Topic: Serious computer problems

[Gambler]

Cueball has it right in regards to boot order and getting to start from the CD first which will bring you into Windows Install and give you the option to repair or re-install.

You MAY have to re-install the OS.  But depending on the vagaries of the install process you may not necessarily lose your data files.  It says it will toast the Documents and Settings Folders, but sometimes it doesn't.  I'm not sure the magic sequence to get past that.  Granted if you have to do a re-install wiping your HD then you are toast.

Regardless of whether your documents are toasted or not, you will need to re-install all your apps.

[Lurker]

Ryker, it is always possible that your CD-ROM drive is getting a bit creaky. My dad had this problem when he tried to install Win 2000 on his system and would get errors or incomplete instalations. Turns out that the CD-ROM was pretty old and just couldn't handle the Windows CD. He replaced the drive and it worked like a dream.

Stick another CD-ROM in the computer, (swap it for another), and see if it mkes a difference. It is worth a shot and you may be suprised. This problem is more common than you might think. Good luck!  

[IKV Nemesis D7L]

During my initial experimenting with Windows 2000 Pro on my dual processor system I had to do a reinstall.  However since I use a non standard HD controller (Promise RAID) I had to load a driver off floppy.  My floppy would not work.  It had worked when my system had a fully operational install of Win2k but would not work without it.  It took me 18 hours to solve the problem.  I had fine tuned the settings in my BIOS for performance.  Something in those setting blocked out the floppy driver on the Win2k install disk.  

The moral of the story is of course that if you (or anyone) has fine tuned your BIOS settings you may need to reset them to default for your install to work.  Its a bit of a long shot, but do you have much to lose?  I would suggest going through the BIOS first and copy down the settings so you can restore them if you need to.  

Good luck.    

[Warden]

Is it a BSOD (blue screen of death) stop error? or just those lines  and a flashing cursor.  If you get a stop error number, usually in the form of 0x000000378D or similar head over to the Microsoft knowledge base and put in the number. should give some kind of answer.

If it is not a BSOD then I would have to agree with everyone else, must be a bad file copy from the CD, have you got another win2k cd or CD Rom?.  I had a similar problem with a 2k install a few months ago and it was the Bios and firmware in the cdrom drive.  An upgrade of both fixed the problem.

 When you go through the win2k install if you select "leave the file system intact, no changes" you should not loose your data. (don?t sue me if I?m wrong )
   

[Ryker]

Not getting BSOD error, it just tries to start Win2K and gives me the "missing file" error message a couple of seconds into the reinstall. My CD drive's been working fine- its possible the CD with Win2K on it might be damaged, but I guess I'll never know

I tried setting the BIOS to boot from the CD, and the Windows 2000 CD isnt doing anything. I think Ive only got two options:

1. Try and get hold of a Windows 2000 Emergency Repair/Bootup Disk from somewhere, or

2. Install XP.


When my computer starts up, I can get into the BIOS screen, and just before it encounters the missing file, I can use F8 to go into the boot-up options screen [Start up in Safe Mode, S. Mode with networking, Debugging, and loads of options which dont work.


As far as I know, I have no viruses on my computer, that was the initial problem!! After taking out a load of them, I was missing some files for Win2K and it was slowing everything down, so I tried to reinstall the OS- it deleted the old version, and failed to properly install the new one. So, that leaves me sitting with a partial OS on my computer; it wont let me delete it, it wont seem to continue with the OS installation where it left off, so I thinkk my best be will be to install Windows XP and hope for the best.

If push does come to shove, all my majorly important stuff is on my slave (storage) hard drive, if I lose everything on Drive C it wont be too bad, just inconvenient.

I'll get back to you    

[Javora]

Quote:
Not getting BSOD error, it just tries to start Win2K and gives me the "missing file" error message a couple of seconds into the reinstall. My CD drive's been working fine- its possible the CD with Win2K on it might be damaged, but I guess I'll never know

I tried setting the BIOS to boot from the CD, and the Windows 2000 CD isnt doing anything. I think Ive only got two options:

1. Try and get hold of a Windows 2000 Emergency Repair/Bootup Disk from somewhere, or

2. Install XP.

When my computer starts up, I can get into the BIOS screen, and just before it encounters the missing file, I can use F8 to go into the boot-up options screen [Start up in Safe Mode, S. Mode with networking, Debugging, and loads of options which dont work.

