So I foolishly downloaded Windows AntiSpyware Beta from microsoft, and I deleted a process (PowerReg Scheduler or something) that it determined a moderate threat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After I quarantined this, I needed to restart, and restart it did (win xp home), for 10 minutes, and nothing happened. So, I restarted in safe mode, and waited 45 minutes for windows to launch. So I figured, "Hey, System restore!", but nope - it won't load for some reason "system restore is unable to protect your computer at this time - please restart and try again", yeah right, please restart - may as well throw away another unproductive hour. I tried restarting without safe mode this morning, and absolutely nothing happened, I waited a good half hour, and nothing was showing (in safe mode, at least certain steps were passed after 10-15mins).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In safe mode, I "undeleted" the quarntined file, and it didn't help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any ideas? :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and hopefully we can get it working before class starts at uni in 2 days :lol: bad time for this to happen...

Update: I'm transferring all personal files I don't want to lose over to this (my dad's) pc, and I'm going to reinstall win xp using the cd from safe mode. We'll see what happens - if this doesn't work, I'm going to call tech support or reformat :-\

just xfer your files..and take the easy way out by formatting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sometimes troubleshooting windows problems such as these is like troubleshooting a monitor...sure you could fix the problem most times...but the time and effort it takes is more annoying and time consuming than just throwing out the monitor and buyin a new one (IE reformatting)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

just my suggestion 8)

just xfer your files..and take the easy way out by formatting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sometimes troubleshooting windows problems such as these is like troubleshooting a monitor...sure you could fix the problem most times...but the time and effort it takes is more annoying and time consuming than just throwing out the monitor and buyin a new one (IE reformatting)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

just my suggestion 8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm going to use formatting as a last resort - since I've never done it before - and I think my warranty runs out within a few days - I don't want to take the chance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plus I have the day off tomorrow, and nothing to do. This'll keep me busy.

You can do a repair installation using the Windows CD, you will keep all files and settings.

Try this first before formatting. On the first screen after booting from the CD, select 'R'. It might ask you what installation, just choose 1 and press Enter/Return. It may ask for a password, just press enter. As soon as you have a C:\ Prompt type "CHKDISK /P" minus the "s obviously. After it's done, run "CHKDSK /R" altogether on a loaded machine it may take up to 2 - 3 hours in total. Just check it every so often. Then type "EXIT". This will reboot the system and it should load into Windows. If not... Format or try what's below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can do a repair installation using the Windows CD, you will keep all files and settings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This works in my experience over 85% of the time, what you do is use a Windows XP CD. Boot from it, on the first step DO NOT select repair. Instead select to continue (Enter/Return). Press F8 to agree to the license, then it'll scan for a Windows installation, if it finds one. Now press 'R' and it'll remove system files and reinstall them.

You can do a repair installation using the Windows CD, you will keep all files and settings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really hope so >.< I'm just going to put some personal files on here... just in case ;) it said on the microsoft website that I might lose files, but they're the ones that got me here in the first place...

Okay, I tried to reinstall from the cd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I click "install win xp" it is supposed to come up with a page where you can click repair (reinstall), install, and other option(s). However, I get a message box saying "your version of windows is newer than the one you are trying to install - if you try and install this version, you will lose your related files"... and then the continue button is disabled, and there's nothing else to do :| do I need to remove sp2?

Okay, I tried to reinstall from the cd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I click "install win xp" it is supposed to come up with a page where you can click repair (reinstall), install, and other option(s). However, I get a message box saying "your version of windows is newer than the one you are trying to install - if you try and install this version, you will lose your related files"... and then the continue button is disabled, and there's nothing else to do :| do I need to remove sp2?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Shakes head*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOOT! ... Like you boot from a floppy... :?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Insert the CD into your primary ROM drive, go into the BIOS select CD-ROM as the first boot device, it'll then try to boot off the CD before Windows XP comes up. Press any key to boot Windows Setup when it says it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what we call booting from a device, what you're doing is auto-running in Windows. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just remember to make sure to keep IDE0 or HDD0 as your second or even third boot device, it'll need to boot from it eventually and it saves you changing it all the time. Best boot option is Floppy, CD-ROM and then HDD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the unlikely case you can't find the option tell me what type of BIOS you have and I'll attempt to point you in the correct direction.

 

Okay, I tried to reinstall from the cd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I click "install win xp" it is supposed to come up with a page where you can click repair (reinstall), install, and other option(s). However, I get a message box saying "your version of windows is newer than the one you are trying to install - if you try and install this version, you will lose your related files"... and then the continue button is disabled, and there's nothing else to do :| do I need to remove sp2?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Shakes head*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOOT! ... Like you boot from a floppy... :?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Insert the CD into your primary ROM drive, go into the BIOS select CD-ROM as the first boot device, it'll then try to boot off the CD before Windows XP comes up. Press any key to boot Windows Setup when it says it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what we call booting from a device, what you're doing is auto-running in Windows. :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just remember to make sure to keep IDE0 or HDD0 as your second or even third boot device, it'll need to boot from it eventually and it saves you changing it all the time. Best boot option is Floppy, CD-ROM and then HDD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the unlikely case you can't find the option tell me what type of BIOS you have and I'll attempt to point you in the correct direction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did this - and it worked fine until it loaded the 4th step (the actual reinstallation). It just says "39 minutes remaining", the timer doesn't count down - the but information screens rotate and my mouse pointer is still active.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grin King figured it might be an actual hard drive problem so I'm running a diagnostic on it now...

Anywho, I ran a diagnostic, and one block out of 58 million was corrupted. Apparently windows used this block for some really major, so I'm screwed. Sending it in to Dell... will probably cost me $200 since my warranty ended 2 weeks ago...

Minor amounts of corruption in Cylinders/Sectors are fairly common and I can't say I've ever heard of it making a harddrive unuseable. Seems strange IMO :/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You could always try removing the partition and creating a new one to install Windows on, this would remove all your files however.

You could always try removing the partition and creating a new one to install Windows on, this would remove all your files however.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't understand how to do this (computer illiterate :P well, sort of).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dell might be giving me an entire years' free extension on my warranty though, we'll find out tonight - and if I can get a free new harddrive without corruption, why not? ;)

Minor amounts of corruption in Cylinders/Sectors are fairly common and I can't say I've ever heard of it making a harddrive unuseable. Seems strange IMO :/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You could always try removing the partition and creating a new one to install Windows on, this would remove all your files however.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meh, a few months ago I had a Primary HDD Failure...the entire drive was corrupted. Inaccessable, by any means. The only fix is to send it into the pros, pay $400 for data recovery, and then still have to buy a new drive. Ouch. I hate corrupt drives! :cry: