Trying to System Restore, but get blank screen....HELP!!!

SFC=System File Checker

 

Thank you Zephyr. Now the question. What is and what does the System file checker do?
Paul

 

There will be those who will answer that by saying, "It's a M$ utility that is flawed and causes more problems than it solves. "

In some instances and on some systems, that correct. However, SFC is a dynamic tool and it has evolved to the point that it doesn't do the harm that it once did. I don't know what kind of endorsement that is but it's the best I can offer.

What it is supposed to do is compare the system files you have currently on your drive with the versions that you have registered. If any deficiencies are noted, it will look in the reserve file cache for the latest version and put it back in place of the improper one. If that all goes well, you're probably charmed and should get some lottery tickets.

Frankly, I don't use the SFC utility since it has had such a bad name in the past. When it was first introduced, it was more trouble to keep updated than it was worth. If you didn't keep it updated, it would replace your changed files with what it had on the original install disk. You can guess how much trouble that caused.

I put the health recovery of my system in the hands of Drive Image and GoBack.

 

Okay, well that did absolutely nothing!!

I still don't have IE and it seems nothing has changed at all.

This is so irritating!!

 

Thanks Zephyr

 

Well, Kittie Cat , it may be time to consider reinstalling. If you can do a repair reinstall, you will be done in far less time than you have spent trying to solve this problem.

I've done several now, and use it somewhat as a "system restore ". It is certainly faster than trying to solve any complex problem.

 

Hey there, I'm reinstalling right now...

I did get the option of which drive so I hope this will work. I have all my installed programs on my E: drive so that will save them. I did burn everything just in case

It has about 15 minutes left and we'll see. Man, I really messed that one up!! It never fails, when I get bored I just start messing with stuff!! How come some people can go forever with their computers and never change a thing?!?!? LOL!! I'm always futzing with things, I guess that's how ya learn, eh?

I'll let cha know how it goes in a bit!!

Thanks again everyone!!!

Hey, anyone good at networking??? I had SUCH a hard time setting these two computers up, it's insane!! Now of course I don't recall how to do it. It was a total fluke that I got it to work in the first place. Shoot!!

 

Finished!! And it WORKED!!

saved all my stuff on my E: drive and worked like a charm. Geez, shoulda done this in the beginning, huh? Oh well, we all tried!!

Thank you everyone for your help and assistance with this!!

 

Glad to hear it. Too bad people are so afraid of reinstalling. It is sometimes the simplest solution and really painless.

I bet you won't be so timid about it next time .

 

There is no SFC feature included with any O/S after 98 Win. I used SFC to extract a clean version of a system file from a cab or if necessary the Win 98 installation CD. This procedure followed a system scan by SFC where a file was determined corrupted. I found the feature very helpful on several occasions.

System Fiile Protection (SFP) does exactly what the name implies. It continuously monitors the system files, and if there is a change, the utility determines whether the replacement file meets standards. If it does not meet the criteria, the current file is not replaced.

 

Hi Ken!

Don't you mean before Win98.

 

Hi Zephyr,

M$ discontinued SFC beginning with the ME O/S. I worked with the 98 SFC and found it to be a very useful utility and somewhat disappointed that ME and XP replaced the utillty with SFP and S/R.

SFC enabled a user to scan for the problem file and the user would be aware what file caused the problem and with some facility replace.

SFP and S/R is supposed to prevent most problems by eliminating an improper overwrite of system file; but if there is a problem, S/R will restore system files to a prior date. The O/S never provides the user any visibility to the problem or potential problem; just the prevention or the correction (in theory). That can be frustrating.

 

You should take a look in your Windows\System32 folder. You may be surprised.

Try START > RUN > SFC and see what happens. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles that the Win98 version had (it's Win2K) but it still has some value.

 

Bring up a command prompt then type in sfc /scannow hit enter.

 

Thanks Maggie, I neglected to mention that it requires an argument. I never use the darned thing; I don't trust it.

Microsoft(R) Windows XP Windows File Checker Version 5.1
(C) 1999-2000 Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved

Scans all protected system files and replaces incorrect versions with correct Microsoft ve
rsions.

SFC [/SCANNOW] [/SCANONCE] [/SCANBOOT] [/REVERT] [/PURGECACHE] [/CACHESIZE=x]


/SCANNOW Scans all protected system files immediately.
/SCANONCE Scans all protected system files once at the next boot.
/SCANBOOT Scans all protected system files at every boot.
/REVERT Return scan to default setting.
/PURGECACHE Purges the file cache.
/CACHESIZE=x Sets the file cache size.

 

If you go to the run key you are going to have to enter cmd sfc and it is going to take you there anyway. You can't get to sfc any other way.

 

Yeah, you can do SFC /SCANNOW or any other switch at the RUN window and it'll work.

If you don't include the switch, it'll close the window so fast you'll not see much. Including the switch will let it close the DOS window but render a GUI for you which lets you see the progress bar (automatically minimized).

 

Sorry. You are correct. The only thing I ever typed was sfc. It closed immediately. Oh well I have a shortcut in the quicklaunch bar for CMD, I use that.

 

The Win 98 SFC utility when called would/will compare a data file with the same characteristics of the installed system files and determine if there were any missing or corrupt system files, and if determined so, the user had/has the option to correct with that utility program.

SFP, with ME and XP, is always on and continuously monitors system files, and there isn't any way to turn it off. SFP doesn't display any message when it decides to replace a system file with its own version. Scanning protected files verifies all protected Win files are intact and in their original versions.

The procedure has changed to correct and maintain system files. If a problem, S/R corrects by restoring to a prior date (still requires user interaction?!), and FSP prevents overwriting a system file with an inappropriate file.

 

Zephyr,

There isn't any info on FSC in the XP help section, just FSP. There is no info in my Windows ME complete reference book for FSC. The Win 32 folder does not show an entry for FSC. Ran a search for FSC as keyword and there is an entry in 1386. There is a reference to Window 2000 Ver 5.1.2600.0.

The O/S was manufacturer installed and not proprietary. Maybe there is something that I haven't installed, or I'm overlooking something.