[phillpower2]

You can save an image of the HDD to disk, I recommend a free software called Macrium Reflect for this.

You may find the information Here quite helpful

Edited by phillpower2, 02 November 2013 - 04:16 PM.
Additional link added

[Advertisements]

OK, so while I decide if I'm going to backup the whole HD, in order to continue from the prior step, I boot off the CD I previously created?

[stevezant]

OK, so while I decide if I'm going to backup the whole HD, in order to continue from the prior step, I boot off the CD I previously created?

[phillpower2]

Correct

How to use the recovery console Here

[stevezant]

Sorry, is there a specific procedure to follow once I get to the recovery console? That Microsoft article just gives me list of available commands, I'm kind of lost

*upd.
This may be important.

I was trying to make a second backup of folder windows\system3config\ on another flash drive I found while waiting for further instructions, and puppy gave a cp "I/O error" when trying to copy file
windows\system32\config\system

and it did not make a copy of that file. Apparently there is ALSO an issue with HD. (same error for one other mp3 file in shared docs folder..)

Will this fact effect my recovery attempt? (whatever it is I must now do?)

Edited by stevezant, 02 November 2013 - 05:41 PM.

[phillpower2]

This may help.

I will be going offline shortly as it is almost midnight here in the UK and I have work early in the morning

[stevezant]

OK Thanks so much for your patience and all your help.

Ill go as far as I understand how to and post updates. I'll await your reply as needed (or perhaps another will chime in).

I wonder if those seemingly physical harddisk error(s) will hold or foul up the recovery process..

Edited by stevezant, 02 November 2013 - 05:50 PM.

[phillpower2]

You are welcome

[stevezant]

Hi Again. I've been reading lots. A question if you don't mind, then (perhaps) a follow-up.

Would this work?

And can I use any of the XP Home with rolled SP3 CD's I have to create the UltimateBootCd mentioned in the article?

Edited by stevezant, 03 November 2013 - 10:42 AM.

[phillpower2]

Sorry but I cannot give you an answer to either question based on personal experience as I have never used the methods mentioned, this because I have always insisted on having my own disks.

Can I ask what type of disks they are as in are they burned copies and from where they were obtained, if they are OEM branded disks such as from Dell or HP they are specific to that brand and if used on a non branded computer they could do more harm than good.

[stevezant]

They're burned CDs from a friend who's used them on his install a couple years back, retail I think, not OEM. Another said that it would be fine to use for building the UBCD (linked in a link in my above post).

He also said FIRST try using "last known configuration" from the "Safe Mode" boot menu, and, failing that, try chkdsk /F from the Repair prompt, and failing that, use the procedure in the link.

[phillpower2]

Thanks for the update stevezant

Good luck with it and let us know how it goes.

[stevezant]

I tried "last known good configuration" from safe mode menu-
SAME PROBLEM

From the recovery console of my XP Home SP3 CD I ran CHKDSK /P several times (there is no /F opt). First run fixed errors, no error on later runs.
SAME PROBLEM (all types of boots (safe mode, last known good....) )

From the recovery console of my XP Home SP3 CD I ran CHKDSK /R twice. First run fixed errors, none on second run.
SAME PROBLEM with a caveat: after an unsuccessful "last known good configuration" attempt, trying "safe mode" resulted in the vertical hash marks being printed, which wasn't occurring before, and instead of halting with the last two lines:
...\CONFIG\SYSTEM
...\CONFIG\SYSTEM.alt

they are now:
...\CONFIG\SYSTEM
...\CONFIG\SYSTEM.log

So I think "last known good configuration" partially did something this last time.

OK.

Now, the ....CONFIG\SYSTEM.BAK is 2005 and half the size of the current SYSTEM.. so that's not too good.
However there is a:

System_Volume_Information\_restore{....}\RP955\snapshot

directory. And in there are REGISRTY_MACHINE*, and REGUSTRY_USER* files, all from Sep 01, 2013. Despite my system restore being off and no restore points.

Isn't there a way to rebuild the ...\CONFIG\SYSTEM file from those "current" registry files? Would the UBCD method do this? Or is there a better way?

In fact, one of the REG files ends with "_SYSTEM". Could I not simply copy that into ...SYSTEM32\CONFIG as the new SYSTEM file?

Can you advise?

Edited by stevezant, 04 November 2013 - 04:20 PM.

[phillpower2]

As I said earlier I am not familiar with the use of UBCD and so cannot comment.

The type of disk/s that your friend has copied may also be branded by such companies as Dell or HP and so will not have the same content as a generic Microsoft XP disk, best suggestion at present is to get your friend to help you with what he has had you do and see if that helps, following the guidance of more than one person at a time can lead to all sorts of problems and if it all goes wrong it may become a blame game