Repairing Windows XP in 8 Commands - Icrontic Guide

LincLinc OwnerDetroit Icrontian
edited May 2010 in Science & Tech
Read Thrax's Guide to Repairing Windows XP in Eight Commands, just published on Icrontic's front page.
Allow me to build tension by prefacing the end-all/be-all solution with my background: Having worked for the now-incorporated Geek Squad branch of Best Buy Corporation for the better part of eight months, I have seen dozens upon dozens of systems come through our department with any one of these errors, brought in by customers who are afraid they did something, have a virus, or are in jeopardy of losing their data.

Prior to my discovery of an invaluable sequence of commands, our standard procedure was to hook the afflicted drive to an external enclosure, back up a customer’s data and then restore the PC with the customer’s restore discs or an identical copy of Windows with the customer’s OEM license key. If the customer wasn’t keen on the applicable charges for the data backup, we informed them of the potential risks for a Windows repair installation (Let’s face it, they don’t always work right), had them sign a waiver, and we did our best.
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Comments

  • lemonlimelemonlime Canada Member
    edited May 2006
    Well done, Thrax! :cheers:

    This will help a lot of people. I know I've been in that sort of situation before.
  • shwaipshwaip bluffin' with my muffin Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    very helpful, but you can cut it down to 6 steps if you combine all the attrib commands:

    attrib -r -s -h boot.ini
  • edited May 2006
    shwaip wrote:
    very helpful, but you can cut it down to 6 steps if you combine all the attrib commands:

    attrib -r -s -h boot.ini

    dang! you beat me to it :buck:

    anyways i'd suggest renaming the old boot.ini rather than deleting it outright
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited May 2006
    Nice job, Thrax. :thumbsup:

    One of the most-viewed ongoing threads in our Emergency Help forum is filled with people who will wish that a right-to-the-point article like this had been around when their problem first appeared. In the future, countless more will be back in business in no time thanks to your guide. :cheers:
  • HawkHawk Fla Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    Nice article Thrax. I'll be using it when needed. :thumbup
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    shwaip wrote:
    very helpful, but you can cut it down to 6 steps if you combine all the attrib commands:

    attrib -r -s -h boot.ini

    It doesn't work. I had to modify the article at the last minute to separate the commands. The Windows Recovery Console says that it's an invalid command.
  • jradminjradmin North Kackalaki
    edited May 2006
    excellent work Thrax!
  • shwaipshwaip bluffin' with my muffin Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    Thrax wrote:
    It doesn't work. I had to modify the article at the last minute to separate the commands. The Windows Recovery Console says that it's an invalid command.


    Ah cool. I just tested in the cmd console and assumed it worked in the recovery console.
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    Secondly, if you are the owner of a CPU featuring Intel’s XD or AMD’s NX buffer overflow protection, you must also use /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN as an OS Load Option. I will demonstrate both commands for the purpose of this guide, but do not set NOEXECUTE as a load option if you do not own one of these CPUs.

    From my Google searches, it appears that only 64-bit AMD CPUs have the NX buffer overflow protection. Is that true? It'd be helpful to have a list of CPUs or something in the article so that we know whether or not we need to worry about that load option.
  • Private_SnoballPrivate_Snoball Dover AFB, DE, USA
    edited May 2006
    Gargoyle wrote:
    From my Google searches, it appears that only 64-bit AMD CPUs have the NX buffer overflow protection. Is that true? It'd be helpful to have a list of CPUs or something in the article so that we know whether or not we need to worry about that load option.

    Your assumption, to the best of my knowledge, is correct. The NX buffer overflow protection was implemented only in 64 bit CPUs from AMD. I don't know about Intel, mostly cause I never cared to ,know, but if you have a 64 bit AMD CPU you have NX buff overflow protection.
  • monkeysplicemonkeysplice Jersey/Boston
    edited May 2006
    Nice Job, Thrax. To the point and logical.

    Does anyone know about getting around/through the Administrator Password prompt?

    In my experience, on some OEM installed versions of XP, the password is set and the end-user does not know it, thus throwing a frustrating roadblock in the path. Though withholding this powerful information is **obviously** for my own protection... I'm willing to risk it.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    You'd have to run Linux-based administrator password-recovery tools such as Knoppix STD.
  • edited May 2006
    Instead of using attrib 3 times, you can do this:
    attrib -s-h-r boot.ini
    
    (No spaces between the switches works fine).

    But I think it would be better to
    rename boot.ini boot.ini.bak
    
    in case you need it again. You don't have to change the attributes before renaming.

    Also, the chkdsk program in the recovery console does not have a /F parameter, so you only need to specify /R on the command line.
  • KwitkoKwitko Sheriff of Banning (Retired) By the thing near the stuff Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    Excellent article, Thrax! It's attracting quite a bit of attention.
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    Kwitko wrote:
    Excellent article, Thrax! It's attracting quite a bit of attention.

    Wow, I'd say so! I say article writers should get a bonus if we get slashdotted :)
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    I've also been courteously approached by Smart Computing to rewrite the article for the October edition of their publication. :)
  • QCHQCH Ancient Guru Chicago Area - USA Icrontian
    edited May 2006
    Very nice job Thrax.... I bet all the notice is from the Crumpet Newsletter!!! :D
  • edited May 2006
    Read Thrax's Guide to Repairing Windows XP in Eight Commands, just published on Short-Media's front page.

