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Windows sys restore and uninstaller errors

Discussion in 'Windows XP' started by squrelwithprobs, 2006/07/16.

  1. 2006/07/16
    squrelwithprobs

    squrelwithprobs Inactive Thread Starter

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    well ill start off by saying that this is my first time here, but i found a few simlar topics and thought someone here could help me

    earlier today i tried to install alchohol 120% to mount a few images, but i ran into the same error multiple times that led to chain restarts... thinking it was a complication between the prog and my OS, x64, i looked for a new virtual drive prog. i found one called virtual drive pro and started the installation. it was going fine and went through the entire install fine with the exception of one error at the end but the install said it was installed successfully so i didnt think much of it (i think the error was a missing dll file but i dont remember)... i restarted after the install and the first thing i noticed was that after i selected my user it took 2 or 3 minutes longer to load my desktop but then my desktop loaded and my appearance was windows classic style. id seen some stuff like this happen after installs so i tried to change the appearance back and the drop down from display properties only had classic style... this kinda ****** me off so i decided i didnt want to sacrifice my inteface for a simple prog and went to uninstall virtual drive pro but the uninstaller showed an error saying windows installer could not be run in a windows safe mode. i went to syste restore and got an error saying "system restore is not able to protect your computer. please restart your computer, and then run system restore again." by this time i was sorta nervious that i had a windows reinstall in the fiture but i tried restarting and going into boot options by hitting f8 while it booted but nothing happened so thinking i missed it i tried like 3 more times to enter boot options to no avail. i booted up again normally and went to get rid of all traces of registry keys from virtual drive pro to see if there was a conflict so i deleted all keys tat pertained to it and it was still messed up. then i tried searching online for help and noticed that my windows wasnt recognizing my internet connection
    AND THIS IS WHERE I FIND MYSELF (sry for the lng post just wanted to make it as accurate as possible so you guys can help me out)
     
  2. 2006/07/16
    squrelwithprobs

    squrelwithprobs Inactive Thread Starter

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    bump

    anyone? :(
     

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  4. 2006/07/16
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    squrelwithprobs - Welcome to the Board :)

    Please be patient - it is only 8 hours since you first posted. We are all volunteers here - the majority in the States, so remember the time differences.

    As as when somebody who reads your post has something to contribute I am sure they will.

    My advice is to make a repair install of Windows.
     
  5. 2006/07/16
    squrelwithprobs

    squrelwithprobs Inactive Thread Starter

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    ok sry to be antsy this is really annoying me now that i can only use my 3 year old laptop... ill try a repair install if i can find my install cd, but that would also require backup no? so ill hafta make sure my external hd is here too :confused:

    edit: i found my install cd pretty quickly but im almost positive my extenal hd is at my moms office
     
    Last edited: 2006/07/16
  6. 2006/07/16
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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  7. 2006/07/16
    squrelwithprobs

    squrelwithprobs Inactive Thread Starter

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    it gets worse

    well since my external hd isnt here i was gona do it the old fashioned way and burn all my files to dvds and write down all the names of my programs, but when i went to run my nero i got an error saying "an error using COM/OLE occurs. please check the installation on your computer." now since my windows installer is messed up i cant install the backup software from my hd and since the dvd burner isnt working i cant burn my files

    edit: i also just tried to drag and drop files onto the cd and realize that i cant drag and drop filesto anywhere nor can i cut/copy and paste files
     
    Last edited: 2006/07/16
  8. 2006/07/16
    squrelwithprobs

    squrelwithprobs Inactive Thread Starter

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    and even worse

    so i decided my files werent worth the hassle and i took pictures of all my programs and files and started the reformat
    it goes all the way through but then i got a weird error:

    "Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem.

    Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware.

    Please check the Windows documentation about hardware disk configuration and your hardware reference manuals for additional information. "

    i looked around and found a few sites with help for this but i used microsofts methods... http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314477. i tried all but the first method because i cant actually boot into windows and they all failed to change the error. i found a few other sites with different methods and tried at least 2 other ones but i cant get that **** message to go away. im beginning to think my hd is fried, but i dont have much of a way to find out
     
  9. 2006/07/17
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Using the Recovery Console does not require you to boot into Windows - you boot from the XP CD (not a recovery disk) - are you saying that you cannot do this?

    If you know the make of the hard disk log onto the manufacturer's website and download their disk diagnostic software - generally run from floppy or CD on boot.
     
