More laptop problems!
 

Kelsey's laptop has gone off on one again tonight, it was working just fine and then we got the message " windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt; \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

Any ideas?

Re: More laptop problems!
 

Restart hold down F8 go into safe mode and roll back to yesterday, the when youve got it working properly make a restore point, which you can always go back to.

Retlaw.

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I think that she isn't far enough in to get to a safe mode start.

Linds, this is on a Black screen I assume?

If it is I'm afraid its a re-install of Windows. If she has data on that she needs to backup your friendly local Linux Ubuntu Live CD is your friend. You should be able to just splat Windows over the top but its always better to make sure you have data safe before starting anythinkg like this. I have seen Windows decide to format the partition automagically.

Shout if you want instructions on how to do this or if you can drop it off with details of where the data is I'll back it up for you.

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There might not be a need for a full reinstall .......
put the XP disc in make sure its booting from the disc and not the harddrive the options are to install etc you could try xp repair this might reinstall the corrupt file
if this does not work then its a full install
but worth a try first

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Thanks for help guys, it's just a black screen and pressing f8 just doesn't do anything. Entwisi, where do you live? maybe able to get it to you althoughi don't drive. Neil fixed it last time, put a brand new hard disk in it only a couple of months back.

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Mick, XP 'Repair' only drops you to a command line prompt, if you don't know how to fix it from there its useless.

if you choose to 'install' you then get an option to 'repair' which actually doesn't, it just splats a complete copy of windows over the top of the old install with no concern if that file was broken or not. You then often have to re-download all the updates /service packs again. Thats not a 'repair' in my book.

Linds, I'll PM you my addy. Obviously I'm at work all day but usually in after 5:30.

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Step by step details of command prompt repairs are easily found on the web, I have used this method many, many times to repair faulty P.C.'s it is not a very difficult procedure to use.

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from Lindseys quoted error it suggests that a number of files and/or directories are missing. there are many reasons why you may need to do a repair, often its just fixing a MBR

Care to let her know a comprehensive list that need to be replaced?

Also lets not even get into the potential for needing SATA drivers if her recovery disk etc hasn't got them streamlined.

For some people we enjoy hacking around fixing things and using the Repair console is an acceptable way, other just want their PC to work. Feel free to offer assistance in my place if you have a better solution or more time available than me.

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As usual when someone offers a different point of view to you, you use bluster and worse case scenario in an attempt to appear 'top dog'.

Just get on with it and try to refrain from frightening people into thinking things are far more difficult than they can be, yes, sometimes the fault can't be repaired using this method but any reasonable user should be offered this method as a possible fix rather than it just being dismissed by a 'Guru' as too difficult.


If it works then great, if it doesn't then o.k. resorting to other fixes may be the way to go.

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Utter rubbish, for a windows user to be dropped to a CLI with miniscule help commands available is not something I'd recommend any non technical user to even try.

The internet is full of 'guides' and howto's with very little checked for accuracy and every one comes with a gurarantee worth exactly what you paid for it..

I'm sure Lindsey will make her own mind up as to the best way forward in her case.

You seem to have recently taken offence to my 'title' as this is not the first time you make some comment about it. Perhaps you need to take it in the same manner you have for the previous 4 and a bit years and relax about the whole thing.... See that smiley at the end?????????

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I think all the drivers are sat in a folder on C: drive. They were all easily downloaded from the manufacturers web site.

When I installed the new drive it is SATA and there were no issues with it. The install just worked.

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OK Mate, I had a right nightmare with one the other month. the user had lost the disk and the drivers from the manufacturers website didn't work ( that was after I'd found a floppy to put them on!). I ended up finding out that the board was a clone of another make and the drivers for that worked.

did you use Lindseys disk or your own?