As far as I know, I have no viruses on my computer, that was the initial problem!! After taking out a load of them, I was missing some files for Win2K and it was slowing everything down, so I tried to reinstall the OS- it deleted the old version, and failed to properly install the new one. So, that leaves me sitting with a partial OS on my computer; it wont let me delete it, it wont seem to continue with the OS installation where it left off, so I thinkk my best be will be to install Windows XP and hope for the best.

If push does come to shove, all my majorly important stuff is on my slave (storage) hard drive, if I lose everything on Drive C it wont be too bad, just inconvenient.

I'll get back to you    

If Win2000 cannot install on either hard drive then try looking at the CD itself and see if there are any scratches on the disk.  If there are any scratches on the disk you may need another OS disk.  For replacement Microsoft software you can call the Microsoft Order Desk at (800) 360-7561.

Since you are posting here I can safely assume that you have access to another computer.  Before you try installing WinXP you may want to remove that hard drive that you are trying to load the OS on to and reconnect that hard drive to another system if you can.  Then you can copy all of your information to another system.  This way you are not losing any data.  Just make sure the system you are loading the hard drive to has a good antivirus program installed.

After the data has been copied I would try to do a low level format (write zeros) to that hard drive and then attempt to install win2000 again.  You can get a program that will do this from your hard drive manufacturer.  If it still does not work then I would back up all your data to CD or DVD.  Then try to install Win2000 to your slave drive.  If you can do a complete install of Win2000 on another hard drive then I would suspect the first hard drive that currently holds (part) of your OS.

Also you can find a Win2000 Boot Disk here.  Hope this helps.
 

[TheBigCheese]

Try taking it back to the dodgy scally in the pub you bought it off and get a refund    

[Ryker]

Quote:


If Win2000 cannot install on either hard drive then try looking at the CD itself and see if there are any scratches on the disk.  If there are any scratches on the disk you may need another OS disk.  For replacement Microsoft software you can call the Microsoft Order Desk at (800) 360-7561.

Since you are posting here I can safely assume that you have access to another computer.  Before you try installing WinXP you may want to remove that hard drive that you are trying to load the OS on to and reconnect that hard drive to another system if you can.  Then you can copy all of your information to another system.  This way you are not losing any data.  Just make sure the system you are loading the hard drive to has a good antivirus program installed.

After the data has been copied I would try to do a low level format (write zeros) to that hard drive and then attempt to install win2000 again.  You can get a program that will do this from your hard drive manufacturer.  If it still does not work then I would back up all your data to CD or DVD.  Then try to install Win2000 to your slave drive.  If you can do a complete install of Win2000 on another hard drive then I would suspect the first hard drive that currently holds (part) of your OS.

Also you can find a Win2000 Boot Disk here.  Hope this helps.
   

Ok, was able to burn the Win2K file onto a CD at university-hopefully it'll work! If it doesnt, I'll just try XP  

Thanks for your help!

Oh, and Big Cheese- two words for you matey:


MANC
















and













SCUM    

[Toasty0]

oh, I think you'll learn to love XPpro once you get used to the new look and interface.  

[Raniz Murjuri]

"Windows 2000 could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM.SAV"
You can try to repair this file by starting Windows 2000 Setup by using the original Setup floppy disk or CD-ROM. Select 'r' at the first screen to start repair.
   

Glad you found a Copy of that file..

That file is the file Win2k uses at shutdown to save your configuration... and if something goes bad.. it reverts to an earlier configuration.
without that file you cant save your configuration..

I've found out that Repairing your Win2k option from the disk.. is usless.
the only other options you have.. is a fresh install.. after a reformat.
Or spend money on a Microsoft service tech to fix your computer.

i use the the reformat option.. since i kept a copy of the Win98se startup disk, the only startup or bootdisk that contians a copy of Format.com with the Fdisk to erase your Partions.

Win2k bootdisk you make off the CD, doesn't contian these options.
the bootdisk will replace your startup files.. and registry.
Good luck!  

