Error Loading Operating System

[spectrum21]

I received the message "rror Loading Operating System" in the middle of my weekly backup. I have a Dell Demension 2400 computer with windows xp pro. I ran all the diagnostic test and all show OK. Fortunately I ran a full backup last month and was wondering if I reload the XP disk and start from scratch..can i restore from the backup i created last month to get all my files back on the system?? Or is there a way I can save the system and get to reboot.. anyone?? Thanks

 

[505090]

how did you get that message did it freeze and you rebooted or what

 

[spectrum21]

I had just started my weekly backup of files with th backp utility and when I went back to check the progress..there sat the message. When I powered the system down from the start button, and tried to load again the message came up after the Dell load screen. I did it again and used f12 and ran diagnotstics and all were ok... All this started Sunday morning. I don't want to lose too many files. Thanks for your response and question, hope you can help. I'm ready to go to bestbuy and see what they say..

 

[505090]

does it show win logo or freeze immediately after bios

how many harddrives do you have installed

have you tried booting into safemode

 

[spectrum21]

feezes immediately after bios, never could get to safe mode "f8" gives me a keyboard error then freeze with message "error Loading Operating System. I have just one hard drive. My dell is about 5yrs old, but never gave me a problem until Sunday.

 

[505090]

well there are two easy ways to try and to try to get the info off the drive you can put the drive in a working computer or try a live cd such as linux or barts. Although if you back up your files weekly there shouldn't be much there.

other than that I would reformat and reinstall windows and then run a surface scan of the drive

 

[spectrum21]

If I re-installed the windows xp using xp recovery console would I be able to use the Monthly Backup of the full system to restore everything as it was on the first of the month. I would be able to run my Zone Alarm full scan for viruses. would I be able to use programs I have installed that I do not have the load disk for? I really do not want to lose too many files.

 

[505090]

not sure I've never used recovery console before. If you do go that route let me know how it goes

 

[spectrum21]

Well, thanks for your help. I have a couple of days to work this out, thank God iI bought ny backup laptop. I would not mind re-installing the windows so long as I could restore my last monthly backup files. I worried about doing this without trying to fix this altogether without cleaning the hard drive and starting over. this is really a mess for me.

anyway, thanks. I'll get back to you when I find out what happens in all this.

 

[mi1ez]

Are your backup files on a separate partition on the hard drive? if not, where are they stored?

 

[major_error]

I ran into this error under different circumstances, and my solution was to replace the ATA-133 ribbon cable with an old ATA-100 cable.

 

[spectrum21]

Are your backup files on a separate partition on the hard drive? if not, where are they stored?

Hi, I have my full backup of 5/31/09 on a "WD Hard Drive Disk" I also have some files backed up from 6/14/09. However, I tried restoring the files from 6/14/09 to another computer and it only showed the folder names without data...I'm worried to reload my XP Pro and start new like Dell says I have to do. Any other means that may work would help.

Thanks.

 

[spectrum21]

I ran into this error under different circumstances, and my solution was to replace the ATA-133 ribbon cable with an old ATA-100 cable.

What is a ribbon cable? Is it the cable from the hard drive to the system or something? Maybe my cable is screwed up, who knows. Thanks for your suggestion.