Winload.exe

  • Thread starter Thread starter Banpei
  • Start date Start date
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Banpei

Hello, I'm using Vista home premium 32 bit, and it automatically installed an
update from microsoft. It then asked me to restart the computer, which I
did, but when I did, it wouldn't load again because it said that "winload.exe
was missing or corrupt". It then asked me to use the installation cd to
restore it, but Vista came preinstalled, so I don't have the CD. How can I
fix this? I can't even load to safe mode to restore to a restore point....
 
Winload.exe actually loads Vista. The normal procedure would have been to
insert your Vista DVD and select 'repair startup'. However, if you don't
have a Vista DVD you are rather stuck.

Even though the operating system came pre-loaded the PC manufacturer should
have given you an option to re-install Vista; this will either be a DVD of
the operating system, or, an image of the operating system on a hidden
partition. The first thing you need to do is check your PC literature to see
whether you have a 'recovery partition' which you can access to re-install
the operating system. If you can't find any instructions then you will need
to contact the manufacturer of your PC and ask if they can supply you with a
recovery DVD. Either way you will loose all your files and any programs you
installed, so I hope you have backups?

Alternatively, does friend have a copy of the Vista DVD? You may be able to
use that, simply to enter the 'repair' options and then select the 'repair
startup'


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John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..
 
Hi John, thanks for the quick reply. I think I'll ask my friends to see if
any of them have the Vista CD. And are you serious that I"m going to lose
*all* of my files and programs???
 
Yes. If you can not repair Startup with a friends disk, you will lose ALL
data taking it back to factory standards.

http://www.knoppix.net/

You can download and make a Live CD from the above to recover your Data
before going any further.
Or, slave the Drive in another computer to recover Data.

Also, to put it back to factory, there should be instructions on which F
Key to hit right at boot for that purpose.
 
Yes, that why you need to backup data, and veryfy that the backups are OK.
You may also find that your supplier, provided a recovery partition & a
means of creating the recovery dvd's
 
Sadly, if you have to do a complete re-install from the recovery partition
then, yes, you will loose all you files and any programs you installed
'after' you purchased your PC. What the recovery partition/DVD does is
return your PC to factory conditions, i.e. it will be exactly as it was when
you first purchased it from the shop. This is why it is always important to
backup any important files/folder/documents etc, just in case.

Incidentally, when you get things back to normal, whether it be
re-installing or repairing from the Vista DVD recovery console it might be a
good idea to invest in a good imaging application such as Acronis True
Image. At least then you can image the full drive/partition to a set of
DVD's or another hard drive. So long as you keep this image up to date, if
anything goes wrong, you will only loose a small amount of data - depending
upon your backup imaging routine this can be anything from a day or so to a
week or more. Backing up files and imaging your drive is really important.

--

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..
 
Regarding the Windows Recovery Disc that PaulB mentioned you might like to
read this article:
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=622 You can also
download the 32 bit version from here too rather than through torrent files.

--

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John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..
 
Here is a link from my website regarding the Vista DVD repair your computer
options which you may find useful:

http://vistasupport.mvps.org/vista_dvd_repair_your_computer_options.htm

--

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..
 
Banpei, I have checked out the Recovery Disc (see
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=622 ) and it contains
he Windows Pre-install Environment the same that is on a standard Vista DVD.
If you can get a friend to download it for you and burn the ISO to a CD you
will be able to access the Vista Recovery features just as if you had a full
copy of Vista (obviously, the ISO only contains the pre-install environment,
it doesn't contain Vista install files). You should, hopefully, then be able
to repair the start up problem you are experiencing. As I mentioned in my
previous posts, if you can't recover using the recovery disc you will have
to re-install Vista from, presumably, the hidden partition on your system.
(Check your PC manual to find out how to access the hidden partition)

--

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..
 
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