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    Registered User Brighton Belle's Avatar
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    PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    I hoping a kind computer expert can help me please!!

    I got a message that I have a corrupt system file on my Dell PC and that I should run a repair from the original Windows set up disc. I've put in the disc and followed the instructions and got as far as this:

    After you start the Recovery Console, you receive the following message:

    "Microsoft Windows XP(TM) Recovery Console.

    The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality

    Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart this computer.

    1: C:\WINDOWS

    Which Windows installation would you like to log onto (To cancel, press ENTER)?

    Enter the number for the appropriate Windows XP installation, and then enter the administrator account password.


    At this point I can't get any further. After the word press ENTER)? where the cursor is flashing, it will only allow me to put in one digit. I would assume I put in '1' but if I key '1' then 'return', then it does nothing. If I put in anything else, 2, 3, a, b etc it says 'Invalid selection. Please select a valid installation number.' As its a personal PC I don't have an administrator account password (I've never set one up) but I can even get that far.

    What am I doing wrong??

    Thanks very much


    Computer Numpty.

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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    Quote Originally Posted by Brighton Belle View Post
    I hoping a kind computer expert can help me please!!

    I got a message that I have a corrupt system file on my Dell PC and that I should run a repair from the original Windows set up disc. I've put in the disc and followed the instructions and got as far as this:

    After you start the Recovery Console, you receive the following message:

    "Microsoft Windows XP(TM) Recovery Console.

    The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality

    Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart this computer.

    1: C:\WINDOWS

    Which Windows installation would you like to log onto (To cancel, press ENTER)?

    Enter the number for the appropriate Windows XP installation, and then enter the administrator account password.


    At this point I can't get any further. After the word press ENTER)? where the cursor is flashing, it will only allow me to put in one digit. I would assume I put in '1' but if I key '1' then 'return', then it does nothing. If I put in anything else, 2, 3, a, b etc it says 'Invalid selection. Please select a valid installation number.' As its a personal PC I don't have an administrator account password (I've never set one up) but I can even get that far.

    What am I doing wrong??

    Thanks very much


    Computer Numpty.
    I dislike Dell more than Apple. At least Apple products are well made and thought out. Dell just throw a couple of cheap parts together, give you a service center in India and make things difficault when stuff like this happens.

    I assume you can still log on your machine as per normal as you wrote this post.

    Personally I would say save all the documents you want and give your machine a clean install of XP (pref a non Dell one if you can get hold of one). If it is starting to give errors, you might find it gets worse or can not be saved at all even through recovery mode lossing all your pics etc.

    You can also try :-

    go to my computer, RIGHT click on your hard drive and go to tools. Somewhere in there you will find checkdisk. Run that

    Another way of doing it might be to go to START the RUN and type in CHKDSK.exe

    I am writing from memory so cant be sure it is the correct way of running check disk esp on XP which I have not used for ages (now on Windows 7) and be sure to BACK UP anything you dont want to loose if the wost happens.

    Someone might have a better solution but this is the best I can do off the top of my head without it involving an axe
    Last edited by Lee Bartholomew; 25th-June-2009 at 08:27 PM.

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    Registered User Brighton Belle's Avatar
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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    No I can't log on. I can't get anything apart from the 'run repair' message. I'm writing this from my daughter's computer. Actually everytime I've rung Dell's helpdesk, they seem to be Irish but they are very long winded and very expensive.

    So no I can't save any files etc. If I can't get into it to do this repair, I've lost everything.

    Thanks for the advice about the axe though

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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    get as far as you can. Does it say anything on the screen?

    after pressing 1 try typing fixboot

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    Registered User David Franklin's Avatar
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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    Quote Originally Posted by Brighton Belle View Post
    So no I can't save any files etc. If I can't get into it to do this repair, I've lost everything.
    This is a slight aside from the main thread, but even if you can't get the repair to work, you can almost certainly recover your files.

    There are various "Live CD" versions of Linux available. You can download one and burn it to CD. This then allows you to boot the machine from the CD without touching your hard drive. You can then copy any files you need to an external drive of some sort. For what it's worth, I used Knoppix when I needed to do this in the past.

