Repairing a WinXP install

[Chris Barnes]

I have a secretary with a PC running WinXP Pro that has suddenly
(Monday) decided not to reboot.

When trying to boot into Windows it just hangs at the "splash screen"
(the one that appears before the logon window).

When trying to boot into safe mode, it hangs at the
"../system32/drivers/agp440.sys" file.


I believe my next step is to try to repair the WinXP install, but I'm a
little unsure of how to do this. I boot from the WinXP cd and select
"Repair", which dumps me into a dos shell in the C:\Windows directory.

Now what?

Or perhaps I'm missing the point of what the "repair" option is supposed
to do...


If this doesn't work, my next thing is to pull the drive out, try to
save her documents, then do a clean re-install...

--

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes
Computer Systems Manager ph: 979-845-7801
Department of Physics fax: 979-845-2590
Texas A&M University

[Mary Sauer]

Problems When Windows XP Tries to Load the Agp440.sys Service
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;324764

--
Mary Sauer MS MVP
http://dgl.microsoft.com/
http://mvps.org/msauer/
"Chris Barnes" > wrote in message
...
> I have a secretary with a PC running WinXP Pro that has suddenly
> (Monday) decided not to reboot.
>
> When trying to boot into Windows it just hangs at the "splash screen"
> (the one that appears before the logon window).
>
> When trying to boot into safe mode, it hangs at the
> "../system32/drivers/agp440.sys" file.
>
>
> I believe my next step is to try to repair the WinXP install, but I'm a
> little unsure of how to do this. I boot from the WinXP cd and select
> "Repair", which dumps me into a dos shell in the C:\Windows directory.
>
> Now what?
>
> Or perhaps I'm missing the point of what the "repair" option is supposed
> to do...
>
>
> If this doesn't work, my next thing is to pull the drive out, try to
> save her documents, then do a clean re-install...
>
> --
>
> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
> Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
> Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes
> Computer Systems Manager ph: 979-845-7801
> Department of Physics fax: 979-845-2590
> Texas A&M University
>
>

[Steve C. Ray]

You are selecting the wrong repair. Don't use the recovery console. Boot
from the XP CD, select Setup Windows by pressing Enter, press F8 to accept
the license agreement, then press R for a repair installation.

--
Steve C. Ray
Replace "mail" with "36db"
"Chris Barnes" > wrote in message
...
> I have a secretary with a PC running WinXP Pro that has suddenly
> (Monday) decided not to reboot.
>
> When trying to boot into Windows it just hangs at the "splash screen"
> (the one that appears before the logon window).
>
> When trying to boot into safe mode, it hangs at the
> "../system32/drivers/agp440.sys" file.
>
>
> I believe my next step is to try to repair the WinXP install, but I'm a
> little unsure of how to do this. I boot from the WinXP cd and select
> "Repair", which dumps me into a dos shell in the C:\Windows directory.
>
> Now what?
>
> Or perhaps I'm missing the point of what the "repair" option is supposed
> to do...
>
>
> If this doesn't work, my next thing is to pull the drive out, try to
> save her documents, then do a clean re-install...
>
> --
>
> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
> Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
> Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes
> Computer Systems Manager ph: 979-845-7801
> Department of Physics fax: 979-845-2590
> Texas A&M University
>
>

[news.microsoft.com]

Before you repair reinstall, I would take a few minutes to see if you can
figure out why it's not booting properly. Repair reinstall may not fix your
problems.

"Chris Barnes" > wrote in message
...
> I have a secretary with a PC running WinXP Pro that has suddenly
> (Monday) decided not to reboot.
>
> When trying to boot into Windows it just hangs at the "splash screen"
> (the one that appears before the logon window).
>
> When trying to boot into safe mode, it hangs at the
> "../system32/drivers/agp440.sys" file.
>
>
> I believe my next step is to try to repair the WinXP install, but I'm a
> little unsure of how to do this. I boot from the WinXP cd and select
> "Repair", which dumps me into a dos shell in the C:\Windows directory.
>
> Now what?
>
> Or perhaps I'm missing the point of what the "repair" option is supposed
> to do...
>
>
> If this doesn't work, my next thing is to pull the drive out, try to
> save her documents, then do a clean re-install...
>
> --
>
> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
> Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
> Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes
> Computer Systems Manager ph: 979-845-7801
> Department of Physics fax: 979-845-2590
> Texas A&M University
>
>

[Chris Barnes]

news.microsoft.com > wrote:
> Before you repair reinstall, I would take a few minutes to see if you
> can figure out why it's not booting properly. Repair reinstall may
> not fix your problems.

