Windows XP died on me

[w2krookie]

Hi everyone!

Need some answers about whats just happened on my friend's PC and Bill Gates was unfortunately unavailable for comment. Basically we were updating her WinXP installation to SP1 (her PC hadn't been used in a while) when the Blaster worm forced a shutdown mid-installation, consequently WinXP now doesn't get past the initial loading screen before rebooting the system, presumably cos its lacking some vital DLLs. We have a recovery CD but can't repair windows cos she has misplaced her administrator password. Our only option seems to be to reinstall windows BUT I don't want to wipe her My Documents folder so my question is this:

By reinstalling Windows XP from our recover CD, will it simply overwrite what is in c:windows and leave the rest of c: alone or will it essentially wipe the HD? Thanks for reading, hope you can help.

 

[DallasKelsey]

I *believe* you will be given the option to purge or retain settings upon re-install. Is the file system FAT or NTFS? If FAT, I would recommend moving the critical data (e.g., contents of her profile, specifically MY DOCUMENTS, FAVORITES... maybe DESKTOP, etc.) by either backing up the volume using an imaging tool or copying to a second drive or other storage device (a USB Data Key would be a great solution, if accessible from a DOS boot). If it's NTFS, try booting using a clean hard drive/OS that supports NTFS and seeing if the files can be moved to the clean volume.

Whatever solution is used, you can then re-partition & install and move the settings back.

Dallas S. Kelsey, III
DKelsey-at-CHGLaw-dot-com
Cox, Hodgman, & Giarmarco, P.C.
Troy MI 48084

 

[JackiTyan]

You can reinstall XP without wiping out your drive C:'s other contents. Boot up using the windows XP cd.. when it comes to the screen where the installer asks you if you want to format the drive before installation. just choose the option to leave the partition alone. Then proceed with the installation, it will only overwrite all of XP's system files.

 

[w2krookie]

Thanks very much for the info!

Its NTFS as far as I know, we don't have any spare HDs or USB devices at our disposal unfortuneately. The option we are given on the recovery CD is just 'Install Win XP' rather than 'Re-install Win XP', does this make any difference?

 

[DallasKelsey]

No. But keep in mind that whenever something as radical as an OS installation is undertaken, there is always a risk of losing data (no matter how unlikely). Make sure this scenario is acceptable, and if it is not--it would be worth the $60-or-so "shoulda-known-better" fee to pay CompUSA or somebody who *has* the equipment to back up the data onto a ZIP drive or some other retrievable format.

Hopefully this will be a lesson learned for someone...I know my landlord just did ... can u say rental discount?

Dallas S. Kelsey, III
DKelsey-at-CHGLaw-dot-com
Cox, Hodgman, & Giarmarco, P.C.
Troy MI 48084

 

[skiflyer]

I would grab myself a knoppix CD, copy off her critical data, then, and then re-install.

http://www.knoppix.net/

-Rob

 

[DallasKelsey]

Ah, yes. The power of UNIX!! Unfortunately, I do not see how a bootable CD will help--the issue of no spare media is independent of using a Microsoft OS or a shareware OS. Though it would help to be able to "hide" the files somewhere by putting them where a re-insatallation is less likely to mess with them. Does Knoppix read NTFS data, though? If it doesn't, it still wouldn't help.

Dallas S. Kelsey, III
DKelsey-at-CHGLaw-dot-com
Cox, Hodgman, & Giarmarco, P.C.
Troy MI 48084

 

[w2krookie]

Thanks again everyone- we reinstalled and didn't loose anything, very relieved. The situation wasn't helped by the fact the setup program warned us that we 'may' loose data like the My Documents folder by overwriting our current windows installation.

Just give us the bloody option!

 

[skiflyer]

I know the new kernels read, though they can't write it.

I'm fairly certain Knoppix can be loaded into ram, you can remove the CD, then burn the data unto another CD, assuming a burner.

Or, if you have some sort of networking setup, you can boot to Knoppix and send the data whereever you like.

Or if you're talking about a handful of word documents, you can just coppy them to floppy...

If it's critical data it would be worth popping in another HD, and copying to that... here's a link on recovering systems with Knoppix, aimed at recovering a non-booting linux box, but the portions on data recovery basically apply to windows as well.

http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-knopx.html?ca=dgr-lnxw12KnoppixRecovery

-Rob

 

[TekKnowGeek]

I had the same issue with a friend of mine.

To preserve his information (mail, favorites, mp3's etc...) I removed his HD and put it into my PC as a slave drive.

After booting my system (with an installed cd burner), I burned all his data onto a cd.

Once complete I removed his HD from my PC, re-installed it into his PC and started with a fresh install.

Life is a journey to death

 

[luds]

Nothing to do with solving the actual thread... but a way to back up critical documents every now and then.. and keep them safe... is to upload them via FTP to free web space provided by your ISP (if you have it).

Then, if XP goes AWOL and you have to reformat, all you have to do is download another FTP software program (eg CUTE FTP) and download your files from your ISP's server!

Only read about it yesterday and struck me as a good idea, especially as loads of people never use this free web space provided!

luds