HELP XP crashed-must save files

nil | jan302008 | self

[Para-Ord.45]

My Windows xp crashed, again. It continually reboots even in safe mode.The blue screen of death flashes only for a split second so i cannot read the error code.

Tried Recovery, it accepted the FIXBOOT command and rejected both \i386\NTLDR C: and \i386\NTDETECT.COM C:

I`m certain a virus damaged the boot sector.

What options do I have now so repair and save the xp?

[Para-Ord.45]

* rejected both \i386\NTLDR C: and \i386\NTDETECT.COM C:

stating “access denied”.

[toldyou]

Call these guys. They’re great! They’ll advise.

http://www.sectorlogics.com/

[Turbopilot]

You can get your data off by pulling the hard drive out of your system and installing it into an external USB case that you can plug into another computer. As far as saving your XP install itself, I don’t know if it’s possible and wouldn’t want to try to do a long-distance diagnosis.

[jdm]

Did you try Last Known Good Configuration?

[toldyou]

Sector Logics

Call us toll free:
1-866-804-1914

[jdm]

Don't know if this will help. Figured it's worth a shot.

How Do I Perform A System Restore From Safe Mode With Command Prompt Option

If a problem occurs and your pc crashes one way of getting things back to normal is to use System Restore. This is fine so long as you can boot your machine to the desktop, but what happens if you are unable to boot to the Windows XP desktop. Well you now have two options. The first is to reboot your machine, hit the F8 button and then select the Safe Mode option from the onscreen menu. Once in safe mode you can then access system restore just as you would normally from the Windows XP desktop (Start>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore). But what happens if you can't get into Safe Mode? Well you opt for the Safe Mode with command prompt option.

1/ Re-boot your PC

2/ As the PC is booting up keep tapping the F8 button

3/ When the Option Menu appears on screen select the Safe Mode with Command prompt option

4/ At the safe mode command prompt type: %systemroot%

5/ System Restore will now open and you can choose the relevant restore point

[hadit2here]

Get a “live CD” of one of the many versions of Linux. Boot from that CD. Use it to save files to another medium- USB stick, over network, whatever.

There is a version available for that specific purpose. It’s called a “Rescue Disk” or similar and can be downloaded and burned to a CD, then used to rescue a Windoze system HD that can’t be accessed otherwise.

You should have one of these live CD’s laying around just for this type of occurance. It’s not “if” it will happen, but “when”. You just hit the “when lottery”.

[Para-Ord.45]

Yup, have an external case for a HD. That`s my final option, of installing new hd and copy files from the dead xp hd.

[jdm]

Other options...

"What to Do When XP or 2000 Won't Boot".
"10 things you can do when Windows XP won't boot".
"How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting".
"Langa Letter: XP's No-Reformat, Nondestructive Total-Rebuild Option".

[Para-Ord.45]

F8 at start up gives me the black screen with the options,

tried them all and the results are the same, it shuts

down and reboots.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

What options do I have now so repair and save the xp?

Get a new hard drive....install as master...install WinXp on it.
Install old drive in same system as Slave unit.
Transfer your data files from Slave to Master.

Make a list of what is installed in C:\Program Files on Slave.

Gather disks for those programs and start installing those programs onto new Master.
Format Slave when done and leave it in place as the new location for all your backup/drive images (Norton Ghost or similar).

[mak5]

That’s exactly what I did when this happened to my PC about a month ago. I was able to rescue my files to the USB drive, then reinstalled XP and my software before copying the documents back to the hard drive.

[jellybean]

Sounds like exactly what happened to my PC a couple of months ago. Tried the recovery disc, but all that did was wipe out my OS. I reinstalled Windows 2000 Professional, but my XP disc seems to have disappeared. I tried loading Ubuntu, but for some reason it wouldn't load. Windows 2000 is fine, but I prefer XP.

Thankfully I had most of my files saved on an external hard drive.

[jdm]

Check this out too:

http://forums.techguy.org/windows-nt-2000-xp/672538-ntldr-missing.html

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

First... test memory and disk.
Make this CD
http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

Then make this CD.

http://www.ubcd4win.com/

Boot from cd. Attach USB drive. Copy data to USB drive. Blow away the bad disk. (Repartion) Reinstall windows. Copy old data back to healthy system.

[CarrotAndStick]

I once had a damaged soundcard that used to cause my computer to crash each time it tried to boot up. Upon replacement, the problem disappeared.

I suggest you try the same, by removing all non-critical devices such as added-in soundcards, USB devices, modems, etc.

[pa_dweller]

I just went through something similar last week. Problem worsened 'til all I got was the wallpaper - no toolbar, no icons, no mouse. I reloaded XP (the ME uograde version) but named the install 'WINDOWSB'. So far the only thing I've found missing is the email (Outlook express) contacts list.

IE favorites, pictures, etc. all seem to be intact.

Apparently the old 'bad' XP is still there because at startup there's a list of two operating systems to select from - WINDOWSB and WINDOWS.

Good luck.

[politicket]

You have a corrupted registry hive.

Go here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/en-us and follow the instructions.

[Redcloak]

What he said! (Or she, as the case may be.)

I’ve used Linux live CDs to rescue data from failed Windows installs before. I’ve also used Linux to retrieve data from disks that Windows claimed were unreadable.