[rshaffer61]

No problem and just a FYI... we don't close any topics in this forum so even in a couple of months feel free to update us or ask to continue and we can assist you then.

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Well, I will start this up again. My computer now is completely dead as of last night. It kept crashing and crashing more often. Then when I tried to turn it off last night it wouldn't shut down. I had to turn it off with the power button. My wife says it gives a message of a WIN32 error today, and says to repair with window's disk. he says that won't work either. My question is does this make it any more or less likely that RAM caused the problem? I was wondering if it could be the CPU?

Second note. I took out a loan so I came up with enough money to buy a new motherboard,CPU,Hard Drive. I put them in another case. I think I have ruined the Motherboard and CPU. I am wondering if I should start a new thread on that subject and post it in a different forum. It is a really embarassing mistake I made. I would like to ask for any suggestions to try to save either the motherboard or CPU on the new computer. Now I have no working computer at home so I need to get one working bad.

I am kind of desparate now. The reason I just didn't buy the new ram for the original computer was if that wasn't the problem I would have RAM for a old computer and not be able to use it on any new ones.

[Lake Camelot]

Well, I will start this up again. My computer now is completely dead as of last night. It kept crashing and crashing more often. Then when I tried to turn it off last night it wouldn't shut down. I had to turn it off with the power button. My wife says it gives a message of a WIN32 error today, and says to repair with window's disk. he says that won't work either. My question is does this make it any more or less likely that RAM caused the problem? I was wondering if it could be the CPU?

Second note. I took out a loan so I came up with enough money to buy a new motherboard,CPU,Hard Drive. I put them in another case. I think I have ruined the Motherboard and CPU. I am wondering if I should start a new thread on that subject and post it in a different forum. It is a really embarassing mistake I made. I would like to ask for any suggestions to try to save either the motherboard or CPU on the new computer. Now I have no working computer at home so I need to get one working bad.

I am kind of desparate now. The reason I just didn't buy the new ram for the original computer was if that wasn't the problem I would have RAM for a old computer and not be able to use it on any new ones.

[rshaffer61]

Second note. I took out a loan so I came up with enough money to buy a new motherboard,CPU,Hard Drive. I put them in another case. I think I have ruined the Motherboard and CPU. I am wondering if I should start a new thread on that subject and post it in a different forum. It is a really embarassing mistake I made. I would like to ask for any suggestions to try to save either the motherboard or CPU on the new computer. Now I have no working computer at home so I need to get one working bad.

Lets deal with this first since it is a new hardware issue.
Please explain what you mean by you think you ruined the motherboard.
Does the system boot at all and is there any beeps other then one that you can hear?
Can you post the make and model of the motherboard and CPU you bought please so I can check the specs on them.

[Lake Camelot]

OK, I am embarassed to say this. I have not installed a CPU before. I heard everyone one say put thermal paste on it. On the instructions it said apply themal compound. I did. (On the pins) I then proceeded to insert them in the socket so it has it in it also.

So talking to a couple people they think my only hope is to get isopropal alchahol and clean both the socket and CPU. SO, it is an AM3 chip. I tried softly using a toothbrush on it. it got a little off but not all of it. Should I let the CPU soak in it? I am not sure how to try to clean out the socket. Maybe with a pin? I assume it is a long shot, but if it is shot at this point better to try than not. one person suggested contact cleaner. It is really expensive, anyone think that would do better than alchahol ?

PS

I did power it up once with the compound in it. All the power (fans,drives-worked)But no video or bios screen. I heard no noise from the CPU, and smelled no heat.

Edited by Lake Camelot, 08 August 2011 - 10:41 AM.

[rshaffer61]

Yeah my suggestion. Mistake made lesson learned. Replace the motherboard and clean the CPU real good.
Your friends should have told you it takes just a pea size drop on the top of the CPU and then spread it out. Then place the CPU fan on and it creates the thermal barrier then.


As far as the original topic system are you saying it will not boot at all or it just won't boot into windows?
The ram still can be the issue. When you turn it on do you get more then one beep or does the system go to starting where it should load windows and then you get the error message?

[Lake Camelot]

OK, my wife says it gets to were it boots windows and says -

Windows cannot start because a file is missing-

Windows/system 32/config/system

It says you can try to repair this error with the windows disk. She changed it to boot with disk and put in windows disk. it say/r to repair. She says it never brings any thing up when she tries to repair.

Sorry I am trying to relay what she said it may not be exact.

Edited by Lake Camelot, 08 August 2011 - 10:53 AM.

[rshaffer61]

Not a problem.
If I remember right this is XP so here are the instructions for the Repair Installation.




Repair Installation Instructions

· Insert your Windows XP CD in your CD-ROM and then Restart your computer.

· At the first post screen start tapping the Del key to enter System Bios
· Find the Advance Options or Boot Sequence screen.
· You will need to change the boot sequence so that the CDrom is first and the HD is second.
· Press F10 to Save and Exit and then press Enter to accept.
· The system will now reboot
· When the "Press any key to boot from CD" message is displayed on your screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.
· When you see the following message displayed on the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER
· To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.
· At this point an option to press R to enter the Recovery Console is displayed. DO NOT SELECT THIS OPTION.

· On the Windows XP Licensing Agreement screen, press F8 to agree to the license agreement.
· Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected and highlighted in the box, and then press the R key to repair Windows XP.
· Follow the instructions on the screen to complete Setup.

You can also go HERE
to read a step by step tutorial with screenshots.

[Lake Camelot]

Repair Installation Instructions

· Insert your Windows XP CD in your CD-ROM and then Restart your computer.

· At the first post screen start tapping the Del key to enter System Bios
· Find the Advance Options or Boot Sequence screen.
· You will need to change the boot sequence so that the CDrom is first and the HD is second.
· Press F10 to Save and Exit and then press Enter to accept.
· The system will now reboot
· When the "Press any key to boot from CD" message is displayed on your screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.
·

It gets this far she says, and she gets the error message. Windows is unable to boot because off missing file

Windows/system 32/config/system

Hitting enter does nothing, she can't get to the Windows welcome screen.

[rshaffer61]

What you are describing tells me the system is not booting to the cdrom. It should never get to the error message if it is booting to the cdrom.
If Del doesn't get you into the bios then it should tell you on the very first screen that shows on your monitor. It may not be called BIOS but SETUP
If not Del then it may be F2, F8, F10 or F12
One will get you into the bios where you then need to change the boot sequence so the cdrom is the first boot device. Once set click F10 to save and exit. Follow the prompt to verify and then when system reboots you should get a prompt that says Push any key to boot to cdrom.

[Lake Camelot]

Allright, I had her go through it again. It all sounds right except the third boot device is LF120 that I have no idea what it is. Anyway it definately doesn't load she says th disc looks clean. Could the DVD drive be the problem?

[rshaffer61]

Could the DVD drive be the problem?

Possible
Is the XP cd a full version, upgrade, recovery?

[Lake Camelot]

Full version, but old I think it has service pack 2 on it.

[rshaffer61]

Version and SP are not a issue as that will upgrade the Sp once installed.
Have you tried the cd in another working system to see if it will boot?

[Lake Camelot]

No, I have no other working system right now. I could bring it to work, but will I be able to tell if it boots without going through any steps? I can't load it here obviaously.

[rshaffer61]

So the system in question is what you are replying here with?