XP Recovery Discs Causing Reboots
Hey, first post on here, first off a bit about myself - I've never built a PC, have no clue about hardware really but I'm competent enough with idiot proof software programs lol.
Now the problem, my PC (Advent with Windows XP) started shutting down randomly every few days or so. The timeframe seemed to get shorter to the point where it was shutting down almost as soon as I'd logged in. Now it comes up with the message
"Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM "
Also before it died on me I noticed my AVG free virus checker wasn't running fully so downloaded it again from the site, loaded it, started a full scan, it shut down in the middle of it.
I'm back home from University right now, there's a slim chance the Windows XP CD is back at my Uni accomodation but I doubt it.
I got an ADVENT recovery CD for about £25 but, annoyingly, it doesn't work. It has 3 options of recovery, the best being recovered with all files intact, the worst deleting everything and starting fresh - problem being that all 3 when I tried would cut out around about 70% of the way through doing this. So I found some XP startup thing online which use floppy discs which gets me to all that C:\> , MS DOS type stuff ( lol Excuse my ignorance) .
So that's where I'm at, XP wont load, recovery disk wont work, tried a few things I've seen on this website but as I've said I don't have a clue.
Any help would be massively appreciated.
[Edit: Also chkdsk doesn't work, comes up with "AUTOCHK.EXE could not be located in either the startup directory or the CDROM drive." ]
Now the problem, my PC (Advent with Windows XP) started shutting down randomly every few days or so. The timeframe seemed to get shorter to the point where it was shutting down almost as soon as I'd logged in. Now it comes up with the message
"Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM "
Also before it died on me I noticed my AVG free virus checker wasn't running fully so downloaded it again from the site, loaded it, started a full scan, it shut down in the middle of it.
I'm back home from University right now, there's a slim chance the Windows XP CD is back at my Uni accomodation but I doubt it.
I got an ADVENT recovery CD for about £25 but, annoyingly, it doesn't work. It has 3 options of recovery, the best being recovered with all files intact, the worst deleting everything and starting fresh - problem being that all 3 when I tried would cut out around about 70% of the way through doing this. So I found some XP startup thing online which use floppy discs which gets me to all that C:\> , MS DOS type stuff ( lol Excuse my ignorance) .
So that's where I'm at, XP wont load, recovery disk wont work, tried a few things I've seen on this website but as I've said I don't have a clue.
Any help would be massively appreciated.
[Edit: Also chkdsk doesn't work, comes up with "AUTOCHK.EXE could not be located in either the startup directory or the CDROM drive." ]
0
Comments
Ok, some questions first to get us going:
So where are you now w/ respect to the computer's functionality?
Is it still booting into the operating system at all?
I understand you are unable to enter SAFE MODE. (This point is moot, however, if your operating system has already been written over in your attempts to run the manufacturers HDD (hard disk drive) restore.)
Exactly how are you going about attempting to enter SAFE MODE and exactly what happens?
If the computer is not booting and you are not able to get into SAFE MODE, I am assuming you have alternative access to Internet where you can download diagnostic utilities & burn CDs?
Did anything precipitate your computers failure - e.g. new hardware/software/drivers, power outtage, moving the computer, etc. Anything you can think of.
*************************************
Note: This is the most important question....Where is your data? Has it been backed up?
*************************************
A good rule of thumb when seeking help in our forums, is the more details the better. So don't be shy or think you shouldn't present too much information. Quite the contrary. Tell us everything and in as much detail as possible. You are our eyes and ears in this process.
Once you post back w/ answers to these questions, we'll move on to the next step in the process.
"So where are you now w/ respect to the computer's functionality?" - It shows the Advent logo then goes to a black page with PCI device listing if the recovery disk is in at the bottom it says Verifying DMI Pool Data ....... Boot from CD: System Recovery, Press 'R' to display System Recovery options.
Without the CD in it says 'A disk read error occurred Press Ctrl Alt Del to restart' at the bottom of the PCI device listing page.
The floppy discs can get me to the C:\ bit.
Safe Mode - Don't really have a clue, my mum tried it and said it didn't work, I'm not sure how to do it.
Other computer access in the house is via a Windows 98 computer and my mum's laptop both with internet and the computer can burn CDs.
"Did anything precipitate your computers failure - e.g. new hardware/software/drivers, power outtage, moving the computer, etc. Anything you can think of." - It's been used quite a bit in the preceding week and wasn't switched off a lot, however it has been off for the past 4 days while I was waiting to get the recovery disk.
Also a month ago I took most of my stuff home from University for the holidays and the PC was in the back seat of the car, relatively secure, wasn't bouncing all over the place but it wasn't in packaging as far as I remember. Even though I didn't think it moved at all I just thought I'd let you know that too.
Haven't backed up any data, sort of resigned myself to losing that anyway, I'd be ecstatic just to get the thing running again. Uni exams were before Xmas and most of the work is on the Uni network, all my music is on the PC pretty much but with a little help from my friends I'll get a lot of that back, not really a whole lot of essential data will be lost just annoying to lose things like the favourites list for the internet or saved games of my video games you know.
It's ok though, with the help of this forum my computer, a PC barely alive, Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the technology. We have the capability. Better than it was before. Better, stronger, faster. (Never really seen the 6 Million Dollar man but love that quote.)
"The Windows XP boot diskettes should actually get you into the Windows XP setup. Exactly what boot diskettes are you using?" - 6 XP Start Up diskettes, they do I think. Gets to a blue screen with options, think one was install XP (need disc), one was repair XP (took me to the C:\ bit)
"Not all "Gentlemen" here. See signature below... " - My apologies
I'm away to sleep now, will check this forum when I get up in around 8hours. Thanks for the information and help so far.
Nope, click on one of the options it starts doing the process and a percentage bar appears, it will get to around 70% of the way then reboot and be back to the DMI pool data screen.
1) Faulty RAM. Try a pass or two of Memtest-86.
2) A Failing Hard Drive. Run both the Quick and the Full tests from the HD manufacturer.
3) A Failing Power Supply Unit. The only practical way to test this is to replace it and see if that makes a difference. Hold off on this one until we see the results of Nos 1 & 2.
The tests I recommend in 1 & 2 both run off a bootable floppy or cdrom.
Good luck.
I am including here an article whose target audience is the novice computer user. It provides instructions for testing your computer's hard disk drive and main memory.
It seems like a lot to absorb, I know, but just approach it with the "eat an elephant a bite at a time" attitude and you'll do just fine.
When you have finished or if you have any questions, etc. during the course of this process, just post back here. We'll help you through it & answer any questions you might have. :bigggrin:
You may find terms in this article that you are not familiar with. Most of them are explained here in the “WHAT IS or WHAT IS A/AN…?” section. However, if you find words or terms that are not covered in this section or if you need further explanation, please, consult one or more of the following:
ONLINE REFERENCES:
Webopedia.com, Whatis.com, Wikipedia.org, Wiktionary.org
WHAT IS or WHAT IS A/AN…?
ARCHIVE (COMPRESSED) FILE, BIOS, BOOT or BOOTABLE, CD (or DVD) WRITER, COMPATIBLE, DEVICE, FAQ, FREEWARE, HARD DISK DRIVE (HDD), MAIN MEMORY (RAM), MOTHER (MAIN) BOARD, ISO IMAGE FILE, OPERATING SYSTEM , UTILITY, ZIP FILE
ISO File:
To extract an ISO file and "burn" or "write" it to a CD writable or DVD writable disc, please, download and run BurnCDCC Free ISO Utility. The program requires no actual “installation”. Instructions for using the utility are included in a file called README.TXT:
Note: (1) If you are running Windows 98, Windows ME or Windows 2000, you must have 3rd party software (software that is not included with your operating system) installed in order to “burn” or write to a writable CD or DVD disc. (2) Regardless of the operating system, you must have a CD or DVD writer installed in order to write to CDs or DVDs.
ZIP File:
If you are running Windows 98, Windows ME, or Windows 2000 and you do not have an “archive” or “compression” utility installed that can manage “ZIP” files, please, proceed w/ these steps. (Note, if you are running Windows XP or Windows MCE, you will not need to install an “archive” utility as one is built into the operating system.):
Please, download and install an "archive" (compression) utility that is "compatible" with your operating system. One freeware archive utility is CAM UNZIP. It is compatible with older operating systems like Windows 98 and Windows ME as well as later operating systems.
If you are running Windows 98 or 2000, reboot your computer
Use CAM UNZIP to open the “zipped” files that you have downloaded
MAIN MEMORY Test:
Download the freeware utility MEMTEST86
Create a bootable CD or floppy diskette (depending upon the version you chose to download)
Place the media in the system you wish to test and reboot or start the computer.
Let the test run for a period of time. Over night is best.
Note: If your system does not boot to the CD or floppy diskette you inserted, then you may need to change the DEVICE BOOT ORDER PRIORITY in your system BIOS. If you do not know how to do this, consult your motherboard manual or, if you do not have this, let us know and we will help you.
HARD DISK DRIVE Test:
Download Seagate’s Seatools 3.02.04 HDD diagnostic Utility.
