Boy, I really did it now!

Using Windows XP Home on my desktop.

I installed Advanced SystemCare v5 Pro today and ran the program. I used its Uninstall tool to remove a Yahoo! Widget file. When the uninstall was complete, it asked about deleting registry files which were no longer in use. As they were no long in use, I thought "Sure!" and clicked the button to delete them.

That was the last time my computer worked correctly. I couldn't shut the program down or turn the computer off. I had to hold the button down to turn it off and attempted a restart. Now I can't even get to my desktop screen.

I get a screen with f10 and f2 options, then another with f11 for recovery. Then a mostly black screen with the XP logo appears (has a moving bar beneath it). After that, I get a blue screen with the XP logo and that's where the computer hangs up.

Wanna know the really good part?

The computer is from 2005 and I can't locate any of my disks that came with it. I've got the Windows sticker with a key code on my tower, but the computer manufacturer recommended purchasing a new Windows product and using that disk since mine is out of warranty.

Any way I can create a disk on another computer that's using Vista Home to somehow repair this and get it running again?

 

Can you boot into Save Mode, or Last Known Good Configuration?

 

I can hit F8 and select those, but it won't actually perform that operation. It always ends up at the blue screen with XP logo.

 

Hmm, there goes another $100+, maybe you can find a copy of XP Home on e-Bay and use your key. I assume there's no factory reset if they're trying to stuff Vista down your throat though you should get W7 by all rights if you go that way.

 

$70 is spent on a new external hard drive. I should have backed up my files. I know, I know... Hopefully it's not too late.

Got a buddy of mine coming over later with his XP Home disks, although they're from another computer manufacturer. XP Home is XP Home, right?

Crikey... At least if I have to get Windows 7 I can get the student price which is only around another $70.

 

Only if both were/are retail versions and not OEMs. OEM's load special drivers for their machine and if the XP can't do it then it might bomb. Also the if the versions are different then your key won't work.

 

Guess I be screwed then.

Mine came installed with the computer and I'm sure his did too.

 

Even though the system does not boot, you can still back up your files with either Hirens Boot CD or linux. Hirens will even restore the registry if you still have system restore points.

 

OK then, now I hope you can do a factory reset after your friend can back up your data by installing your drive into his machine as a slave if it's IDE, means a jumper change.

Like I said in the other thread, how much money do you want to spend to revive a 5 year old machine? I don't think that the software you uninstalled caused this either.

 

Are there directions on how to use Hiren's? Can I make the disk off a Vista laptop to use on an XP Home desktop?

I needed an external hard drive to back up files anyway. This was definitely a catalyst to get one. Although, I admit I got lucky and it's Thanksgiving weekend so I got off cheap.

I at least need to make an effort to save files. I've got homework and 6 years worth of pictures of my kid on there. I guess I'll know when I've exhausted my possibilities when I get to that point that cost:benefit tells me so.

 

You can download the iso of Hirens here. Burn the iso file with Nero or Imgburn and then when it boots up select Mini Windows XP. You will get into a minimun XP desktop and just doubleclick MY Computer. Transfer what files you need to the external drive. I would do this before you try a registry restore.

Edit: Yes you can use Vista to create the bootable Hirens CD.

http://www.hirensbootcd.org/images/screenshots/dos-01-bootmenu.png

 

Sure, that's a good idea by tgell. It's OS independent.

 

To further highlight my newb-ness (did I just make up a word??) the "iso of Hirens" you refer to is the Trinity Rescue Kit, correct?

Will a free trial version of Nero work?

 

No, it is not. Trinity Rescue Kit is a totally different program. I am sorry, Somehow I linked to the wrong thing. :-o Here is the link to Hirens.

http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/

Edit Imgburn is freeware.

http://majorgeeks.com/ImgBurn_d4870.html

http://forum.imgburn.com/index.php?showtopic=61

Man, I have to go back to bed.

 

No worries! That's why I asked.

Soon as I get home I'll try it out. Thanks.

 

I'm not saying Hiren's won't do the job, but I've always understood it to be the worst sort of copyright abuse, and I didn't think we encourgaed that sort of thing here

There are plenty of legitimate free alternatives that can do the job.

 

Finally got it downloaded, unzipped and put on a disk.

