Bootup Probs

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wayne
  • Start date Start date
W

Wayne

Every time I try to boot up my machine (XP) now I get
this error message saying I'm either my system32
\Drivers\Fastfat.sys file is missing or corrupt!!!!!! How
can I fix this problem? Can I copy this file from another
machine with XP and some how put it on a floppy or
install my bad drive onto another machine and somehow
swap files onto my Drivers folder because I tried that
just to show how desperate I am!!! What would be the best
course of action and would It cost me????
 
Hi, Wayne.

If you can boot into WinXP (in Safe Mode?), then run the System File
Checker. At the Run prompt, type: sfc /scannow

SFC will compare each WinXP OS file with the "known good" copy kept in the
on-disk cache and replace any missing or damaged ones it finds. Have your
WinXP CD-ROM handy; SFC probably will want to see that.

If you do copy the file (mine is from SP1; it's 145,152 bytes, dated
8/29/02), be sure to copy it first to the system32\dllcache folder, then to
system32\drivers, so that it will not be simply overwritten with the old
cached version by WFP (Windows File Protection) on the next reboot.

If all else fails, you may need to do an in-place upgrade, as described in:
How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q315341

I hope you don't need to do this because it will take about as long as
installing WinXP from scratch, except that it should preserve all your
installed apps and data. (Still, you should be up and running in a couple
of hours, which may be less time than you've spent on the problem already.)

RC
 
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