jaclaz

Read these: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=41643&st=5 http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=40837&st=0 Or, if you can wait a couple of days, try this: http://www.loginrecovery.com/ jaclaz

As you might know there is no such command in batch files, the equivalent of UNIX "sleep" but there are two solutions: 1) use an external app: DOS/Win9x/ME http://short.stop.home.att.net/freesoft/batch2.htm NT/2k/XP Doze v1.0 http://sac-ftp.externet.hu/utiltask3.html (+many more) 2) use a workaround: (please note that it is different if the environment is DOS/Windows 9x/ME or NT/2k/XP) http://www.robvanderwoude.com/wait.html jaclaz

Very useful post, I am sure it will help a lot! @SarahC You will need to download an ME floppy image from here: http://www.allbootdisks.com/index.php?opti...der&filecatid=3 and create a bootable floppy. In the BIOS of the computer you must have boot order floppy/HD/CD or floppy/CD/HD. If the PC boots, post again, I will try to help you with next steps. jaclaz

NO, you will have an UNBOOTABLE SYSTEM. NTLDR needs to be pointed to EITHER: an arcpath, like in: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Pro" /fastdetect or to a copy of a bootsector like in: C:\Bootsect.w98="Windows 98" But the IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS and COMMAND.COM, and AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS have to be on the C:\ drive (First Active Primary partition), i.e. on the SAME partition where NTLDR BOOT.INI and NTDETECT.COM are. In one of the links from the page I previously pointed to there is a workaround, without using a bootmanager on a single drive on which XP on a NTFS partition is already installed: http://thpc.info/dual/dual9xonntfs1.html Just for the record, I personally suggest to always have a VERY small FAT16 or FAT32 partition as First Active Primary Partition, as it allows for the greater flexibility and allows the use of bootpart to manage boot.ini entries. Finally it is possible, though not widely known, to install Win9x to a Logical Volume inside an Extended Partition though it is a bit tricky, and NOT recommended. jaclaz

The SMALLEST possible amount, have a look here: http://www.heatsink-guide.com/content.php?...=compound.shtml http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm but ENOUGH to make sure that contacting surfaces are covered. This is a nice simple way to do it : http://www.overclockers.com/tips692/ jaclaz

Well, I am already relaxed, no problem. ..and I don't want to put more stress on you that you already have with the problems you are facing, sorry, but I have to recommend you have an Uninterruptable Power Supply when doing this kind of work, and this applies always, let alone if there are known problems on the power line or if you are running on a generator. jaclaz

Just for the record, there is a (quite obviously VERY simple) bootmanager that fits in the MBR (512 bytes), so that it is quite easy to revert the system back being SURE there is NO leftover. Read about it and more here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=47206 @Takeshi, with Partition Manager comes a small program that can run from WITHIN your Windows Installs, or you can use the FREEWARE MBRWIZARD Read here: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...ic=14181&st=611 posts by me to sisal and back jaclaz

Well, it's a problem related to disk(s) or memory: http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=130801 The problem happens in file WIN32K.SYS, there is no WIN2K.SYS file. What I would try: 1) CHANGE cables to harddrive(s) 2) REMOVE ALL MEMORY but ONE stick 3) TEST the PC 4) ADD another stick of memory 5) LOOP to 3) until all memory is back in and no errors 6) IF errors, the last stick of memory put in is BAD, change it 7) IF NOT RESOLVED run Hard Disk Manufacturer tests 8) IF errors try with another Hard Disk 9) IF NOT RESOLVED you will need help from a technician, probably it's the motherboard, either the memory connectors or the Hard Disk controller jaclaz

TRUE FALSE, you can use a bootmanager - WITHOUT using the double boot features of standard NTLDR - to hide/unhide partitions and set/unset them bootable at startup. jaclaz

No you are not, unless you need a hypothetical help instead of practical one. If you are not from CIA, NSA or the like, maybe you could disclose a couple of lines of your batch... However, you just execute the other batch file, invoking it with desired parameters, example: :: This is batch #1 Batch_1.cmd :: Do whatever I am supposed to do :: do something else :: Set the path to the other batch file (if NOT in the same directory of Batch #1) Set Batch_2_path=C:\directory\Batches\Batch_2 :: Set parameters needed for Batch_2 :: ONLY needed if parameters are somewhat calculated before in batch Set param1=some_parameter_1 Set param2=some_parameter_2 Set param3=some_parameter_3 Set param4=some_parameter_4 Set param5=some_parameter_5 Set param6=some_parameter_6 Set param7=some_parameter_7 Set param8=some_parameter_8 :: now invoke Batch #2 passing parameters to it Batch_2_path\Batch_2.cmd %param1% %param2% %param3% %param4% %param5% %param6% %param7% %param8% :: otherwise just put the parameters on invoking line Batch_2_path\Batch_2.cmd some_parameter_1 some_parameter_2 some_parameter_3 some_parameter_4 some_parameter_5 some_parameter_6 some_parameter_7 some_parameter_8 :: END of Batch #1 :: This is batch #2 Batch_2.cmd :: The parameters are batch variables: :: %0 name of Batch #2 (Batch_2.cmd in this case) :: %1 parameter #1 :: %2 parameter #2 :: and so on :: If you want to recreate the same parameters Set param1=%1 Set param2=%2 Set param3=%3 Set param4=%4 Set param5=%5 Set param6=%6 Set param7=%7 Set param8=%8 :: Do whatever I am supposed to do :: do something else :: END of Batch #2 Please note that in this case, Batch #1 will pass command to Batch #2, if you want to return to batch #1, you need to use the CALL statement: http://www.robvanderwoude.com/call.html as in CALL Batch_2_path\Batch_2.cmd %param1% %param2% etc. jaclaz