Sounds like great advice - any ideas on figuring out what it's doing
while the little blue bar is moving across the bottom for an hour?


--

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes

[news.microsoft.com]

You can start by trying to boot into safe mode and deleting your video
driver in favor of the ms standard one for Nvidia. Also, from safe mode, you
can also use msconfig to systematically modify which startup programs and
services load and try to pin down your problem.

Also, if possible, trying checking for viruses after booting from an AV
startup disk. This may be difficult if you have NTFS, but a repair reinstall
will probably do little if you're infected.

"Chris Barnes" > wrote in message
>...

> news.microsoft.com > wrote:

> > Before you repair reinstall, I would take a few minutes to see if

> > you can figure out why it's not booting properly. Repair reinstall

> > may not fix your problems.

>

> Sounds like great advice - any ideas on figuring out what it's doing

> while the little blue bar is moving across the bottom for an hour?

>

>

> --

>

> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

> Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes

> Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes

>

>

"Chris Barnes" > wrote in message
...
> news.microsoft.com > wrote:
> > Before you repair reinstall, I would take a few minutes to see if you
> > can figure out why it's not booting properly. Repair reinstall may
> > not fix your problems.
>
> Sounds like great advice - any ideas on figuring out what it's doing
> while the little blue bar is moving across the bottom for an hour?
>
>
> --
>
> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
> Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
> Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes
>
>

[Chris Barnes]

news.microsoft.com > wrote:
> You can start by trying to boot into safe mode and deleting your video
> driver in favor of the ms standard one for Nvidia. Also, from safe
> mode, you can also use msconfig to systematically modify which
> startup programs and services load and try to pin down your problem.

I thought I had indicated that booting into safe mode didn't work...
It hung too.


However, I found a round-about way to get it to work. Rather than going
into the Repair console (which is what the MS document Mary gave me
suggested doing), I hit <enter> there, and hit repair on the next menu
option. This basically did an install of WinXP over the old one - but
left the "other" registry settings alone (meaning I didn't have to
reinstall my applications).

For my purposes, this was good enough. I just had to do Windows updates
for the next 2 hours.

--

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes

[Michael Stevens]

Chris Barnes wrote:
> I have a secretary with a PC running WinXP Pro that has suddenly
> (Monday) decided not to reboot.
>
> When trying to boot into Windows it just hangs at the "splash screen"
> (the one that appears before the logon window).
>
> When trying to boot into safe mode, it hangs at the
> "../system32/drivers/agp440.sys" file.
>
>
> I believe my next step is to try to repair the WinXP install, but I'm
> a little unsure of how to do this. I boot from the WinXP cd and
> select "Repair", which dumps me into a dos shell in the C:\Windows
> directory.
>
> Now what?
>
> Or perhaps I'm missing the point of what the "repair" option is
> supposed to do...
>
>
> If this doesn't work, my next thing is to pull the drive out, try to
> save her documents, then do a clean re-install...

For step by step on repair install.
Click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into the address box
if using the web based newsgroup.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
--

Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP

http://michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm

[news.microsoft.com]

If you can't boot to safe mode, you don't have a lot of options. Two hours
of downloading updates. Ain't it a blast :)

"Chris Barnes" > wrote in message
...
> news.microsoft.com > wrote:
> > You can start by trying to boot into safe mode and deleting your video
> > driver in favor of the ms standard one for Nvidia. Also, from safe
> > mode, you can also use msconfig to systematically modify which
> > startup programs and services load and try to pin down your problem.
>
> I thought I had indicated that booting into safe mode didn't work...
> It hung too.
>
>
> However, I found a round-about way to get it to work. Rather than going
> into the Repair console (which is what the MS document Mary gave me
> suggested doing), I hit <enter> there, and hit repair on the next menu
> option. This basically did an install of WinXP over the old one - but
> left the "other" registry settings alone (meaning I didn't have to
> reinstall my applications).
>
> For my purposes, this was good enough. I just had to do Windows updates
> for the next 2 hours.
>
> --
>
> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
> Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
> Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes
>
>