

[dodgy-dave]

Just needed a disc to put the puppy on. Got a 320gb external HD, and all the data is now copied and safe and portable thanks so much for that linux method.

Any suggestions/links for repair work? Now that the data is safe if I have to I can format everything but I've only done that once before(years ago) so not confident I'll get it all working again.

[rshaffer61]

Well instead of formatting the next steps will hopefully repair your OS and keep your data safe.

You can go to HERE to read the tutorial by one of the members here on how to do a Fresh Install or Repair Installation of your OS.