XP identifying itself as NT Workstation

[bizzybody]

I have a PC in the shop that will not boot using any option on the menu. It displays the XP booting screen for a while, then the monitor goes black and it resets itself.

I've tried Hiren's and DaRT 5.0. Hiren's says it's not XP and DaRT claims the installed OS is Windows NT Workstation. None of the utilities on either for using system restore will work.

[Tripredacus]

Hiren's Boot CD is warez. We cannot help you with that as it is against the forum rules.

[jaclaz]

Hiren's Boot CD is warez. We cannot help you with that as it is against the forum rules.

Well, to be picky , I would be curious to see the license of the MS DaRT too...

jaclaz

[Tripredacus]

Ok I was not aware of that program then.

Anyways, why not just use Windows to figure out what the error is? Use the F8 menu and choose Disable Automatic restart on system failure. Then start Windows normally. You will be able to see the stop error.

[bizzybody]

I have a PC in the shop that will not boot using any option on the menu.

If it could boot up, I wouldn't be posting the question here, eh? I'd like to be able to get into it to somehow set whatever is required to make it run SFC at boot, if it's making it far enough to do that before it resets itself.

If that can't be done, then some way to see what System Restore points, if any, are available. It'd have to be a utility that ignores Windows' identifying its version incorrectly.

Otherwise it's hooking the drive to another PC then nuke and pave time.

[jaclaz]

I have a PC in the shop that will not boot using any option on the menu.

If it could boot up, I wouldn't be posting the question here, eh?

Bolding, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

Well, also if you had enough knowledge to actually run a PC repair shop you wouldn't be posting here....(and wouldn't also be using WAREZ)

jaclaz

Edited September 11, 2010 by jaclaz

[bizzybody]

I've 28 years experience working with PCs and other computers. Never have seen anything like this* where XP is having an identity crisis, claiming to be NT Workstation and not able to complete bootup.

I bet you haven't either, and don't know a way to fix it short of wiping it and doing a clean install. The most likely "fix" for it will be recovering files then doing a clean install. That's my last resort. I much prefer to get Windows working then do cleanup and repair, update drivers, BIOS, Windows Updates etc. everything to the latest.

*I have seen something worse, where some nut installed some beta Netware 4.1x updates on a production Netware 4.0 server. The company fired that person and hired me to try to fix it. Not even Novell Certified Netware Engineers sent directly from Netware HQ had a clue. The company refused to take our (mine and the Novell guys') strong suggestion that the quickest and least expensive solution would be to backup the critical data, do a clean install of Netware 4.11 and a second license to upgrade the old server to 4.11. When Netware is so screwed up that it's not allowing the Administrator account to create or modify user accounts, it's FUBAR.

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Likely they used tweaknt or some such app.

[bizzybody]

Finally figured it out. CRC error in the software hive. The file could not be overwritten or copied, but it could be deleted.

Fortunately the system has a ton of Restore points so I was able to delete the corrupt file and manually replace it with the one from the latest restore point.

Very fortunately this wasn't one of those times when Windows decides to protect a corrupted file like a mother grizzly bear guarding her cubs. Won't allow it to be deleted, renamed, moved or changed no matter what. Not even Unlocker could touch such bad files. Done there, been that, nuked and paved just to kill one corrupted file.

Why oh why isn't Windows set up to delete and copy from backup as a fallback when an error prevents *over write*? Delete and copy is effectively the same thing.

At least it's fixed and I can get on to checking for malware etc.

Edited September 12, 2010 by bizzybody

[jaclaz]

Finally figured it out.

Good .

I bet you haven't either, and don't know a way to fix it short of wiping it and doing a clean install.

Believe me, NOT to make any fuss about this , but since the dawn of time (NT 4, Win9x, etc.) the standard troubleshooting of a non-bootable Windows has been :

1. boot the system with "something" else, like a second install, a boot CD, etc.
   
2. verify the integrity of the filesystem (through CHKDSK or other similar utilities) and if needed fix it
   

then, if the above is not enough:

• make a new backup of the (offline) Registry and - if available - replace it with a backup copy of it
  

then, if the above is not enough:

• since Windows 2K, make a repair install
  

then, if the above is not enough and everything else has been attempted and failed, like:

• removing ALL hardware leaving only HD, Video card, monitor and keyboard connected
  
• safe mode
  
• command line mode
  
• etc.
  

eventually give up and do a re-install from scratch, after having backed up any meaningful or useful DATA on the disk.

I can count the number of times I actually needed to reinstall an OS in the last 15 years without taking my shoes off.

The previous 15 years of experience before 1995 don't count as at the time OS's were much simpler....

jaclaz

[cluberti]

Why oh why isn't Windows set up to delete and copy from backup as a fallback when an error prevents *over write*? Delete and copy is effectively the same thing.

Well, not to be a downer, but this is how Vista repairs itself when there is registry corruption. The problem is XP is still based on NT3, which is incapable of handling this during boot and it must be done offline.