boot problems!

I have Win2k pro installed and from one day to the other it got stuck at the first loading screen where it says you should press F8 to go to advanced startup options (a black screen with white letters). Meaning it doesnt do anything anymore. Well i tried automatic repair with the original Win2k cd but he just didn't recognice that Windows was allready installed so he just installed it one more time. Well, now all the programs are still in the folder and so but not in the 'new' registry. I tried it several times but neighter the repair console does recognize my old windows2k nor does can i start in safe mode (same situation).

If you don't know how to repair it maybe you could at least give me a tip how I can extract the program information form the Registry and how i can save my emails and adresses from my outlook2k (that is also not startable of course)...


Thank you very much,

Synes

 

Where Outlook stores its data I don't know, since I don't use it, but it's likely in the program's folder or somewhere in your Documents and Settings folder. When you attempted a repair, either you missed the screen that asks if you want to repair an existing w2k installation, or your old w2k became so corrupted that setup couldn't detect its presence. In either case, you're best off backing up your important data, reformatting the partition, doing a new install, and reinstalling all your programs and hardware. Extracting useful information from your old registry would be a task upon which I wouldn't even venture.

 

well, i didn't miss the screen - it didn't find the old w2k, most likely because it _is_ too corrupted. and thats exactly my problem. im hoping for some kind of genius who can give me some advice. i have planned reformatting but only when there is no hope left...


thanks anyway,

synes

 

I'm about as far from a genius as you can get but I have a suggestion for locating your messages that you would like to save.

From a DOS Prompt:

DIR /S *.dbx

With any luck you'll see several (5 or more I think) files and you can use that location information to copy them to a diskette/diskettes for later importing back into the the system when/if you get it resurrected.

HTH

 

hmm, well it is not that easy im afraid.
that would work with outlook express but outlook 2k somehow saves its mail in a different format.


but thanks in any way,

synes

 

You are correct of course. I don't have 2k available so can't search it down right now. Perhaps someone else with it up and running can have a look and see where it goes and what it's called.

I suspect now that it's in Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook and perhaps in a subfolder called PST. That's purely conjecture but worth a look while you're waiting for a better response on all your issues.

HTH

 

Just to confirm ... all the files stored by Outlook are in a .pst file. If you just used the default - i.e. did not rename or move the file that Outlook created when you first used it - it should be

C:\Documents and Settings\ <username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

It could be massive - mine is 20Mb

I haven't tried to restore a pst file in OL2k, but in previous versions it would "cache" the original password, which could be any password. In my case, it turned out to be the password I use to access my ISP/POP3 account.

When you finally get up & running, start Outlook as normal and this will load a default pst - probably a new one. You might need to point OL to your old pst, using File, Open, Outlook Data File.

You might want to consider exporting/backing up everything in the Documents and Settings folder as you may be able to reimport a lot of useful stuff once you get W2k sorted.

I assume you don't have a second or partitioned drive - if you do, copy everthing you want to save to the other drive and just do a format/clean reinstall of W2k on the existing C drive/partition.

HTH

 

i had that same problem and all i did was reinstall outlook and i was able to get to my emails threw there.