Big problem with XP

  • Thread starter Thread starter JAS
  • Start date Start date
J

JAS

Last night when I booted my computer, I got a black screen, looked like the
screen back when we all ran DOS. The system said that it can't find file
WINDOWS\system32\c_427.nls and suggested I boot from the CD and run repair.

I am using WinXP HomeEdition with all service packs. So, I went to BIOS,
changed to boot from CD, inserted the WinXP setup CD and tried to run
repair. Could not make repair run -- cursed at it for an hour. Could not
do a system restore.

So, I re-installed the operating system.

When the XP installation was over, none of my desktop icons appeared.
However, when I use Windows Explorer, all my applications are still there in
Program Files. If I go to an application and click on the execute file, I
get an error message telling me that the application cannot be run, I need
to run its setup again. I assume this is because the new installation
cleaned out the registry, so, even though the applications show as being on
the HD, they are not in the registry, thus, the system does not recognize
them.

Is this correct?

Anyway I can get back to the way it was before the crash? System restore
only goes back to last night when I re-installed the OS. I know, I should
have backed up the system.

Thanks.
 
To run repair, you boot the CD and don't select the "r"
option on the first menu. You begin an install and select
the option to repair the current installation.


| Last night when I booted my computer, I got a black
screen, looked like the
| screen back when we all ran DOS. The system said that it
can't find file
| WINDOWS\system32\c_427.nls and suggested I boot from the
CD and run repair.
|
| I am using WinXP HomeEdition with all service packs. So,
I went to BIOS,
| changed to boot from CD, inserted the WinXP setup CD and
tried to run
| repair. Could not make repair run -- cursed at it for an
hour. Could not
| do a system restore.
|
| So, I re-installed the operating system.
|
| When the XP installation was over, none of my desktop
icons appeared.
| However, when I use Windows Explorer, all my applications
are still there in
| Program Files. If I go to an application and click on the
execute file, I
| get an error message telling me that the application
cannot be run, I need
| to run its setup again. I assume this is because the new
installation
| cleaned out the registry, so, even though the applications
show as being on
| the HD, they are not in the registry, thus, the system
does not recognize
| them.
|
| Is this correct?
|
| Anyway I can get back to the way it was before the crash?
System restore
| only goes back to last night when I re-installed the OS.
I know, I should
| have backed up the system.
|
| Thanks.
|
| --
|
| -------
| Joe S.
|
|
 
No you can not get back to the way it was before the crash now that you over
wrote the registry. It sounds like when you did the reinstall you chose the
option to install to the same location as your old setup rather than
reformat like this shows
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/images/02_repair2.jpg . You may have missed
the screen that gives the option to try to repair the current install like
this shows http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/images/02_repair.jpg

In any event the installer basically rewrote the C:\Windows directory.
Directories outside of C:Windows like C:\Program Files and C:\Documents and
Settings are likely still intact though. You will have to reinstall all your
applications again so the registry entries are created but you should still
have some of your application settings in place and still have access to
your My Documents folder etc. You might find that you need to Take Ownership
again. See here http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=308421
 
Thanks to all who offered their condolences -- I did not go into the repair
routine correctly -- now I know better if it happens again.

I have reinstalled most of my applications.

Also, I have found that there are a lot of applications that I really don't
use -- so -- I am going through the C drive deleting directories for all
this stuff -- deleted a directory, re-boot to make certain I didn't screw up
anything, then delete another directory -- taking out a lot of trash and
freeing up plenty disk space.

One question: Where would I find my saved e-mail files? I really would
like to recover them

Thanks.
 
Joe S. said:
One question: Where would I find my saved e-mail files? I really would
like to recover them
Click to expand...
Joe, if you saved them by File/Save, try a search on "*.eml" (remove quotes)

If you "saved" them by not deleting (i.e left them in inbox or other folders
in OE, then look
for files *.dbx - these are database files containing all the OE6 messages.
Hope this helps - Len
 
The safest way to remove applications is through Add/Remove Programs in
Control Panel. There are dangers in simply deleting their folders as they
may have shared files and/or you may simply delete the wrong one. Also,
applications installed on Windows systems place files and settings all over
the place. You may delete a folder and at some point find the system asking
for a specific file because of a pointer somewhere else in the system. It's
usually best to use the application's uninstall routine for this purpose.
 
Do a search for .DBX files and see if large files show up. If so you can
extract them with this freebie http://www.pcnet-online.com/dbxtract.htm

But you likely lost your e-mail along with everything else that was in the
C:\Windows directory if you did the repair install incorrectly E-mail is
not saved as individual files but rather are stored in .DBX files.
 
Thanks, Harry, I've been looking all over for this utility.

