Xp Disaster

First forgive the length of this post. Now I know why everybody hates Microsoft.

First the basic information. System would not boot to windows XP, not in safe or command mode. Installed my vendor recovery disk - that only made it worse. None of my backups, including boot disks would work. AND my keyboard and mouse were dead. Went out and purchased (UGH) a full version Windows XP and reinstalled.Even with the new install (no format), system would not respond.

During all this, I talked with Microsoft three times and had various solutions (total 3 hours) - all of which were wrong - the last person told me - my new windows disk was corrupted...yea right....but anywaaaay. I reinstalled XP four times at microsofts urging. Ignoring everything Microsoft had told me, I got to the desktop (in about six hours of trying different things). Don't ask me how; I couldn't tell you. All my applications were missing from the desktop and changed to hidden - no data was lost except a driver for my art pad. Two good things, My missing A drive suddenly reappeared and the XP restore function now works.

Finally, using Norton System Works Install disk (2002) (who knew and I was desperate; I did not want to take it to Office Depot for repair) I managed to get to the command prompt. Did all the fix disk, dos commands to try and get last good configuration and clean up corrupt files. Used boot rebuild to delete any extra copies of windows and used my "corrupt" windows XP file to reinstall xp.


WHAT I'm LEFT WITH is:

A system that has two computers defined with duplicated data all over the place. launching apps from documents and settings folder instead of the desktop, and two new users (me repackaged). Surprisingly, most apps run but can't reinstall norton which quit on me. My C:/documents and settings File has the following listed:

All Users
Default.Users
MICHEL~1-ABU
Michelle
Michelle.ABUNDAN-5QP844
Michelle.MASTER
All.Users.Windows
Default.User.WINDOWS
Michel~2ABU
Michelle Bereza
Michelle.ABUNDANC>8B2ZYK

Can I delete any of these? I've backed up all my apps and did a drive image but scared to death to reformat my hard drive and endup with equipment and internet connections won't work. Everything seems to be working well and peformance is OK - but I don't like running a system that is so disorganized and a possible timebomb waiting to crash.

If after all this, I get a message saying "reformat your hard drive dummy ", I'll understand but mayabe this will help some other newbie. Thanks. Michelle

 

Hello artful.

At this point I would just keep going along with what you have. You write that performance is ok. You can always do the "clean" install down the road.

What went wrong was probably this *Installed my vendor recovery disk* - can't "install" on top of an existing installation w/o a good chance that the outcome turns out the way you described. There is a "repair" the installation option. But I wouldn't even try that now.

Regards - Charles

Artful, pardon the aside:
Johanna, if you're reading this, this is why I keep the dual- boot config.

 

I have to agree with Charles- the first thing that went wrong was the recovery disk. And, yeah, if I were you, I would do a clean install with my brand new "corrupt" cd. Let's look at this as a learning experience.

Never accept a recovery cd. Either get the real one, or pass on the sale. You have the full version now, and you can fix this.

Do not expect to regain your desktop or any of your applications or data EVER. Live life like your comp could crash at any time. (It can, and it will!) Keep backups of your data and programs and the pain will not be so bad when it is suddenly gone. (I think of it as an opportunity to "clean house ".) You may want to consider partitions for the future.

While it's working, get your stuff off of there, and then clean up. This tutorial should help take the trepidation out of a reinstall.

Don't worry about losing your internet connection. That is one thing XP is very good about- if you have a LAN, it will know, and if you have a dial up, there is a simple Wizard to set it up. There is no DOS in XP. There are some command prompts, but DOS is dead. The command window is easy to get to- you don't need third party software. Start, Run and cmd will get you there. Did you try a System File Check before you started using System Works? You were already having system problems- your floppy drive and SR points, for example) If you don't have any internet security (you said Norton quit) go offline at least until you get your data backed up. Reinstall it immediately after XP and before you go online, then let it update until it comes up empty twice. Spybot and AdAware are good tools to use regularly, too.

Let us know how it's going, and if we can help.


Charles,
When my dad's new Dell (ugh) comes in, you may have to talk him through the mechanics of dual booting because he seems determined to do it. He cannot bear to embrace the "new" OS, and kick ME to the curb. I don't know enough about the earlier versions of Windows to be any help to him whatsoever. I've been online less than 3 years, and most of that time was with XP. I guess that's why I just don't get it (why he wants to dual boot) because I don't know how to fix things "the old way ". I'm just a newbie.

Johanna

 

Hi Johanna,

*Never accept a recovery cd. Either get the real one, or pass on the sale.*

I don't necessarily aggree with that. Depends on the OEM. HP/Compaq for instance doesn't "break out" the OS as a distinct loadable disc. You have to load the whole "factory setting" which means all the bundled software as well. No option to repair the OS. Either all or nothing.