Booted from the CD drive and got a similar screenshot to the above. Chose mini XP and a black and white screen with a progress bars shows up as it loads Windows mini XP. An option is listed below the progress bar to press F6 to load 3rd party SCSI or RAID drivers. Without pressing anything, it ends up on a very dark screen with a Windows XP logo (almost looks like the "lights were dimmed" on the monitor) and then it stopped.

Zilch.

Zip.

Nada.

 

+1, that's what I was thinking too when I posted the same advice above.

 

What happens at this point if I try and use the XP Home disk to repair XP?

 

I wouldn't at this point if your disk is failing. Slave it as TimW said, you'll only degrade it further if it is bad and lose what you want to copy over IMO. dON'T USE YOUR MACHINE AGAIN UNTIL YOU CAN BACK IT UP.

Sorry for the caps.

 

Desktop is already open since I looked at it yesterday for the video card issue. Am I going to have to gut the laptop to slave it? Is there a tutorial somewhere so I don't further wreck my data?

 

I would put the drive in another desktop, your friend could help if he has a desktop too.

 

He is out of town, now. Just my luck, eh?

What about a USB hard drive enclosure containing my desktop's hard drive plugged into my laptop? Would that possibly give me access to my photos/homework?

 

No idea. I'm not good with laptops.

 

Aaaaaaallllllrighty, then. Thanks anyway!

 

Excellent. Thank you very much!

 

Now to find an enclosure locally that doesn't cost an arm and a leg....

 

An external enclosure is a good way to go if you have to retrieve data. Especially if you need to use software to recover the files like Photorec. You can also purchase a USB adapter like this. An enclosure would probably be the better choice. I do not know if your drive is IDE or SATA but make sure your enclosure is good for the correct one.

Can you try to burn the Hirens Boot CD in Imgburn at 4x speed and see if it works? Burning at fast speeds can cause issues.

 

Found an enclosure locally for $20. I'm off to the store! (It's an IDE.)

Hopefully I don't need software, too.

 

It is.

And I can access the drive and my files!!!

I haven't done anything with them, yet. On Vista, I get the option through Windows to backup all my files on the drive. However, I'm scanning the drive with a free tool from DTI Data that's supposed to let me know what's wrong with the drive.

If the drive isn't physically damaged, once I save my data, I should then try the XP fix, correct?

 

According to the free tool here: http://www.dtidata.com/data-recovery/hard-drive/software/free/ there's nothing physically wrong with the drive.

Off to backup the files and try the XP repair.

 

Backing up to disk was insane. I finally had to go to sleep @ 12:30 am and had only gotten to disk 5. I just signed up for SOS Online Backup and am backing up my files there.

 

Finally got the online backup done. However, there were many files it couldn't copy over. How do I access folders and files that I now don't have "permission" to access? It's saying I need "Administrator permission" "Destination folder access denied" "You need permission to perform this action." This laptop was given to me by someone else. I thought I was the administrator as I was allowed to setup user accounts. :confused

 

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=247967

I'm attempting this.

 

Got the XP Home installed, but I can't do updates.

Can't run Microsoft Fix It.

Can't download anything using Internet Explorer 6 (for instance - Mozilla Firefox). [Internet Explorer cannot download Firefox Setup 8.0.1.exe from mozilla.yadayada.com Internet Explorer was not able to open the Internet site. The requested site is either unavailable or cannot be found. Please try again later.]

Can't get the ActiveX popdown window to work in IE6.

Can't open MS Word 2007 [*Problem with shortcut* - The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed. This can occurif you are running Windows in safe mode, or if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed.]

Used CCleaner on the registry files which finally allowed Windows Installer 3.1 to download, but it won't install.

I'm sure I have missing or corrupt registry files, but don't know how to go about finding/fixing what's supposed to be there.

I'm tempted to deploy the 12-gauge...

I'm tempted to get Windows 7 tomorrow and be done with all this crap, except I can't download the Windows 7 Advisor or Windows Easy Transfer.

 

Standing by for an email from Microsoft.

I can't run Microsoft Fix It or their diagnostic tool.

 

Update:

Microsoft has discontinued the free email support for updating XP. I ended up being referred to a Microsoft telephone number where the tech advised he would have to charge me $59 per phone call to help. For that money, just to get XP running again, I could add $20 and get Windows 7 Professional through my school and that's what I did.

Having backed up all my files, I did a clean install of XP and then installed W7.