[pchelpers] Re: computer won't start, get this message - need help asap

Hi Re-Na,

Monday, April 17, 2006, 9:28:30 PM, you wrote:

GRH> A friend of mine just called. She came home tonight and tried to
GRH> use her pc. This morning it was working fine. She said tonight
GRH> she came in and all her icons was gone, her favorites were gone.
GRH> Nothing looked the same. She could not turn off the computer. I
GRH> do know that somewhere in there she unplugged it from the wall.

You say she "came in", but was the computer on already, or is that
what she got when she turned it on the first time?


GRH> Now she says this is all she gets. When she turns on the
GRH> computer, she cannot get to windows at all. She gets a message
GRH> which I will type, and it puts her in a loop. Nothing she clicks
GRH> goes anywhere, just back to this same message. Here is the
GRH> message:


GRH> A recent software or hardware change might have caused this

The monthly patches came out this week; one of the patches may need to
be undone. However, if she's needing to call someone for help with
this, and none of the options below works, and she doesnt have the
Windows CD to do an update install, then it's not something that
she'll be able to fix herself, unless she doesn't mind wiping
everything out. Since you're asking for help tonight, it doesn't sound
like that idea would go over very well.


GRH> Safe mode
GRH> Safe mode with networking
GRH> Safe mode with command prompt
GRH> Last known good configuration <most recent that worked>
GRH> Start windows normally

GRH> (None of those do anything if she highlights them and clicks enter)

The DOS prompt that you mentioned in your other email is basically the
same as Safe Mode, but it opens a CMD shell automatically; I've not
found much use for it.

There are two fixes: First, use a bootable CD that has a utility to
roll back a hotfix. The only such that I know of is ERD 2005, a
commercial program, from Winternals (the same people who announced the
Sony Problem and whom also offer various free utilities).

Second: Use a Windows CD to reinstall Windows over the top of itself
(without formatting, etc). If it wants to format, then you picked the
wrong option; stop and try again.

There's a third option, which is to set up Windows fresh on a
different drive, and simply copy any data over from the old drive.  If
she's had the system for a while without a fresh install, this might
be a better idea anyway, to get rid of any proverbial deadwood.

-- 
Scott.



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