Hi all. I have a pretty urgent question, and I'd be eternally grateful if someone could tell me if there's a solution out there. We had a pretty violent storm that came on suddenly while I was working this afternoon. The power went out for no more than a few seconds, but my computer wouldn't start again afterwards. Just blue screened, and even safe mode wouldn't work. I got the xp cd and ran the recovery console. It found errors, but still blue screened after that every time I tried to log onto Windows. So, to make sure I could still access my work files (been an insanely busy week with new client files, and I hadn't done a backup this week yet for the new things), I installed a second copy of XP (media edition) in a different folder ("window" instead of "windows") so as not to lose my documents and such from the older installation. I was able to login to windows, and can view my files and programs. I was told by someone that it's probably a registry issue on the original installation? I was wondering if it's possible to fix the registry from one folder while technically signed on under the other one. Is there a way to find the problem, fix it, and then login choosing the other OS installation again, so I can delete the new one? The problem is that I can't get my dsl to connect under the new installation... no idea how, and don't know if I even have a cd for the modem. Worse yet, the phone company is entirely useless in helping. I have all of the settings and such that I should need to set up the modem, but the new installation just doesn't recognize it. Seriously, this already took a huge chunk of time out of my work, so if anyone has any clue as to what I can do, or what the problem might be, please please please post suggestions or PM me. I'm at my mother's place just so I can use her computer to try to find a solution, and I'll be around on here for a while, while I'm looking. Thanks! jenn
I see in this thread you cant get the dsl to connect? Can you run windows at this point, but just not connect? Alot of time , you can configure a connection, without dsl software, I.E, I hate to say this , BUT everyone has an aol disk lying around, That could get you atleast a dial up connect / dsl config and you could go from there
I can get into windows, but only the second installation. Ideally, i want to get back into the orginal installation, delete the new one, and then the dsl won't be an issue. I'm getting a different message now saying that a file at windows/system32/config/software is corrupt or missing. So I removed that file (just dragged it to the desktop so I didn't lose it), and when I try launching that windows installation now it doesn't go to a bluescreen but it goes to a plain black screen. So something's definitely wrong there. I'm just going to search around a bit this morning to see if there's a way to repair that file, and hope for the best. Everything else is on hold until I get this fixed. Too much of my work simply requires I be online. This is such a pain. Thanks.
OK. I'm able to get into my original installation ok now, access my files, my settings seem generally ok, etc. But I have a few questions: 1. Suddenly Outlook express won't let me send, reply to, or forward messages. It says there's not enough memory and won't open the new message pane. It checks mail fine though. And I highly doubt memory is actually a problem. It also suddenly won't let me drag and drop from my message list to the folder system. Any suggestions? 2. The xp toolbar (w/ the start menu at the bottom of the screen) suddenly stopped showing my open programs / windows. It's blank w/ just the start button and quick launch icons and clock. If I tell it to show a certain toolbar, like the address bar, it's ok for that though. Any idea how to get them showing up again? Alt-tab to get around is getting annoying. 3. I'd like to delete the extra windows installation now while I'm cleaning up my hard drive for a more thorough backup. Can I simply delete the folder where I installed it ("window" - whereas the original one and one I want to keep is in "windows"), or do I need to do an uninstall. If so, how do I do that? Sorry to be a pain. I usually figure this stuff out on my own. I just don't have a huge amount of patience when I need to send emails for work, and so I'm hoping someone can help. I'm slightly paranoid I'll screw it up somehow. Thanks. Jenn
1. Could be related to 2 so try the windows rewrite. If it is not this then your outlook profile is corrupt and you need to create a new profile. 2. Sounds like explorers corrupt Do the following: Boot from windows CD, when it asks you if u want to repair windows using recovery console, u don't want to do this so continue install (press enter), it then ask u if u want to install a new copy or repair existing copy, select repair existing copy (press r). THis will replace any changed system files, once you have done this do windows update - windows/system32/config/software is your software registry hive, and it is bad this is corrupt, goto C:\windows/system32/config/software/ there and let me know the file size on software.sav. 3. Just delete the folder that copy of windows will still come up in the startup list but just dont select that or you can remove the line with it on from C:\boot.ini Post if you have any difficulties Kind Regards, Chris Allen Technical Director UK National Networks LTD
It's all screwed up again. I tried the repair installation, and after restart it blue screened. Now I can't even get it to try the repair again or anything. I just get a blue screen saying bad_pool_caller, over and over again. I thought it was just about fixed, and now I can't even get into that windows installation again. This is really starting to suck. Actually, the original one is being listed as xp professional from the startup options (doesn't startup, b/c it didn't finish the repair installation), when it should be xp media edition. I don't know. Maybe that changes when it finishes. OK. Heading home again for a little while to try again. Thanks for helping. I'll find out the size of that file if I can get into the system again. ... oh yeah, another error that was just coming up when I tried to login was a problem with lsass.exe.. .... seems like the string of problems just never ends. I just have far too much to fully re-save absolutely everything I need. As long as I don't lose this week's client files, I'll live. Blah. OK. I'll report back w/ that info if I can find it when I come back here. Thanks. Jenn
