Big Problem with XP (booting)

OK so tonite I decided to get the new Microsoft patch for XP...and in the middle of installing it my rfeagin box froze. So I casually restarted it it normal mode hoping everything will be OK....nope. Windows starts to load but fails and the pc restarts. I tried all the modes, and they all act the same.

The quick restore CDs for my compaq don't want to boot either. I found a Knoppix disk and thank god it booted....now the qestion: what could be wrong and is there a way to fix this without formatting my hd?

OK.. now that I got knoppix up and running I can access my hd since it runs of the cd (BTW I FORGOT HOW SWEET IT IS!) and I can get my windows files that I needed...but how do I do it since I can't burn them because knoppix is running in the cd drive (this is a laptop). THe files are too big to upload anywhere, so thats out of the question...any ideas?

I think the easiest way to fix the problem would be to put the xp disk in the drive and boot. Instead of re-installing I do believe you can fix the install. You will need to know the admin password - but im sure that is not a problem. When it boots it will ask what you would like to do - select repair.

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Originally posted by Tommaso
I think the easiest way to fix the problem would be to put the xp disk in the drive and boot. Instead of re-installing I do believe you can fix the install. You will need to know the admin password - but im sure that is not a problem. When it boots it will ask what you would like to do - select repair.

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the thing is that this is windblows from a compaq distribution...so I don't have a plain XP cd, just the compaq quick restore. BUt like I said before it doesn;t want to boot...and as I remember correctly the only option on that cd is to format the hd and reinstall eveyrthing from the beginning.

Hold down the F8 key while booting and it should bring up to restore from previous configuration option. Then it should restore from before you installed the update? If nothing else there should be a way to create a boot disk for xp. Either a boot cd or 6 unformatted disks? You can download the setup disks from microsofts site. Might need to borrow someone elses computer.

http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;Q310994

On the 2-3 occasions when my system seemed to be screwed after updating from the XP site, I discovered it was because I had forgotten to shut down NAV. I had to reset in the BIOS to get it back on one such occasion.

>>I had to reset in the BIOS to get it back on one such occasion.

the problem is that I can't get into the crap boxes bios...freagin compaq! I've tried every combination of keys I could think of the worked for me on other computers, but it doesn't work here.

I think Compaq is F10 unless they have locked you out completely.

yeah f10 is just the setup not the BIOS...its really weird d00der

PROBLEM FIXED! well kind-of.

I got an external iomaga cdrw drive...copied all my shiz, and returned it....good deal. I was worried at first because my girlfriend's external hp was not picked up by knoppix.

So the moral of the story: everybody get knoppix in cases just like mine: http://knoppix.com/

PCLinuxOS

Surely the actual problem is that Compaq do not provide you with the means to correct the problem. The big manufacturers are full of those kind of shinaniggans.

Don't buy them.