winfows files missing?

[Jason]

So I restarted my computer for the first time in 25 days. But upon booting a windows popup says that some files are missing that are required for windows to boot properly. What can I do to fix this? I ran antivirus and adaware and so on but nothing was found. I also found that if I try to run windows update it tells me that I have cancled their trust certificate or what not but I ran that thing religiously.

Im running win 2k and prepareing for a wipe but I prefer to not have to do that.

Ideas?


Jason

[Horus Kol]

should just be able to do a recovery from the CD - it will patch up the installation with whats missing - but be sure to do a windows update afterwards though....

[Jason]

when i put the cd in and go to "setup" using the few options there I chose "Install windows 2000" and then it says "upgrade to" or "install a new copy" but your suggesting upgrade? and that wont wipe any of my files?


Jason

[sweenster]

if you wish to reinstall any version of windows without wiping your files first go into "recovery console" mode on the setup disk. Then rename the "windows" "program files" and "documents and settings" folders to "win2" "prog2" "doc2".

Then restart setup and install windows as normal - it might ask you to select folder to install windows. Dont leave it as c:\win2, change it to c:\windows.

Once reinstalled you can then copy your files back from the 'old' system which will still be on your hard drive

[Horus Kol]

when i put the cd in and go to "setup" using the few options there I chose "Install windows 2000" and then it says "upgrade to" or "install a new copy" but your suggesting upgrade? and that wont wipe any of my files?

No....

I'm suggesting a recovery.... start the PC with the CD in the drive already - you should get a slight different boot menu to normal, including a recovery.


if you wish to reinstall any version of windows without wiping your files first go into "recovery console" mode on the setup disk. Then rename the "windows" "program files" and "documents and settings" folders to "win2" "prog2" "doc2".
what's the point of reinstalling windows if you're going to copy the old windows folder back again?

[Jason]

doesn't work, it tells me that something needs to continue installing first. Don't get that one. Is there a button I can hit to boot from the cd? its not reading prior to booting windows...


Jason

EDIT: realised it was in the BIOS, thought I had that changed already, I will try the repair command in here...

[Jason]

I preformed the repair 2x once using the fast repair the second using the normal manual configuration to check atll and it didn't work


Jason

Edit: no difference in loading windows, still asks me to insert the CD to get the correct files so it would appear this is only a temporary fix each time. Need more ideas

[tboss132]

Does the computer boot to your desktop? if it does, go to a command line and type sfc /scannow (Type sfc to get a full list of command line arguments). SFC stands for System File Checker. It checks all windows files intact and in their original states. You need to put your Win2k cd in your cd rom drive while this happens as it will prompt you if it detects corrupt/missing files.
Hope this solves your problem.

[Jason]

I tried to run that line but it wouldn't allow me to something about not being allowed to access the system files, though I was Administrator.

any other ideas?


Jason

[Basscyst]

Just run the upgrade, it will keep your files and overwrite the existing OS.

Basscyst

[sweenster]

what's the point of reinstalling windows if you're going to copy the old windows folder back again?


you dont copy the whole folder back - only your personal files and documents, not the system stuff

[Horus Kol]

but the Windows folder IS the system stuff - there's nothing personalised in there....

plus - you are reinstalling windows, and then putting the program files back? none of those programs will be correctly registered in the OS.


The only thing you should keep between installs is data (so "documents and settings" is fine) - no programs, and certainly no part of the OS...

[sweenster]

but the Windows folder IS the system stuff - there's nothing personalised in there....

if you are running win 9x then c:\windows\profiles will be required. Also it contains old device drivers and a system file (which i can remember the name of!) that means you dont have to reactivate windows if you copy it over.
Some applications also save files in their program files folder. Saved data can be copied back once the program has been reinstalled.

The only reason to keep these folders is to retrieve any files the user may have. Once all the useful stuff has been retrieved they can be deleted and the drive defragmented.