The most complete windows dual booting resource ever found: Dual-Boot Centre http://www.thpc.info/dualboot.html jaclaz

I don't understand, you ask for help, I suggest you a FREEWARE program, and a SAFE method to try recovering your data, you decide to ignore my suggestion, use a demo of another program, that has the same functionality as the suggested one, and you want to know if the full version of it will work directly without damaging your data? Well, the answer is yes, PROBABLY it will work. But what if MURPHY's law decides to prove itself right in this particular case? It's your data, so you will have to decide if it is worth risking it. Active Partition Recovery is an excellent program, but what if this is the 0.01% in which it fails? Personally I use other programs, but I do have some experience in this field, so I have a bit more "liberty of action" than that I would suggest to a newbie, nonetheless I would NEVER write ANYTHING to a disk BEFORE being absolutely sure I am able to revert the disk to a previous state. jaclaz

That is NOT an XP install, it is a BartPE install. Here is the FIRST and ONLY WORKING project to boot a FULL XP from USB media: http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=14181&hl= (still experimental, but WORKING) jaclaz

Probably, yes. But you will need another PC with a working OS. It is possible to make a bootCD but it is NOT advised. Find another PC with ENOUGH space to hold the data you want to salvage and connect to it your HD as Slave/Secondary. Read this (and links therein): http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=65337 if your lucky and just some "pointers" were altered, it's a matter of minutes. If TESTDISK does not work, you will need some actual data recovery program. There is the freeware PHOTOREC (included with TESTDISK) for some types of files and this other one: http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/UK/welcome.htm and this one for NTFS: http://memberwebs.com/nielsen/software/scrounge/ The IDEAL situation is to make a COMPLETE IMAGE of the drive BEFORE attempting recovery so that if something goes bad, you can restart from scrath (and original situation), you will need a drive at least the same size of the "defective" one and a byte-by-byte copy program. Here are some ideas: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=67961 but there are a lot of them, including Roadkil's programs (just google for "Roadkil's") and quite a few command line only, like the DSFOK tools or dd for windows jaclaz

If only Microsoft would not continuosly change their web links.... Through Google Cache: [GUIRunOnce] Method http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:0DepO...kb_cnc_zanp.asp jaclaz

You can set the volume bit to "dirty": http://www.ss64.com/nt/chkdsk.html or schedule it: http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_defrag.htm jaclaz

Yes, you can, the problem is not that it is FAT32, but that is the boot volume or you have files in use: READ these: http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:bFNOP4...kd_tro_xudm.asp http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documen...-us/chkdsk.mspx http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_defrag.htm http://www.ss64.com/nt/chkdsk.html jaclaz

3ENE = ENG files 3ENS = STD files 3ENW = WEB files The CD is for sure made with CDimage: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=49821 jaclaz

Yep, but supposedly there is a way out: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/04/08/th...st_way_to_kill/ and another one: http://blog.codefront.net/archives/2003/11...dows-messenger/ more: http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=288 http://www.infopackets.com/channels/en/win..._windows_xp.htm jaclaz

Most probably it uses a "cracked" (by MS, LOL!) setupldr.bin, like this one: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=58410 jaclaz

Maybe I got the wrong idea about your problem, but did you try vfdwin? http://chitchat.at.infoseek.co.jp/vmware/vfd.html jaclaz

NO prob, that was an easy one. jaclaz

Well, maybe you could use another approach. Am I right in understanding that you have, say, 500 directories of 1 Gb each and that these are (mostly) the contents of XP CD's? If yes, you should use some of the "advanced" features of the NTFS filesystem, i.e. junction points and hard links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTFS_junction_point http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_link you'll have to read a bit of MS docs to get the idea. Just recently a nice freeware utility has been released to manage this kind of problems: http://alax.info/blog/category/utilities/ntfs-links/ or more traditional ones: http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/Junction.html http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techi...ew/hlscan-o.asp http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documen...-us/fsutil.mspx http://www.ractive.ch/gpl/HardLinker.html http://www.netikus.net/products_nttoolkit.html?SESSION= http://www.jensscheffler.de/dfhl_en.html http://www.pearlmagik.com/winbolic/ http://forge.novell.com/modules/xfcontent/...nk2.1_installer http://www.rekenwonder.com/linkmagic.htm http://schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlinkshellex...nkshellext.html I am sure you will find others too.... jaclaz

Well, yes, you can install windows from CD by using a "normal" DOS/WIn9x boot floppy disk, as long as the bootfloppy has access to the CD. If the CD is an internal one (IDE/ATA/ATAPI), there are no problems ANY DOS/Win9x you can download from here have the needed drivers: http://www.allbootdisks.com/ http://www.allbootdisks.com/index.php?opti...er&filecatid=10 If it's external, PCMCIA or USB some more drivers will be needed. Once booted, at the A:> prompt, change to the CD drive letter , say D:, then change directory, CD i386, then run the 16 bit install program, WINNT.EXE. Alternatively, you can prepare the 6 (six) boot diskettes for XP install, make sure that you choose the right version of XP you have: http://www.allbootdisks.com/ jaclaz

Yep, LLXX is right, what actually you "should" do is: 1) make a byte-by-byte copy of the damaged media to a file on your hard disk a program like: http://www.roadkil.net/ http://www.roadkil.net/DiskImg.html is what you need 2) make ANOTHER copy of the file 3) mount the SECOND copy of the file as a virtual disk, with something like: http://chitchat.at.infoseek.co.jp/vmware/vdk.html http://home.graffiti.net/jaclaz:graffiti.n...ts/VDM/vdm.html 4) try recovery with program on the mounted virtual disk 5) if results not Ok, change program and loop to 4), if image has been altered, loop to 2) jaclaz