[Lurker]

Do you have access to another computer? You could remove the HD that your installing Win 2000 onto and stick it in another computer as a slave drive. Then you can use that computer to remove all the Windows 2000 folders and other bits of OS that might be remaining. You could then put the drive back in your rig and try installing Win 2000 from scratch again.

I think it may be your only option...  

[DreadlordGW]

What i do when a HD seems dodgy is i buy or use an old one, install (insert OS here). and boot from that drive, and use the other as storage - or move files off

[TheBigCheese]

Quote:


Oh, and Big Cheese- two words for you matey:


MANC

and

SCUM      

HOOO HOOOOOO

You're only jealous    

[MrCue]

Quote:
HOOO HOOOOOO
You're only jealous

No, hes scouse & outnumbered.

[Ryker]

Quote:

Quote:
HOOO HOOOOOO
You're only jealous

No, hes scouse & outnumbered.  

^^^Tell that to Bloodfury [who lives a couple of miles away from me ]


After much frustration, I found out what my problem was. I was trying to boot Windows 2000 from the CD. Unfortunatley, the CD drive I was using was knackered [realised it could be this thanks to suggestion earlier in this thread ], and every time I tried to edit the BIOS settings, it would think "CD-ROM" was the one that was damaged, and wouldnt work.

At the moment, Ive got a bare-bones version of Windows 2000 up and running on my computer, plus my internet connection. I had to install this version on my D drive (second, large hard drive) which I usually like to keep seperate for storage. Ive got two HDDs- the primary 20GB one I use for Windows and important programs, and my 60GB one I install games and personal files to. Thank the LORD, the 60GB drive wasnt touched, so I still have most of my files.

Unfortunately, although Im now running Win2K on my 60GB (D:\ drive, slave), my old OS (the corrupted install of Win2K) is still there on my C:\ drive (master), and every time I start my computer is asks me "which operating system I'd like to choose from"- one version of Win2K that works, and the option below it being the one that doesnt.

Im getting XP tomorrow anyway, so hopefully it'll overwrite the two versions of Win2K, and give me an uninterrupted computer startup  

Fingers crossed....


 

[E_Look]

Ryker, I'm across the ocean here in New York and it seems nothing changes.  In fact, it could be worse:

Just yesterday I had exactly the same problems INSTALLING WINDOWS XP!!!

I got a similar boot-error message-shutdown-boot again looping problem and so:

I got into BIOS and temporarily set my primary CDROM drive as the boot drive and stuck the XP CD in it.

When it booted into XP setup, I initially chose repair, but as they said above, that was a mistake.

After trying again, I finally opted for a new install of XP and that seemed to work.  By "seemed", I mean something else somehow got changed in my BIOS affecting plug n play and I had to manually reconfigure that.

Then, as I like Netscape over IE, I used IE to download Netscape 7.1 and installed it only to find Netscape wouldn't run.  After trying all sorts of things, I gave up, went to bed and tried again in the morning, barely getting to work on time!  But something must have happened while the system was powered down overnight, for Netscape finally worked again!

So, emboldened, I tried to install Norton Personal Firewall and that didn't go well either!  I kept getting missing file errors, or reports that some unnamed virus may have already taken possession of my computer.  Well, I figured that my Systemworks copy is newer that the Personal Firewall and I installed that and then the Firewall and THAT worked.  I guess it may have had the files the first program was looking for.

Oh, and this was after hours of booting into XP's safe mode, removing devices and drivers one by one in (vain) hopes that I could by so doing cure my comp.

But still, I have one lingering minor problem.  After XP launches and I click on my account icon to get in, the systray icons on the taskbar literally take several minutes to finish loading.  Someone told me it had to do with MS taking away its native Java support leaving me only with Sun's version, which XP seemingly intentionally does not handle 100% well.

In short, I empathize... only, I finally got it back up, plus this little slowness problem and minus all my SFCs!  After I get off these boards, I just might try to load them back tonight.

 Edit: addendum-   VERY IMPORTANT!   immediately upgrade all your graphics card and/or other important parts drivers, immediately update XP using its Windows Update or manually with SP1a (SP1 without the a no longer seems to exist) and whatever other MS updates you deem necessary.  Otherwise, the system will behave strangely.

[Ryker]

^^^Will do, thanks for the advice!!

The CD should be arriving today, hopefully it'll install without any more hassle. Heres hoping!!!!