[materene]

Hi,I know how to use the repair however something happened after installing a new motherboard that made the repair process stall, also I can't use safe mode any longer. The hardware and mother board are fine and no problems because I installed xp onto a backup drive to make sure the machine has no issues, it doesn't! When I start the repair from my XP cd and use the repair it loads the files as normal but does not continue on to the setup screen, you can reboot and the setup screen is there at 39 minutes but it does nothing, the text and video on the right side is not frozen or locked. This is a large 1TB drive but I don't think it has anything to do with not continuing. There has to be a file written to the system32 file that is causing this, is there any way to use console to clean up what it wrote on the first attempt. Console does work, and I am doing a Bootcfg /p or rebuild. Everything is intact on the drive because I can see it using the backup I setup, just in case there is no way to repair I can at least copy all my important things.

Any suggestions appreciated

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Good evening, materene, welcome to GeeksToGo

You can go into safe mode, but not for long, right?
But it should be enough to do the following operation:

Click Start, Run, type cmd and press enter. Type chkdsk /f /r and press enter. Confirm that prompted and restart your computer. Let checkdisk run and see if the computer starts normally.

The repair, loading the files that you speak is now when you choose the repair option, or even load the cd right?

I'm waiting for more information in order to continue with the procedures.

Hugs

[Djoni Filho]

Good evening, materene, welcome to GeeksToGo

You can go into safe mode, but not for long, right?
But it should be enough to do the following operation:

Click Start, Run, type cmd and press enter. Type chkdsk /f /r and press enter. Confirm that prompted and restart your computer. Let checkdisk run and see if the computer starts normally.

The repair, loading the files that you speak is now when you choose the repair option, or even load the cd right?

I'm waiting for more information in order to continue with the procedures.

Hugs

[materene]

Thanks to you for the reply, let me clarify one thing before I waste any of your time, I was installing a new motherboard for this machine and was all prepared to just use the simple repair feature using my system disc. The very first attempt something caused it to stall and it made a change on the operating system that has prevented it from continuing, now I'm at a point where it doesn't even say a previous attempt to repair was started and it shows the system there but does not ask me to repair it any longer, just delete the partition as if you were installing a new system. I know the motherboard and hardware work fine as I said I have another hard disk already loaded with xp so I can read my drive and retrieve all my stuff if I have to. One thing I did do when I first started the repair was to leave in an add on video card, I should not have done that and left the board to use it's own on board video, I feel this may be one of the problems.
I tried that console restore and used the last restore point before starting the repair but that didn't help. I plan on trying again tomorrow after I am rested, I work out doors in the heat and it takes a while to come back down to earth and have a clear mind.

I see lots of help on the net but all of it usually pertains to just a bad system32 assuming you are just not able to boot into windows xp, in my case that is not what I need, I have made a major hardware change and need to do the repair with the system disc.

Thanks again for the help

[Djoni Filho]

Thanks for the information. Although not think the problem has occurred due to the installation of off-board video, uninstall it. Up to what point the system restore, can at least go in the "R" to get the console prompt?

If yes, the problem may have affected the crash or OS partitions. At the prompt, type fixmbr, press enter, confirm that you are prompted, type exit and leave the repair to proceed.

Repeat the procedure, do the procedure chkdsk /f /r I spoke of earlier, and then sfc /scannow

As you tried to repair windows again, which gave errors, which was informed, or just hangs?

In the latter case, since you have all your data saved, you can format. If not, install Windows on top, and then saves the data formats. If it works to repair the MBR problem, tell me to try an alternative process.

I'm waiting.

[materene]

At this point I ran the fixmbr without problems, however I cannot go into safe mode and it gives the system32 config error. Also when I use my system disc it does not give the option to repair the existing installation, which is what needs to be done. I don't think I can run sfc /scannow from the console, it has to be from a cmd prompt is that not so?

[rshaffer61]

I don't think I can run sfc /scannow from the console, it has to be from a cmd prompt is that not so?