    This isn't very difficult, although realistically you probably want to get someone who knows what they're doing to do it for you.

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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    Quote Originally Posted by Brighton Belle View Post
    After the word press ENTER)? where the cursor is flashing, it will only allow me to put in one digit. I would assume I put in '1' but if I key '1' then 'return', then it does nothing. If I put in anything else, 2, 3, a, b etc it says 'Invalid selection.
    Possibly a silly question, but which key are you using to select the "1"?

    Assuming you have a full-sized keyboard, are you using the numeric keypad on the RHS of the keyboard, or the 1 on the top row of the keyboard (above "Q").

    If you're using the former, try the latter... (because the numeric keyboard may not have NumLock switched on when you boot in recovery mode)
    Love dance, will travel

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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidY View Post
    If you're using the former, try the latter... (because the numeric keyboard may not have NumLock switched on when you boot in recovery mode)
    Good thinking Batman

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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidY View Post
    Possibly a silly question, but which key are you using to select the "1"?

    Assuming you have a full-sized keyboard, are you using the numeric keypad on the RHS of the keyboard, or the 1 on the top row of the keyboard (above "Q").

    If you're using the former, try the latter... (because the numeric keyboard may not have NumLock switched on when you boot in recovery mode)
    I'm using the one above the Q. The figure does appear on the screen but I can only type the one digit. There's no more space. Then when I hit 'enter' nothing happens.

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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    Quote Originally Posted by Brighton Belle View Post
    I'm using the one above the Q. The figure does appear on the screen but I can only type the one digit. There's no more space. Then when I hit 'enter' nothing happens.
    have you truid typing after you hit enter?

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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Bartholomew View Post
    have you truid typing after you hit enter?
    Yes but there's no cursor. After I hit enter, I can't do anything at all. Complete silence. Nothing flashing. Nada.

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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    Quote Originally Posted by Brighton Belle View Post
    I hoping a kind computer expert can help me please!!

    I got a message that I have a corrupt system file on my Dell PC and that I should run a repair from the original Windows set up disc. I've put in the disc and followed the instructions and got as far as this:

    After you start the Recovery Console, you receive the following message:
    It's a while since I've done this, but apparently you shouldn't use the Recovery Console.

    From http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...ps/doug92.mspx

    Do not choose the option to press R to use the Recovery Console.
    If you go to that Microsoft link, there are instructions on what you should do instead.

    It does feel a bit heart-in-mouth when you agree to "Setup Windows Now", but as far as I remember when I had to do this it did actually work without losing any of my files. Although I would still suggest it's worth doing the LiveCD backup if you can find someone who'll do it for you.
    Last edited by DavidY; 25th-June-2009 at 11:15 PM. Reason: Fixed link

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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    Hold on a minute. Brighton Belle signs herself as a computer numpty, so well-meaning remote advice is more likely to lead to data loss than any other action.

    My take, if you can't find a friend that can do this then let your fingers do the walking through the yellow pages and find someone that knows what they are doing. It might cost an hour's labour, but it's well worth it!

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    Senior Member Minnie M's Avatar
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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    Quote Originally Posted by Agente Secreto View Post
    Hold on a minute. Brighton Belle signs herself as a computer numpty, so well-meaning remote advice is more likely to lead to data loss than any other action.

    My take, if you can't find a friend that can do this then let your fingers do the walking through the yellow pages and find someone that knows what they are doing. It might cost an hour's labour, but it's well worth it!

    Been there myself, very dangerous - good advice AS

    You could go to PC World in Old Shoreham Road or there is a good PC Repair shop in Boundary Road, Hove (left hand side if you are facing the sea, nearly at the bottom) - you could try the Friday Ad, but personally I would go somewhere that is established, just in case (if you know what I mean)

    Good luck !


    --ooOoo--
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    That date is recognized as her official birthday.

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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    Quote Originally Posted by Agente Secreto View Post
    Hold on a minute. Brighton Belle signs herself as a computer numpty, so well-meaning remote advice is more likely to lead to data loss than any other action.

    My take, if you can't find a friend that can do this then let your fingers do the walking through the yellow pages and find someone that knows what they are doing. It might cost an hour's labour, but it's well worth it!
    Which, you'll note, I've advised her to do in both my posts.

