alright it started a few days ago, the web page screens started to freeze and also when trying to turn off or restart, a blue screen would come up and it would start saying its dumping "memory" and some numbers would start counting.

anyways, doing some diagnostics, it listed as my Iomega program as something is wrong and to download a fix for it.

so i downloaded a fix, ran it and everything is fine, yea right, still the same problem.

so i did more diagosing and it said to reinstall the program, download the fix, then unistall the program.

so i did all of that, and, following the exact instructions, i unistalled the program the way it said to with some unistall program.

when i went to restart my computer, all it did was go to amenu which gave selections of safe mode, safe mode network, safe mode something else, normalmode and something like last mode the way the comp worked before the problem

i selcted each one trying to get anything to work and it keeps putting me back to that same screen.

so, i just throw in the reboot disk i got with the comp and hope all is well, yea right. after loading "repair windows xp" everything seemed to be going good until now.

i get this thing on set up that says "files needed" "the file 'asms' on windows xp home edition service pack 1 cd needed"

then it wants me to enter the path where the file is located.

well, i have no clue where the path is and i don't know why it doesn't do it automattically.

i need help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

update: i typed in c:\i386 and it did something for a mintue and now it says "the file 'NT5INF.CAT' on windows XP service pack 1 is needed."

"type the path where the file is located"

this is driving me crazy!

 

It is looking for a SP1 disk so the problem could be that the version of Xp you had installed was up to SP2.. This is a problem when trying to repair using a SP1 disk..

Do you know if your version was SP2?

If it was save yourself alot of time and reformat the HD and reinstall..

You should still be able to recover files from the disk before reformatting..

On Edit:

I searched my PC (SP2) and the file is located under C:\windows\servicepackfiles\i386
and also
c:\windows\system32\catroot\{F750E6C3-38EE-11D1-85E5-00C04FC295EE}

Maybe this will help..

I also searched Microsoft knowledge base, but didn't find anything pertaining to XP..

 

Something had to cause a problem in the first place, and if that isn't solved a software fix is probably doomed to failure.

I'd take the case off the computer, go find an air compressor, and blow all the dust out. A clogged heatsink or stopped up CPU fan can cause some pretty weird errors. Then, with the dust out, power up the PC temporarily with the case off and verify the functionality of all the fans. You could even check the +5v and +12v lines if you want with a multimeter.

Now that that's all ok, you can proceed with your software fixes.

I agree that a reformat and reinstall is probably warranted. Before you reinstall though, you should probably run at a minimum a memory testing program to make sure that's not bad. Memtest86 comes to mind.

http://www.memtest86.com/

Also, if you've got a computer knowedegeable friend, or you can get into safe mode with networking, back up your stuff before a reformat / reinstall. Because afterward, it'll be gone.

Also, go back into safe mode if you can, and see what service pack you've got. This is important for the license key to work. Sometimes the key from another service pack will work, but it wont activate and you'll have to call up and talk to somebody in India.

Anyway, let us know how it goes.

 

another thing to do before reformatting the computer, is to blow out the casing as rusty, said, and do a system restore to a time when you knew it was working properly, like last week. most of the time will fix the problem, and still save any work you have stored since the problem arose.

 

Although Rusty and TJC bring up good points, I think the main issue now is that he put the system recovery disk in.. He is beyond installing the fix.


Is the computer even able to boot into safe mode?

 

the computer won't go into any mode at all, just into setup and f12 boot, also f8 but as i said, still won't go into any mode.

so, after getting absolutly no where with dell tech support and microsoft seems to dead en but will provide "valuable" information for money, i decided to see waht i can do.

so, i loaded windows into another folder and got it running, but its just windows and zero anything else. and i installed a backup program off the recovery disk and now i am backing the entire hard drive up on an external western digital hard drive. it said it will take about 12-19 hours to do.

then after i back up the the hard drive, i am going to do a fresh load of windows onto the computer than upload the back up from the external hard drive.

you all think this will work? or is a good idea? its the only thing i can seem to get to work.

i keep the comp pretty clean, but i cleaned it again.

but when going online trying to trouble shoot, i came across nothing but w2k info about this prob but nothing about xp. and after staying up almost all nite messing with it and all day today i am just now going with what info i aquired and kind of on my own in unexplored territory (to me at least)

i have sp1 disk, the disk that came with the comp (dell inspiron).

the diagnostics worked, kind of, it did somethings then it just stood there beeping at me for awhile, i tried it a few times.

thanks for the advice, but more is welcomed!

