Message Edited by Flooby on 04-24-200610:04 PM

this is a prime example why everyone should have a bartpe cd handy at all times.

http://www.paulscomputerservice.net/index.php?body=./software/bartPE.php

sounds like a bad video driver. you might be able to rename the bad driver from repair console and uninstall it from safe mode.

I can't start the system in safe mode to get to the command prompt section. I can't access the computer at all.. it is just in a loop of starting.. getting as far as the agp440.sys driver and restartng again.

 

Anything I can do? I know I should have had a more up to date back up made of my work.. hindsight. I do have most of the work backed up as recently as 2 weeks ago.. but it is the work from the last few days that I really need to get back.

 

Thanks for help,

Tracy

Did you review the information at the second (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324764/en-us ) link I provided?  The instructions for this procedure do not require booting to Windows in normal or safe mode.  This procedure can be accomplished with any similar Windows XP CD - it doesn't have to be your CD (although there's an argument for keeping the necessary tools required to operate a PC used for critical projects - this isn't "hindsight," it's a minimal requirement).  Perhaps you could borrow one from someone locally.  Another option (and one that's occasionally necessary when the required materials aren't readily available) would be to take the PC to a local repair facility, which should have all the necessary materials to boot to the Recovery Console, make the necessary adjustments, and allow you to retrieve the required data.

You can salvage the data by taking the drive out and attach to a working pc to copy the files . . You can use an enclosure or an ide adaptor to accomplish this.  Both should be avalable from a local CompUSA or Best Buy.

You might want to consider letting a pro do this if the data is important

Good luck

 

We are currently using an ide adaptor from an external harddrive to try salvage files. However the laptop acknowledges that the drive is connected but wont recognise the drive in my computer.

if you using a 3.5" to 2.5" ide converter make sure it isn't backwards. i do that alot.

You are conncecting to another laptop? . . via USB?

yes using the 3.5" to 2.5" ide converter, it is just recognising it but can't access the actual harddrive. Another friend is now running something on it to use dos and can access the ram memory but no sign of any C drive information. thinks that there is something corrupted in harddrive - not sure if the agp440 driver is problem - but can't disable, delete or rename that file as do not have sufficient privileges etc.

any ideas?
thanks for help guys

try connecting the hard drive backwards even if you think it is connected properly. then run "chkdsk e: /f" (where e: is the hard drive). you may have to claim owner ship of the files through NTFS permissions. right click on my computer and check out disk managment, it may assist in detecting the drive.

I agree that AGP440 driver might not be the problem but the ACPI which starts loading right after AGP440.

Go to BIOS setup and try enabling the ACPI in the Power Management section.

If that doesn't get it done the following link shows that repairing the registry worked for one person; may help if the RC commands are accepted. (Scroll down.)

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/WinXP/Q_21772248.html

Well done! ! :smileyhappy:

yes having a boot disk that can access your hard drive is always a good thing. i like using bartpe instead of linux because you get read and WRITE access to NTFS partitions.

Hey lads,
just wanted to let u know how I got on..

got a friend of mine who knew what he was doing to use the Linux OS to gain access (eventually!!!) to My Documents.. this meant I was able to get stuff off via usb storage key.. thank God! I then totally reformatted the laptop.. so I am now typing this on my laptop and am very very happy!

Was a horrible day of trial and error, thanks for all your replies, I hope that it will help others..
Tracy