See how long/many programs you can run on your other install and try and get it to crash. bad_pool_caller sounds like a memory thing in that your memory could be damaged. Rgds, Chris
OK. Still no idea what's going on. I tried doing the repair install on the original installation again. It processed the first part, then restarted. Last time, that's when it tried to go into the next installation part, but blue screened. Now when I try to start to even get it that far, it goes to a black screen, the arrow pops up like it's trying to work... then nothing at all happens. I've gotten bad_pool_caller before a few times at random points. It's never been an issue on startup though. It hasn't happened again since I posted last though. Now just the black screen w/ the arrow. I then logged into the newer installation and tried swapping the software and system files for the restore point versions again. No luck. Same issue. As for the size of software.sav... it's around 30mb It's also still showing the repair installation as XP Professional rather than media edition, if that matters... but like I said, it never went into the second part of the setup. I'd be perfectly content if I could just move my settings and such over from the old installation to the new one. If there's a simple way to do that (like swapping it's own files with the restore point's software file for instance), please let me know. The main problem I'm having w/ the new installation is that I can't get the dsl modem to work with it. it doesn't show up in the network connections. According to my phone company, ti should just find it on it's own. It does say it's finding and trying to install an ethernet adapter, but it can't find the driver. The phone company had no info on what to do about that, or the files. It should be someplace on the old installation, where I could just copy all of the drivers over, right? (like for my printer, etc. too) As long as I can get access to my email ok in outlook, and I can get the dsl working, I can move other things manually as I need them. Thanks again for trying to help. I really can usually figure these things out. I think I'm just pushing the burn out limit this week. Can't seem to think straight when I'm working on it. Jenn
Ok, I would say go into recovery console. run the following commands copy C:\windows/system32/config/software C:\windows/system32/config/software.old copy C:\windows/system32/config/software.sav C:\windows/system32/config/software See if this helps, if not then run this command to take it back to the state it was before u did this: copy C:\windows/system32/config/software.old C:\windows/system32/config/software Rgds,
OK. I'm about to head out for a few hours, but I'll certainly give that a try when I come back. Thanks again for trying to help. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. Jenn
OK. So I wasn't able to get the old installation repaired. It won't get past the black screen. But I was able to manually configure the dsl connection on the new installation, so I can get online. However... 1. While I have outlook working, I don't have all of the old mail. I know where the folder is, but it won't let me copy/paste the files into another area to have it included (and my address book) in the Outlook installation on the newer xp installation. Any thoughts on that one? 2. How would I go about getting my start menu and desktop items restored to what they were with the old installation? Again, I did it by using a restore point's software file before. But this is the only installation I can login under, and when I'm in it won't let me swap the files b/c they're in use. Do I need to copy them somewhere, rename them, and do it through the recovery console or something? Thanks again. And sorry for being such a pain about this. I'm just dying to get back to work. Jenn
I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear, but the best thing to do is probably a full clean install. "Repairing" windows when it is this fried is probably never going to give you a stable system. The big problem is that you will need to copy off anything that you don't want wiped, then reinstall every application etc. It's not easy, but I wouln't try "papering over" a broken Windows setup.
1. Go here http:// www. howto-outlook. com/howto/backupandrestore.htm 2. You will need to reinstall any applications that you want to use.
Yeah, I finally got Outlook working before. The problem is that it wouldn't let me back it up in the first place. I just imported the messages and settings from the old installation, and that worked ok. I've been re-installing the bigger things I need (office, dreamweaver, photoshop, etc.) for work... anything else just has to wait until I have time. Seems to be working reasonably well at least now. Thanks for all of your help. If I were able to give you more green for it, I would! Jenn
No problem....on a side note..buy a battery back-up/ surge protecter the are pretty cheap, you can get one for $69 bux and when the power goes out it will keep you alive for three hours, I even have one that will shut my pc down the right way before the battery goes dead....works by usb Glad to see you going again
Thanks. That's definitely a good idea. I'll have to start backing up more often too. Given... this was an unusually busy week as far as new client files and such, but still. Got things almost back to normal... still hunting a few of my installation cds. But should be good to go by morning. yay. Jenn