complicated problem

[lirredl]

Hi, i have windows xp. I have encountered a problem with it in that it starts booting up and says windows/system32 is corrupt and i should restart with xp install and press r at the first screen when prompted. There is no r and when i press it nothing happens. Please help! Thank you.

[danzil]

can you boot into safe mode,by tapping f8 at startup then chosing safe mode..

if not you will need the xp cd to boot from then you will need to do a repair install...

or you will need to obtain that file and manually replace it...not as easy though,due to updates and system changes etc.....

you are most likely gonna need the xp cd.

regards

danzil

ps what is the missing file.....system/config/security etc

[lirredl]

hi again, no safe mode doesnt work neither does any other option i think its windows/system/system 32 is either missing or corrupt. how would i do repair install?

[danzil]

try this

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

if i can help in any way post back

regards

danzil

[lirredl]

ok i get that, but im a bit thick. how do i actually boot from the cd?

[danzil]

go into the bios..usually delete,or f2 at post (power on self test, this at first boot).

then go to your boot order maybe in "advanced bios features".

then change it to cd...then when you restart it will ask to "press any key to boot from cd".

regards

danzil

let me know if i can help any further

[lirredl1]

hi only just realized i have xp on pc, but i only have an xp home disc. is there anything i can do? Thanks.

[danzil]

thats the one you need.

put the cd in your drive....boot the pc up, you will be promtped to press any key from cd.press enter.

this will then load files from the cd, after giles are loaded you will be prompted to press r to boot to recovery console DO NOT,

go through where it says press enter to install xp.follow this to where in the bottom left , it says "searching for previosu versions....it should then find your xp home installation and ask you if you would like to do a repair install of it by pressing r,this is where you do so.press r. (important do not go further if you are confused).do not press anything tha asks you to delte a partition.

after a short time your pc will restart and run through the xp setup process,you will be prompted for timezone licence key etc.but all your docs, pics etc will still be on your pc when the pc has re-installed..

here read this for clarification http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

let me know if you need any extra help

regards

danzil

[lirredl1]

the version on my pc is bulk standard xp. the cd is xp home, so this doesnt work!

[TechAdvance]

you either have Xp home or XP pro

YOU HAVE XP HOME

 

Do as Danzil says!! once you have repaired your windows installation your pc will work

[danzil]

there are 2 flavors really of xp 1 is xp home and the 2nd is xp pro, when you boot into the xp home cd,and run through to the repair installation, it will search for previous operating systems, this will tell you what you had previously, if your license key says xp home, and you have the xp home cd then you are fine to continue

regards

danzil

[lirredl1]

thanks got the setup up and everything but it comes up with 'bad pool caller' please help!

[danzil]

bad pool caller.

this is error, doesnt always mean what it says......bad pool caller can be a broken hard drive, faulty cpu or board,and usually the memory.and i some cases a faulty pic device

firstly i would remove a stick of ram(only if you have more then one), then try again,if the same swap ram and try again..the idea being to find a faulty stick if you have one.

if not remove all pci cards and then retry....

if not the only other way is to obtain another hard drive,then re-install xp to the new hard drive....then slave your old drive,copy all your data back over to the new install....then you could format your drive and do a full install.

there are loads more avenue with "bad pool caller" but in my opinion this is what i would try.

let me know how you get on.

regards

danzil.

ps do you get any error codes if so what are they

[lirredl1]

sorry cant get codes at mo. i would do as suggested but the problem is im only 13 and my mum would kill me + wouldnt have time to take pc apart. i cant tell her or take to shop. isnt there another way!? if it helps i also have 98, me and ubuntu install disks. thanks.

[danzil]

you really need your parents help...if you do anything incorrect any data on your hard drive could be lost...ask for your parents help i suggest.

or we could help them if THEY post.

regards

danzil