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bandydai · Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Posts: 58 Location: South Wales

I had a few probs with crashing on my PC, and since I fixed it, [ although I still have a corrupted file in the system] whenever I switch on, the PC doesn't go straight into windows anymore, I have to go into F8 to choose either Safe mode or last known good configuration etc. etc. The boot sequence is as it should be, but I want to know how to get the PC to boot up in the way it used to. I am using XP Pro with sp2. any help would be very appreciated. Dai

NickAskew · Moderator Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 112 Location: Thirsk

I have put a small guide together to show how to fault find boot up problems using a windows utility called 'MSCONFIG', you can download a MS Word version of it from here
http://www.nickaskew.com/AskTheQuestion/FaultFindingBootup.doc

or a standard Rich Text Formatted version (compatible with most word processors and WordPad) in a ZIP file (the RTF version of the file is huge) here
http://www.nickaskew.com/AskTheQuestion/FaultFindingBootup.zip

Cheers

Nick

bandydai · Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Posts: 58 Location: South Wales

Thanks for the info Nick.......I will give it a try after I've had my dinner and get back to you. The problem started when I tried to do a degrag and or virus scan, the pc crashed midway with either program , I use Perfect disk and have Kaspersky IS installed, both of which have been no trouble for over a year. The word DUMP rings a bell, maybe I saw it when scanning or defragging, can't remember now, But I saw it in the message you sent as one of the items to untick at bootup. Dai Rolling Eyes

NickAskew · Moderator Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 112 Location: Thirsk

Considering it crashed midway through a defrag I would definately check the integrity of the disk using windows scandisk/chkdsk which can be accessed by:

Open Windows Explorer
Right Click on the system drive within explorer (usually the 'C' drive) and select 'Properties', then click on the 'Tools' tab and under the section 'Error Checking' click the 'Check Now...' button. I would opt to fix any errors found and if it asks for permission to run at the next reboot, say yes. Upon entering windows again, I would then do the same process on any other hard disks that you have.

Having a pc crash during a DEFRAG is a fairly unfortunate event and can be quite harmful to an otherwise 'in shape' PC. (basically) The PC breaks a hard disk down into two parts, a data portion which stores the actual contents of your files, and an index which stores the name of your file and a 'pointer' to where the data within the file is actually to be retrieved from.

When you DEFRAG, the data is copied from one location to another, and then the index for the file is updated to reflect the new location of the file (its a lot more complex than this, a file could be split into hundreds if not thousands of tiny pieces which are scattered all over the data portion of the disk so the index needs to be updated to point at each of the new locations of each of these little pieces) - imagine if the pc moved a piece of a file to an area of the disk and when attempting to update the index the power to the pc was cut. (there are safeguards built into DEFRAG to try to minimise this eventulity, but you know how it goes..)

So, ensuring the integrity of the disks is your primary concern here, but please do not discount the previous info I gave you - unless you had a powercut when you were defragging, the crash would have to have been caused by something else that was unstable on your pc that perhaps you were installing or using on your pc at the time of the DEFRAG.

Sincerely

Nick

bandydai · Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Posts: 58 Location: South Wales

I just went to STart.. Run,, and typed'misconfig'
and a message says 'windows cant find the file'. make sure it was typed correctly etc.etc......woe is me. Dai Sad

NickAskew · Moderator Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 112 Location: Thirsk

That would be 'MSCONFIG' (without the first 'I')

bandydai · Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Posts: 58 Location: South Wales

Hi. I should have noticed your second reply but was too busy getting my reply off to you. Just a few days prior to the crash we had a thunderstorm here in Welsh Wales, and the power went off and the modem packed up, so I had to buy a new one. Just managed to get to PC world by 5 to 8. So I now have a ZOOM modem, and coincidentally, the BB line gets dropped every now and then stating no dialing tone found.....Dai Embarassed

bandydai · Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Posts: 58 Location: South Wales

I'll have to get new glasses...LOL Laughing

NickAskew · Moderator Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 112 Location: Thirsk

I really should ask a lot more questions before I go ahead and try to offer a solution, more fool me lol Laughing

Ok, because you had an actual power cut I am willing to bet that an essential operating system file has been scattered/misplaced on your hard disk. The only real solution to removing the error message(s) you are receiving (that I'll wager are something like 'file xyz.sys not found..)) is to reinstall Windows XP over the top of your existing Windows XP. This isn't as scary as it sounds providing you have an original XP installation CD (which you would have purchased separately to your computer, or if you are extremely lucky had provided with your computer when you purchased it) and not a 'factory recovery cd' which you are likely to receive with computers such as Packard Bell or DELL.

