Computer won't boot up

[Puddenchucker]

My home PC seems to have lost the will to live.

It refuses to boot-up. I switch it on, and it starts to boot then I get the error message:

...the following file is missing or corrupt: system32\drivers\isapnp.sys

(The OS is XP Pro SP2)

If I try to use the recovery disk, it looks like it may be about to fix the problem, then I get the B.S.O.D and a warning about protecting hardware.

Is there anything else I can try or is the Hard-drive kaput?

[ncarring]

Is your recovery disk the same Service Pack level?

[mannyo]

Has your computer crashed recently or been powered off from the switch rather than shutdown.

Get your windows XP CD, if you have one and boot from the CD. When prompted press R for the repair (recovery console). If the XP install is still intact, then type 1 when prompted and then enter the administrator password (or hit enter is no password). You should now be at a dos type prompt. Now type in chkdsk, it will either run or say that the filesystem appears clean and show you the option you need to run it anyway, run the chkdsk command again with that option. Now reboot and it should work again.

Note. This is for using the Windows XP CD, chances are that a system recovery CD will wipe your pc and set everything back to how you bought it.

[Puddenchucker]

Is your recovery disk the same Service Pack level?

Yes.

Other than MS security patches & updates the OS has not be modified/upgraded.

[Stimps]

Found this elsewhere....

To replace the Isapnp.sys file in Windows XP, follow these steps:

1. Start the computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM.

2. At the Welcome to Setup screen, press R to start Recovery Console.

3. If you have a dual-boot or a multiple-boot computer, type the number that corresponds to your Windows XP installation when you are prompted to select the Windows installation to log on to, and then press ENTER.

4. When you are prompted for the Administrator password, type the password, and then press ENTER.

Note If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.

5. At the C:\Windows prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

ren c:\windows\system32\drivers\isapnp.sys isapnp.old

Note The steps in this article assume that you installed Windows XP to the C: drive. The actual location of your Windows installation may vary.

6. At the C:\Windows prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

expand cd-romdrive:\i386\isapnp.sy_ c:\windows\system32\drivers\isapnp.sys

For example, type:

expand d:\i386\isapnp.sy_ c:\windows\system32\drivers

7. After the file is successfully expanded, type exit, and then press ENTER to exit Recovery Console.

8. Restart the computer.

[Puddenchucker]

Has your computer crashed recently or been powered off from the switch rather than shutdown.

Not as such.

Yesterday evening Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer) locked up.

I hit log-off and the system logged-off as normal, no error or warning messages. I then immediately logged back in and everything appeared to be OK. I did a bit more work and surfing then shut the system down, again nothing unusual happened.

I switched the PC on a couple of hours later and that's when the problems first started.

[Puddenchucker]

Well, my PC is alive again after spending most of the day fixing the thing .

In short absolutley nothing worked as far as trying to recover the system with the existing hardware. Even trying to restore the system using the XP installation disk didn't work & trying to install XP again resulted in a 'XP could not detect a hard-disk' error! :eek:

So, plan C.

Disconect existing faulty disk, install new disk (bought from PC World this very morn).

Install XP Pro on new disk. PC is then operational.

Reconnect original disk as a secondary drive. This is then detected by the 'new' operating system on the new disk during boot-up. It says that there are a few errors and that the disk needs to be checked - 2 and a half hours later the PC has finished checking/restoring the original disk. I then salvage what I can of my files -(e-mails, favorites, plus all my photo's, office docs etc) fortunately these see to have survived intact, by copying them on to the new hard disk (and to an external HDD I have).

I then remove the new HDD and re-instate the original HDD as the primary drive and boot-up the system. After some more error checking XP finally starts-up. Yay! :woohoo:

However, all is still not well as my user profile is corrupt and the system refused to run at anything more than 640x480 resolution as my video card isn't detected and the AGP driver is missing or corrupt. So spend more time trying to find and fix drivers from install disks and internet. :confused: To no avail.

Then I remember, I did a full system back-up about 2 weeks ago . So, I dig this out and decide to go for broke and restore this, with the 'overwrite existing files even if newer' box ticked.

A few nervous :nervous: minutes as the PC shuts down and reboots.....

Yee-ha. :woohoo: :hooray: Hey-nonny-nonny. It lives. My user profile works and I running at the full 1600x1200 reolution.

All I have to do then is copy the salvaged files from the external HDD on to the disk and I'm done.

I still have no idea what caused this problem, but with in the last 14 hours I have swapped hard drives about 20 times and rebooted/started up about 40 times. It has not been fun, but it has been a learing experience.

Now its :dtp: time.

[Turbostream]

Well done, glad you got it sorted.

Been there a few times my self over the years with various computers, a good way to learn about computers.

It also gives you a sense of satifaction that a dumb piece of electronics cant get the better of a human person.