Lost Configuration

[GIR_!]

I have a computer problem. Whenever I try to turn on the computer, it goes through its black screen, you know, saying what software and what not I guess its loaded with? It looks like it is in DOS or something. Well, it starts to go through that, and then kinda pauses and says that Windows has lost its configuration and something about it needing the windows install disk or whatever. But, I do not have the disk, the computer came with the OS already loaded, with Windows XP Professional. Any suggestions? Thankyou.

[macko72]

It will be very hard to do anything without Windows CD, the best thing would be that you still have waranty and you can call seller to fix the problem (that would be ideal)!

Do you get any stop message with some numbers or code, if you do, can you post it here?

[GIR_!]

I am not sure if the warranty is still applicable, assuming it can still be found. The computer actually belongs to a friend of mine. I believe that they only choices are abort retry ignore, and I don't know if those are choices are if I am making that up. But whenever I try any of those choices, assuming those are choices at all, it produces no effect. I have been trying for some time to get a hold of a disk, but no one seems to have one. I will take another look at it and write it down exactly and post it Saturday morning. Till' then, Thanks.

[GIR_!]

ok, the warranty is no longer good

it goes to the screen asking to run in normal, safe or last known configuration. No matter which one is selected, it always comes to the same point. A file windows/system32/config/system is corrupted. Insert the disk and press "R" to start repairs. Well, we don't have the disk, and so, until we can get one, what, is there nothing that can be done for it? Thankyou.

[macko72]

There is one thing, you may be able to use Recovery console:
1. download windows xp pro floppy setup disks here:http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en or SP2
2.Try and run setup and : During Startup, select Recovery Console from the startup options menu by pressing "R" on welcome to setup screen. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot system, choose the installation that you need to access from the Recovery Console.
3. The screen will switch to black and you will be asked which installation to log on to. If you only have one installation you will press "1". Remember that numlock is off at this time.
4.Next you'll be prompted to enter your Admin password. By default it is created blank so just press Enter
5.At the C:\Windows command prompt type "Help" for a list of commands you can use.
6.Prompt type the following (where "X" is your CD-Rom drive letter) allowing the files to overwrite the old files
COPY X:\i386\NTLDR C:
COPY X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:
In your case you will have to find those files on one of 6 floppies that you have created and then type path to flopy A:\i386\NTLDR C: and A:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:

Good Luck

[GIR_!]

ok, I took a swing at it and only half way hit, I think. As soon as the computer starts to go up, I had disk one in the drive, and I pressed "R", also, apparently, "F2" will do the same thing. I selected the option for the floppy disks, and I went through all 6 disks. Then? Then, I can't seem to recall what it does. At one point, it asked me about an installation and I selected "1". I can not remember what that did for me, it couldn't have given me much because I did it again and it never asked me that again, I don't believe. I did get to the c:\Windows prompt, and I entered help, which gave me a whole list of commands. And I was able to find out what each one did, did not really understand everyone of them, but I was technically able to know what each one did. Should I be using any of these commands for something? I believe that I chose one for one thing or another, and it asked me something about if I wanted to overwrite or re-partition drive c, or something like that.


X:\i386\NTLDR C:
X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:


I put those in at the c: prompt
and the a: prompt but I didn't get anything either way.

and, I am not exactly sure about the last part of the post. Well, I understand that I am looking for some files and that I will have to look through 6 floppy disks in order to find it, but, what does "type path to floppy mean"?



Also, about the "x:\" above, where x is my cd-rom drive letter? D;d you mean floppy drive designation? or hard drive? If not, then I am a little confused, more so than ever, because I am not doing anything with a
cd-rom.

Also, I was prompted for a password at one point, but I do not recall how I got to that point. And once I was there, I don't believe I was allowed to do anything special or anything, it just let manipulate the computers time and date functions and scan to see if this thing was here andor that thing was there, ya know?


Ok then, thankyou, I know you guys are trying to help, and I know that with me not cataloging how I got where and what that lead to is being less than helpfull, but I think I am getting it. I just missed a step somewhere.

[macko72]

what does "type path to floppy mean"?

Means type" A:\" istead of "X:\"

You didn't listed are you still unable to boot in to a windows if you are still un able to boot in to a windows try entering recovery console againg and when in command prompt type FIXBOOT and hit enter.

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm

[glc]

Before you type any of those other commands, try CHKDSK /P

[GIR_!]

ok, I have tried this process with 24 disks, why? because I did it with two sets of each of those files put forward by macko72's second post. I did two sets because at first I only had one (6 disks) but it said that it could not find the file(s), so I make another set because maybe something got lost in the load. no. So I try the OTHER file, twice again, and same thing. And these are all BRAND NEW disks, straight out of the package, just bought. I had to go buy them because we got rid of most of ours a LONG time ago. And then I had to go hunt around in the attic for a floppy drive. One thing that I have noticed is that after the blue recovery screen gets going with the disks, and then I press "r", and then I go to installation "1", it does not ask me for a password but rather it just goes straight to the command prompt. Why is this? Every time, no password. The time it did ask me for a password is when I pressed one of the function buttons right as the computer was starting up, and that just showed me that the computer still knew what the time and date was, and let me check a few other things. But I realized why I wasn't able to do anything before when I was typing in those commands the first time, I did not put in a command for it to do anything, like COPY. So, I did that this time, multiple times, different ways to see if I missed something. NO DICE.

Also, I knew that I was supposed to substitute A:\ for X:\, I was just a little confused as to how you worded that phrase, but thankyou for the further clarification macko72. No, I am not able to boot into windows by any means. I tried the fixboot enter trick and that didn't do anything either.



glc, why? I mean, like, which disk? c:\? a:\? Certainly not d:\? Do you think there is a scratch or something on the magnetic disk? Something physically wrong with the harddrive?



Come on people, help me nail this one to the wall, right above the monitor as a warning against further software trouble makers in the computer.

[macko72]

It's very difficult to help you properly because you don't have installation CD or System repair disk so I was trying to pull out something that isn't there, but there is still hope: you can try and burn SP2 on a CD then when you typing COPY X:\i386\NTLDR C:
COPY X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C: type path to yours CD-Rom drive usualy D: because those files are usualy in i386 folder and SP2 it's exactly that!!!

Please don't be upset with me trying to explain everything I don't wona you to get confused!

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en
here this is SP 2!!!

Edit: In addition to be able to copy those files you will have to extract them to a folder then burn them on to CD read thru how: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pro.../spdeploy.mspx
Command-line Options for XPsp2.exe and Update.exe

Alternatively, you can extract all of the files XPsp2.exe contains. These files are provided on the Service Pack 2 CD and at Windows XP Service Pack 2 Resources for IT Professionals on the Microsoft TechNet Web site.

The first step is to create folder named XP-SP2 or what ever you like!

The second step is to navigate to where you downloaded the Service Pack 2 file. If you downloaded SP2 from Microsoft it will most likely be named WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe. Copy the file to the XP-SP2 folder if it wasn't downloaded there initially. And then extract files there (in XP-SP2)!

Tird step is to burn extracted folder.

The Run dialogue box is accessed from [Start] [Run]
The command to begin the extraction is: C:\XP-SP2\WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe -x