Topic: Help with repairing an XP install

[Cobra951]

My ex's PC is old, and kinda dead.  It tries to boot into XP, but it fails shortly after it lists the AGP driver (in safe-mode boot-up).  Everything goes in super slo-mo.  I have a feeling that if I let it go for days, it will eventually finish.  But I'm not going to.  I found my XP disc, set the boot order for CD first, then booted up into the XP CD.  The choices are Setup XP, or go into this DOS-like repair console.  I'm there right now, but can't really see what I'm supposed to do.  I'm doing a very lengthy CHKDSK right now.  Has anyone used this thing?

The only other meaningful choice, Setup Windows, makes me wonder if I'll get a choice to do some sort of repair install, or whether it will go ahead and wipe out the old install (which I'd rather not do, unless really necessary).

Any pointers/comments/kicks in the ass are welcome.

This kind of shit is the pits . . .   There goes the rest of the day.

[Quemaqua]

Tell her to do it herself?  *Ahem*

Yeah, I don't know.  I'm really not familiar with that kind of thing.  Generally if things get that bad with one of my own machines (which is basically never, barring hardware failure), I just replace/reformat.  I don't feel like I have the time to spend figuring out why tiny insignificant element X is screwing up elements A, B, and C.  So I'm no help at all.  Sorry!

[iPPi]

Don't use that DOS like thing.  I got nowhere with that in the past.

Anyway, just choose to Setup Windows.  I believe, if I remember correctly, that it will detect an install of Windows already on the computer, and ask if you want to repair the installation or format and install.

[Cobra951]

Thanks.  I tried that, and as expected, it didn't work.  Froze 6% into copying over Windows files.  I ran a chkdsk twice with the dos-like repair thingie, and both times it froze at 50% on the 2nd pass.  (Not sure what each pass does, and both times I missed the switch from the 1st to the 2nd pass.)  So it would appear the drive is DOA.  May it RIP, which is a lot more than I can say for me over the next few days (at least).

Now the question is, do I try to set up another old machine she has here?  Do I wait for a PC she's supposed to get in the near future from her sister?  Do I even attempt to recover shit from the dead drive?  These and other mysteries are solved, when our serious returns, too soon for my liking.

[scottws]

You might try using something like the Knoppix Live CD.  On Anandtech I've seen lots of reports of people using that to recover data.  Can't guarantee anything though, and I've never done it myself.

[Cobra951]

While I was attempting to do a full format on that sick HD on my ex's PC, I decided to pull out this Compaq Deskpro EN I had given her a couple of years ago, which was still boxed up in her basement.  (Don't ask why, cause I'm not really sure.  Maybe that was the last time her dumb PC was dead or dying, and I felt overly generous.  Wait, it's coming back to me.  It was a Christmas present.  Her PC was a piece of shit then, and clearly still is now.)  This is a new old computer.  There was a stack of them discovered at some warehouse, still sealed, and they were sold off at $100 apiece plus shipping.  Someone I knew was involved in the whole process, so it was low risk.  I couldn't pass it up.  It started out as a 733MHz P3 with 128 MB of RAM, a 10MB HD, CD-ROM, floppy, and a choice of Windows NT or 2K (both included, I chose 2K).  Mouse, keyboard, and cheap speakers.  The HD lasted about 2 weeks.  Then I replaced it with a 40MB Maxtor, for $45, cheap at the time.  I played with it for some months, finally decided I really had no use for it, and now here it is again.

So, with that background history, here I sit on the floor of the living room, typing on the coffee table.  This thing seems to be golden right out of the box.  Everything feels brand new.  Everything worked as soon as I hooked it up.  I had already installed a bunch of stuff before, including Office and Firefox.  Now all I should need is the vital stats on her email acct (which of course she doesn't have a clue about).

Now I'm sorry I wasted any time on that P2 system of hers.  It's still grinding away at the HD, but with the monitor borrowed for this system, I can't even see the progress, if any.  The one thing that held me back initially was the low memory here.  There's 256 MB in the P2, and only 128 MB here.  No way to do
XP.  Frankly, 2K is just fine, and XP chugged on the slow P2.  I can always add memory, assuming it's not some rare obsolete type.  Don't think it's old enough for EDO or any of that old crap.

So I may be close to done with this chore.  I hope so.

Edit:  I found a server directory with a bunch of stuff, including something I gave Que back then.  Geez, my memory stinks.  That's why I got this dumb thing initially.  I wanted the FTP server to be on a separate system.  Now what I don't remember is why I gave up on that idea. 

[Quemaqua]

I remember you talking about that.  How funny.  I found some old crap at my mom's place today too, including about 8 $100 savings bonds.  I think I can get about $80 from each of them at this point.  So I'm pretty happy, because we're so poor I'm considering eating my shoe tonight so I can scrape up enough to buy the DoW expansion.