If it is a standalone disc labeled XP, that is the whole OS, no different then retail copies. It would be different in the sense that MS has added/changed some things in the newer versions - SP1/SP1a for instance is part of it now. My copy, being two years, does not.

What I meant about what went wrong is the way the "repair" was done by artful. There are numerous posts about this process going wrong and ending up with multiple XP installations on the HD.

About dual booting after the fact: Once there is an XP installation on C, adding a 9X after that, is a PIA to begin with. It can be done, if XP's file system is FAT32, because 9X has to be able to read the boot.ini file. Your Father is going to get a NTFS installation. Is he prepared to buy Partition Magic or Systems Commander to change NTFS to FAT32?

Regards - Charles

 

Johanna

The Command Window in XP is the same as MS-DOS Prompt ( Not MS-DOS Mode ) in 98.

Help me out please . Why do you mention 3rd party software ?

BillyBob

 

Charles,
Dad's OEM Dell will prob be NTFS, and I wonder if he'll know he has to change it to Fat 32? My personal preference is to have just an XP cd- I like to put my own software on, not what the vendor thinks I should have.

Billy Bob,
Artful said she used Norton System Works to get to a command prompt.

Johanna

 

OOPS !!

Guess I need to read more carefully. Or at least remember what I read

BB

 

Johanna - it is possible to have a PC with more than one OS loaded but not in 'dual boot' mode. Basically, if you load an older, non-NT OS on a different partition and make up a boot floppy that sets the path to that partition and loads that OS, it will run. The two installations won't even see each other although the XP load will be able to see and modify data on the other partition.

Doesn't work well if you want to add 2K or NT4 since their install will write to C: (and mess up the XP startup) even if the OS is put elsewhere but 9x/ME don't do that.

 

Johanna,
You might want to try "BOOTit-NG" it is a very nice dual boot answer. It installs very easily. When you boot it gives you the choice of systems to boot to, up to four drives. You may run one system in FAT32 format and the other in NTFS format (which is what I do). It's great. It has alot of good tools in it also, partition and editing tools etc. (www.terabyteunlimited.com) It is shareware so you may use it for 30 days then uninstall or buy it.
I think your Dad will like the ease of Bootit-ng. (No I don't have any stock in the company)

Houston

 

Hi Newt,

In reading about these installs of 98/ME after XP, the problem seemed always to be the boot.ini

I'm not getting what you're saying "but 9x/ME don't do that ". What do they do? I'm not questioning that the 9X could be booted into by a boot disc, I'm just wondering why the 9X install will not write a boot.ini record to C.

I have a boot.ini file on C, created by ME way back when it was the only OS on my system. Later, when I installed XP on D, the boot.ini was modified to include XP.

Regards - Charles

 

Charles - I may have mis-spoken then. Wasn't aware that ME used a boot.ini file. Hmmmm. Guess a little reading is in order for me at this point. I could have sworn that ME used Msdos.sys like the 9X versions do.

Hopefully the part I put in about the other load not directly affecting the XP boot was correct though. NTLDR, Ntdetect.com, and those folks should be NT (or 2K/XP) specific and not messed with by 9X/ME installs.

 

Hi Newt,

To be honest, its been almost two years ago that I installed XP. It may very well be that I'm just not remembering correctly, and just an assumption on my part.

What I'm going to do is post the question on the ME board

Regards - Charles

 

Thanks for the tips, guys. I'll be sure to send Daddy the link when the time comes. I, however, am not going to touch that computer, even to check my email when I'm in Chicago. I am not going to even look at the screen. I tell my kids all the time, and I'm sure I learned this from my dad, "Don't ask the question if you aren't going to like the answer!" He's on his own with this one. Besides- what do I know about computers, anyway?

Johanna

 

There are some difficulties installing 98 after xp is already installed. The problem is, the 98 install will overwrite the boot record and it needs to be repaired in order to be able to boot to xp again. Either that or you need to install a boot manager like Houston suggested. You can have a look at this page to see how you go about installing 98 after XP.
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_repair_9x.htm

 

Followup to XP Disaster. Thanks everyone for the advice. Things got so bad, I started to get internal memory errors. First time in 15 years, I've done a clean reformat of my hard drive. Thank God I had backups of all my data. I have'nt reinstalled Norton Antivirus nor Systemworks - they really play with your system and don't offer support to clean it up. Their remove programs just don't work. I've since installed Avast antivirus software and the Armor2Net firewall software. I do miss the Systemworks - it seemed to fit "my newbie" mindset when it comes to repairing errors.

On my journey, met people in India, the Phillipines (sp?), and although they didn't completely solve my problems, working together we managed to teach each other some new tricks.

Have several evaluation copies of boot disk software since my restore resources seemed to fail all around. Wonderful to have XP Restore back up - gotten wise to doing a restore point everytime I install something new. It works great.

This site is a life saver -- even if just for moral support. Nobody treats you like a neanderthal. Thanks again everyone, and happy holidays. Michelle