    Please leave your feedback and thanks for visiting us. Short-Media's content is created by both its staff and members. If you're interested in contributing to the site, please read how you can get published.
    Thank you so much for this clear and, most importantly, successful guide. Only found this guide by searching through Google for help, as the Windows screens gave no idea how to proceed. So relieved that this problem could be solved without having to buy a new computer! Thanks again. Would highly recommend it to anyone in similar situation.
  • edited May 2006
    I have a serious problem with my computer and I tried this fix and none of the commands work. My original error message was a missing or corrupted <windows root> \system32\hal\.dll
    I tried safety mode... nothing I tried all eight of these commands listed and not even one will work. The first command gives a response that is unable to open file. I ran a check disk and it still says 0% completed after 20 minutes. Now I the only thing I get when I reboot is unable to find disk error. Can anyone give me some advise or direction as to how to fix this problem????
  • edited June 2006
    I need to do the steps in Repairing WindowsXP in Eight Commands, but I can't access the Recovery Console. When I try to access from Windows XP installation disk, it searches for hardware then displays the first line, "Windows Setup" with the rest of the screen blue and locks up.

    I installed the recovery console as a start-up option on the hard drive. When I try to access it, it searches for hardware set-up with a progress line across the bottom of the screen and then locks up.

    Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

    Thank you.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited June 2006
    miniwedgie wrote:
    I have a serious problem with my computer and I tried this fix and none of the commands work. My original error message was a missing or corrupted <windows root> \system32\hal\.dll
    I tried safety mode... nothing I tried all eight of these commands listed and not even one will work. The first command gives a response that is unable to open file. I ran a check disk and it still says 0% completed after 20 minutes. Now I the only thing I get when I reboot is unable to find disk error. Can anyone give me some advise or direction as to how to fix this problem????

    You probably have a dead hard drive, and my guide can not hope to fix your problem. Try downloading the diagnostic tools your manufacturer has designed for your hard drive from their website, and running them if the computer even sees the drive at all.

    I need to do the steps in Repairing WindowsXP in Eight Commands, but I can't access the Recovery Console. When I try to access from Windows XP installation disk, it searches for hardware then displays the first line, "Windows Setup" with the rest of the screen blue and locks up.

    I installed the recovery console as a start-up option on the hard drive. When I try to access it, it searches for hardware set-up with a progress line across the bottom of the screen and then locks up.

    Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

    Thank you.

    Same for you also. Sounds like your hard drive or memory has one foot in the grave; the scope of this document is limited to the correction of software-related malfunctions. Try downloading and running the disk utility made by your hard drive manufacturer, as well as running Memtest on a CD downloaded and burned as an image file from www.memtest86.com
  • edited June 2006
    Thanks for the reply, but all hard drives test fine with no problem accessing any partition or sector. Mem test is fine. Computer working fine accept for being able to access Recovery console.

    Hoping you have another suggestion.

    Thanks.
  • deldel
    edited June 2006
    it didn't work i'm still havin the same probelms, i cannot access the web the page comes up blank i cannot access help and support it does not load cannot access system information will not load i've got missing mshtml.dll and actprxy.dll files please help
  • deldel
    edited June 2006
    why after doing the 8 commands its asking me to choose which xp home edition
  • deldel
    edited June 2006
    how do i undo the 8 commands thingnee
  • edited June 2006
    Excellent article, Thrax! Appreciate the publication. I foresee it saving me lots of time.

    I noticed however that the process involves entering the administrator password. If the password is no longer available (quite often the case), is there a way around it and still use your suggested technique?

    Keep up the great work :cool:
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited June 2006
    del wrote:
    why after doing the 8 commands its asking me to choose which xp home edition

    Because your pre-existing Windows XP Home installation was not damage in the manner the guide describes. You, therefore, fixed what did not need fixing (In the way my guide suggests) and added a second entry of the same operating system.

    To correct the issue:
    Boot from the NEW Windows XP Home entry.
    Right click on My Computer
    Hit properties
    Go to the advanced tab
    Hit "Settings" under "Startup and Recovery"
    Hit "Edit"
    Remove the entry for the old Windows XP Home. Leave the entry that you added as a result of my guide. Then uncheck "Time to display list of operating systems."

    Done.
    Excellent article, Thrax! Appreciate the publication. I foresee it saving me lots of time.

    I noticed however that the process involves entering the administrator password. If the password is no longer available (quite often the case), is there a way around it and still use your suggested technique?

    Keep up the great work

    This website is helpful for that.
  • edited June 2006
    im having a problem where i got 4 hard drives and an install of windows xp home on the main one and 2 other hard drives with vista beta 1 and then vista beta 2. I accidently deleted the boot.ini file and now i cant get back to my windows xp home. anyone can help cause i tried this and it keeps only saying it found only one install of windows on the wrong HD and i think thats what got fixed and not the right one. I know xp home works great, i just need to fix the boot. HELP! PLEASE! Im waiting at this forum thread for someone to be so helpful, lol.
  • HawkHawk Fla Icrontian
    edited June 2006
    Skettalee wrote:
    im having a problem where i got 4 hard drives and an install of windows xp home on the main one and 2 other hard drives with vista beta 1 and then vista beta 2. I accidently deleted the boot.ini file and now i cant get back to my windows xp home. anyone can help cause i tried this and it keeps only saying it found only one install of windows on the wrong HD and i think thats what got fixed and not the right one. I know xp home works great, i just need to fix the boot. HELP! PLEASE! Im waiting at this forum thread for someone to be so helpful, lol.

    Here's MS's walkthrough on how to fix it. http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=330184
  • edited June 2006
    Thanks for the quick reply but I tried that already and it only showed a wrong version. it showed 1 of the 3 os's installed and it wasn't the right one. I know they are all there cause in windows setup it shows all 3 versions registered.
    Windows XP longghorn
    Windows XP Home
    Windows Vista Ultimate

    Anything else someone can tell me? I tried most everything, the 8 step and now im booting to linux INSERT to do that one step repairing. But dont know if that will work, i want to find a way to delete all windows but the right one so there is no confusion with these programs.

    Also now it dont boot at all to HD's it says NTLDR whatever not found.
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