Very Serious Problem - Expert please!

[Stephen]

Hi

For the past 2 weeks XP Home kept crashing (BSOD).

Today I tried to do a "Repair Install" using the CD.

Before I did this I followed advice found on the web, to remove
Service Pack 2 files BEFORE attempting a repair.

This immediately caused problems because it messed Windows up,
and I couldn't get back into it - or Safe Mode.

While repairing using the CD, my system crashed again.
I kept trying - it kept crashing (every time just before the repair
finished).

Over the last few weeks I have done CDISK/R may times, as BSOD
asked on a few occasions. The last report I saw was that it's all OK.

BUT - I think the drive is corrupted, because it seems to crash when
writing to it.

I have looked up all BSOD STOP codes - but it changes every time.

Yesterday for instance the system was on for a full 4 hours while
transferring from C to G.

At the moment I cannot afford a new hard drive and would prefer to at
least try and FORMAT it and see if that solves the problem.

MY QUESTION;

How can I FORMAT my "C" Hard Drive - when I haven't got Windows installed?

I wanted to try MSDOS - but am I right in saying MSDOS will not be installed
if Windows isn't installed?

If I can use MSDOS - could someone tell me how I get into MSDOS?

Also refresh me on then DOS for FORMAT, etc.

I have backed everything to G Drive - I have 20GB free space remaining.

I have restored BOIS to boot form HD (C) - it immediately goes to Windows
Install
and try's to continue with the installation.

If I can't use MSDOS - has anyone got any ideas how I can approach this.

I have tried everything I know - I am completely stuck now.

Many thanks in advance - Stephen

 

[=?iso-8859-1?Q?_db_=B4=AF`=B7.._=3E=3C=29=29=29=BA]

could be a faulty
harddrive as you
suspect.

but it could also be a failing
power supply. your bsod
message would be helpful.

in any case you should take a
look inside you pc
and make sure cabling,
wiring, connections are
not loose, crimped or
frayed, melted, burnt.

you might want to also
double check the harddrive
jumpers are configured
properly as "master"

one option that you
might exercise is to
install windows into
a new partition or directory.

this option is provided
during setup and after
it checks and scans your disk
for available space.

also, just be sure
to have only your kb, mouse
and monitor attached to
the system. it might be
worthwhile to also have
the pc's side panel removed
during this process.

that way you might be
able to see, hear, feel and
maybe smell something
unusual that would otherwise
be covered up by your side panel.

and if you have special
cards for video and or
usb's, i would remove
them temporarily.

also, don't be connected
to the internet or download
any updates for now.

then if you are able to
log into the new installation,
then most of your troubles
will dissipate.

if however, you cannot
install a new operating
system and you have done
a visual check of the components
inside, then you may have little
choice and need to get the
harddrive replaced.

possibly if you have access
to another computer, you
could hook up your questionable
harddrive as a slave and see if
you can work on it from a
functional operating system.


keep us posted.

--

<)))º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.. ><)))º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><)))º>

..

 

[Rich Barry]

Stephen, if you have the WinXP CD then you can format with it.
Performing a Clean
Install will do the same thing. Check here for how to do this.
http://www.theeldergeek.com/

Choose the XP Install with Graphics. You can always get a Linux Live CD.
Knoppix is
very good for doing repairs. Get it at www.distrowatch.com
Go to the Hard Drive Manufacturers website and get a free drive
analysis tool.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Hi

For the past 2 weeks XP Home kept crashing (BSOD).

Today I tried to do a "Repair Install" using the CD.

Before I did this I followed advice found on the web, to remove
Service Pack 2 files BEFORE attempting a repair.

About the only time that advice would actually be valid is if your CD is
older and you weren't able to slipstream the CD with SP2, and you could not
do an in-place reinstall.

Would suggest that you find a friend with a highspeed connection, download
the SP2 full version and save it to CD, and also Autostreamer, and update
your XP CD. Subsequent installs including repairs will then all be SP2
already.

Some manufacturers, like Dell, apply other updates and their CD versions
can't be slipstreamed.

SP2:
http://tinyurl.com/5bobl

which is

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en

Autostreamer:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/System-Tweak/Autostreamer.shtml

This immediately caused problems because it messed Windows up,
and I couldn't get back into it - or Safe Mode.

While repairing using the CD, my system crashed again.
I kept trying - it kept crashing (every time just before the repair
finished).

Over the last few weeks I have done CDISK/R may times, as BSOD
asked on a few occasions. The last report I saw was that it's all OK.

