using DOS to restore XP Home Edition start up files

[Brian]

Ok, I used Norton Clean Sweep and got a bit carried away.
It seems that I swept away some dll files that XP needs to
boot. Since I know where they are(Norton Backup Folder),
is it possible for me to access the files and put them
back where they belong using DOS? I was considering a non
destructive restore to get windows up again but from what
I understand, I run the risk of losing data and at the
very least would have to reinstall some or all of my
programs. I'd like to avoid that if I can, it sounds like
a nightmare. If this DOS proceedure is possible could
someone please explain how to do it and could I also get
the exact pathways of where this Norton back up folder(I
thought I remembered seeing it in the system folder)is
most likely located along with the pathway of the folder
that should contain the "needed dlls for kernel" that
startup requires. (C:\program files\windows\system32)???
Thanks to anyone that can help, Brian

[Earl F. Parrish]

"Brian" > wrote in message
...
> Ok, I used Norton Clean Sweep and got a bit carried away.
> It seems that I swept away some dll files that XP needs to
> boot. Since I know where they are(Norton Backup Folder),
> is it possible for me to access the files and put them
> back where they belong using DOS? I was considering a non
> destructive restore to get windows up again but from what
> I understand, I run the risk of losing data and at the
> very least would have to reinstall some or all of my
> programs. I'd like to avoid that if I can, it sounds like
> a nightmare. If this DOS proceedure is possible could
> someone please explain how to do it and could I also get
> the exact pathways of where this Norton back up folder(I
> thought I remembered seeing it in the system folder)is
> most likely located along with the pathway of the folder
> that should contain the "needed dlls for kernel" that
> startup requires. (C:\program files\windows\system32)???
> Thanks to anyone that can help, Brian

There is no DOS to use with Windows XP. A true MS-DOS boot disk
will load MS-DOS operating system but the hard drive will be
inaccessible if it is NTFS. You can run Windows Recovery Console
from the Windows XP CD but it only has access to the Windows folders
and the root directory of the system volume by default. Windows
generally will not let you delete system files from within Windows.

You could try to boot using Last Known Good Configuration reached by
hitting F8 at the correct point in the boot process. You scroll up
or down to the choice and cross your fingers. In general, you
should not delete any file which the Windows operating system blocks
you from deleting using its tools.

--
Earl F. Parrish

[Brian]

Earl and Jake, first of all, thanks for your replies; it
seems as though, according to you, that I am barking up
the wrong tree but I still have hope that this is still
someway to do what I am attempting to do; put my dll files
from a known location back to where they need to be to
boot and restore my system so how about this? Is there a
way to access my hard drive using another computer and
move its contents around that way? Thanks, Brian
>-----Original Message-----
>
>"Brian" > wrote in message
...
>> Ok, I used Norton Clean Sweep and got a bit carried
away.
>> It seems that I swept away some dll files that XP needs
to
>> boot. Since I know where they are(Norton Backup Folder),
>> is it possible for me to access the files and put them
>> back where they belong using DOS? I was considering a
non
>> destructive restore to get windows up again but from
what
>> I understand, I run the risk of losing data and at the
>> very least would have to reinstall some or all of my
>> programs. I'd like to avoid that if I can, it sounds
like
>> a nightmare. If this DOS proceedure is possible could
>> someone please explain how to do it and could I also get
>> the exact pathways of where this Norton back up folder(I
>> thought I remembered seeing it in the system folder)is
>> most likely located along with the pathway of the folder
>> that should contain the "needed dlls for kernel" that
>> startup requires. (C:\program files\windows\system32)???
>> Thanks to anyone that can help, Brian
>
>There is no DOS to use with Windows XP. A true MS-DOS
boot disk
>will load MS-DOS operating system but the hard drive will
be
>inaccessible if it is NTFS. You can run Windows Recovery
Console
>from the Windows XP CD but it only has access to the
Windows folders
>and the root directory of the system volume by default.
Windows
>generally will not let you delete system files from
within Windows.
>
>You could try to boot using Last Known Good Configuration
reached by
>hitting F8 at the correct point in the boot process. You
scroll up
>or down to the choice and cross your fingers. In
general, you
>should not delete any file which the Windows operating
system blocks
>you from deleting using its tools.
>
>--
>Earl F. Parrish
>
>.
>

[Earl F. Parrish]

"Brian" > wrote in message
...
> Earl and Jake, first of all, thanks for your replies; it
> seems as though, according to you, that I am barking up
> the wrong tree but I still have hope that this is still
> someway to do what I am attempting to do; put my dll files
> from a known location back to where they need to be to
> boot and restore my system so how about this? Is there a
> way to access my hard drive using another computer and
> move its contents around that way? Thanks, Brian

If you can't get the operating system to load, you can't access the
computer from a network. You did not say whether choosing Last
Known Good Configuration worked. A last ditch but expensive repair
is possible. You could install Windows XP on another partition and
copy the data files from the old partition to the new partition to
protect them. You would then reinstall Windows XP on the old
partition and copy the data file back. If you only had the one hard
drive you would have to purchase or borrow another one. Another
avenue is to take the drive out and make it a slave to the drive in
a working Windows XP computer and copy the files to the other
computer. You might have problems accessing the files due to
permission issues if they are in user folders.

--
Earl F. Parrish

[Earl F. Parrish]

"Brian" > wrote in message
...
> Ok, I used Norton Clean Sweep and got a bit carried away.
> It seems that I swept away some dll files that XP needs to
> boot. Since I know where they are(Norton Backup Folder),
> is it possible for me to access the files and put them
> back where they belong using DOS? I was considering a non
> destructive restore to get windows up again but from what
> I understand, I run the risk of losing data and at the
> very least would have to reinstall some or all of my
> programs. I'd like to avoid that if I can, it sounds like
> a nightmare. If this DOS proceedure is possible could
> someone please explain how to do it and could I also get
> the exact pathways of where this Norton back up folder(I
> thought I remembered seeing it in the system folder)is
> most likely located along with the pathway of the folder
> that should contain the "needed dlls for kernel" that
> startup requires. (C:\program files\windows\system32)???
> Thanks to anyone that can help, Brian

There is a utility at http://www.ntfs.com which might be of some
help. It supposedly can read NTFS partitions from a DOS boot disk
and undelete files. Read the documentation carefully before you use
it.

--
Earl F. Parrish