How can I make a bootable disk for XP and how can I recover my files before I lose th

Discussion in 'Software' started by sable51, Jan 21, 2006.

  1. sable51

    sable51 Private E-2

    Hi!
    I have a HP Pavilion, 80 gb hard drive,20 gb free, 512 memory, 2 mghz speed and running xp home. Last Friday I did a defrag on my computer. The first day after, the computer did seem to run better. Then I started getting msg's about different exe. files were missing or corrupted. My programs seemed to be running fine however. Tonight I started to use Q-image to print some photos. and it would not come up--again the missing or corrupted file error msg I thought maybe if I restarted the computer that it would reset itself. Well, it didn't! I had a msg that the "system32\drivers\isapnp.sys" was missing or corrupted. I found the file on my laptop and copied it onto a disk and then copied it onto my desktop. Now the computer is looping and not getting past the windows logo screen. Please tell me how to make a bootable disk and how to get my material off the computer, so that I don't lose my files. Most of them I do have on backup, but I haven't backed up the last couple of months!-which means that all my holiday stuff is on there, plus a paid project. Thanks for any help....Diane
     
  2. Yargwel

    Yargwel MajorGeek

    Can you boot into Safe Mode?
     
  3. Wavetar

    Wavetar Sergeant

    Re: How can I make a bootable disk for XP and how can I recover my files before I los

    If you have your original XP Home CD, you can make a bootable CD with Bart's PE Builder:

    http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4007.html
     
  4. sable51

    sable51 Private E-2

    Thanks for replying back to me, wavetar & yargwel! I can get to the screen that gives me the option of signing on under the safe mode. When I click that, the windows logo screen comes up, and then the whole process starts over. I don't have the actual original cd. What I have is the recovery disk that I ordered after I purchased the computer. I don't want to have to use that if I can get around it. What that disk does is completely formats the disk and re-installs the xp operating system. You lose all your files and added programs in the process. Will I be able to save my files with the program that you are talking about?..... Diane
     
  5. cr.Gena

    cr.Gena Private First Class

    You need 2 things not to lose your data after reinstalling operating system:

    1) Partition your hard drive (if you haven't done it yet). It means you separate your drive space on several sections. First C: partition will be for your Windows and other/others - for your data. So when you reinstall your XP you will format only C: partition and lose only installed programs but not all your data.
    You can partition your hard drive with the help of original XP Home CD but you need to reformat all your drive in this case.
    The second way to partition is any third-party software. (I use Disk Director for this. Besides partitioning it is able to recover partitions if they become unavailable)

    2) If you also don't want to lose installed programs and settings you need data backup and imaging software. Personally I use True Image (It can't be helped I'm fond of Acronis products). It will allow creating image of your C: partition and create bootable CD. This image can be saved on another place of your drive (it will take less space due to compression) or on CDs or DVDs. If you want to reinstall OS or your system crashes you may just run this bootable CD - it will run True Image and then you may restore your system with all programs and setting. And it will totally the same system you used to image.

    If you have questions do not hesitate to ask.
     
  6. sable51

    sable51 Private E-2

    I have set the bios to boot from the cd-rom and did the bootable cd, but I am still not getting the system to come up. It will come up to the screen where I have the option to start normally, or under the other options. The Windows logo will come up for a few seconds, then the computer shuts off and the whole process starts over. I am not sure that I did the boot cd correctly. Can someone give me further directions on this and also how to do the process that c r Gena is talking about. Thanks for your help!.... Diane
     
  7. cr.Gena

    cr.Gena Private First Class

    Frankly in this situation I'd rather act the following way:

    Find a friend who has 60gb free space :) or any partitioning software (like that one I was talking about for example). Plug in my HDD to his comp and:
    1) save all my data on his free space
    2) or partition my hard drive using his such kind of software: separate free 20Gb of my HDD as a new partition;
    then save not backed up data (hope it doesn't take more space) on new 20 GB partition of my HDD
    3) or combine this ways somehow

    Then turn on my computer again and:
    -format and partition my system C: drive using original XP Home CD - the other partition with data will be intact
    -make system partition not large - only for OS and programs I want to install there
    -reinstall Windows
    -use backup and imaging software to back up my system partition and create bootable CD (if you use true image) in order to be able to restore OS
    -copy all backed up data back to the second partition of HDD and don't have problems in future.
     
  8. foogoo

    foogoo Major "foogoo" Geek

    If you don't have a XP cd to make Barts PE, you can use Knoppix boot CD to copy data off.. it has a nice cd burner prg, or copy off to whatever...
     

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