BUT - I think the drive is corrupted, because it seems to crash when
writing to it.

If the drive is damaged, you are asking for further trouble by continuing to
use it.

If your G partition is part of the same physical drive, you aren't really
doing a valid backup by copying data to it.

When the drive fails, you will lose access to all partitions equally.

I have looked up all BSOD STOP codes - but it changes every time.

Yesterday for instance the system was on for a full 4 hours while
transferring from C to G.

How are you transferring the data? Is this the same physical drive? Are
you transferring all data - including temp and system files? If so, why?

You should delete the contents of the temporary files, and content.ie5
folders, and the one or two very large files in the root, pagefile.sys and
hiberfil.sys and empty the wastebasket before copying.

At the moment I cannot afford a new hard drive

Where I am, new 80 gig drives are in the $50 range, 250 gig around $75.

If your drive is damaged, you are looking at replacing it anyway,
particularly if the data on it is of value.

and would prefer to at
least try and FORMAT it and see if that solves the problem.

If the drive is actually damaged, it won't. It might, or might not, delay
the inevitable.

MY QUESTION;

How can I FORMAT my "C" Hard Drive - when I haven't got Windows installed?

This is easy, and you can't format the C drive with Windows running.
Whether Windows is installed or not is not relevant.

Boot from the XP CD and begin a new XP install. Carefully identify the
partition you want to install to, and then tell Setup to format the selected
partition. If you don't get this, restart the system, and take the option
that does allow you to choose the install destination.

If your G drive is a separate physical drive, remove it before starting to
be sure you do not put the data at risk. If it is part of the same disk,
note the sizes of the various partitions so that you do not choose the wrong
partition in error.

Remove any drives such as Zip or SD card drives - the system will often
substitute these as C.

I wanted to try MSDOS - but am I right in saying MSDOS will not be
installed
if Windows isn't installed?

MSDOS will not be installed with XP. It isn't part of XP, and MSDOS
cannot read NTFS partitions.

It's often not at all helpful to use MSDOS.

If I can use MSDOS - could someone tell me how I get into MSDOS?

You don't want to do this. The only tools you need are on the XP CD.

Also refresh me on then DOS for FORMAT, etc.

Let Setup do this for you.

The only context in which you would need to use DOS is if the drive is about
40 gig or larger AND you MUST have a FAT filesystem rather than NTFS.

You only need FAT if you must connect directly to the drive - bypassing the
OS - from another system, or you must dual-boot with an older Windows or DOS
version.

Generally you do not need FAT, and NTFS has better features.

I have backed everything to G Drive - I have 20GB free space remaining.

Is G another partition on the *same* hard disk?

If so, be very, very careful. If the data is of value, find a friend with
a lot of drive space before proceeding, take the drive there and make
another backup. There are also much faster ways to copy the files.

The fastest way to copy all the files can be to download and install the
Acronis TrueImage free trial version - about 100 meg - and then take an
image of the partition(s) you want backed up. You can then mount the image
and check the files for quality, and then proceed with your repairs. You
have 14 days or so for the trial version.

I have restored BOIS to boot form HD (C) - it immediately goes to Windows
Install
and try's to continue with the installation.

If I can't use MSDOS - has anyone got any ideas how I can approach this.

I have tried everything I know - I am completely stuck now.

Many thanks in advance - Stephen

Boot from the CD, enter setup, tell it to do a new install, and VERY
CAREFULLY select the partition you want to install to, and have Setup format
that partition. Find some way to clearly identify the C partition - if
it's a specific size, or removing other drives. If your backup is on
another physical disk, remove it before starting the XP setup; then, it is
safe.

But if your backup is on the same physical disk, be aware that it is at
risk. Make another backup before going further.

Once the new install is finished, your first step is to install the
motherboard drivers, then the basic device drivers (network card, video
adapter, etc). *Then* install SP2 from the full version you downloaded
with your friend and saved to CD (unless you were able to slipstream your
install CD, in which case SP2 is already installed) This is much more
reliable than installing SP2 from Windows Update.

HTH
-pk

 

[Stephen]

Hi

UPDATE.

I formatted the C drive using Recovery Console, and installed XP again on
drive C.

But you will not believe what has happened know - Windows has totally wiped
out my G Drive
which I have spent the past week backing up this drive with all my data from
C drive.

I am speechless.

Thanks for all your help - I am starting a new post regarding my G Drive
now.