Posted on 03/02/2008 3:52:23 PM PST by Chickensoup
Help!
Came home last night. Turned on the trusty computer and up came a long message, white on black saying: We apologize for the inconvience but Windows did not start successflly... with several option to start.
None of them work.
It then loops to the windows xp screen
Then to an ad for the mainboard
then to a scan devices screen
then to some sort of listing
This morning there was a listing that on each line named had a number of the programs I run at the end of each line. It has not come up this time.
The hard disk comes on for the main board screen and the listing screen
Can’t get where?
If your box starts up, you can get into CMOS setup even without a drive at all.
Then you set the 1st boot device to the CD drive and use your XP CD to check your disk.
YES, with the specific purpose of getting to a working cmd prompt and running chkdsk.
Do you have the knowledge and capability to burn an ISO file to CD?
Yep. That's about as helpful as it gets. Running out and buying a Mac will get that old PC fixed right up and all his data will magically migrate just because an almighty Mac is in the house.
Dude's asking for PC help. Not platitudes.
You can also create a floppy startup from Microsoft:
http://tinyurl.com/5er44
It went to a blue screen and is loading windows set up files
You repair Windows XP by starting your computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM, pressing ENTER to set up Windows XP, and then pressing R to repair the selected installation.
Thre was no r there is just a blue screen with windows set up on it
The r jsut showd up
You have to press ENTER to set up Windows XP, and then press R to repair the selected installation.
now I am at the recovery console
and a c prompt
That works.
done
Clockwise, or counter-clockwise?
un “r” for repair and then chkdsk /r to do a disk repair.
do I do this next at the c prompt?
It is the only battery on the motherboard. It keeps the memory holding basic startup and config settings alive.
If you have an XP CD, boot off of that. Then run the Windows setup. Look for a screen that asks if you'd like to run a repair install of Windows. Not Recovery Console. Repair install. Then let the install run to completion. None of your data will be lost. It will only do an overwrite of Windows files. If this does not complete then it is likely your hard drive.
Next step would be to get a new hard drive, install it in place of your old one, place the old one as a slave unit then install Windows on the new one.
When next you get in to Windows, you will be able to browse your old drive to get all you data off of it. For each of these procedures you WILL need the 25 digit license key number that came with Windows or the machine. It is likely on a sticker on the outside of your PC.
If those steps do not help, then there is a hardware problem elsewhere. Probably the motherboard.
At the command console type:
chkdsk /r
then press enter.
YES. From the prompt type: chkdsk /r
Hit Enter.
the response was:
the command is not recognized. Thpe help for a list of supported commands
or post #76 if you feel happier doing that.
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