Corrupt file won't allow comp startup

SLLAB02

SLLAB02

New Member
It all started with Quake 4. I installed it and it wouldn't run, so I assumed I needed to reinstall my video card drivers. I did it, and when I restarted I couldn't connect to the internet, so I did system restore.

When my comp came back from restore, almost immediately I receive a message that a file related to Nvidia is corrupt and won't allow my system to start. It also tells me that if I use the original Windows startup CD that this problem can be fixed, but I don't have that disc any longer. So I called my manufacturer's tech support line and they game me the website to download all the drivers I need. Of course, I need to use another computer to access the files, but I was able to use the CD burner on my roomates comp and put em on. However I'm not sure how to get the disc with the files to boot right away. All I did was download the files from the driver website straight onto the disc, I'm not sure my roomate has software to create a boot cd, if that's even what I want to do with these driver files.

I'm preparing to reformat, but I really don't want to if I don't have to. Any tips??
 
Without the original cd for installing Windows you won't be able to perform what is referred to as an "install to repair" on the current installation. The method outlined in the article at http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm reinstall the basic system files while leaving the majority of your softwares and folder untouched. You would need a full installation disk before planning to install Windows even after reformat of the drive.

With the release of Vista coming up in january the prices for a full install disk are now seeing the lowest prices. One option of booting into safe mode to remove all video drivers would done by pressing the F8 key following the end of the post tests. Once the system returned to a normal bootup you can then install the downloaded versions of the needed drivers.
 
Try writing down all the files needed for the installation of windows and search for them on the internet, there are web sites you can download inf, dll or other window files.
 
chrisalviola said:
Try writing down all the files needed for the installation of windows and search for them on the internet, there are web sites you can download inf, dll or other window files.
Click to expand...

In that case you would also see the installer and product key. You can download various generic drivers for hardwares. But you need an installer that can detect hardwares and request them. Most system files are compressed in cab files waiting to be copied onto the drive where they are then expanded with the installation process. You can locate some but not all files needed to install Windows.
 
Any ideas on where to find the files necessary to download a boot cd? I'm not allowed to do safe mode, whenever I try, I get the same message as if I'm trying to load regular WIndows. By the way, I took the time to write down that message, here it is...

"Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
system32\drivers\nvatabus.sys
You can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows Setup using the original Setup CD-ROM.
Select 'r' at the first screen to start repair."
 
http://download.nvidia.com/Windows/nForce/Recovery_instructions.zip is the download link for a zip file with the nvatabus.sys file and a text file for instruction on uninstalling an older version if you just grabbed an update without first removing the older version of the driver.

When booting up with the XP installation disk the "R" option will bring you to the Recovery Console. There you can try the expand command to try and copy the driver from a floppy into the system32 folder by changing to the A:> prompt and typing "expand nvatabus.sys C:\Windows\system32\" to see if that would work. Most times that is used to decompress drivers and other files contained in Windows cab archives off of the XP cd.

The download mirrors for the various versions of Dos and Windows boot disks is found at http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm There you scroll down to the one for either XP or for NTFS boot floppies and cds.
 
Problem - there's no floppy drive on my comp. All of those bootdisk creating guides refer to a floppy disk. Can I just substitute the term "Floppy" for "CD-RW", or "CD-R"?

When booting up with the XP installation disk the "R" option will bring you to the Recovery Console. There you can try the expand command to try and copy the driver from a floppy into the system32 folder by changing to the A:> prompt and typing "expand nvatabus.sys C:\Windows\system32\" to see if that would work...
Click to expand...

Assuming that I can use a CD-RW or a CD-R instead, do you mean to say that if the boot disk works, there's a chance I can then replace the boot disk with the CD with the Nvidia file on it at the recovery console?
 
You would have to get familiar with the manual commands to see if you could copy and even overwrite the current file from the recovery console. It's not quite as easy as dos commands there however. Without Windows even running in safe mode you could try the safe mode command prompt only option as another method there too.

The alternative for both booting a working OS from cd and copying a new copy of the file into the system32 folder would be the use of a live Linux distro like Knoppix Live for dvd/cd. The "R" option mentioned earlier also depends on where you are with the installer running. If you are past the option to go to the recovery console the "R" option then would be to repair the current installation which is precisely what a repair install is.

The link posted earlier is about the easiest one you can find for this since it is far more detailed in explaination so you don't get lost. A repair install preserves all of your files and folders while reinstalling the essentials for Windows itself. A few things like video and sound often have to be reinstalled. But the tecnique there will correct everything wrong with system files and see a running system again. If you can't replace the bad file with a fresh copy then a repair with a full installation disk would be the way to go.

This is the last but most effective option in case there was something else found wrong with Windows after replacing that one file. Plus a direct copy and even overwrite of the original won't insure the file will be set active when trying to load Windows afterwards.
 
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