XP Problems - Need to Repair

ukbsktbll

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Sep 15, 2006
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My mom has lap top that is having some serious issues. Was getting the blue screen and the error "Unmountable Boot Drive" I believe that was what it said. I tried to repair XP but never got the option to repair when i got to that screen only set up, create partition, or install windows (already a copy of windows on the hard drive.) I am trying to get into windows to get some files off the system so I can just reformat it and reinstall windows. Well I was able to get in windows the other day. Then I came back to it and it had a blue screen and i turned it off. I am trying to get into safe mode to just get into windows. It loads a lot of lines of drivers, but gets stuck and sometimes gives this error:

Stop c0000221 Hard Error
\systemroot\system32\ntdll.dll

I just need to get a few files of the HD.
 

mafadecay

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Try and download a copy of Hirens boot CD or a windows Preinstalation environment boot CD from another computer burn to a CD then boot your mom's laptop from the CD. You need to make sure the first boot device in the BIOS is set to boot from CD drive. Hirens boot CD is available for an ISO download from www.blackcode.com and limewire or similar file share programs should get you Windows PE but beware of viruses if using file sharing programs. make sure you have antivirus software installed and upto date on the machine you are downloading from.

From in here you can copy files to a USB device or CD/DVD RW. Also there will be no problems with loading device drivers as the laptop will not be booting into windows but from the CD itself. Both are very useful boot tools to have and allow other tasks such as reset of passwords and much more. Worth learning how to use them properly. Have fun!
 
G

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Boot from the XP CD and choose R to get to the Recovery Console. run "chkdsk c: /p/r" until there are no errors reported.

Grumpy
 

ukbsktbll

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I have got Hiren's Boot CD and its working and all, I just dont know where to go to boot up in a way that i can find the files i need and put them on a flash card
 

mafadecay

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Give me a tick! Its been ages since I have used it. I will dig my cd out and test it before telling you how. Hirens boot cd is used primarily by hackers and its presumed they know what they are doing. In the mean time its worth trying to obtain a copy of Super Windows Preinstallation Environment. Very worthy tool! If you get an ISO download its ready to burn straight to cd. That is more user friendly and has a graphical user interface (GUI) that resembles windows.
 

mafadecay

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Sorry! Have just tried downloading Hirens boot cd again and I have hardware problems on my PC. Can't get it to boot at the moment. So for now, at least, you have 3 options:-

1) Either try and figure it out blind as I can not help much with Hirens Boot CD at the moment. The commands resemble those in MS DOS to start with so if you can find a list of commands for this you can have a play around with it.

Here are some examples:-

type C: enter to switch drive to your hard drive then try cd c:\documents and settings\x\my documents enter (X is the user name you log onto) and this should put you in the my documents folder for that person. From here you can type dir enter to list all files in here and then copy *.* y: (Y is the drive letter of your USB storage device) That might work but like I say you will be doing it blind.

2) You can try grumpy's recovery console and chkdsk and hope for the best. This will fix lots of errors and maybe let you into windows but I have never had much luck with it. In my opinion once xp is broken repairing it is never as good as a fresh install.

3) In my opinion the easiest method for now is to go with super Windows PE boot disk Atleast once you have booted form the CD you will kind of be in a realm that you understand. Things are pretty straight forward on the CD.

Sorry I can't be more help. I will still try and sort some sort of more detailed hirens boot disk advice for you so you don't have to use the commands.
 
G

Guest

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It's not XP that's broken, it's a corrupt file system. I just fixed another computer yesterday that would not boot all the way up. I can't tell you how problems I've fixed using chkdsk from the Recovery Console.

Grumpy
 

mafadecay

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I will have to try using it more then. I have found file system errors with it in the past but never got xp repaired fully with chkdsk. Also once in windows there is the sfc System file checker which checks to see if operating system files are still original and not been changed by any other programs. I have never had much luck with this either.