PLEASE HELP - Can't repair Windows XP on Asus Mobo

JonshandbrakeJonshandbrake PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA Member
edited May 2004 in Hardware
Good Day all, I'm in the need of some help please.

Started up one of my P4 boxes this afternoon after some changes to the set up in my computer room. Also after moving around the boxes and re engaging them to the KVM switch, had a few problems with a few of them and most of these problems have been sorted except one.

One P4 wouldn't boot and gave me an error of C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM IS MISSING OR CORRUPT.

I have been struggling ever since to try and get the system started......I firstly ran a recovery but as I am not too familiar with this side of things...all I acheived was to copy over the system.old file...then exit.

I have used 3 seperate OEM versions of WindowsXP Home Edition to now try to repair OS. This function I am well conversed with.........ONLY and here is where I get into some difficulty.....................

I have got a ASUS mobo which requires me to press F1 to proceed from the start up screen. Now this doesn't sound to big a deal until........Windows starts the installation of XP after it has done all its preparation......The timer starts off @ 39mins left.........It proceeds with the install of devices until it gets to 34 mins.....usually then (and I believe this to be correct) the screen turns black then comes back, then black again....comes back and on the third black screen the computer heads to the start up screen.........which I also believe is OK.........BUT NOW this is where my problems multiply.......

I have to press F1 to continue on (not like the other mobo's I am used to....they just do there thing and come back to the installation)

So anyway I have to press this F1 key to continue......the next screen says press any key to boot from CD........No keys get touched at this point or it will start the repair process again (I think that's the right way of putting it) Computer continues on to a "Windows Home Edition" screen with the scrolling green bar across the screen.

A short time passes, then I am greeted with a full blue screen that states something to the tune that "Windows restarts installing".

I am not trying to format and install XP, only repair it, which I have done many times.........

If I don't do anything the whole process just keep repeating itself in one big loop going nowhere.

As stated before I have tried 3 different OEM Windows XP version discs.

Has my problem got something to do with this F1 on the startup screen, and if so does anyone know how to eliminate this function key........I have checked the bios up and down and can't find anything in there to turn it off.

I don't want to have to try a format when I know a repair will fix the boot problem. Just can't seem to complete the repair though.

Don't know what else to tell you except maybe that the MOBO doesn't have a serial no and all the box says is that it is the X series. The CPU I'm not sure of - it is either a 2.8 or a 3.2.........Dragon is up on all these details and I'm afraid he has had to go to bed.

Please help me guys!!!!! I'll try anything

Sally

Comments

  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited May 2004
    My first thought would be that something has wiggled itself loose while you were moving the computers. It would probably be worth it to check all the cards and cables, memory, etc. In other words, anything which is not soldered together.

    I just fixed my sisters computer which appeared to be totally messed up. Her problem? The video card was barely making contact after she moved the computer across the room.

    If all the connections are good then I'll try and come up with a new idea. :)
  • JonshandbrakeJonshandbrake PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA Member
    edited May 2004
    Thanks prof - I'll give it a looky loo and get right back to you.

    Sally
  • JonshandbrakeJonshandbrake PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA Member
    edited May 2004
    No that's not it.......everything in place and firmly fitted

    Sally
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited May 2004
    You might look at this.

    It is the MS approved method for manually recovering from a corrupted registry.

    Frankly, looking at how involved this process is, I might favor a format and reinstall as being simpler... :rolleyes:

    I saw your other thread and would echo the suggestion that you run the drive fitness utility from the HD manufacturer. Memtest86 might not be a bad idea either.

    Since you have had two computers bite the dust after merely moving them across the room I would also suggest that you try and think of what could possibly have changed. You might also try shutting down all the computers and trying them individually without the KVM switch. It's a longshot, but at least it's easy to do.

    Additionally, from your sig it appears that you have two identical Asus systems. If the other one is still fine you might try ghosting an image from one drive to the other. If you want to give that a shot we'll be glad to help you out. If you choose that route (and it does the trick), be sure to delete the F@H folder on one of the machines and reinstall it from scratch. Otherwise, Stanford will see two machines with the same ID and ignore the results from one (or both).

