[twswford]

is this number on a removable sticker originally or under the battery or something, coz i don't see a 16 digit number on the outside anywhere? if i cant find this number what do i do? if i can't get this going can you help me with this computer i'm working on right now? when it starts up it always shows the black screen with 2 different os to choose from. i've never put a second os on it so i don't know where that's coming from. also the cd/dvd doesn't write and sometimes doesn't detect at all. i have the discs for it but it won't read them. it uses xp. it's a dell alien aurora.

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What two operating systems are offered ?

The sticker will be similar to this

[Essexboy]

What two operating systems are offered ?

The sticker will be similar to this

[twswford]

yeah i was afraid of that. that sticker is long gone. bummer.

ok for this dell alien: i'm sorry, i just restarted it and read the black screen again and it flashes by pretty fast but what comes up is the black and white alien head just for a second then the black screen has 3 options
something about the recovery console is the first line
the second line says : "do not choose this [something about debugger]
third line is windows xp and it's highlighted.

there is a paragraph above the choices and another paragraph below but it flashes too fast to read and goes on into xp.

oh and i forgot but on the other machine i did a backup right before it crashed if that makes a difference and have it saved on a data card.

thanks

[Essexboy]

Are you able to select the recovery console option before it loops ?

[twswford]

don't know, never tried

[Essexboy]

Could you try that please and if it works then run FRST from there

[twswford]

sorry but i just want to clarify that you want me to run the FRST that i downloaded for the other computer on this computer? and do you want me to run it from the desktop here or from the usb drive that i put it on?

[Essexboy]

Try to start the recovery console option .
Then plug in the USB with FRST on it
At the command prompt type the following :

notepad and press Enter.
The notepad opens. Under File menu select Open.
Select "Computer" and find your flash drive letter and close the notepad.
In the command window type e:\frst64.exe and press Enter
Note: Replace letter e with the drive letter of your flash drive.
The tool will start to run.
When the tool opens click Yes to disclaimer.

Press Scan button.
It will make a log (FRST.txt) on the flash drive. Please copy and paste it to your reply.

[twswford]

ok i tried to do this and this is what happened.
black screen with words at the top saying that this is the recovery console and is for system repair and recovery and then

1: C:\WINDOWS
WHICH WINDOWS INSTALLATION WOULD YOU LIKE TO LOG ONTO?
C:\WINDOWS>

at this point there is a cursor there but it will only allow 1 letter or digit to be entered
I entered "1" and hit enter and it showed another

C:\WINDOWS

I entered NOTEPAD

and it came back with

THIS COMMAND IS NOT RECOGNIZED.....TYPE HELP FOR A LIST OF SUPPORTED COMMANDS
I looked at the list and notepad wasn't on it so i typed exit and that was it.

[Essexboy]

Plug in the USB drive with FRST
Select Recovery console
At the C windows prompt type:

map

This should give you the drive letter for the USB

Then type e:\frst64.exe and press Enter (where the drive letter is the one displayed by the map command)

[Essexboy]

Due to lack of feedback, this topic has been closed.

If you need this topic reopened, please contact a staff member. This applies only to the original topic starter. Everyone else please begin a New Topic.

[Essexboy]

User returned

[twswford]

I followed the directions above again (most recent) and at the command prompt i could only enter a single digit and the choices were only one. IOW: if only offered 1 choice and the choice was 1:c:windows so i typed in "1" enter.
it asked me what i wanted to do and i typed "map" and it listed 2 drives, c: for the hd and d: for the CD/DVD which is weird coz it usually doesn't find the dvd. anyway i typed e: frst64 etc (e coz based on where i put the usb it should've been e: and it said it wasn't a valid entry.

?

[Essexboy]

When you mapped was the USB drive in ?

[twswford]

yes it was