URGENT :: Odd Computer Troubles (WinXP)

[Raftacon]

Thanks a lot, Wombat, that SERIOUSLY looks like it's gonna help. I just gotta make the disk, take my floppy drive out of this comp. and install it to the other, pop it in, and attempt to restore ...

And if I can't manage how to get the flopyy drive to the other comp., I have a few tricky ways of getting the emergency floppy files to an emergency CD w/ the same files. I'll experiment. Thanks, Wombat: you just might've solved it. If I try it out, and it works, I just might owe my life to you ... =P

Thanks bunches.

--Raftacon

 

[Wombät]

I hope it works for you mate.

 

[Raftacon]

Well, good-and-bad-news. Good news, made it a helluva lot farther than before. Bad news, I believe my floppy drive is mounted into this comp., and I can't run out an buy one right now, so I used the FAQ that you gave me and went through Command Prompt and copied the files to the floppy, and then I inserted blank CD into my CD/DVD drive and told NERO to make a Bootable Data Disc out of the A:\ drive files: it burned it into .ISO format so that it's in the CD drive, but will trick the f**ked up comp. into thinking it's a floppy's files. Well, it scrolls through a few screens of loading, scanning, and finding things, and then the end comes up like this:

"FAT32LFN Driver for DR-DOS. Version 1.200
Copyright (c) 2002-2004 Ahead Software and its licensors.

"Usage: fat32.exe [-wl]
-wl - Without LFN support

"Search for USB HDD devices...

( blinking underscore sign )"

... and that's where it freezes for eternity. You've done your best, Wombat, I congratulate you. But I'm afraid my comp. is no match for you, 'cause I doubt you could figure out what the above means.

=P

--Raftacon

 

[Wombät]

Time to cut your losses and reinstall mate.

 

[Raftacon]

Not quite yet, Wombat. I fugured out that if I set the top piority to be CD-ROM and second priority to be Harddrive, and then run command prompt and copy the files, along with chkdsk, onto a floppy, and than use Nero to burn a .ISO file, and then tap 'F8' as it loads, I can do te single-stepping on the CD. Saying no to two .sys files and the fat32.exe, but allowing it to run the ntfsread.exe, I can run Command Prompt and check all my files. And WINDOWS has about 2,400 files in its directory, so it doesn't seem like it's missing (I went on before, something like that happened, and the entire WINDOWS directory was missing 0.0, luckily, not the case this time).

But, trying to run chkdsk.exe and chkdsk c: /r, it says it can't run it in DOS mode. -_-;;; So, I have one more thing to try, I might be able to get to the Console from the PC Recov. corrupted screen. If not, time to meet Mr. Destructo. 0.0!

Thanks for your help so far, though, Wombat.

^.^

--Raftacon

 

[Wombät]

Here's another thing I have remebered this morning ( a good nights sleep works wonders), is the Ultmate Boot CD. This might get you in to fix it...

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

 

[Raftacon]

Eh, slightly too late I looked at it. It probably might've worked, but I went ahead on the destructive recov. after debating w/ myself for a few hours. As we speak, it's 60% done with 12 min. left, and I don't think it's safe to shut this down and try the Ultimate Boot CD at this time in the recov. Thanks, though, Wombat: I'll make sure to come back here if I have any troubles. (hopefully, I won't. =P )

Many thanks, Wombat.

--Raftacon

^.^

 

[jonnybgood]

I'm having the same problem. If you need to get the data off the computer before reformatting try a program called SLAX . This will allow you to browse your hard drive without loading Windows. It's a Linux operating system that runs completely from a CD. Use this in conjunction with a flash drive or external hard drive to recover your files. I'm trying to remove any software or hardware problems with this program. Still can't get a command prompt. If you've already lost the data, this is still a really good program to have around.

 

[jonnybgood]

You've probably already fixed the problem, but I've fixed mine. I booted from WinXP install disk and used recov utility. I used it to create a new boot sector ("fixboot".) And it started right up. good luck.

 

[karling07]

Wow this thread is old... For people with customized COMPAQs whose recovery discs don't work, just email compaq tech support and ask them to send a copy (you will need to give them a serial # of your PC), because they keep a recovery set for every computer they make. Only about $10 w/ s&h.