  10. 2006/07/17
    squrelwithprobs

    squrelwithprobs Inactive Thread Starter

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    well i can boot into the recovery console but thats only a cmd prompt sort of thing and all the methods that are supposed to fix my boot error failed to

    i have a maxtor 160g hd that isnt even 8 months old and i checked the warranty info earlier today and found out that its a 3 year parts/labor warranty so ill try to get the diagnostic software first but otherwise im going to request an RMA
     
  11. 2006/07/18
    squrelwithprobs

    squrelwithprobs Inactive Thread Starter

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    well i got all the diag software off the maxtor site and ran the tests. when i ran the installation confirmation it read "BIOS Extension support ... Failed" also said partition info absent but that expected since i dont have any partitions, the other parts of that passed. the basic quick test (90 second) passed, the advanced test (full read scan) passed, the burn in test passed, i used the low level format (full) even though i had already reformatted 2 times from the windows cd, and i skipped the last option which was a low level format (quick) because i had already chosen the full one. now when i ran the xp cd yesterday my hd didnt seem to change boot order when i changed it in the bios so i had to disconnect it until my computer booted from the cd. the failed bios extension may explain but im not sure. now im thinking its either a mobo problem or an OS problem, i dont know wich would be better at this point =/
     
  12. 2006/07/18
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    No so - you always have at least a single partition which covers the entire drive.

    Does the BIOS recognise the drive?

    Since you have low level formatted the drive I think you will need to create a primary partition using http://fdisk.radified.com/.

    You will require a Windows 98 boot disk which is available from www.bootdisk.com - boot from the floppy and create a primary partition using fdisk.

    The ideal boot order is CD-ROM > Floppy > Hard Drive.
     
  13. 2006/07/18
    squrelwithprobs

    squrelwithprobs Inactive Thread Starter

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    im at work atm so i cant try this til tonight, but im not sure if my bios does recognise the drive, my boot order as default was floppy, hard drive, cd rom. when i had to boot off the windows cd i changed it to cd rom, floppy, hard drive, but it still booted up the hard drive first so i had to disconnect it until the cd loaded. im not sure if thats because the bios doesnt recognise it or not. i think it does see the drive though because in bios i think i remember seeing the drive listed as a primary master. will i need to use http://fdisk.radified.com/ because when i reinstall windows that should reformat it anyway, right?
     
  14. 2006/07/18
    squrelwithprobs

    squrelwithprobs Inactive Thread Starter

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    i believe the most obvious thing has been impeding me... at dinner tonight i talked to a friend of my dads who knows a lot about computers and mentioned this problem and she pointed out that xp pro has only a single installation even if its uninstalled and therefore i will call microsofts help line now >.>
     
  15. 2006/07/18
    squrelwithprobs

    squrelwithprobs Inactive Thread Starter

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    well i called it and after a lot of miscommunication with the new dehli department he told me that because its OEM and i purchased it seperately they wont do jack **** about it but he told me that once i uninstall it, it can install again without complications... now im back to square one
     
  16. 2006/07/19
    mattman

    mattman Inactive Alumni

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    Check all the drives jumper settings. Windows setup said that it did not "like" the configuration (drive arrangement).
    I take it that the drive is not SATA.
    I would set the configuration so that any HDDs were jumpered as master and slave on the Primary IDE Controller cable. If this HDD is set as CS, reset it as master. Any optical drives, put them on the Secondary IDE Controller cable and set them as master or slave.
    Your (boot) OS HDD will need to be master on the primary IDE, but if the only other drive is the CD, try changing it to both master or slave on the secondary IDE.

    It seems as though the BIOS does not "like" the configuration either, that's why it is booting past the CD drive.

    See if you can get the system to boot to the CD as it should, with the HDD in place.

    For partitioning and formatting I think you will need to use the Maxtor utilities. If the drive has no boot sector information I don't think anything else will "see" it. If the drive does not show in the BIOS settings, Fdisk will not see it either, only the Maxtor utilities or other specialised utilities will be able read the firmware information.

    Matt
     
  17. 2006/07/19
    squrelwithprobs

    squrelwithprobs Inactive Thread Starter

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    wow thanks, i didnt have much time to look at this right now because im leaving asap for around 2 or 3 hours, but as soon as im back im gona try all that
     
  18. 2006/07/20
    squrelwithprobs

    squrelwithprobs Inactive Thread Starter

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    ok i got back home and did all that stuff matt said last night and it fixed it! (i also turned on double click to turn on computer :cool: ) now im in the process of getting all my programs and data back :confused:

    thanks a lot matt and pete for the help
     
  19. 2006/07/20
    mattman

    mattman Inactive Alumni

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    Glad to hear it helped. Thanks for letting us know.
    Good luck with the reloading.:)
     
  20. 2006/07/22
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    You're welcome- thanks for the update - and thanks to Matt :)
     

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