It cannot be run from the system disk. Is this a recovery disk or a full version OS installation disk?
It sounds like a recovery disk like for a branded system like Dell, HP or Compaq.

[materene]

This is a legitimate home xp disc with console repair

I was able to repair the system32 config using console and even got back to the point of choosing the repair option which is what I want, now the damned thing is in a continuous reboot when it would normally be showing the setup screen. I forgot to uninstall sp3 and explorer and that could be the problem, so I may have to go back and repair the system32 config once again so my safe mode will work, it won't work now and does that stupid reboot again.

[rshaffer61]

Does your XP disk have SP3 on it?
If not you may have to create a slipstream with SP3.

[Macboatmaster]

Unless the motherboard is an exact replacement for the one that was in, it is always a chance that a repair installation will not be successful

All the drivers installed relate of course to the chipset etc for the old motherboard.

See this for repair instructions on new motherboard
http://www.theelderg...motherboard.htm

DO not forget, if it does work to install the new chipset drivers fiirst, before the other drivers for that board



A parallel installation may be the best bet, if you have sufficient hard drive space

[materene]

Thanks, I know this,
That is why I was doing a repair to begin with. The repair rewrites all the hardware and an exact motherboard is not needed! The only problem is sp3 was added as was explorer upgrades which both need to be uninstalled, repair can still repair even if you forget as I did but explorer will not work.

My problem now is the re-pair is causing a constant reboot and no continuing to the setup screen, it does not allow another repair attempt and , so now I have to go back and redo the system32 config repair again, I think

[rshaffer61]

The repair rewrites all the hardware and an exact motherboard is not needed!

This is not exactly true. A repair replaces or repairs missing OS files. It does not replace drivers as Mac stated.
Your better to do a parallel installation and move your data over from there. This would be like a fresh install but you would end up with two OS's installed. It actually is not that hard to do and may save you a lot of headaches in the end. In case you want to consider it here is the instructions for it.




Parallel Installation of Windows XP

Boot to the Windows XP installation cd by pressing a key when the "Press any key to boot from cd" prompt appears at the top of the screen.

• At the "Welcome to Setup" screen, press Enter to set up Windows XP.
• Accept the License Agreement by pressing F8
• With your current installation selected in the box, press Esc
• Select C: Partition1 [NTFS] in the box and press Enter
• To continue setup using this partition, press C
• Now you should see formatting options...choose the last one, Leave the current file system intact (no changes), and press Enter
• To use a different folder, press Esc
• Name the folder WINDOWS0 (just type a 0 (zero)) and press Enter

The Windows installation should begin. This will install Windows to a new folder, leaving your data intact. Any programs installed on the old directory will have to be reinstalled to the new one. Device drivers will also have to be installed for all the hardware to work as it should.

The data will be located in the Documents and Settings folder (C:\Documents and Settings) under your old user account name...so when you set up the new installation, give yourself a slightly different user account name.

[materene]

Thanks, I think I would just as soon wait until after the memorial holiday and purchase another large external and just move the entire drive there. Then reformat the drive and start fresh, time needed would be about the same. I have a 1TB drive using over 2/3rds of the space so that two system you outlined wouldn't really help me. I did get close to a repair if it weren't for this reboot loop that happened, also it made safe mode do the same. Good news is everything is intact and there, ;0) can't complain about anything when you still have your data and can see it.

Again thanks to everyone's input,some things just can't be resolved easily.

[rshaffer61]

Understand that once you do the Parallel installation and move the data over, then you make sure everything is working properly. Once all that is done you can then delete the old installation and everything boots to the new installation. You still will have to update all the drivers and get all the Microsoft Windows updates but it will save all your data.

[materene]

So you're saying I can just install windows xp and it will allow all my programs from the previous install to run normal, then just delete the original windows install from that partition

[rshaffer61]

You will have to install all the programs again most likely but the data itself should remain safe. Per the instructions in post 11:

The Windows installation should begin. This will install Windows to a new folder, leaving your data intact. Any programs installed on the old directory will have to be reinstalled to the new one. Device drivers will also have to be installed for all the hardware to work as it should.