Question

Windows XP re-install

Asked by: KarlaButler

I had a Windows XP Upgrade installed on my E-machine 500is and working fine for a year or more, but the taskbar got corrupted, so that when I tried to do a System Restore at 2 different restore points, they each failed. I tried doing an upgrade re-install according to instructions on the Microsoft website and that, too, failed. Then I tried an entire re-install and chose my larger 15 Gig D: drive (slave) when it came up as a choice in the installation process, because the master C: drive was only 4 Gigs and I figured it might need more room for the process and the install process itself warned me not to install over an existing installation of XP.

The new Windows XP Installation process went through to the re-start and then, as it booted up, came to the safemode screen, saying: Registry/Configuration error, choose prompt only and run scanreg. But when I went to the prompt only, and typed scanreg, it says it cannot find scanreg.

I figured the problem might be because the install had been onto a slave drive, so I completely switched the drives, and jumpers to make the slave the master and the former master drive the slave. I also switched the power and disk drive cables. I went into CMOS and it correctly identified the new 15 Gig drive as C: and the 4 Gig drive as D:

But when the Install process went bach through to completion, re-installing on the C: drive, it started up again to come back to the same error message as above. It also says: WIN.COM not found and C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS not found, C:\WINDOWS\DBLBUFF.SYS not found and C:\WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS not found. I can explore both drives from the command prompt and cannot find any of those files except WIN.COM and HIMEM.SYS in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\

I am not familiar with partitioning or formatting drives and which values (cylinders and the like) I need to select. I want to save a lot of downloaded files currently stored on the C: drive, which I hope I can probably XCOPY in DOS to the D: drive, I think - I haven't yet tried.

But before I did all that, is there some simpler solution, a file I can access to change incorrect settings? Why would the Windows XP boot up sequence be looking for files that it did not install?

I think I can probably get far more knowledgeable help here than on the Microsoft website.

Thanks!  

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Asked On
2003-01-14 at 19:34:48ID20457092
Tags

find

,

access

,

registry

,

windows

,

xp

Topic

Windows XP Operating System

Participating Experts
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Comments
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Answers

 

by: simmianPosted on 2003-01-14 at 20:50:08ID: 7730023

The files on the hard drive may be accessible.  
I see 3 ways to get your files.  1.  You can borrow a new hard drive and install a fresh copy of the operating system on it, put in your old hard drive with the files on it and copy them over.  OR.  

2.You can install a fresh copy of the operating system on an existing drive into another folder (ie "winxp2").  Then copy-the files to a backup device (eg CDRW) then remove the operating system and start from scratch or remove the old operating system folder (windows) if you feel that the system is stable enough to do so.  

3.  You can boot from the Windows XP just as if you were going into setup.  Use the (R) recovery console.  This will allow you to "boot" into a DOS based console, from there you could use an xcopy command off an old dos disk to get your files to floppy or another hard drive (preferrably already formatted) and transfer them that way.

In any event, I believe that you will probably want to reload the operating system.  If you try an automatic recovery of the operating system from the XP CD and it fails, you'll have to do option 1 or 2.

 

by: CrazyOnePosted on 2003-01-14 at 21:48:54ID: 7730210

Are you absolutely positive you are trying to install XP and not Win98 or ME? There is not scanreg in XP.

Just for information sake XCOPY isn't available in the Recovery Console. The following is a list of the commands that are available.


   attrib    del        fixboot   more     set
   batch     delete     fixmbr    mkdir    systemroot
   bootcfg   dir        format    more     type
   cd        disable    help      net          
   chdir     diskpart   listsvc   rd            
   chkdsk    enable     logon     ren          
   cls       exit       map       rename  
   copy      expand     md        rmdir

The other problem with the Recovery Consloe has limites to what folders can be accessed.

The following is quoted from this link
Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console
http://support.microsoft.com/search/preview.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314058

When you use the Windows Recovery Console, you can use only the following folders:
The root folder

The %SystemRoot% folder and the subfolders of the Windows installation that you are currently logged on to

The Cmdcons folder

Removable media drives such as CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drives

NOTE : If you try to obtain access to other folders, you receive an "Access Denied" error message. Also, while you are using the Windows Recovery Console, you cannot copy a file from the local hard disk to a floppy disk. You can copy a file from a floppy disk or from a CD-ROM to a hard disk, and from one hard disk to another hard disk.
----------------------------


The Crazy One

 

by: dew_associatesPosted on 2003-01-14 at 22:41:19ID: 7730385

Hi Karla,

It looks like you have everything under control and just need a little guidance on the steps.

