View Full Version : Do i need to reinstall Windows-Help needed
glenn.f
28-09-2009, 09:48 PM
Guys, more sodding problems with my ageing pc and any sensible advice would be appreciated. I now cannot get rid of this screen, despite attempting to access last known settings that work. Now appears to go round in circles, returning to the same screen as on attachment. Rumour has it on my checks that this could be a 'boot sector virus' that i suspect my buffoon youngest has acquired. I did have to delete an infected file to do with the csrss.exe files about a week ago and a warning usually appeared on log on to my user account...didn't affect anything else though.
I have managed to access the other boot up screen by bashing f8 on reset but have no idea where to go from here.
Obviously restoring with the XP disk is an option, but needless to say we have never backed up in our lives, and the kids have a lot of homework, plus other stuff that i'm guessing will disappear for good.
Is their any little tricks that i have missed or if not what to do next from the second menu screen before reinstalling windows.:sob:
One further question that might be stupid, but the internet connection appears to now not be working either which affects the xbox online connection. so is this a symptom of the above fault or just crap virgin media service again ?
Apologies if i dont answer questions straight away as i can't access the work computer until tomorrow.
Ridcully
28-09-2009, 11:09 PM
Insert XP disk, go to install a new version of windows and you will get prompted to use option 'R' to repair your installation. This shouldn't* lose you your data.
Whatever you do do not format the hard drive or perform a fresh install. If you have important stuff on there then you really should get someone to back it up first.
* There are no guarantees especially if you have a corrupt drive.
Your internet issue is not related.
mrsilly
29-09-2009, 09:34 AM
You can only repair on XP professional, the screenshot is lacking VGA mode which would make me think that this is an XP home install.
If I was you i'd buy a new hard drive (make sure you get the right connector, on an old pc you will need IDE drives) and make a fresh install then copy your important stuff from you old drive over.
glenn.f
30-09-2009, 09:34 AM
Thanks for the above no joy unfortunately and attempted to reinstall the XP disk, which just sat there (no whirring noise) and obviously i cannot start manually because i cant access anything.
The only two other screens i can access are below.
Am i missing something ?
When i get a chance i am hopefully going to take it in to a repair shop, no doubt for an extortionate fee, but am i doing my money, before being advised to shell out for a new hard-drive ?...Conflicting views so far.
mrsilly
30-09-2009, 10:23 AM
Can you select 'Disable Automatic Restart On System Failure' and let it boot until it crashes, it should give you a bsod which contains the error code. Take a photo of this screen and post it on here.
Did you try to boot with VGA mode?
The reason i said to buy a new hard drive (about £30) was so that you could copy over the important files from the old one after the fresh install.
You need to enable booting from CD in the BIOS and look for a 'hit any key to boot from cd' after the computers POSTs if you want to reinstall.
saul1664
30-09-2009, 10:46 AM
You don't need a new hard drive. I have the exact same problem. The error will be 00000024 which is a corrupt file in the boot up system which needs repairing, unfortunately it is impossible to boot up. You can either boot up into ubuntu (make a disk) and get your files from there or make an xp boot disk and try to get into your system from there.
saul1664
30-09-2009, 11:07 AM
Here is a 7 page article on the problem, no easy solution, but fixable, but I would back up everything first.
http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic5352.html
saul1664
30-09-2009, 11:09 AM
If it is this problem this should work.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4690469_ntfssys-errors-using-linux-livecd.html
Sluggo
30-09-2009, 11:13 AM
FWIW I'd go with MrSilly's plan. Although Saul1664's plan will work you will need something to copy the data you want to rescue to anyway.
If you wang a new / replacement hard disk in and re-build from scratch (O/S, programs, Internet access) you can then plug in the old hard disk, probably instead of the CD drive and copy over the data you want to recover thereby creating an instant backup! :p
Just make sure you've got your AV software running before you plug the old disk in ... just in case. :D
glenn.f
30-09-2009, 04:28 PM
Can you select 'Disable Automatic Restart On System Failure' and let it boot until it crashes, it should give you a bsod which contains the error code. Take a photo of this screen and post it on here.
Did you try to boot with VGA mode?
The reason i said to buy a new hard drive (about £30) was so that you could copy over the important files from the old one after the fresh install.
You need to enable booting from CD in the BIOS and look for a 'hit any key to boot from cd' after the computers POSTs if you want to reinstall.
Will look when i get home, so far have only accessed that main screen (1st one on my second post).
Nothing happened when i tried in VGA mode(again took me to the second photo). May well have tried the first idea, but i didn't notice any codes etc.
Cheers for the advice guys.
A little concerned about trying the boot disk, only because not a lot happened when inserting the windows disk-probably needed an f key start but didn't know which. I shall download and burn the disk tommorrow at work when i get a chance.
The hard drives replacement weren't as high as i suspected so that may be the way forward, but it would be nice to try and solve it, mainly because the way my youngest buffoon keeps messing up the computer and i'm sure it wont be the last time.
1151
saul1664
30-09-2009, 04:57 PM
All screens will lead to the same screen, if it is an ntfs corrupt error. Don't worry about using a boot disk, if you use ubuntu, just choose the option to run it without installing and it won't alter windows settings or files. Should boot straight up from CD disk, otherwise you will need to change settings in bios.
glenn.f
30-09-2009, 06:47 PM
Forgive my ignorance but what is and how to access ubuntu. Sorry if reply are odd as I am struggling to post on an iPod which is going flat.
saul1664
30-09-2009, 08:53 PM
Ubuntu is a linux type program (a different OS). Google ubuntu, download latest version (will take a while its 700MB), download explore and burn and install. Right click on ubuntu and select burn to disk, will take about 4 minutes. Put ubuntu disk in broken computer, choose the option to load ubuntu without altering computer (takes about 3 minutes) and save your files from there. Alternatively I can send you a CD if you can't get this to work.
glenn.f
30-09-2009, 08:54 PM
Right I have found the way to enabling the windows xp disc to run it's repair, needless to say this didn't work and on restart just keeps trying to start without going to last settings menu page. Now do I risk reinstalling windows afresh-and lose everything or I attempt to install a boot up disk once I get one burnt to disk-and also how safe this is ?
Ridcully
30-09-2009, 08:58 PM
Right I have found the way to enabling the windows xp disc to run it's repair, needless to say this didn't work and on restart just keeps trying to start without going to last settings menu page. Now do I risk reinstalling windows afresh-and lose everything or I attempt to install a boot up disk once I get one burnt to disk-and also how safe this is ?
Use a ubuntu live CD, grab all the important files, reload windows repair, if it screws up it doesn't matter.
glenn.f
30-09-2009, 09:03 PM
Do I take it ubuntu is a way of saving/rescuing your files prior to reinstalling a brand new windows or am I way off beam. Now attempting to repair files in the vain hope something might happen.
m
Ridcully
30-09-2009, 09:05 PM
Do I take it ubuntu is a way of saving/rescuing your files prior to reinstalling a brand new windows or am I way off beam. Now attempting to repair files in the vain hope something might happen.
m
Your files exist independent of the operating system, in fact windows is just a load of files that the computer runs. By loading Ubuntu you are infact loading new operating system into your computers memory, you can use this to attempt to fix your old OS my copying the missing or corrupt files back or failing that just grabbing the data on your disk that is important to you and then reloading windows.
Hope that makes sense.
saul1664
30-09-2009, 09:36 PM
Yes, you can just copy your files to an external drive, then back to your computer afterwards.
glenn.f
01-10-2009, 01:44 PM
Now have this on disk and will attempt to install tonight...fingers crossed and thanks again for the tips people.
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