AIEEE! F$@&ing computers!!

Dr.Jass

Dr.Jass

Pastor of Muppets
Damn it, I've had it with computers!

After my main PC took a dump a month or two ago, I upgraded to a new (used) one... but I tossed in my old hard drive so I wouldn't have to completely start over.

This morning, I decided I'd throw in my old burner, too, as well as the 80GB drive that came with the computer I'd bought. After screwing around with it for about an hour, I fired it up. Windows loaded up just fine, then gave me the "Windows has finished installing new devices" crap, then I had to reboot. It didn't--it gets to the first loading screen, then stops and says "Windows 2000 could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM"

It then suggests I run Windows 2000 repair console from the installation CD to fix the problem. So I went ahead and did that, but the repair procedure says it can't find a Windows installation. :wtf: Thinking maybe I should try a reinstall over the current installation, I go for that option, but the installation manager tells me it will wipe out all my current settings and clear out My Documents--not an option since that's where all the anecdotes and book stuff is stored.

I just want to get the bastard to boot so I can back up all my stuff before I reinstall... any clue on how to get the OS working again? I'm at my wit's end on this. I don't know how to use the manual-repair option on W2K's repair console, but I think that's where the problem could be corrected.

Anyone?
 
Sounds like it might be booting from your old hard drive?????
Does it still have Windows on it?

Yank it back out and see how things go.

If all is well, then you need get it back in there as a secondary drive - even put it on the second IDE channel just to be safe.
Then once you can access it, turf the WINNT directory.
Try and move all the stuff you want to keep from it to your main hard drive, then format the 80GB drive to clean it.
Then, if you want you can move your stuff back onto it..
 
No, see--here's the thing: My old hard drive is a 20GB IBM Deskstar, the new one is an 80GB Seagate. I want it to boot from my old drive because that's where everything is... I installed the 80GB as a slave with the plan to move all the critical stuff off the 20GB. It booted fine the first time, but then it stopped the second time.

I then disconnected the 80GB drive--I don't know if it has an OS so I thought maybe the computer was confused as where to boot from. Still nothing. I'd like to fix the old drive's OS if I can, since the plan was to use DriveCopy to move it in its entirety to the new drive so I wouldn't have to spend three days installing a bunch of programs and resetting all my options to my liking.

So, it's doing the same thing with only one drive in it, and I can't get the installation/repair routine to recognize that it is, in fact, a Win2K installation. If I can't get the 20GB working, I guess I'm just going to have to do a fresh installation on the 80GB drive and run the old one as a slave to get my files. What a PITA. I hate starting all over, especially when I have so many tweaks and software embedded in the old system. I don't even remember how to do half the shit anymore. :mad:
 
My thoughts exactly. Last time I had a HD die on me, that's how I saved my 40 gigs of music. Oops you beat me to the punch with that second post... but if your scribblings are on the small drive, then you shouldn't fuck around.. back up the docs to a CDROM before you start playing.

Then try this... http://savemyharddrive.drownout.com/
 
that's what I'm saying... lol Boot off the windows CD and install windows on you new drive... then back up your essential files to CD... then format the new drive again... then put your old drive back in.. blah blah... you know the rest..
 
stop right there and pull the 20 OUT and do a fresh install on the 80 then slave in the 20...otherwise your realy risking loseing whats on the 20
 
I did that, but now I'm stuck... can't get the new install online, though both the LANs on the new mobo work just fine. :hmmm: So, I can get to the files but I can't do anything with the computer, like, I dunno, install anything (need better directX than the OEM version), update anything (seven years have brought a ton), or do anything since I have no apps.

Toss in the fact that my internet connection has been spotty or painfully slow all day, and that I'm stuck using a laptop, and I'm not real happy computing right about now.
 
Kick it 7 times, if that doesn't work throw it out the window and buy another computer. Worked for us. :)
 
yeah, but it's a used new, right? Or would that be a new used? :D

Either way, I hate computers. :doh:
 
I bought it from a gamer... the technology is maybe a year old, so he needed to upgrade. I, on the other hand, had been running on a PII-450 just fine until the 8-year-old motherboard finally died. :D
 
Dr.Jass said:
I bought it from a gamer... the technology is maybe a year old, so he needed to upgrade. I, on the other hand, had been running on a PII-450 just fine until the 8-year-old motherboard finally died. :D
Click to expand...

Win 2K & XP do not take kindly to swapping motherboards.

Is it possible to get it in safe mode? If you can, go into device manager and delete everything one at a time. If it won't delete then disable it. When you're finished deleting, reboot, but not until you're done.

When it reboots it will re-install the correct hardware as it detects it.
 
Actually, the motherboard swap went fine... I did that over a month ago. I know XP gets assey about adding devices, but I've never had a problem with W2K--up until yesterday I'd been running the same installation for several years with no issues. It doesn't call home to mama like XP does.

Slowly, slowly just starting over. At least my internet works now... going through the myriad updates for 2K and importing all the stuff from the old installation. May have lost my address book, though. :(
 
One doesn't realize how much he misses Office XP until he's 50 miles from his installation CD. :doh:
 
Yeah, that's what I have as well... also have Norton AV Corporate. 7 years of free virus updates thus far, and never my PC's caught a virus yet. :dance:
 
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