    But if she can't find someone, the truth is, you don't need to be any kind of expert to follow the repair installation instructions in the link I gave. The problem is that it's a "all-or-nothing" solution: if those instructions don't work (which is certainly possible, depending on what's wrong with the system), preserving and recovering your data files really is going to require an expert.

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    Senior Member Minnie M's Avatar
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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    Quote Originally Posted by David Franklin View Post
    .......But if she can't find someone, the truth is, you don't need to be any kind of expert to follow the repair installation instructions in the link I gave. The problem is that it's a "all-or-nothing" solution: if those instructions don't work (which is certainly possible, depending on what's wrong with the system), preserving and recovering your data files really is going to require an expert.
    Trouble is David, when all is going well, no probs......... but if it takes you into an unfamiliar area and the next step is not as the screen states, you could get yourself into a worse problem (I am speaking from experience)


    --ooOoo--
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    Leroy (Satchel) Paige (1906-1982)

    Mickey Mouse's girlfriend, Minnie, made her film debut, along with Mickey, in "Steamboat Willie" on November 18, 1928.
    That date is recognized as her official birthday.

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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    Quote Originally Posted by Minnie M View Post
    Trouble is David, when all is going well, no probs......... but if it takes you into an unfamiliar area and the next step is not as the screen states, you could get yourself into a worse problem (I am speaking from experience)
    As I said, it's all-or-nothing. But going into the recovery console is also fairly all-or-nothing, and she's already done that.

    There are times when the most rational thing to do is go for it and hope for the best (typically when you don't have much to lose, or there's no other option). Although (for the third time now), I'll say that she should try to consult an expert first in this case.

    I confess, I find myself somewhat exasperated that I'm the only person who's actually provided a link to the correct solution, and the only person who's explained how she can retrieve her data if needed, and yet I'm the only person getting given a hard time here.

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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    Quote Originally Posted by David Franklin View Post
    It's a while since I've done this, but apparently you shouldn't use the Recovery Console....
    The instructions don't refer to the recovery console.

    Ironically using the recovery console to rename the corrupt file and replace it with the best available alternative may well be one of the least risky courses of action.


    It would be interesting to know which file the error message said was corrupt.

    Typically with Windows 2000 / XP it is the system registry file C:\WINDOWS\System32\CONFIG\system, which corrupts easily especially if the machine isn't switched off properly.

    If it is anything else I'd be a little worried it might be a disk problem.

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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    Quote Originally Posted by frodo View Post

    It would be interesting to know which file the error message said was corrupt.

    Typically with Windows 2000 / XP it is the system registry file C:\WINDOWS\System32\CONFIG\system, which corrupts easily especially if the machine isn't switched off properly.

    If it is anything else I'd be a little worried it might be a disk problem.
    I did a scanning/analysis thing and it said it was the video I think.

    I've tried the instructions above about not choosing R etc and followed the rest of the list but the next screen is not what it says it will be. It says 'make sure your current installation of XP is selected in the box then press R.'

    well what I've got doesn't mention any of that. It's about partitions and unpartitioned space.

    I think at this point I'm going have to admit defeat and call someone.

    Thanks to everyone for all your imput. I owe you all a drink!

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    Senior Member Minnie M's Avatar
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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    Quote Originally Posted by Minnie M View Post
    ....... when all is going well, no probs......... but if it takes you into an unfamiliar area and the next step is not as the screen states, you could get yourself into a worse problem (I am speaking from experience)
    Quote Originally Posted by Brighton Belle View Post
    .......well what I've got doesn't mention any of that. It's about partitions and unpartitioned space...........
    Unfortunately, that usually happens


    --ooOoo--
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    Leroy (Satchel) Paige (1906-1982)

    Mickey Mouse's girlfriend, Minnie, made her film debut, along with Mickey, in "Steamboat Willie" on November 18, 1928.
    That date is recognized as her official birthday.

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    Re: PC 'repair' message - what do I do now??

    A recent Sky News report on computer "repair" shops:

    Story

    Video

    The only honest company in the report: http://www.pix4.co.uk/


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