    Now that it's Monday (and the gang is back from the LAN revelry!) I'm sure we'll see more suggestions. Hang in there, Sally! :wave:
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited May 2004
    I'm not totally certain that the PC should be rebooting at the point in the install process you describe. When you say the screen blanks a few times, I'm thinking it's in the 'installing devices' part of the install process. Unless it finishes installing devices before it reboots, there may be a device that's not quite agreeing with XP.
    If it is finished installing devices before the reboot, try taking the XP disc out of the drive (before the reboot) and see if the install continues.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited May 2004
    Ghoosdum - that is a great idea. :respect:

    One of the white-knuckle moments during any Windows installation is when the screen blinks several times during Video card detection.

    Have you tried booting into Safe Mode?

    One other longshot: If you unplugged the machines for any length of time while moving them you may have lost your BIOS settings. Even fairly new boards sometimes have dead CMOS batteries. I'd check that, too.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited May 2004
    Jonshandbrake wrote:
    Good Day all, I'm in the need of some help please.

    Started up one of my P4 boxes this afternoon after some changes to the set up in my computer room. Also after moving around the boxes and re engaging them to the KVM switch, had a few problems with a few of them and most of these problems have been sorted except one.

    One P4 wouldn't boot and gave me an error of C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM IS MISSING OR CORRUPT.

    I have been struggling ever since to try and get the system started......I firstly ran a recovery but as I am not too familiar with this side of things...all I acheived was to copy over the system.old file...then exit.

    I have used 3 seperate OEM versions of WindowsXP Home Edition to now try to repair OS. This function I am well conversed with.........ONLY and here is where I get into some difficulty.....................

    I have got a ASUS mobo which requires me to press F1 to proceed from the start up screen. Now this doesn't sound to big a deal until........Windows starts the installation of XP after it has done all its preparation......The timer starts off @ 39mins left.........It proceeds with the install of devices until it gets to 34 mins.....usually then (and I believe this to be correct) the screen turns black then comes back, then black again....comes back and on the third black screen the computer heads to the start up screen.........which I also believe is OK.........BUT NOW this is where my problems multiply.......

    I have to press F1 to continue on (not like the other mobo's I am used to....they just do there thing and come back to the installation)

    So anyway I have to press this F1 key to continue......the next screen says press any key to boot from CD........No keys get touched at this point or it will start the repair process again (I think that's the right way of putting it) Computer continues on to a "Windows Home Edition" screen with the scrolling green bar across the screen.

    A short time passes, then I am greeted with a full blue screen that states something to the tune that "Windows restarts installing".

    I am not trying to format and install XP, only repair it, which I have done many times.........

    If I don't do anything the whole process just keep repeating itself in one big loop going nowhere.

    As stated before I have tried 3 different OEM Windows XP version discs.

    Has my problem got something to do with this F1 on the startup screen, and if so does anyone know how to eliminate this function key........I have checked the bios up and down and can't find anything in there to turn it off.

    I don't want to have to try a format when I know a repair will fix the boot problem. Just can't seem to complete the repair though.

    Don't know what else to tell you except maybe that the MOBO doesn't have a serial no and all the box says is that it is the X series. The CPU I'm not sure of - it is either a 2.8 or a 3.2.........Dragon is up on all these details and I'm afraid he has had to go to bed.

    Please help me guys!!!!! I'll try anything

    Sally


    Is your mainbaord nice enough to say something about a keyboard error before it tells you to use F1 to continue and then lest XP do this??? Or does it talk about anything else, lika mouse or floppy or Hard Drive or RAM error when the machine starts up???

    As soon as the Intel or other graphic shows up on the screen, try opressing the ESC key once. That turns off the graphic and lets you see boot messages in text form. OTHERWISE, the graphic will hide things some.
  • dragonV8dragonV8 not here much New
    edited May 2004
    G'day Guys. Thanks for the help you have been giving Sally whilst im working at the mine.

    If Sally has not replied for a while, it is due to lack of sleep and not lack of interest. I know she has spent a lot of time trying to fix the problem and not being a quitter, has missed out on much needed rest.

    If anyone can think of anyway it may help our problem, please leave a message by way of a post.

    For the record the puter in question is this one from her signature.

    P4 2.8 HT Asus P4S800-MX Mobo 1Gig PC3200 Ram 1x40G 2m Seagate H/D.

    Many thanks

    Jon A.
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