 

update - well, after i started my backup it stopped 4gb into it saying it could not go on because the fat32 file is limited to 4gb. great!

so now i am.......stuck! but trying different things.

 

Sorry, didn't see your last post...

What are you using to backup?

youy should be able to split the archives to a specified size, less than 4 GB.

If not, use WinRAR. Instal it, then in windows explorer select the files and folders you want to back up, in the right pane, right click and select "add to archive" then select the drive and archive name and in the "split to volumes, bytes" put in 1100000000. That'll give you 4 files per dvd.

When you reinstall windows make sure you to the full format, not the quick format. Full format will find bad sectors and block them.

 

i am trying to backup on a western digital 250gb external hard drive. i tried making it into separate filesa to down load but it doesn't seem right for some reason, i can't see making 74g of stuff into 4gb files, and alot of things won't let me make it that small of a file anyways.

i am trying something, running a chkdsk on the recover prompt menu, its slow as heck though, but 70% so far.

this is just so i can get into any mode at all, as of now my os won't load at all, but i have loaded in another folder, but i have no drivers, utilities or anything with it other than the basic os its self.

such frustration, but i think its going to end up having to reload and lose things, is there a way to recover after a reloading windows? i don't think there is considering it replaces all windows components and files, including the all so important my documents.

 

Well, if you reinstall the OS to the drive you want to recover files from then it will likely overwrite a lot of things but if you install to a different disk, then yes you can recover files from a drive that still physically works. I like RecoverNT, but 'Recover My Files' works too.

If there is an underlying cause of the failure. like bad sectors, then you may not be able to recover everything, simply because of the failure... and in no way shape or form should you expect to get everything back when using that type of utility as a last resort.

 

alright, i just have one drive, C, its a laptop, what i did was i installed windows on another folder as to not overwrite the old os system.

now, can i just go and try to recover the files from that folder that windows is in then just delete the old windows? and is recover nt a program that i am suppose to download?

when trying to repair my old os, it keeps asking mefor the serv pack 1 disk, well, its in there and it still doesn't beleive me. i am stuck on the part on trying to repair the original os system.

so, what is a good way to go on this thing?

 

Okay, first off, if you are backing up the whole drive after a failure you most likely have a dump file at least as large as the memory installed in the computer. So, if you have a 500 MB of memory you have a 500MB filename.dmp file you are backing up.

Then probably 100-500 MB of 1000s of temp files in your personal profile temp folder. These 30,000+ small temp files will choke many copy programs. The reason being is some of them might contain (these goes for favorites too) extremely long file names and some might be illegal.

If I were you, I would install a new HD, create the largest partition possible, copy the CD to the partition, and install from the HD. Then put the problem HD back into the computer as drive D to read the personal data files you need.

> then it wants me to enter the path where the file is located.

It is most likely in the Iomega path under the Programs directory. Using the Registry editor, show both "Tree and Data" under View and see where Iomega put the driver if you can not find it with Windows Explorer. Or look for a log file in the Iomega path under Programs. It might tell what it renamed and where so you can change it back if uninstall does not work or Iomega.

If you have RealPlayer, I suggest deleting it or disabling it at start up until your backup problem is solved.

 

BF250 You will not be able to recover the original OS.. Like I said I think you tried installing SP1 over SP2.. I have had people do this also..

What I would do is copy all your data files to the external.. Don't back up just do a straight copy.

All programs will need to be reinstalled anyway..

Next run the windows xp setup and reformat the drive.. When it is done then you can start reinstalling programs and then copy your data files back to the original drive..

After reinstalling and tweaking the way you want then do a backup...

This will ensure that you have a clean install and should be trouble free.

Don't forget to copy your documents, music, pictures, favorites, email, and address book.. Also your financial data files if you have any..

If you need help let me know.. I can tell you where to find the files you need..

 

alright, i will just do a straight copy, how do i do it?

i am looking on "my computer" page right now, do i just right click local disk c, then past it on the external hard drive e?