You need not worry about the number of cylinders etc, just leave the BIOS setting at auto.

It appears that while you physically moved the drives, you haven't wiped one or both of the drives clean. If XP was installed on the smaller drive, unplug that one for now and we'll try and recover your files after the fresh installation.

Here you will find a detailed step-by-step procedure for partitioning and formatting the drive. Although it is for Windows 2000, the procedures are identical in nature.

http://www.dewassoc.com/support/win2000/partwin2000.htm

You will need to remove the existing partition on the large drive.

You will then need to insert a new partition and then make it active.

Lastly, you will need to format the drive. Later, during the XP installation, you will need to decide whether to use a FAT32 or NTFS file system.

If you need more, let me know.

Dennis

 

by: lcrachaPosted on 2003-01-15 at 05:36:12ID: 7732361

Crazy...for future reference, you CAN get access to all the folders on the drive.  You have to be able to logon to XP in the first place to configure the local security policy (keeping in mind the recovery console had to have been installed on your hard drive--I put this reminder here for for other less technical minded, not yourself, Crazy).  

This does not help Karla here, but it may help someone else reading this in the future.

The following is a quote from Kelly Theriot's web site found here: http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/win_xp_rec.htm

"Access Floppy Drive from Recovery Console

To enable write access to floppies from within the R.C., click Start, Programs, Administrative Tools, Local Security Policy. Under Local Policy, Security Options, double-click "Recovery Console: Allow floppy copy and access to all drives and all folders." Select Enabled, then click OK.

Note: The following steps may also be necessary:

"After you enable the security policy, it must be applied (possibly across the domain) before becoming the effective policy on the local computer. This is necessary before the set command is truly enabled and available for use during a Recovery Console session. You can run the following command to force a refresh of the local computer's policy after performing the policy change listed above:  secedit /refreshpolicy machine_policy

After the local policy is refreshed and the enabled Recovery Console security policy is in effect, you should be able to start Recovery Console and use the set command to enable any of the four environment options."

In the Recovery Console, you must then type: set AllowRemovableMedia = TRUE

Accessing Other Folders in Recovery Console

This security policy will also access to files and folders other than the defaults (normally access is restricted to \winnt and \cmdcons).  To enable access to other folders, simply boot to the Recovery Console command prompt and  type: set AllowAllPaths = true

You will then be able to access other files and folders on your computer.  Please keep in mind that this is a potential security problem, and that you should be careful to restrict physical access to computers that are configured in this way."

 

by: dew_associatesPosted on 2003-01-15 at 05:41:36ID: 7732392

lcracha, what on earth does your post have to do with this question at all? Please don't muddy threads in the future.

Dennis

 

by: CrazyOnePosted on 2003-01-15 at 06:10:25ID: 7732613

Yes lcracha I know but if you read the question you will see KarlaButler can't get into XP to set the policies that are needed to allow full access. Without access those polices can't be set.

 

by: KarlaButlerPosted on 2003-01-15 at 07:36:28ID: 7733236

Thanks for all the info and I will read through it more carefully, but just for the record, I cannot get into Recovery console because it is asking me for an administrator's password and I don't have one, even though it is my own computer. I had set all my taskbar accounts as adminitrator, but had not set any password. whe I still had the partly working limping XP on the other drive I went in to my account and chose a password, but when I went back to the choice for Recovery Console, it wouldn't accept that password either. I also tried "public" and that didn't work, I tried just [enter]without putting in any password and that too didn't work.

I will look back over everything you have suggested and go from there.

Thanks again.

Karla

 

by: simmianPosted on 2003-01-15 at 16:27:49ID: 7736996

You should be able to use 3rd party software like FX or other types of copy programs from the floppy.  You can access the floppy drive from the recovery console.

 

by: KarlaButlerPosted on 2003-01-16 at 22:15:33ID: 7746319

Eureka! It worked, I sure appreciate the help - got absolutely no help from either E-machines or Microsoft. Thank heaven for you guys!

Thank you, thank you.

 

by: dew_associatesPosted on 2003-01-17 at 18:06:40ID: 7751399

Glad we could help Karla!

 

by: CrazyOnePosted on 2003-01-18 at 16:10:13ID: 7754839

Good work Dennis. Very good work. :>)

 

by: dew_associatesPosted on 2003-01-20 at 14:50:17ID: 7764964

Thanks Crazy!

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