Computer problems... any ideas?

[MontyVeda]

Just been helping a friend get their PC back on track... but back on track it aint.

it's Windows XP by the way....

After removing various malicious browser hijackers, it simply won't boot-up. All i get is a black screen (after the BIOS boot) saying NTLDR is missing, press Ctrl, Alt & Delete to restart. restarting just returns me to the same NTLDR is missing message.

Checked for solutions online, which said put a windows install disc in, and choose 'repair' rather than 'install', but the only XP disc i have doesn't give me the repair option, only install.... which would mean loosing a lot of her college work. (most solutions to this problem seem to involve a windows disc, the ones that don't involve, Buy This Software!, which i seldom trust.)

I can't even get it to boot in safe mode to allow me to grab her important files before doing a full reinstall.

Then i had a bright idea and tried booting it up with Ubuntu, hoping this would give me access to the important files, but Ubuntu complains about not being able to find the graphics drivers, and therefore will boot in lo-res mode... only it doesn't. I get a black screen with an orange flashing 'prompt' thing in the top left corner... like _ but flashing.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[vernon]

See if you can get you hands on another hard disc - install it with a new version of windows and install the second disc as a 'slave disc' read the files from it onto the new master. Reformat the dodgy disc install Windows and put the files back.....

Or use the dodgy disc as a slave in another computer, copy the files that are needed etc etc...

 

[mr_cellophane]

no need for another disk with XP, just install in different directory.

 

[redcard]

Just install Windows again. The old installation will be moved to a folder named Windows.old.

Just don't format the drive then installing.

 

[LCpl Boiled Egg]

As Vernon says. But if you can't get hold of another hard disk, do a parallel install - that is, reinstall Windows on the same disk to a different location i.e. C:\Windows2 instead of the existing C:\Windows. You'll then be able to start up and grab the files you need.

(ah, just seen mr_cellophane say the same thing.... and redcard!)

 

[MontyVeda]

cool, will try that when i return tomorrow.

 

[JoeyB]

Before you nuke it, I would recommend chucking a Windows Vista recovery disk in and running the repair option within that. I have had a fair amount of success resolving XP / Vista / Win7 boot issues with this method. The chances are the boot partition and or files are screwed or missing, the above mentioned repair method can put this right and sometimes even if it says it fails to repair or hasn't found any issues quite often I found it did fix the issue after a reboot.

You can download the ISO and burn to CD / DVD. Drop me a message if you get stuck, I'm sure I can point you in the right direction.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

When you install Windows again from the CD, it should scan the hard disc and see that there is already a version on there, so install your new one to a folder other than c:\windows, call it c:\Windowsrec then you can boot to the new version and still get to the files off.
The NTLDR is a system file that has either been deleted or has become corrupt.

 

[MontyVeda]

Just install Windows again. The old installation will be moved to a folder named Windows.old.

Just don't format the drive when installing.

worked a treat... cheers chaps.