Hi guys.

I haven't been on here lately because, as I said, I have my sister in law and her husand over from Europe BUT I have had a major problem since Saturday - MY COMPUTER IS STUFFED!

What happened is that I went to the registry to delete Norton information and it seems like I must have deleted something that is important for the computer's functioning because now it won't startup completely! It startsup to the point where after the Windows XP Pro Icon appears, a message appears saying that a certain file is missing, I'm not sure which one (will go home and check again) but think it is something dll.

Please help if you can in how to fix this as I am unable to even start my computer. I don't have a boot floppy disk ( ) so I can't startup the computer that way. I don't want to wipe the hard disk becaue I have a full harddive of information I need.

PLEASE HELP

First, I need to know the exact .dll you lack. If that's the only problem, I'll send it to you via e-mail. You'll just have to add it to the windows folder (I'll tell you where once I know which .dll is)

Post here the .dll name or send it to me in a PM.

Try to load in safe mode (type f8 before computer begins to load Windows XP and choose safe mode).

If Windows will load up, and if the problem is .dll, all you need is to copy that file (from your floppy or disc) usually to Windows folder system or system 32. Or other method is to do System restore.

But if the Windows doesn't start, than I guess you will need to reinstall Windows. And if you said you have some info you don't want to loose, you can install on top of your current windows (this will copy the required .dll file).

After that I suggest you to use programs which allows you to create, resize and merge partitions (can make two or more discs instead of one) and in one smaller partition is useful to keep Windows and programs (if you will need to reinstall Windows again, you will write it only in that partition, you won't loose info stored in other partitions).

Pitons wrote:Try to load in safe mode (type f8 before computer begins to load Windows XP and choose safe mode).

If Windows will load up, and if the problem is .dll, all you need is to copy that file (from your floppy or disc) usually to Windows folder system or system 32. Or other method is to do System restore.

But if the Windows doesn't start, than I guess you will need to reinstall Windows. And if you said you have some info you don't want to loose, you can install on top of your current windows (this will copy the required .dll file).

If it's a system dll, it probably won't start even in safe mode. But it will once you have the .dll back. No biggie.

Now, if it's something more (missing registry keys or something like that), you'll probably have to re-install the whole system, like Pitons says. You won't lose any info, but you'll have to re-install all the programs you had.

In other words, try replacing the .dll first.

Pitons wrote:After that I suggest you to use programs which allows you to create, resize and merge partitions (can make two or more discs instead of one) and in one smaller partition is useful to keep Windows and programs (if you will need to reinstall Windows again, you will write it only in that partition, you won't loose info stored in other partitions).

I doubt he'll want to use partitions. Too much trouble for just a home computer... Just staying away from the registry should be enough.

Thanks guys. A good friend of mine took me to his mate's house (a computer genius) and he tried out my harddrive on his computer and it was detected sometimes and not others. He said that the harddrive is colse to dead and that I will have to install XP again and will only lose information in My Documents. I will try this tonight, backup everything and then get a new harddrive. He said that harddrives can die anytime and usually do so withing 3 years! Hope this works as this has fuked me over for the last week!

migya wrote:He said that harddrives can die anytime and usually do so withing 3 years! Hope this works as this has fuked me over for the last week!

Yeah, they can die anytime but, from my experience, they usually do so the next day after the warranty is over...


I don't really understand the part about losing the info in My Documents, as, if I'm not wrong, it won't be erased... but the rest of what he says seems pretty much on point. Good luck with it, migya.

TMC wrote:

migya wrote:He said that harddrives can die anytime and usually do so withing 3 years! Hope this works as this has fuked me over for the last week!

Yeah, they can die anytime but, from my experience, they usually do so the next day after the warranty is over...


I don't really understand the part about losing the info in My Documents, as, if I'm not wrong, it won't be erased... but the rest of what he says seems pretty much on point. Good luck with it, migya.

i'm going to startup my computer every few hours everyday and see if the harddrive gets working because that has happened to a mate of mine. If that happens, I will copy as much information as possible to CDs

Migya - you might want to invest in an external hard drive, rather than a bunch of CDs. Then, once you get the new computer running, it is very easy to back up whatever you need...

coltraning wrote:Migya - you might want to invest in an external hard drive, rather than a bunch of CDs. Then, once you get the new computer running, it is very easy to back up whatever you need...

Yep, much easier than CDs...

TMC wrote:

coltraning wrote:Migya - you might want to invest in an external hard drive, rather than a bunch of CDs. Then, once you get the new computer running, it is very easy to back up whatever you need...

Yep, much easier than CDs...

Money is a factor but I have found out that I can get a 320GB harddrive for $160, much better than getting 10 CDs for $3.80 at a time.

I'm trying to somehow salvage my harddrive but it just doesn't look like happening and I'll be getting a new harddrive within a week. I will be back to being on here often in a week or so

migya wrote:10 CDs for $3.80 at a time.

That's high robbery...

TMC wrote:

migya wrote:10 CDs for $3.80 at a time.

That's high robbery...

That's a pack of ten CDs in their cases for $3.80 and that's through work, not retail price. You think that's expensive?

migya wrote:

TMC wrote:

migya wrote:10 CDs for $3.80 at a time.

That's high robbery...

That's a pack of ten CDs in their cases for $3.80 and that's through work, not retail price. You think that's expensive?

Shouldn't be over $2.50. I can get 10 DVDs for $3.80 (well, almost... probably around 4.25 or so. I'm not sure right now because I got them cheaper through work)

btw, it was even cheaper a couple of years ago. We now have to pay 20% more due to a special tax over CDs and DVDs...

That sh*t ain't cheap in Oz. Guess that's why you have better cheeba than us... to endure that kind of robbery.

Things here are pretty expensive but the standard of living is amongst the highest in the world

migya wrote:

TMC wrote:

coltraning wrote:Migya - you might want to invest in an external hard drive, rather than a bunch of CDs. Then, once you get the new computer running, it is very easy to back up whatever you need...

Yep, much easier than CDs...

Money is a factor but I have found out that I can get a 320GB harddrive for $160, much better than getting 10 CDs for $3.80 at a time.

I'm trying to somehow salvage my harddrive but it just doesn't look like happening and I'll be getting a new harddrive within a week. I will be back to being on here often in a week or so

that's a good price for 320 GB. sorry about your hard drive -eventually they all fail. One thing you can also do is backup to an online service, some will do it automatically.