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I have been playing with the recovery console. Reminds me of the bad ol' days of DOS. I do not miss them.
I should mention that upon booting up, the computer does give a single beep. I assume that this means that the BIOS part of the process has successfully loaded up and has passed the baton to Windows.
I ran CHDSK /r to find and correct any drive issues.. One or more errors were found and corrected....to no benefit.
Then I was hoping to look into the bootlog to see if I could determine where Windows was dropping the ball. My info off the net tells me that after enabling bootlogging in Safe Mode, I should find a file called ntbtlog.txt, but the c:\DIR finds no such file. I did find bootlog.txt. Is that the same thing?? That log had quite a few files were were not loaded and 2 files at the end of the list that had pathnames like "Loaded driver \??\ c:\windows\system32\systeminfo.sys".
Before the repair install, I could use Safe Mode to go into My Docements and access all of my data. I am hoping that my worst case scenario at this point is to buy a new HDD, do a fresh XP install and then move the data over. Is there anyway to reverse the repair install so that I can get Safe Mode back??
Are we still sure that it is either Windows or the HDD that is causing this to happen? Since Safe Mode and the Recovery Console were working doesn't that mean that the HDD is OK?
It could be damaged, but it isn't bricked. Systeminfo.sys is rather important, if my memory serves correctly... Do you have a friend/another NTFS-format PC which you can use a HDD from?
Not one with a SATA controller. You want to see if the HDD works right in another system? Everyone I know still has IDE or a MAC.
Anyway to reverse the repair install? I would really like to get Safe Mode back.
If there are files on a formatted HDD and you do a fresh install on it, does it erase those files (assuming that there is adequate room for both) or can they co-exist?
I actually meant using their Windows XP to backup, but either way works. I don't think there is a way to reverse a repair install, however, if you have restore points, you *might* be able to do so.
A quick hard-drive format simply creates a new file table, and doesn't overwrite the files. However, the files will be overwritten as new data comes on. I believe there are tools to recover data from such a result, but you would need a second HDD, with an OS on it, to make sure you don't overwrite some of the data. A full format overwrites all the data with blanks, as well as creating the new file table.
RE: restore point-- Is there a way to access System Restore without Safe Mode?
I do have a 2nd HDD on this computer with files on it. Without Safe Mode, I did not think that I could access it. I am not sure if your last reply answered the query "if I installed XP on a second HDD with files on it, would they be deleted?". Is a quick HDD format the same as an XP install, or am I missing the point?
What about Barts PE or is that barking up the wrong tree?
There is an alternative method, that I have used in the past - it involves a Linux disk that runs straight off the disc, no installation required. It came in a "Linux for Dummies" book. An OS installed on a pendrive (if that is possible, should be) could also do the trick.
Quick HDD format is not the same as an XP install, though I do believe that a XP install does a quick format. (Just to confuse people more... typical Microsoft )
I have downloaded and created a BartPE disc in the hopes that that can help me somehow. I have started the computer with it but there is not much there that seems to ring a bell. Bill mentioned earlier that there is some kind of Startup Repair disc and does it work without Safe Mode being accessible? What does that utility do? I think that I am going to make a separate thread asking if someone knows how to reverse a repair install in the hopes that I can get Safe Mode back.
On a more desparate path, is there a way to access the files on the HDD and burn them onto a CD or DVD without accessing XP?
I cannot honestly remember what the Linux disc/flavour was, but I know that the book told me how to back up the files. However, this is going two years back, and I don't remember how to do so, or the whereabouts of the book/disc. Sorry I can't be of more help.
Alternatively, of course, you could take the HDD to a computer store, and ask them to recover the data for you... of course, this would cost money.
One of several Linux systems that can be used running the OS off the CD -DVD is Knoppix probably the most popular, Ubuntu 8 is also available on CD, Knoppix you can download and then burn the ISO onto CD - DVD it is loaded with a lot of stuff.
Read through this article and it might give you some idea on what Knoppix is all about.
I have used it, but only to surf the net virus free, but have not engaged in it's more useful purpose of fixing corrupt Windows operating systems.
I would though first do as Lukeno1 suggested and mount the hard drive into an other PC as a slave drive and copy all the stuff that you want photos and any other documents over to an USB stick or better to an external USB hard drive as they are much bigger in general.
In my opinion this is at this point of time your best option to save your documents. If you have a big enough external hard drive you can copy your entire "My Documents" Folder over onto that.
In regards to reversing a Repair install I don't think this is possible, one guy that I know who knows exactly how to use your Barts PE is Rockster2U.
I am downloading Knoppix as we speak (so to speak). I ran BartPE but all that I could find to do on it was to run the Stuff Test. Which ran for 10 hours or so before is seemed to complete the series of tests, said "Loop 1", and started over. So it shut if off. It made no comments on its findings or gave the option of a Log file. One test was about 13Mb/s and the others were 47Mb/s.
I don't know anyone else that has a computer with a SATA controller so I cannot test the HDD. In fact ,some still have ISA slots! Furthermore, most of my friends and family consider me to be the tech guru..... if that isn't scary! But, I do have a 2nd HDD (Sata) and an external USB HDD. Maybe Knoppix will facilitate moving My Docs around. If the repair install has deleted my old restore points, I wonder if there is a way to recover them and either activate them or access their contents.
I wondering if there is a log file of some kind that would indicate where the Windows loading up is failing. It is probably too late in the process for the bootlog.txt to be of any value as I do get the single POST beep.
Hopefully, Rock will shimmy up to the bar. He, Chiles4 and Mattman greatly assisted my building of this system... and they made it fun!... it's not fun now.
Well, I have been busy. I ran Knoppix and it cannot mount my primary HDD. It did mount my secondary (Non OS) HDD. I assume that that is a nail for the coffin. Does it have a utility for helping with that??
I went back to the recovery console and it can read the directories on the primary along with allowing me to read the boot log ntbtlog.txt. There are 5 or 6 boots on the log. I know nothing about what these should look like but they all look the same. Each has about 900 lines. The first 30 are loaded, most after that do not load except for a smattering of loaded drivers here and there. The first 30 always ends with MUP.sys. Looks like everything that is loaded after mup.sys is from the system32/drivers folder. Many did not load items were often attempted 4 or 5 times in a cyclical manner. The final item on each logged attempt is different.
What does it mean? Can access in RC but not in Knoppix. Hmmm. I did determine that I can move stuff from the c drive to my d drive via the Recovery Console (RC). I cannot believe that knowing some DOS comes in handy in 2009.
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