If you have the latter (PB, DELL, other big brand), then you still may have the XP Installation Media on your boot disk, quite possibly in a folder called i386 (try looking in c:\windows\i386 or c:\windows\system32\i386 or c:\i386) and if you have one of these folders you will most likely find a file called setup.exe which you would need to run.

CAUTION: !!!!YOU MUST BACK UP ANY PERSONAL FILES YOU HAVE BEFORE REINSTALLING XP!!!!
This includes: Accounting data file (if you use your pc for accounting), holiday pictures and videos, word processing documents, internet shortcuts/favourites (if you have a library of them!), and any other personal files you cannot afford to lose.

The easiest way to back this stuff up is to use an external hard disk, either yours (if you have one with enough space on it) or borrow one from a friend temporarily until you have reinstalled XP, you will know fairly quickly whether things went bad and you've lost any data..

Good Luck!

Nick

bandydai · Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Posts: 58 Location: South Wales

After doing everything you suggested in msconfig, when I re-boot now, I get the black screen with the option of
Please select the operating system to start
Microsoft XP professional....or Microsoft XP Professional SETUP. I choose the first and windows loads up ok.
This happens every time I re-boot. ........Dai.

NickAskew · Moderator Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 112 Location: Thirsk

I see you found the installation media Smile

- select the second option 'Windows XP Setup' and let it reinstall, choosing that option will make sure your system files are intact (I believe the power cut during your defrag upset one of them), once the setup has completed it will remove itself from the boot up menu.

bandydai · Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Posts: 58 Location: South Wales

Just made the first option the default in msconfig boot loader. Laughing

seems to have done the trick. Thank you very much for all you help.
If I was a bit younger, I would try to become a computer genius like you, but at 70, it's too late for me now. Cheers mate Wink

NickAskew · Moderator Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 112 Location: Thirsk

Its never too late to learn Smile

You have my utmost respect for even using one, they're blasted contraptions at the best of times Very Happy

bandydai · Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Posts: 58 Location: South Wales

G'mornin Nick. Just did a defrag last night and guess what........ crashed at 22%
Showed on status bar..Moving File 004c-scan-my-computer-eventlog.rpt
I have a 180gb portable HDD and tried to do a back-up of files and folders but that crashes too after approx 19gb.....................sorry to disturb you again on such a nice morning. [well....it's fine here. don't need wellies just yet] hope ur not under water like a lot of families are.
I have obviously got a corrupted file somewhere in the system. while defragging last night,, clever clogs here set up his camera and took a movie of the PC thats how I know what was on the status bar at the time of the crash. any ideas? Dai Idea

PS. I think you may have misspelled ..........'BLASTED' I'm sure theres an R in there somewhere and no L.......... Wink

NickAskew · Moderator Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 112 Location: Thirsk

Hi

Been away all week, hence late reply.

I would right click on the drive that is failing to defrag and crashing and select properties, click the tools tab and then choose to check for errors - you will almost definately be told that it cannot repair any damage until the PC is rebooted, I would let it do the check when the PC is restarted.

Check disk scans your disk for corrupted file entries (which is exactly what you have) and either deletes them or points them at the most likely 'orphan' file that it suspects is the right one. Check Disk has been known to do more damage than good on particularly dodgey disks so I would try and backup everything prior to doing this - you can avoid the file access errors by omitting the folder that contains the identified dodgy file.

I'll be available most of this weekend if you have any more q's.

Yes, I do believe my spelling was a little off the mark lol Very Happy

Cheers

Nick

PS. I am on a hill luckily, some of my neighbours and a lot of theirs were waste [sic] deep in rain water and effluent.. this area doesn't smell very nice at the moment :O