Harddrive Crashed

Last week my PC crashed completely (not this one-- it is the BRAND NEW replacement). I kept a detailed log of as many symptoms, error messages, attempted fixes, etc. There must be someone out there who can take a look and just trouble shoot a bit..? Before the bitter end, we even went out and spent $200 on Windows XP to try a "REPAIR INSTALL ". It failed, and the error message showed this:
System Setup Log - (D:\WINDOWS\Setuperr.log)
Error: SXS.DLL: Syntax eror in manifest or policy file
"E:\i386\asms\1000\MSFT\WINDOWS\GDIPLUS\GDIPLUS.MAN" on line 4.
xxx
Error: Installation failed: Error message: E:\i386\asms. Data error [cyclic redundancy check]
xxx
Fatal Error: The device is not ready. One of the components that Windows needs to continue setup could not be installed. Data error [cyclic redundancy check] (Somewhere on this message the wins component was referred to as: mup.sys)

Prior to the hard drive crashing completely, there were two applications "not responding" whenever Windows tried to shut down. I had to select [End now], when prompted at shut down for each: sgtray.exe and tfswctrl.exe. At one point ACCAgnt.exe did the same.

The following messages were each displayed during those last couple of days as well:

(C:\ProgramFiles\BackWeb\BackWeb\Client\6.1.0.153\Program\PrvCnt.exe) -flagged by ERRORNUKER scan as needing repair

(802.11 Adapter Wireless Zero config...) -flagged by ERRORNUKER scan as "does not exist"

(mmc.exe AppVer 5.1.2600.0 caused MSConsole to shutdown) -Windows Error message

(NDIS Usermode I/O Protocol) - don't remember the details for this one

I tried to reinstall printer (Epson Color Stylus 880), and this alert appeared:
! Printer Utility Setup. Some error will be occurred in kicked module. Error Code= 16

In Services & Applications:
Error 1068 dep. serv/group failed to start
Error 1068 Smart Card Helper can't start
Error 1068 logical disk manager Admin Serv can't start
Error 1079 ??
Error 1058 no internet connection b/c of firewall
Error 2481 UPS Serv. not configured correctly

Missing:
C:\DOCUMENT~\OWNER\Locals~\Temp\WER59.tmp.dir 00\appcompat.txt

Once I could no longer log on to Windows at all, and had tried the Repair Install with no success, I landed somehow in DOS and gave the "check for bad sectors" command:
C:\>CHKDSK C: /R
Volume HP_PAVILION created 08/06/02 10:39pm
The volume Serial Number is e435-bd 0f
CHKDSK is checking the volume...
CHKDSK is performing additional checking or recovery...
CHKDSK is performing additional checking or recovery...
CHKDSK is performing additional checking or recovery...
CHKDSK has finished checking the volume.
54772196 kilobytes total disk space
24531584 kilobytes are available 4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
13693049 total allocation units on disk.
6132896 allocation units available on disk.

Attempted "Repair Install" again:
Setup was at 99% completion and paused, displaying this message:
Windows file not correct.
Will now RETRY.
RETRY successful.
Installation was progressing when an abrupt message popped up, and the whole system restarted.
FATAL ERROR! lsass.exe - system error Invalid parameter was passed to a service or function. Use Disk Checking Utility on Installation Drive from Recovery Console. Then Start Up again.

I could not get into the Recovery Console AT ALL b/c it asked for Admin. password...??

C:\> LISTSVC (Scan for all available services & drives) returned a six page result which included:
Abiosdsk disabled
abp480n5 disabled
ACPI Boot
Microsoft ACPI Driver
ACPIEC disabled
>
dmboot disabled
dmio disabled
dmload disabled
dmserver manual
Logical Disk Manager
>
>
>
Mup Boot
Mup
Mx1W2K manual
Mx1W2k
Ntfs disabled
ql1080 disabled
Ql10wnt disabled
ql12160 disabled
ql1240 disabled
ql1280 disabled
>
>
SCardDrv auto
Smart Card helper
TosIde disabled
-------------------Did not copy all six pages!

Received MSFT Recovery Console Disk today, and attempt failed.
I have a printout of a hijackthis logfile dated 12/14/04 and a printout of a DRIVER DETECTIVE 4.0 WebXscan dated 12/16/04
and TONS more recorded DATA that I cannot translate!! ..ANYONE WANNA take a stab at this???
I am easily walked through just about any tech. process, etc. And am willing to try-- I was unable to retrieve any of my files from that PC... an entire summer's worth of Neuro-research... feel sorry for me yet?

 

The specifics of cause, etc. are beyond me. Way beyond.

But since I gather you'd really like to get your data back, if it is still there (even on a 'dead' drive) you might give a try with http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/ntrecover.shtml

Good instructions and a download available from that link and the folks who wrote the utility do excellent work.

 

Newts idea isnt bad, but its REAAALLYY slow.

It doesnt sound to me like you are in an unrecoverable state, you've got some problems though.

Problem 1) YOU DONT HAVE IMPORTANT DATA BACKED UP OFF THE MACHINE. <ahem> That 200$ you spent on a new CD could have bought you a CDROM burner and 100 blank cds, please correct your error.

Problem 2) The reinstall isnt working because of some reason. I would give this another try or two. The common vector for that error is a flaky CD rom drive.

Is this a desktop or a laptop? If its a desktop, go steal someone elses CD drive and try again. If it still fights you, yank the hard drive out and get your data off the drive by mounting it in a different machine. If its a laptop, that gets a little more tricky, but can still be done if well motivated.

Have you tried just installing windows to a new directory, rather than a repair install?

Post back with some more details, focusing on exact error message/behavior of a reinstall, as i think thats your best course of action

 

LOL @ Joe. He he he. "its REAAALLYY slow ". Yup. Is. But since I really did not have the first clue what might have gone wrong, I gave one that I was near certain would work and would for sure beat the stuffing out of re-creating a few months (unbackedup - AWK) work.

Bttrfly2B - you have to excuse the levity. It's late and hey, the advice is good and it's free.

And for what it's worth, Joe is about half of our major resident experts on this sort of error analysis and I AM NOT the other half. If I were you, I'd take his advice.