screwed up windows xp

**Shard92** · June 7th, 2006, 11:50 AM

I have a machine running windows xp home sp2. it was a fresh build and working fine when it went out a few months ago. Customer brought it back today and it won't install any new hardware. you try to start add new hardware and it says that it is already installing new hardware and try again later. It never finishes either. It also will not open a cd. it will pull up the label in my computer but won't open it. I also cannot add a usb pendrive ( we are trying to recover data from it. ) as the hardware wizard is busy. I tried turning stuff off with msconfig and that helps some ( start up errors go away ) but still has the above mentioned problems. This did have f-secure anti-virus on it but that seems to be having startup issues as well... currently scanning for virus but so far nothing .... just wondering if anyone had other ideas...

oh can't put the drive into another machine at the moment as it is a sata drive and I dont' have another avalable machine.

**CCT** · June 7th, 2006, 12:31 PM

I would suggest you attempt to make a DOS boot disk with CD support:

http://home.ptd.net/~don5408/win98/i...cddos_diy.html

Once you get the cd running you can try and copy what you MUST save to cd.

Then reformat and reload OS.

**Shard92** · June 7th, 2006, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by CCT

Once you get the cd running;

Follow instructions for repair from installation cd here:

Windows Installation CD - Repair Current Installation

http://www.theeldergeek.com/repairing_windows_xp.htm

yeah thanks I know how to do a repair install.... I was hoping not to have to do that as I'm just trying to get it to run long enough to get data off... I currently cannot install new hardware or programs.... Once the virus scan completes Maybe I'll try a repair to see if I can it running enough to get data off... thanks for the suggestion...

**CCT** · June 7th, 2006, 12:46 PM

Sorry I edited too late to catch you before your reposted BUT I think the boot DOS boot disk with CD support is best way to go IF you wanna save stuff.

**BOB IROC** · June 7th, 2006, 02:09 PM

Or pull the harddrive and temporarily connect it to another system as a slave and get the data that way then format the drive and reinstall windows. Thats what I usually do when I need to get data off a corrupted system like that.

**Low_Level_Owl** · June 7th, 2006, 02:27 PM

Try re-installing Windows Installer.

**Shard92** · June 7th, 2006, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by CCT

Sorry I edited too late to catch you before your reposted BUT I think the boot DOS boot disk with CD support is best way to go IF you wanna save stuff.

Sorry but dos does not support NTFS so that isn't going to help

**Shard92** · June 7th, 2006, 03:06 PM

Originally Posted by Low_Level_Owl

Try re-installing Windows Installer.

I never thought of that. I was able to add an IDE drive to the system and I'm trying to see if I can transfer stuff that way. Wish me luck. I am curious to see if I can fix it but I'm pressed for time... this customer ships back out onto the lake soon...

**BOB IROC** · June 7th, 2006, 08:19 PM

Originally Posted by Shard92

Sorry but dos does not support NTFS so that isn't going to help

Dos can support NTFS if you make the right boot disk http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/NtfsDos.html

**Larommi** · June 7th, 2006, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by Shard92

I never thought of that. I was able to add an IDE drive to the system and I'm trying to see if I can transfer stuff that way. Wish me luck. I am curious to see if I can fix it but I'm pressed for time... this customer ships back out onto the lake soon...

Try from safe mode.

**Shard92** · June 8th, 2006, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by Larommi

Try from safe mode.

Yeah I had to pull the cd temporarily and replace with hard drive in safe mode and was able to pull stuff off...

This is wierd.... trying a repair install now but will have to reinstall if that doesn't work.... everyone is so rushed ( though understandable in this case )