Mup.sys not loading on Windows XP after installing AVG

MbooseMboose North Carolina
edited November 2008 in Science & Tech
Title says most of it. The longer version though is that my girlfriend's laptop, a Dell latitude x300's avg virus protection had run out after a 30 day trial and knowing there was an AVG that you could use for free indefinitely, I installed it. After updating AVG I start to get error messages and a notification to put in my windows xp sp3 cd, which I don't have.

AVG at this point is also freaking out, giving me 'threat warnings' about some system files. Thinking perhaps I should restart with AVG freshly installed I finally get the computer to restart.

After some messing around I figure out that when I boot the computer so that I can see the drivers load one by one, the list stops at mup.sys and then the screen goes completely black and the indicator lights that show that the CPU is working, the caps lock, num lock, and another light stay lit up. At this point I then have to turn the computer off by pushing the power button and start again.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Just a reminder, I don't have the windows xp cd.

Comments

  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    Uninstall AVG, then install Avast, which is also freeware.
  • MbooseMboose North Carolina
    edited November 2008
    Leonardo wrote:
    Uninstall AVG, then install Avast, which is also freeware.

    I can't start the computer... not in safe mode or anything, so wouldn't I be unable to uninstall AVG?
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    Yes, AVG recently has been found with a problem that can render some computers operating systems inoperable. Sorry it has happened to you...or so it would appear.

    Do you know how to perform a "repair" installation of Windows? I'm assuming you're running XP, correct?
  • MbooseMboose North Carolina
    edited November 2008
    Leonardo wrote:
    Yes, AVG recently has been found with a problem that can render some computers operating systems inoperable. Sorry it has happened to you...or so it would appear.

    Do you know how to perform a "repair" installation of Windows? I'm assuming you're running XP, correct?

    I am running Windows xp and the only way I would know how to run a repair installation would be if I had the cd. But anything more than that I'm not too sure.

    I can't get the computer to boot in safe mode, sm with command prompt or networking. Or even starting it using the last working configuration.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    if I had the cd
    Do I infer correctly then that you do not have a Windows CD?
  • MbooseMboose North Carolina
    edited November 2008
    Leonardo wrote:
    Do I infer correctly then that you do not have a Windows CD?

    Correct... I don't have a windows xp cd
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    Alright there's another method you might try. It's called "Repairing Windows XP in Eight Commands." Many of us here have used this badly thrashed Windows XP installations with success. I have used this routine more than once. It's really good.

    You will still need a Windows XP CD. Perhaps you can borrow one from a friend? You will not be installing Windows with the CD, only performing maintenance.
  • MbooseMboose North Carolina
    edited November 2008
    Well since I don't have a cd, or access to one would there be nothing I could do?

    I was thinking of removing the hard drive from the laptop and plugging it up to another computer, but I'm not exactly sure how I would go about that. Then once I have the hard drive accessible, I could replace the driver, mup.sys.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    Options:

    1) remove the drive, and connect it a known, working computer, and pull what data off of it that you can onto the good drive of the other computer. Yes, you can connect a laptop drive to a standard computer. There are two ways: a) in an external USB-powered enclosure, or 2) internally with an adapter kit. You can get the external enclosure kits on eBay for as little as $10. After you've pulled off what data you can, reinsert the drive in your laptop and use your "restore" CD to return the laptop to what it was when you purchased it.
    2) Skip salvaging data and go directly to the restore CD
    3) There might be some type of tools CD you could create on another computer or order online that would allow you run repairs of your Windows. I can't advise you on that, as I have no experience with such.

    Your hard drive should be just fine. This is not a hardware issue, rather a badly corrupted Windows installation.
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