Is anyone good with pcs??

MissTechnophobe · 23-08-2008, 13:40

I'm not sure what I managed to do my pc, but its completely dead.

I was trying to "clean it up" with software on the net, and now it seems to have died on me.

The message I get is /windows/system32/config/system

Being a complete technophobe I have no idea what I have done wrong!

I bought this off Ebay hoping this might help but sadly nothing happens when I put it in the disc drive.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WINDOWS-BOOT-DISK ... 911.c0.m14

All I really want to do is retrieve all my family photos and documents on there. Can anyone please help me??

Thank you
Miss Technophobe

entwisi · 23-08-2008, 14:17

Posted via Mobile Device

You need to reinstall windows. Be careful though as it can format the disk automatically and that would wipe all your pictures etc. To be safe you need to try and get the files off before the reinstall. I would do it using a Linux live CD and burn them to cd or onto a memory stick

If you want to know how to do this i will post the instructions

MissTechnophobe · 23-08-2008, 14:20

Yes please - in the nicest possible way I have no idea what you mean - hence the name!

Your help would be very much appreciated!

derekgas · 23-08-2008, 14:49

If ya get stuck miss T, let me know, and will get my techie man to sort it out for ya. Will probably have to take it to him though!

MissTechnophobe · 23-08-2008, 15:01

Thanks Derek thats very kind of you

accyman · 23-08-2008, 15:03

easiest way is to put your hard drive into another pc and transfer your pictures to the other computer and put them to a blank cd or dvd or even a usb stick storage device, thats if you have acess to another pc

if you have a windows instalation disk you can find instructions on how to use it to re install windows without deleting your files and its very easy to do as iv done it myself in the past

found this for you

Quote:

1. Start by placing your XP cd in the optical drive.

2. Reboot and make sure you are booting from CD.

3. Once Windows Setup is finished loading drivers and asks if you want to "Enter = Install Windows", "F3 = Quit Setup", or "R = Repair" you press Enter.

4. Next is the lovely EULA (End User License Agreement), read if you like then press F8.

5. After the EULA, Setup searchs for previous versions of Windows.
If you are using a XP Home disc, it will only find a previous Home install, and the same goes with XP Professional.

6. When it finds your install, you have the option to press Esc to a normal intall, F3 to quit setup, or R to Repair. Press R at this screen.

7. Here begins what appears to be a normal installation, have no fear, you won't lose any data outside of a standard Windows install.
This part is self-explanatory.

8. Yay! You're done when the install is done.
Just reactivate and fix your personal settings.

if you have one of these PC world or like wise machines that dont come with a windows xp disk it is most likely you only have an option to restore to factory settings which will remove all your data and restore the pc to as it was the day you bought it to which i would recomend you put your hard drive in another machine as a slave and copy what you want to keep to another computer

derekgas · 23-08-2008, 15:04

No problem MissT!

MissTechnophobe · 23-08-2008, 15:17

Thanks accyman.

Looks like I'm going to have to take the hard drive out (aaarrrgggghhh!) and then put it in a different pc, as we don't have the original XP disc as we bought it from one of those shops that refurbish them (since closed down).

Is it hard to take the hard drive out??

I had to buy a new pc as soon as that one went belly up, I can't live without my pc, and my daughter has an old one she plays games on, so I'll probably put it on that one in case I mess it up!

Thanks again to everyone for all their help

accyman · 23-08-2008, 16:28

i pmd my number incase you get stuck

good luck

entwisi · 23-08-2008, 16:30

You don't have to take it out if you do it my way. However you will need an XP disk at some point to get it working again.

accyman · 23-08-2008, 17:07

unfortunatly she bought it from one of those asian shops on blackburn road that not only put an illigal copy onto the pc but didnt even bother to crack it which wouldnt have worked for long anyway

another posibility is that the hard drive may be on its way out and thats why files are getting corrupted or missing , considering the junk these shop sell it wouldnt surprise me at all

there isnt one single place i would buy a system from in accrington especialy along blackburn road

i have valid working keys which come with systems i buy from a reputable buisness and thats why any system i sell will work on the windows update site

there are other avenues she can go down but cant realy go into detail here but anyone witha bit of internet knowledge could find a xp disk to download with service pack 3 intergrated but how long it would work for couldnt be gurenteed

Retlaw · 23-08-2008, 22:29

When you do get your system up and running, I suggest that you start to keep a regular backup of your important files. I back all my work up every night to a Zip disk and all my pictures and documents to another drive, DVD and a 4 gig memory stick. CD's and DVD are only supposed to last 5 years, unless you go for Gold Achive disks, memory sticks are supposed to be good for 10 years.

Don't buy rubbish of EBay, until you've asked some one if its any good.

Retlaw

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissTechnophobe

I'm not sure what I managed to do my pc, but its completely dead.

I was trying to "clean it up" with software on the net, and now it seems to have died on me.

The message I get is /windows/system32/config/system

Being a complete technophobe I have no idea what I have done wrong!

I bought this off Ebay hoping this might help but sadly nothing happens when I put it in the disc drive.
----------------------------------
All I really want to do is retrieve all my family photos and documents on there. Can anyone please help me??

Thank you
Miss Technophobe

banjoman · 24-08-2008, 22:35

Theres a copy of that missing system file in c:\windows\repair... if you can boot off something to copy that back across Windows should be OK

MissTechnophobe · 25-08-2008, 07:12

This is all going totally over my head now guys!!

I think I will do what Accyman suggested and take the hard drive out. I'm going to put it in my daughter's pc which is a really old pc anyway so if it all goes belly up then so be it.

I really just want to get my pictures off it, aside from that it can be binned.

Thanks to everyone who has helped and to Accyman for giving me his number, I may very well need it!!

What does a hard drive look like???

Retlaw · 25-08-2008, 11:24

Sounds like your a real technophobe a hard drive looks like the attatched pictures, but you can't just stick it in, the computer needs to know wht the drive is. Primry or Secondary. If you open up a computer give every thing a good coat of looking at, so when you've finished every ting is back in its right place. Take a picture, NOTE where jumper is on pic 3.

Retlaw

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissTechnophobe

This is all going totally over my head now guys!!

I think I will do what Accyman suggested and take the hard drive out. I'm going to put it in my daughter's pc which is a really old pc anyway so if it all goes belly up then so be it.

I really just want to get my pictures off it, aside from that it can be binned.

Thanks to everyone who has helped and to Accyman for giving me his number, I may very well need it!!

What does a hard drive look like???