--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

Harry Ohrn said:
Do a search for .DBX files and see if large files show up. If so you can
extract them with this freebie http://www.pcnet-online.com/dbxtract.htm

But you likely lost your e-mail along with everything else that was in the
C:\Windows directory if you did the repair install incorrectly E-mail is
not saved as individual files but rather are stored in .DBX files.
--

Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell/User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp
Click to expand...
 
You are welcome Michael. And the big thanks goes out to Stephen Cochran for
making this available to us right 8^)

--

Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell/User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp


Michael Solomon (MS-MVP Windows Shell/User) said:
Thanks, Harry, I've been looking all over for this utility.

--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

Harry Ohrn said:
Do a search for .DBX files and see if large files show up. If so you can
extract them with this freebie http://www.pcnet-online.com/dbxtract.htm

But you likely lost your e-mail along with everything else that was in
the C:\Windows directory if you did the repair install incorrectly
E-mail is not saved as individual files but rather are stored in .DBX
files.
--

Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell/User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp


Joe S. said:
Thanks to all who offered their condolences -- I did not go into the
repair
routine correctly -- now I know better if it happens again.

I have reinstalled most of my applications.

Also, I have found that there are a lot of applications that I really
don't
use -- so -- I am going through the C drive deleting directories for all
this stuff -- deleted a directory, re-boot to make certain I didn't
screw up
anything, then delete another directory -- taking out a lot of trash and
freeing up plenty disk space.

One question: Where would I find my saved e-mail files? I really would
like to recover them

Thanks.

--

-------

Joe S.



Last night when I booted my computer, I got a black screen, looked like
the
screen back when we all ran DOS. The system said that it can't find
file
WINDOWS\system32\c_427.nls and suggested I boot from the CD and run
repair.

I am using WinXP HomeEdition with all service packs. So, I went to
BIOS,
changed to boot from CD, inserted the WinXP setup CD and tried to run
repair. Could not make repair run -- cursed at it for an hour. Could
not
do a system restore.

So, I re-installed the operating system.

When the XP installation was over, none of my desktop icons appeared.
However, when I use Windows Explorer, all my applications are still
there
in
Program Files. If I go to an application and click on the execute
file, I
get an error message telling me that the application cannot be run, I
need
to run its setup again. I assume this is because the new installation
cleaned out the registry, so, even though the applications show as
being
on
the HD, they are not in the registry, thus, the system does not
recognize
them.

Is this correct?

Anyway I can get back to the way it was before the crash? System
restore
only goes back to last night when I re-installed the OS. I know, I
should
have backed up the system.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Absolutely. I recall when it first became available. It was quite a tool.
Somehow I must have deleted the link. I just forgot about it for awhile, we
don't get as much call for this type of utility today and then you posted
the link. It's always nice to have something like this in your bag of
tricks.:-)

--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

Harry Ohrn said:
You are welcome Michael. And the big thanks goes out to Stephen Cochran
for making this available to us right 8^)

--

Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell/User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp


Michael Solomon (MS-MVP Windows Shell/User) said:
Thanks, Harry, I've been looking all over for this utility.

--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

Harry Ohrn said:
Do a search for .DBX files and see if large files show up. If so you can
extract them with this freebie http://www.pcnet-online.com/dbxtract.htm

But you likely lost your e-mail along with everything else that was in
the C:\Windows directory if you did the repair install incorrectly
E-mail is not saved as individual files but rather are stored in .DBX
files.
--

Harry Ohrn MS-MVP [Shell/User]
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp


Thanks to all who offered their condolences -- I did not go into the
repair
routine correctly -- now I know better if it happens again.

I have reinstalled most of my applications.

Also, I have found that there are a lot of applications that I really
don't
use -- so -- I am going through the C drive deleting directories for
all
this stuff -- deleted a directory, re-boot to make certain I didn't
screw up
anything, then delete another directory -- taking out a lot of trash
and
freeing up plenty disk space.

One question: Where would I find my saved e-mail files? I really
would
like to recover them

Thanks.

--

-------

Joe S.



Last night when I booted my computer, I got a black screen, looked
like
the
screen back when we all ran DOS. The system said that it can't find
file
WINDOWS\system32\c_427.nls and suggested I boot from the CD and run
repair.

I am using WinXP HomeEdition with all service packs. So, I went to
BIOS,
changed to boot from CD, inserted the WinXP setup CD and tried to run
repair. Could not make repair run -- cursed at it for an hour. Could
not
do a system restore.

So, I re-installed the operating system.

When the XP installation was over, none of my desktop icons appeared.
However, when I use Windows Explorer, all my applications are still
there
in
Program Files. If I go to an application and click on the execute
file, I
get an error message telling me that the application cannot be run, I
need
to run its setup again. I assume this is because the new installation
cleaned out the registry, so, even though the applications show as
being
on
the HD, they are not in the registry, thus, the system does not
recognize
them.

Is this correct?

Anyway I can get back to the way it was before the crash? System
restore
only goes back to last night when I re-installed the OS. I know, I
should
have backed up the system.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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