I could do with some help. HELP!

[rubank]

I´m a fool and I could do with some help.

I d/l a freeware RAMdisk driver, and without further thought I decided to take a quick look at it at the command prompt in XP. This screwed up my comp.

Now I can´t boot into neither XP nor 98SE (on separate hd:s) unless I choose failsafe.
I´ve tried a repair install of XP, but when the system reboots it comes to a standstill, and the install program can´t run in failsafe mode.

It´s not that any data has been corrupted, I´ve checked that, but it that seems somewhere, somehow there has been added a drive letter that doesn´t exist, and this prevents the system from booting in standard mode. The same in both XP and 98SE.

Does any of you knowledgable people have any clue how to fix this?

P.S. I´ve checked the bootsector on both hd:s and compared it to the bootsector copy and I can´t see any change here. It seems there must be some entry in the registry that try to load during system start, which brings the system to a halt.
System recovery in XP doesn´t work, and that goes for scanreg/restore in 98SE too.
I would really hate to format (Gb upon Gb upon Gb of software).

Thanks
rubank

[PAugustin]

Ok for the reparation in XP how did you do ?
There are 2 methodes I am aware of:
1- Boot with the XP CD and choose repair when asked for. this is the hard way as you only go in command line. I don't recommand it.
2- Boot with your XP CD, when asked if you want to install or repair choose install, it will detect your original install and ask if you want to make a new one on repair it. Choose repair it will do a kind of upgrade and re-install the OS without screwing all your config and previously installed programs. This is the metho I recommand.

[rubank]

Thanks for answering,

but as I said I have already tried that (nr. 2), but forced to reboot after copying of the install files I have to resort to failsafe mode, where the setup won´t run.

rubank

[ALBPM]

My condolences Rubank I'm going through the same thing with XP.


THANKS to ROXIO!!!

Which is still "Creative"!!! Different name but same system file screwing crap!!!!!!!!!!

End of Rant.......

I feel better now

Paul

[UtwigMU]

Your drive letters likely got messed up.

Your aim is to rescue data and restore Windows.

Rescuing data:

Do your XPs reside on FAT32 partition?
Yes: Copy your data from 98 partition to XP partition
Don't forget to check My Documents, Program Files and Windows desktop

No:
Is your data on 98 partition important?
Yes: copy data to floppies under DOS (Boot of 98 CD-ROM) (If you have only word documents etc..

or download, borrow, buy PQ driveimage and create rescue disks at friend and boot of them. Burn image of whicever partition has less data to CDs using high compression (~1GB/CD).

Format that partition and install XP, NT or 2k (They all read NTFS which 98 does not.) and Nero (or your favourite burning app). Burn your important data from other partition to CDs.

Nuke everything
Divide your drive:
C: XP+apps 5-10GB
D: 98 + apps + games 1-15GB
E: storage

Reinstall.

Do images of 98 and XP after reinstall.

Now if something goes pop you can just nuke and reimage OS partition and you're up and running.

[rubank]

Thanks guys,

I found a somewhat old Ghostimage of my XP drive, so I´m more or less o.k. now. Just a few hours of additional install and config.

I managed to get my 98SE drive going too, only the graphics drivers were gone (!?). Don´t understand that one, everything else seem to be fine.

rubank

If i run into trouble I won´t ask you again

[Paddy]

:P hehehe