PC stuck during windows repair

Hi

I came across fairly new dell pc which crashes with blue screen on normal
boot. Safe mode boot works but trying to install anti-spyware like Malware
Bytes or Combofix gives 'Access Error' to registry. I therefore decided to
repair the windows. During repair when it comes to 'Installing Devices' and
'34 minutes remaining' it got stuck for very long time. I rebooted the pc
and allowed it to continue and again it got stuck at the same place. What is
it I can do from here. There is some stuff on the pc which ideally I would
not like to loose if possible if I have to completely wipe out the partition
and reinstalling windows.

Many Thanks

Regards

A Repair Install is NOT going to fix "Accessed Denied" errors.

Back-up any personal data (none of which should be considered 100%
trustworthy at this point) then format the HDD & do a clean install of
Windows.

HOW TO do a clean install of WinXP: See
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html#steps and/or Method 1 in
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/978307

After the clean install, you will have the equivalent of a "new computer" so
take care of everything on the following page before otherwise connecting
the machine to the internet or a local network (i.e., other computers) and
before using a flash drive or SDCard that isn't brand-new or hasn't been
freshly formatted:

4 steps to help protect your new computer before you go online
http://www.microsoft.com/security/pypc.aspx

Other helpful references include:

HOW TO get a computer running WinXP Gold (no Service Packs) fully patched
(after a clean install)
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...5afa8ed33e121c

HOW TO get a computer running WinXP SP1(a) or SP2 fully patched (after a
clean install)
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...66ae41add7dd2b

Tip: After getting the computer fully-patched, download/install KB971029
manually: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971029

NB: Any Norton or McAfee free-trial that came preinstalled on the computer
when you bought it will be reinstalled (but invalid) when Windows is
reinstalled. You MUST uninstall the free-trial and download/run the
appropriate removal tool before installing any updates, Windows Service
Packs or IE upgrades and before installing your new anti-virus application
(which will require WinXP SP3 to be installed).

Norton Removal Tool
ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/englis...moval_Tool.exe

McAfee Consumer Products Removal Tool
http://download.mcafee.com/products/...tches/MCPR.exe
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002


John wrote:
Hi

I came across fairly new dell pc which crashes with blue screen on normal
boot. Safe mode boot works but trying to install anti-spyware like Malware
Bytes or Combofix gives 'Access Error' to registry. I therefore decided to
repair the windows. During repair when it comes to 'Installing Devices'
and
'34 minutes remaining' it got stuck for very long time. I rebooted the pc
and allowed it to continue and again it got stuck at the same place. What
is
it I can do from here. There is some stuff on the pc which ideally I would
not like to loose if possible if I have to completely wipe out the
partition
and reinstalling windows.

Many Thanks

Regards

John wrote:

I came across fairly new dell pc

You "came across" this computer? This a 5-finger discount unit? Folks
that acquire legitimate products usually say they bought or were given
that product, not with a "they came across it" euphemism. Yeah, I
know, now you'll elaborate on your story to cover your arse.

During repair when it comes to 'Installing Devices' and '34 minutes
remaining' it got stuck for very long time. I rebooted the pc and
allowed it to continue and again it got stuck at the same place.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/828267

sounds like the repair install
stalled.

however, if the repair install
fails, I had thought that the
process would reverse itself
and end the installation.

but it has been a while since
I last performed a repair install.

in any case, what you might try
is to boot with the xp cd and
selecting repair (if possible).

don't confuse the "repair"
above with a "repair install"

instead you need to launch
the recovery console in order
to get to the disk prompt.

then at the disk prompt
run the following commands:

chkdsk /r
fixboot
fixmbr

then remove cd and see if
the computer will boot
via the hard disk.


--
--
db·´¯`·...¸)))º

DatabaseBen, Retired Professional

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This NNTP newsgroup is evolving to:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx


"John" wrote in message
...
Hi

I came across fairly new dell pc which crashes with blue screen on normal
boot. Safe mode boot works but trying to install anti-spyware like Malware
Bytes or Combofix gives 'Access Error' to registry. I therefore decided to
repair the windows. During repair when it comes to 'Installing Devices'
and '34 minutes remaining' it got stuck for very long time. I rebooted the
pc and allowed it to continue and again it got stuck at the same place.
What is it I can do from here. There is some stuff on the pc which ideally
I would not like to loose if possible if I have to completely wipe out the
partition and reinstalling windows.

Many Thanks

Regards

Hi

Its one of my client's home pc. Point was I didn't know what happened to it,
was not in my use. I only assumed it must be spy ware as I had not come
across a previous spy ware experience which caused access error to registry
so was bit double minded between a spy ware and hardware issue.

Regards


"VanguardLH" wrote in message
...
John wrote:

I came across fairly new dell pc

You "came across" this computer? This a 5-finger discount unit? Folks
that acquire legitimate products usually say they bought or were given
that product, not with a "they came across it" euphemism. Yeah, I
know, now you'll elaborate on your story to cover your arse.

During repair when it comes to 'Installing Devices' and '34 minutes
remaining' it got stuck for very long time. I rebooted the pc and
allowed it to continue and again it got stuck at the same place.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/828267

It's a Dell, dude. Curbside comes to mind.

"VanguardLH" wrote in message
...
John wrote:

I came across fairly new dell pc

You "came across" this computer? This a 5-finger discount unit? Folks
that acquire legitimate products usually say they bought or were given
that product, not with a "they came across it" euphemism. Yeah, I
know, now you'll elaborate on your story to cover your arse.

John wrote:
Hi

I came across fairly new dell pc which crashes with blue screen on normal
boot. Safe mode boot works....


Which indicates that the PC likely has a defective hardware component
or corrupted device drivers.


.... but trying to install anti-spyware like Malware
Bytes or Combofix gives 'Access Error' to registry.


It's not usually possible to install much of anything from within Safe
Mode.


I therefore decided to
repair the windows. During repair when it comes to 'Installing Devices' and
'34 minutes remaining' it got stuck for very long time. I rebooted the pc
and allowed it to continue and again it got stuck at the same place. What is
it I can do from here.


This is most often caused by having unnecessary USB peripheral
devices connected during the installation.

Setup stops responding with 34 minutes remaining
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;828267


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

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safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

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killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot