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Before I get the typical responses for reformatting a hard drive, here's a little background.
This morning I tried to upgrade my laptop from XP Home to XP Pro. I inserted the CD and as it was loading the drivers, I got the dreaded "blue screen" informing me that there was an error with "vobid.sys" and would auto restart the installation procedure. Well, after about 10 attempts... it just cycles through the same error and attempts to restart the installation.
It's evident that this "ain't going to happen," so I used the friendly F8 key to determine my options, namely reformatting the hard drive and guess what? That's not an option! It will give me the usual "safe mode" functions, "start windows normally", "reboot," etcetera, but all in the Windows XP Pro environment. So, reformatting the hard drive from XP Home is impossible.
Is there any solution to get around this? If there's no option to get to the DOS command how can the laptop be reformatted?
Note: I'm fully aware that reformatting the drive will wipe all my files, but at this point, its either keeping the files on a non-working computer or having a naked computer that works. Not a tough choice the way I see it.
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
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Have You tried using the XP-HOME CD to repair the installation? That should be an option but I have never done it myself.
If unsuccessful, put the XP-PRO CD in the tray and restart the computer. Make sure that it will boot from the CD. When asked for confirmation, confirm that You want to boot from the CD. If the PRO CD is an upgrade, then You'll need the HOME CD to confirm.
After a bunch of setup files have been loaded, one of the first options will be to install on an existing partition. If there is only C: then that's the single partition. Tell it NO and delete that partition and recreate it. Format either NTFS or FAT32 and have it do a full format.
You may get a question about a previous OS that will be destroyed but tell it to go ahead.
This is a hand grenade approach ...... ...... maybe You should wait for someone who possibly knows a smoother way out of Your predicament!
My laptop is a Sony Vaio with one drive... E (CD), no "A drive" or I would have used this method (a blank floppy) to try and shoot for the DOS prompt and format from there.
The laptop came with a pre-installed XP Home, so no disc. I have a licensed copy of the XP Pro.
From where the OS allows me to go (see above), I have no idea how to disable anything, since I can't run in Safe Mode and either attack the hard drive from the DOS prompt or Control Panel.
Next problem is the desk top has a readible CD and floppy drive; the laptop has the readable/writable drive and no floppy... am I ******* or what!
F2 takes me to the PhoenixBIOS Setup Utility. Within are the titles
Main: (only editable items are system date and time)
Advanced: (only editable items are LCD screen expansion, network boot (disabled), speaker volume and Vaio Logo.
Security: machine password, user password, etc.
Boot: Optical drive, Floppy disk drive, Hard disk drive (sub-section notes: IC25N040ATCS04-0-PM and Network.
Exit: self-explanatory
That's it... no USB, unless I'm missing something. From memory, the USB should be in the Advance section, under peripheral configuration, but none exists... hmm.
Sorry guys, but my level of frustration has exceded 10.
And again, I thank you all for the input... but, there's got to be a way.
Apparently your BIOS version doesn't support legacy usb devices so that isn't your problem after all. I almost wish it had been for your sake.
Since you have a full version of XP Pro, it is bootable and has all the tools you need to perform a format and clean install. Your BIOS is set to boot from the CD first so you're all set. Stick the CD in the drive and power it up. When you get through the introductory items, you'll be offered to install over the existing system that has been detected or wipe it clean and start anew.
I won't both telling you about backups, etc.
Good luck.
Edit: I just had a terrible thought. Did you mean that the system errors out when it's trying to load the drivers for the install CD? If so, I see why you are upset. Assuming you had all peripherals unplugged when doing the install, that would look like your install cd is flawed. Not good unless you have access to another.
Last edited by surferdude2; 25th October 2004 at 01:55.
As far as I can tell vobid.sys driver is connected with some product and possible cd/dvd device from a company named "Pinnacle". If you can get back into home version can you uninstall any application software that is connected to this in anyway? Try renaming the vobid.sys driver apparently located in the system32 folder. Exactly how this can be done at this point, I am unsure, I seem to have suffered brain block out of empathic panic and frustration sympathy for the poster. I will think on this and get back....
