Vista Ultimate-Defrag Question

I just did a defrag on my computer which runs Vista Ultimate....after i rebooted the machine won't start.

Apperantly some important sys files are suddenly missing....like :hwfprot.sys and winload.sys.

I cant reinstall it either, since the computer can't find any device drivers...so am i totally screwed or is there a way to fix this?

 

Does vista have a safe mode i don't know still on XP Pro.. you could try that
or a restore option last good boot or something....

 

Ooh, I was about to do my first defrag. Try putting in the DVD and run the repair, your bootmanager may have been screwed.

 

Safemode wont work, and neither does the repair option...bah....stupid windows! hehe

 

Now I'm worried. I think I'll hold off on a defrag and hope someone with more knowledge can chime in.

 

Does sfc /scannow work / available, on Vista? I'm still on XP Pro. Bazza

PS: Re-reading the thread, if the PC won't boot in either mode, then SFC won't work either. :cry Baz.

 

Well...you have the file protection like on xp.
In addision you can enable so that every task and operation that takes place, requires you to confirm it. Like starting a program or deleting files.

Pretty handy, but didnt stop me from screwing up my computer...lol...

 

Boot from the DVD, choose to "repair my computer", and try the system restore option. Go back to a time before you defragged, if available.

Also, you try entering a command prompt using the Vista, and try running a "chkdsk /r" on your c:\ drive or extracting the files from the DVD.

Also, make sure you can see the hard drive in the BIOS.

What is the exact error you get on boot, if you get one?

BTW, for the record, Vista does have sfc, but you can't run it form the DVD command prompt, so no help with this.

 

I get the following error:

**********
Windows has failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem:

1. Insert your Windows installation disc and restart you computer.
2. Choose you language settings, and click "Next".
3. Click "Repair you computer"

File: \Windows\System32\winload.exe / Hwfprot.sys

Status: 0xc000000f

Info: the selected entry could not be loaded because the application is missing or corrupt
**********

Now...the repair thinngy didnt work, neither does the restore, since this happened right after i installed Vista, so i havent made a restore point.

And since Vista is now unable to locate any device drivers, it wont let me to a reinstall.

Also tried to copy over the missing files from a usb drive, without any success

 

Do you mean that you have an upgrade version, and you key won't work from booting from the DVD? Or do you mean that the Vista DVD is not seeing the hard drive?

Regarding the Files copy from the USB, were you able to copy them, and the issue was not fixed, or did you get an error message copying them? Did you copy them to c:\, as opposed to x:\ (Vista command prompt loads to X:\ by default, which is a ram drive)?

Make sure you can get to a command prompt, switch to c: , and complete a chkdsk /r without any errors.

If you can, try the folloiwing commands in order from the command prompt:

bootrec /fixmbr c:

bootrec /fixboot c:

bootrec /rebuildbcd c:

If you can't access the c: drive from the Vista DVD, please verify that it shows up OK in the BIOS, and let us know the model and connection type (IDE, SATA, RAID, etc).

Best of luck, and sorry if I am not explaining myself well.

 

No, i have the full version.

Now i get the error i posted earlier no matter what i do, wont even let me enter the bootmenu, goes straight
to the error page. safemode and command prompt aint workin either.

Earlier when i tried to copy the files from the usb drive, the files didnt show up,
windows was lookin for setup files only, and wouldnt let me select "view all file types"
So that didnt work at all.

When i was able to boot from the windows dvd, i could see the c: drive...but the install could not continue because
it couldnt find any device drivers..

The disk shows up in the bios...its a IDE disk

 

Well.....i managed to fix this problem, but the only way was to first reinstall xp, then vista.

Find this really strange, why should the installation for xp work ok, and not vista?

Messed up...lol