This utility is only available as an CD ISO image file. (for CD only – not floppy diskette)
-OR-
Download Maxtor PowerMax 4.23 HDD diagnostic utility
floppy diskette version or CD ISO image version
-OR-
Download [URL=”http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm#DFT”]Hitachi Hard Disk Drive Fitness Test (DFT)[/URL]
Download the “Diskette Creator for Windows OS” version if you wish to create a bootable floppy diskette
Download the “CD Image” (this is an ISO file) version if you wish to create a bootable CD.
Create a bootable diskette or CD with the file you downloaded
Insert the diskette or CD into the floppy or CD drive of the computer you wish to test then reboot or start the computer
Test your HDD
Note: If your system does not boot to the CD or floppy diskette you inserted, then you may need to change the DEVICE BOOT ORDER PRIORITY in your system BIOS. If you do not know how to do this, let us know and we will help you.
In the meantime, between Pterocarpous and myself you probably have enough to keep you busy for a while.
Here is what the test found
"Samsung Sp1604
Problem detected on a non Hitachi disk drive,
Please contact your HDD supplier for additional support
Disposition Code = 0x72"
Oh and the selected device has this info
"Device: ATA Model: Samsung SP1604N Cache: 2097KB Capacity: 160.04GB"
Erase disk and erase boot sectors are options from the utilities bit, will that help anything at all?
Give me a tic....!
http://www.samsung.com/Products/HardDiskDrive/utilities/hutil.htm
What type of media did you use for the Hitachi Drive Fitness Test?
Was it on a CD-ROM disc or a diskette?
Followed by HMA not available: Loading DOS low, Bad command or file name, Bad command or file name, Loading DFT . . . , Invalid directory, Bad command or file name then it finishes with A:\>
Should I open the extracted files on this laptop before puting things on the diskette? Didn't do that first off incase it ran the program and erased all my mums work lol.
Ahhh! You had me going for a second there. Yes, you need to "run" the program that you downloaded from Samsung. It will create a bootable floppy diskette for you.
"=== PAGE DIRECTORY (CR3:00000000) ==============
PDE_001[00000004] : 00700000 18b
PDE_003[0000000c] : 00700000 18b
PDE_004[00000010] : 00700000 18b
PDE_005[00000014] : 020c0000 6b9
PDE_007[0000001c] : 020c0000 3ff
PDE_00f[0000003c] : 020c0000 3ff
PDE_010[00000040] : 020c0000 8a9
PDE_013[0000004c] : 020c0000 45d
PDE_015[00000054] : 02db0000 20d
PDE_017[0000005c] : 020c0000 58b
PDE_01a[00000068] : 020c0000 c1f
PDE_01b[0000006c] : 020c0000 6ad
PDE_01c[00000070] : 020c0000 6ad...." etc
Does nothing to the diskette though. I'm probably missing something very simple here lol.
Please, refer back to post # 16 for the Samsung HDD test.
Have to get into DOS mode first then run it from there I think. So just doing that at the moment... if this doesn't work I'll be stuck again lol.
Preceding this was thousand of messages similar to
C:2505 H:0 S:524 Error : Ecc error
And a few media errors.
So that's not too good I think, on the plus side everything else in the self diagnostic (when done without doing a surface scan) passed excluding the C:**** H:0 S:*** type errors.
It recommended to erase the HDD so in the process of doing that now, then to do the test again. If test fails after that it said to get it serviced, hopefully you guys have another tip or two which can avoid this as I want to avoid the cost of that.
Post #11 w/ detailed instructions for testing system memory and hard disk drives has been modified to rev 2007/01/07(c)
Some corrections have been made. Another HDD utility option has been added. Definitions have been added and editing has been performed as well for clarity.
Good job on your first forays into hardware diagnostics! Well done!
I'm not too fussed though, had the PC for nearly 4 years, this is the first major problem it's had and from what I see at
http://pcworld.about.com/news/Jan282004id114475.htm
the top hard drives don't seem as expensive as I'd feared. The 'broken' one I have is 160GB and to replace that with basically the same model ( SP1614N instead of SP1604N) only costs around £45
http://www.pcindex.co.uk/showtop.asp?PartID=12283
That was from a bit of quick googling. Will pick my choice very carefully but any recommendations as always are welcomed. Might improve it while I have to change and get a 200GB+ .
Also I want to say how much help this forum and the contributors (especially Pterocarpous) have been through the whole process. A massive thanks to you guys and this forum will be the first website added to my favorites when I get a working PC again. Definitely a Short-Media convert.
Others posting here or reading this thread may have particular models or manufacturer's to recommend w/ respect to reliability.
Personally, I stay away from the off brands and go w/ drives that the manufacturer offers a decent warranty on (e.g. 3 years)
Quantum
Western Digital
Maxtor
Seagate
...are some of the more popular brands that offer warranties on the HDDs.