XP Recovery Nightmare

4

4W4K3

VIP Member
I was installing a new theme and uxtheme.dll was modified. Apparently it was done wrong, and my explorer.exe process would not start when I booted up. I kept getting error after error sayinf uxtheme.dll was corrupt/missing.

I tried the Recovery Console, but it asks for a password I do not have. I never set oneup, and entering nothing does not work either. I called Compaq support and they said they have no idea what it could be.

I tried a Repair Install, also does not work. Says some kind of internal error...contact system Admin. No help.

I ended up installing XP AGAIN in a DIFFERENT partition and that is what I am on now. I can no longer boot the other partition to windows, says i have a missing system.sav file. I cannot use the recovery console, I can not boot to safe mode...I basically can't do anything.

I need to know how to fix this. I've tried using the other partition's system.sav file and uxtheme.dll file and copy it over...no luck. I can SEE the C:\ partition (original Windows install) but it's almost completely locked, no access to it. I can't even connect to it via the command prompt to try and fix it.

Your help is appreciated. I have done ALOT of stuff to try and fix this, but everything is either locked/corrupted/or jsut doesn't work...very annoying.

I created a recovery point before I modified anything, and I made a backup of uxtheme.dll. But I did not expect system.sav to screw up, and it doesn't even exist on my C:\ drive anymore. Copying it over from the other partition does nothing.
 
Foobar Windows? If you can get to the F8 boot menu you could try using the safe mode/command prompt only option for a manual attempt at starting the system restore process which is probably too late since a repair install failed? If you did manage to get to the prompt there the instructions for manual startup of the system restore are seen at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304449

As far as a repair install did you use the method outlined in the article seen at http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm ? Once you press the "to install XP now press enter" option instead of going to the recovery console you select the repair current installation option on the following screen instead of deleting the current for a fresh install on the 01 C partition.
 
Break through.

I completed running a repair install on the other partition, but it had several errors in the process. It will load Windows, but immediately gives me a "Virtual Memory Low" error message and restarts. What could this mean? There is 500MB free on my HDD?

I'm not sure why it just started working, well half working that is. Anyone know what I can do?

PC eye I did follow those instructions, as much as I could. Half-way through I'd get an error or it would just tell me I need to "contact my ssytem admin" due to an error. Stupid Windows.

I DID try to install Ubuntu adn RedHat on my laptop, but neither of them are supported by my graphics card. I REALLY want to get rid of Windows but right now I don't know of any other OS my laptop will support. That and I want to have it in working condition before I tinker with another OS, so I can feall back if I need to.
 
If you can access the second partition from the primary's desktop with Windows Explorer you can move some files you want to save or simply any junk to clean up drive space. The virtual memory error is due to the partition being filled up where Windows has a lack of space to create page files needed for this. You can also temporarily disable the creation of new ones until you have at least 2gb+ available.

To disable the creation of page files you first need to right click on the MyComputer icon and click properties. Then you open the advanced tab and click on the performance button to open that area up. In the next small screen you click on the center tab(performance again there) and go to the bottom where the change button in the virtual memory section at the bottom brings up another small screen again. Well that's Microsoft and Windows "windows" for you there. :P

Now that you are in the virtual memory area you will notice you adjust the size of the file to be created for custom application or click on the "no page file" option. Until the needed drive space is freed up or you use a partitioning tool to reduce the second partition to increase the C partition you now have free access to with Windows loaded you simply keep that disabled. A few tips to consider with this disabled is to run a freeware know as CCleaner to remove a ton of temp files and folders(leftovers) from the drive that generally remain hidden from view. http://www.ccleaner.com Just watch what it tries to auto delete along the way.

In addition and especially if you get mixed trying to disable the page file a good reference on this is seen at http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.php
 
Hmm.

I selected no page file, same error. I made a 500MB page file, same error. Now I'm really confused. When my computer was working, I NEVER had a page file on C:\ (disabled) and it worked great.

I used CCleaner on the C:\ partition, I'll run it on the new one and see what happens. And I'll make this partition smaller if I can to get a larger page file. Maybe it really needs 1-2GB?

EDIT: CCleaner only removed about 10MB worth of stuff. Making the page file 2GB doesn't change anything, still errors and reboots saying low virtual memory. Ack, I am so mad at Windows. I still can't access my Documents on C:\, and I already booted to safe mode and set the proper Owner permissions...didn't seem to work. I'm about ready to just scrap it all and try Gentoo or SuSe. This has got to be the 5th-6th time Windows had ONE corrupt file and went ape-shit on me, rendering my entire computer useless. This laptop is great, never had a problem hardware wise...always software issues.
 