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Lindsay has the XP install disk, she will need to give it to you

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you can reinstall fresh windows on top of windows and keep not only your files but your programs too

Langa Letter: XP's No-Reformat, Nondestructive Total-Rebuild Option -- Windows XP Management

iv done it myself in similar situations

you will need teh same cd or windows relase that was used to install whats on your computer

thats if teh repair options dont work when you boot from cd you can fix certain things, formatting is a last resort

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Someone doesn't agree with you so they are wrong, just because you have problem's with Windows and can't fettle it without a criticism doesn't mean it's a dead end, there are lot's of us out here that can do similar to you but we do it quietly through P.M.'s and dare i say Windows based MSN we just don't need the drama you turn into a mystery.

It's Windows, it's all out there, use it or stick to your limited Linux.

As for a 'title', no offence but really, anyone that thinks they are that good needs to be avoided, we all make mistakes but yours must be classic! How can the perfect make ordinary mistakes?

So far as Lindsey is concerned I hope you fix it, I want it up and running I'm not trying to steal her away from you, get on with it but don't make a pantomime out of it.

You can't use the facilities windows provides so they must be wrong not YOU.
:p

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Thanks chaps, I have tried to reinstall the disk that I have with Window Xp on it but can't get any further than the original error message screen? Am I doing something very basically wrong? I thought it would just recognise the disk and do summat? :confused:

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Yeah, you don't install it you "boot to disk"
Put the disk in the drive and start the pc, set in bios to boot from cd drive as 1st option

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To boot from cd you put the disc in the cd drive, turn laptop off then turn it on again. It will probably say on the black screen "Press any key to boot from CD". If it does then press the any key ;)

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:D:D
http://blog.stackoverflow.com/wp-con...ds/any-key.jpg

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Is that a foreign keyboard?
My any key is in the middle of the numeric pad between numbers 11 and 12 :confused:

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Hey guess what? It still doesn't work.... Have turned it on, put disk in , turned it off, turned it on again and still get error message as previously described. Any more ideas before I throw the feckin thing in the bin?:rolleyes:
ps it doesn't even get as far as press any key .......

Re: More laptop problems!
 

thats probablybecause bios isnt set to boot from cd first and is trying to boot from your hard drive

when you restart your laptop look to see what button it says to press to enter setup and tap it repeatedly and it will take you into the bios

there look for boot device priorities and move cdrom to teh top of the list

goto exit and selct save and exit

then it will boot from your cd

if it still dosnt boot from cd disable all other boot devices except cdrom which will force it to look at cdrom first then once youyr fixed alter it back

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With the cd in switch on the laptop and keep pressing F12, if set in the BIOS this will ask you which drive to boot from, if it does select the CD and you should be ok (you still might get the press any key to boot from CD message)

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A very useful site I use is www,askbobrankin.com - tremendous amount of information on probably every computer problem ever experienced. It is an easy site to use.
Best of luck.
Barrie

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usually its Delete to go in to bios for most that i have used... Lindsay i can help if you want

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{F2** on my (Dell) laptop.

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think it was F8 on my Dell... or was it F2 hehe. I was thinking of towers rather than laptop

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Oh, it changes depending on BIOS too - I've seen all sorts, {Del**, {F1**, {F2**, {F10**, {F11**

The only guarantee is that whatever the key, it's the one least expected, and the user will have to go through at least one bootup/shutdown cycle 'cos they aren't enough. :)

Re: More laptop problems!
 

Fixed it finally, the numpty that allegedly "fixed" it had forgotten to reinstall any of the drivers at all! Now done and have even got the keys working correctly again! More luck than judgement on my part I have to admit but well chuffed!:)

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Well done Lindsay...when do you open for business? :D

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Well done Linds:) But I thought you were technophobic like me, an damn sure I would never have sorted it.

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Have to admit to a couple of "ahem" tetchy moments with it all, that and moving workplace hasn't helped but hey ho, it's done now! Just need to get mum back online now, her pc has a trojan that cannot and will not be shifted! It's even disabled her McAfee thingy!:eek: