Can you run a System Restore to last date available beforeyou installed that McAfee update which messed things up? See if that gets you back to normal function. Then you'll have to reinstall that last McAfee update again...
Click Start>help & support
Click "Undo changes..." and follow the prompts
Select last Restore point available before that update.
If none of that helps, reboot and press F8 before Windows starts to load. Select "Last known good" from the menu.
If you still have problems and you have an XP Reinstallation CD that has the same version of XP as the version on the hard drive (eg both are SP3), you can try running a Window System File check (sfc) to restore any missing/corrupted Windows files.
Click Start>run
Type in: sfc /scannow
Click OK
Insert XP CD if requested and reboot when sfc is done. It may take ~30-40 min so be patient.
I tried System Restore; unfortunately, I have no restore points.
I tried last "Last known good" - nothing.
With regard to sfc, I tried that now. What happens is that the command prompt screen flashes in the background for < 1s and then disappears. I tried a few times and got the same result. Could this be due to the fact that I am running in safe mode?
Does the CD have the exact same version of Windows as on the hard drive? If they're not exactly the same, sfc will abort. By version, I mean both have to be XP Pro and both have to be the same Service Pack, SP2 or SP3.
Since it works in Safe Mode, something loading at Startup may be causing the problem. Power off and disconnect your network connection, just to be safe. Now boot in Safe Mode and run msconfig. Click Startup tab and uncheck everything. Reboot normally and put a check in "Don't show this again" box that wll appear when you reboot.
If that works, go back into msconfig and re-check one or a few items at a time, starting with the firewall and McAfee. Reboot normally each time and see what happens. If you can ID the item that causes the boot to fail, you'll have to remove that item and reinstall it. When you're done, power off and reconnect the network cable.
If sfc won't run and you can't ID the problem with msconfig , you may need to run a Repair/Reinstall of Windows. Personal files will be ok, but always a good idea to back up personal files on external media first, just to be safe. :emotion-5: And you'll probably have to reinstall all the Microsoft updates again after the Repair/Reinstall.
RoHe
10 Elder
•
45.2K Posts
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June 27th, 2011 15:00
Can you run a System Restore to last date available before you installed that McAfee update which messed things up? See if that gets you back to normal function. Then you'll have to reinstall that last McAfee update again...
Click Start>help & support
Click "Undo changes..." and follow the prompts
Select last Restore point available before that update.
If none of that helps, reboot and press F8 before Windows starts to load. Select "Last known good" from the menu.
If you still have problems and you have an XP Reinstallation CD that has the same version of XP as the version on the hard drive (eg both are SP3), you can try running a Window System File check (sfc) to restore any missing/corrupted Windows files.
Click Start>run
Type in: sfc /scannow
Click OK
Insert XP CD if requested and reboot when sfc is done. It may take ~30-40 min so be patient.
Ron
FindingAnswers
2 Posts
0
June 27th, 2011 16:00
Thank you for your suggestions.
I tried System Restore; unfortunately, I have no restore points.
I tried last "Last known good" - nothing.
With regard to sfc, I tried that now. What happens is that the command prompt screen flashes in the background for < 1s and then disappears. I tried a few times and got the same result. Could this be due to the fact that I am running in safe mode?
Thanks
RoHe
10 Elder
•
45.2K Posts
0
June 27th, 2011 18:00
Does the CD have the exact same version of Windows as on the hard drive? If they're not exactly the same, sfc will abort. By version, I mean both have to be XP Pro and both have to be the same Service Pack, SP2 or SP3.
Since it works in Safe Mode, something loading at Startup may be causing the problem. Power off and disconnect your network connection, just to be safe. Now boot in Safe Mode and run msconfig. Click Startup tab and uncheck everything. Reboot normally and put a check in "Don't show this again" box that wll appear when you reboot.
If that works, go back into msconfig and re-check one or a few items at a time, starting with the firewall and McAfee. Reboot normally each time and see what happens. If you can ID the item that causes the boot to fail, you'll have to remove that item and reinstall it. When you're done, power off and reconnect the network cable.
If sfc won't run and you can't ID the problem with msconfig , you may need to run a Repair/Reinstall of Windows. Personal files will be ok, but always a good idea to back up personal files on external media first, just to be safe. :emotion-5: And you'll probably have to reinstall all the Microsoft updates again after the Repair/Reinstall.
Ron