Last edited:
The use of CCleaner was simply one means of freeing up some drive space. You keep the no page file option checked until you have backed up and deleted files off of the first partition until there is more then 2gb free in order to allow Windows to create page files. The other immediate option is to use a partitioning tool like GParted live for cd to shrink the second partition and increase the primary.

Either way you simply need to delete files or increase the size there to see normal access and Windows running again. The problem is simply "the lack of" available drive space. I've run into this on different occasions when copying files to the second drive where another version of XP is running.
 
Well I managed to copy over everything I thought was worth keeping. Now I need to delete C:\ and I think I'll be done.

I tried deleting it in the cmd prompt but it tells me that C:\ is essential and I cannot delete it. I'll try GParted. I have KillDisk but it refuses to delete C:\ as well...odd. I hate freeware, but I don't feel like paying $60 for a partitioning program lol.
 
Huh. GParted doesn't work...what a waste of a CD. I think I am done with freeware from now on. This is probably the 5th partition program I've tried to run and it errors or simply doesn't work. I'm gonna have to obtain something legit when I get home tonight.
 
GParted will work easier then most if you simply keep pressing the enter key at every prompt until the option to change from 1024x768 to 1280x1024 is seen. Past the next screen is the main gui. That's the steps to get there. If you are seeing another problem it may have been a bad burn by the software you are using.

GParted live for cd comes in an iso image that requires a program that works with that type of file format. Once that works relentlessly with iso images is the free version of BurnOn found at http://www.burnworld.com/burnoncddvd/ I should know since I use GParted for both Windows and Linux partitons and BurnOn for live distros as well.
 
I have an iso image burner program, it seems to have burned fine. but when i try to boot with it it just gives me an error and tells me to restart the computer.i used this program to make killdisk boot disk and it worked great.

im going out for the night though so i'll post back tomorrow :)

EDIT: thanks for all your help PC eye. it might not seem like i replied directly to some of your suggestions but i did try all of them and your info was helpful. if anything i was looking for re-assurance that im not a complete idiot and forgetting something basic haha.
 
You may have had a bad burn seen from a bad download. Do you need a fresh link for another copy? http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=115843&package_id=173828

The trick to save the primary which is more "time consuming" then anything since GParted can't run while Windows is loaded is first shrinking the second partition and then moving it to the back of the drive. The unallocated space you need to expand the primary into is then forced inbetween. Depending on the size of the second partition and empty space you create that determines how long it takes. On a 250gb drive here with a 147gb storage reduced from about 190gb the move took over an hour. The 48gb primary for XP Pro there was then increased to about 85gb close to 30gb more for apps and files copied over from the XP Home primary. But XP Pro returned to normal once the drive space simply was available again.
 
Hmm new problem.

I had the PC up and running. New NTLDR and ntdetect.com file so it would boot to the new partition and all. I had everything saved and ready to roll (I had duplicated the E:\ partition and put it on the primary drive instead of the extended partition to get it to boot correctly)

So I went to delete the original duplicate. Now after I click my user name and login to Windows...it logs me right back off. I get the loading screens, it plays the little login chime....then says "Logging off..." plays the logoff chime, and I'm back to the login prompt. What is up with that?

Grr.
 
I skip the logon process completely with either a registry edit seen in a free copy of Winguides 2003 or use the MS advised setting to go direct to the desktop. Well I just happen to be the administrator here without other user acounts. :P makes life easier!

The MS instructions seen at the link here are certainly easy enough for anyone to follow. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/tips/knox2.mspx You may want to give this a try once you do manage to get past the logon prompting. The other way requires the registry edit outlined at http://www.pctools.com/guides/registry/detail/13/

You may have to use the WIN 2K addition of forcing autologon explained as well. But try booting in safe mode to see if you can reach the desktop. With the change made there you can correct the problems being seen later from a normal desktop.
 
Is there any way I can run the registry editor from the recovery console? I've tried booting to safe mode and I still get the auto logoff. But I can access the recovery console.

I ran chkdsk and it says 0 errors. I used the "fixmbr" and "fixboot" command, still same problem. Every time I try to run "bootcfg" it tells me it can't run, but I'm not sure if that would fix anything anyways.

If I can run it through the recovery console I think the autologon feature will work. Thanks PCeye.
 
I think you will end up needing that GParted cd for deletion of the current primary and creating a fresh one for a clean install of Windows. With Windows up and running there are ways of installing the recovery console as a startup option. http://www.windowsxpsources.com/content/view/6/2/

The registry editor itself is a feature included in Windows that requires the software environment there to work. One other site that lists the recovery console commands available as well as explaining how the regedit works is seen at http://commandwindows.com/recovery.htm

The only actual means for performing any changes other then backing up the registry is the Bart PE live Windows cd. This rather different method is outlined and includes links at http://windowsxp.mvps.org/peboot.htm
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top