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I wonder why you haven't been given an ini choice at bootup to use xp home or xp pro installation? If the installation was still in progress and never completed you should have had this boot choice. Hmmm.. Have you tried a total shutdown and a reboot?
You need c: prompt access, darn it!!!! grrr......
A bootup from the cd to a recovery console?
Last edited by goddez1; 25th October 2004 at 05:34.
I can't believe that some software on the HD can prevent a clean install or prevent the drivers from loading from the CD for an install. That just isn't logical.
What is logical is either the CD is flawed or some hardware is flawed, such as the cd rom drive.
Perhaps if you get the setup diskettes (6 I think) from MS or bootdisk.com and use them for the setup drivers source, it would work. I think that you can only do a clean install that way and not an upgrade.
Then, if you are resigned to losing your data, you could boot with a Win98 boot disk that has the normal dos utilities (from bootdisk.com) and run the fdisk command and wipe the partition/partitions off entirely. The NTFS will be shown as a non-dos partition and fdisk can only delete it (not create one). Then with a slick drive, you can retry booting to the XP install CD to see if it works.
The problem with doing that is, if it still doesn't work, you have sacrificed your data for little returns. You would know it wasn't some HD data file causing the problem. Your data, your choice.
1. My original issue began with difficulty getting my laptop to connect to my home network. I had tried several times (like maybe 15) to release and renew my IP ("ipconfig /release" and "ipconfig /renew"), all of which was unsuccessful.
2. I assumed it was possibly a conflict with SP2's security features (which I had installed a few days ago), so I uninstalled the program (I use ZoneAlarm Pro, Kaspersky, McAfee QuickClean, Webroot Spy Sweeper and XoftSpy). I swept the laptop and found zero malware, spyware, trojans, keyloggers, etcetera.
3. Later, I received an IE error regarding a conflict noting "spoolsv.exe" and "ntdll.dll" and hence, this was the begining of my frustration.
4. Since XP Home was pre-installed with the laptop (no disk), I thought the conflicts were getting tiresome and decided to simply upgrade to XP Pro (assuming that the errors would be corrected/overwritten)
5. I selected the "upgrade" feature in XP Pro and 2/3 of the way through installation of the drivers, I got the "blue screen" with the error "vobid.sys"
6. I then contacted you fellas for insight and attempted the Bios route.
7. Now I find myself filled with desires to take a small amount of C4 to my computer, but with all this adrenaline coursing through my veins, I'd have a tough time lighting the fuse. Maybe after I get a good night sleep? Hmmm...
My apologies for being a pain in the arse, but any other thoughts........?
Thanks again for taking the time.
Last edited by BlackOps; 25th October 2004 at 04:02.
Hi BlackOpps
Lets try to start from scratch. What happens when you boot your lap top up, with no cd.rom in. Can you get to your desk top at all. If not, at what point does the system stop. What does it say on the screen.
Stitch
1. The system boots up and automatically goes into the installation mode ("setup is being restarted...") of XP Pro.
2. Requests the insertion of the disk into the drive:
a. if I use the disk, the computer goes into "installing devices" as far as the the "vodis.sys" error.
b. if I don't use the disk and click "cancel," I get a system setup error log. The error log notes:"Setup encountered an error while while trying to set system security. An extended error has occurred."
I've used the disk in several installations, so I know it's not the XP Pro and it's a registered copy, not a warez.
I'm stuck in the installation mode in a neverending loop of disappointment.
BlackOps,
Last night I found a help file for Installing WinXP Pro.
I tried to post it but it's to big.
I tried to send it to ya but that failed also.
If you have access to a working computer do this:
Boot up and get to the desktop.
Insert the Windows XP Pro CD.
Click on "Learn more about the setup process"
Should pull up your browser and display a help file for problems installing WinXP Pro. There's a section on what to do if you get error's like the ones you are getting.
Maybe you allready tried this but thought it was worth posting anyway's
...... maybe You should wait for someone who possibly knows a smoother way out of Your predicament!
