Author Topic: Weird WinXP Issues (Read 4952 times)

Zorchenhimer · « **on:** September 02, 2008, 02:01:13 PM »

I'm having some really weird issues with my XP partition on my laptop. It all started when I tried to run chkdsk on drive C:. When it restarted to do the scan it froze on a blank screen. Safe mode froze after mups.sys as well. So I booted off my XP disk into the Recovery Console and ran chkdsk from there. After that I could get into safe mode. From there I uninstalled SP3 and ran some more chkdsk's. It still refused to boot normally. So I did a repair install off of the XP disk. After that I was able to boot into normal mode. Now here is the interesting part. Every once in a while only half of my theme will work. The taskbar would be the old Win98 style, while some windows would be the XP style, my wireless card refuses to connect to any wireless (it just sits at "Connecting..."), and my sound drivers don't stay put (I have to keep installing them).

I've uninstalled/deleted ~30 Gigs of stuff, ran defrag numerous times on both my install partition (C:) and my storage partition (E:), they where severely fragmented. I am currently in the process of installing some updates, with the exception of SP3.

Does anybody have any ideas as to what is going on or how to fix it?

KnacK · « **Reply #1 on:** September 02, 2008, 02:25:38 PM »

WHen you removed sp3, did you remove it from teh comamnd line, reboot, then remove it via add/remove programs? ( yes you have to do it twice)

Zorchenhimer · « **Reply #2 on:** September 02, 2008, 02:35:37 PM »

No. From what I read, you where only supposed to remove it via command line if you couldn't get to add/remove programs. Windows update is also telling me to download SP3 so I'm assuming its gone.

Either way, whats the command?

Edit:
So after it downloaded 101 updates it refuses to install them and spits out the error "The following updates where not installed" with no more info.

KnacK · « **Reply #3 on:** September 02, 2008, 02:54:22 PM »

look in add/remove programs and see if sp3 is there, if so remove it

did you remvoe it via the recovery console erlier?

IM me if ya want

sonicx059 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 04, 2008, 12:46:34 AM »

Well who remembers the blue screen of death happy that is gone.

Zorchenhimer · « **Reply #5 on:** September 04, 2008, 01:11:27 AM »

Quote from: sonicx059 on September 04, 2008, 12:46:34 AM

Well who remembers the blue screen of death happy that is gone.

What are you talking about? The BSOD still exists in XP and Vista.

Spook · « **Reply #6 on:** September 04, 2008, 02:03:43 PM »

Yeah, I still get that occasionally when I install drivers without a proper restart first.

Zorchenhimer · « **Reply #7 on:** September 08, 2008, 01:27:30 PM »

Ok, now this is starting to piss me off a bit.

I reinstalled XP, after I formated my entire disk. Installed both the chipset drivers on Dell's site for my laptop. I restart the computer and it gives me an error: "Error loading operating system" unless I have the XP CD in the drive. I've tried both "fixmbr" and "fixboot" (in that order) at the recovery console, and not luck. Anybody have some ideas?

KnacK · « **Reply #8 on:** September 08, 2008, 01:33:43 PM »

are these the original system restore cd's or... 3rd party cd's?

If you are getting the error loading OS except when the cd is in, then you need to compeltely reinstal lthe OS.

Now, did'nt you have this dual booting? That could be your issue. The mbr could be fubar'd.

Check for a hidden partition and make sure that when you formated the hdd that is was not the quick format option.

Zorchenhimer · « **Reply #9 on:** September 08, 2008, 05:50:26 PM »

I did have a dual boot, but not anymore. I formated everything with the full format (not quick). And this is the second time in two days that I've reinstalled windows on this machine.

Edit: Oh and I'm using the original XP cd that came with the computer.

Zorchenhimer · « **Reply #10 on:** September 08, 2008, 10:43:08 PM »

Ok, I think I got it working again. What I did:

1. Booted into the Recovery Console
2. ran "bootcfg /rebuild"
3. then "fixmbr"
4. then "fixboot"

After that, it seems to start up nicely. Although, it does go to a bootloader and sit there for a few seconds. But I can deal with that.

Nvm...

Re-edit:
Ok, now i fixed it... I think. I booted it up using the XP CD in the drive, and copied \i386\NTLDR and \i386\NTDETECT.COM from the CD to C:\ and it looks like that did the trick.

KnacK · « **Reply #11 on:** September 09, 2008, 04:12:38 AM »

goos job Z

You made the IT Gods proud.

* KnacK said a prayer at his shrine for you.

Zorchenhimer · « **Reply #12 on:** September 09, 2008, 09:31:56 AM »

Hahaha. I remember that pic.

Zorchenhimer · « **Reply #13 on:** September 10, 2008, 12:29:33 AM »

I swear I'm gonna find and strangle Bill Gates.

So I finally get past the "Error loading operating system" error, right? Next, my network connection disconnects and reconnects and loops about every other second, spamming my event viewer with warning messages:

Quote

Your computer was not able to renew its address from the network (from the DHCP Server) for the Network Card with network address 0015C539E1BD. The following error occurred:

The operation was canceled by the user. . Your computer will continue to try and obtain an address on its own from the network address (DHCP) server.

and

Quote

Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller: The network link is down. Check to make sure the network cable is properly connected.

This is not a router issue, my other computer is connected no problem. So I figured I'd uninstall the driver and reinstall it. Once I reboot after I uninstall it, I get the bloody "Error loading operating system" message again and have to find my XP CD to boot up into windows.

Naturally this would start after I finish insalling all the windows updates (including SP3) and reinstalled half of my games (the other half are stuck downloading from steam).

After the reinstall I ejected the CD and rebooted and it started up just fine. And it looks like the network issue it taken care of, but its kinda sporadic.

Seriously, what the hell?

Cameron · « **Reply #14 on:** September 10, 2008, 01:23:24 AM »

Quote from: Zorchenhimer on September 10, 2008, 12:29:33 AM

I swear I'm gonna find and strangle Bill Gates.

You don't just do that, you tell him to go talk with Microsoft and get them to fix the excrement they gave the world. I enjoy having 2 XP partitions, if 1 dies, I use the other

.

KnacK · « **Reply #15 on:** September 10, 2008, 05:59:15 AM »

Zorch, take a look at your memory. How much and how many sticks do you have? I bet you might have a memory issue.

Go get a copy of mem86 and run a comprehensive test. ( free dl)

Zorchenhimer · « **Reply #16 on:** September 10, 2008, 10:33:54 AM »

2 Gig, two sticks. And I had mem86 installed before I formated (came with Ubuntu), and it never came back with anything before. But I'll run it again and post the results.

KnacK · « **Reply #17 on:** September 10, 2008, 10:41:22 AM »

do t his:

RUn with one stick and see if you get the erorr. If not, pull that stick out and run the other stick. See what happens.

Zorchenhimer · « **Reply #18 on:** September 10, 2008, 01:08:43 PM »

Ok, I'll run those tests tonight.

Zorchenhimer · « **Reply #19 on:** September 10, 2008, 10:14:48 PM »

Think I found out what the reconnect/disconnect issue was. None of the drivers on Dell's site, or my driver CDs (from dell) helped.