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Corrupt OS - Can't get into a normal boot

E

Evan20x

Junior Member
I'll get straight to it.

In my recent build I used my hard drive containing all of my data on it from my old computer where the motherboard went bad. Once I built my new computer salvaging over parts I could use I installed everything and it booted up with no problems except for having to re-install drivers and such. I was thankful not to have to to a fresh install.

Everything was fine and dandy until yesterday. I ran "sfc /scannow" and it told me to put in my XP disc, so I did and it continued and I suspect something went wrong here. SFC finished up and after it was done no further prompts came up telling me anything so I was like good it didn't find nothing wrong so I rebooted my computer anyways and this is when all the problems started. I booted up and logged into XP and then things started to get extremely sluggish. Clicking on start would take atleast 10 seconds, I would click all programs and that would take atleast 20 seconds. Programs would take minutes to launch.

I rebooted and it came to the login screen, I enter my password then it would just sit there blank screen only showing my wallpaper and it would sit there endlessly on that screen. I was able to hit ctrl alt del and bring up that box with task manager, shut down, etc. I would try to bring the task manager up and no dice. Then after a few more reboots it came up before the WinXP loading screen could show saying

"Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

You can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows Setup using the original Setup CD-ROM. Select 'r' at the first screen to start repair."

So after a lot google searching and I mean a lot I finally repaired my hive using this method.

I made progress on the problem and that showed some relief. So it got booted up and the loading screen got finished and I went to login and then all of a sudden I get this error

"A problem is preventing windows from accurately checking the license for this computer. Error code 0x80090019."

Then it would kick me back to login without being able to get into my user account. I fixed this problem by registering a bunch of .dlls under safe mode. Speaking of safe mode it would boot right into it just fine. When I got into safe mode it automatically installed all of my drivers automatically. I guess since I restored the registry hive?

Now I try to boot into Windows XP normally and Windows tells me this following message..

"This copy of Windows did not pass genuine Windows validation and you have not yet resolved the problem. This copy of Windows is no longer eligible to receive the full range of upgrades and product support available from Microsoft.

To protect your copy of Windows, click Resolve Now."

So I click it then it plays the logon sound and I see an error "This copy of Windows must be activated with Microsoft before you can log on. Do you want to activate Windows now? Yes or No option." So it tells me again in a different looking box??? I now click yes and it does nothing further after this just sits there displaying a black screen not a powered off black screen but a black screen showing the mouse curse which I'm able to move around. I can't right click to bring up a menu. I can't ctrl alt del. I can't bring anything up just a mouse curse to move around.

Also I cannot start Safe Mode with networking. It basically does the same thing when trying to boot normally

This is where I'm at with this problem. Safe Mode allows me to boot to the desktop showing all of my icons and able to have access to My Documents which I need to backup somehow. I have 84gb worth of data to backup and I don't have access to anything on that scale so resolving this to where I could boot into windows and hook my laptop up over a network and transfer all of my data through the network would be my only way as far as I can see.

I know this is a long post and I'm sure it will drive some readers away. I'm sorry it had to be this long, I tried to go into as much detail to provide you guys with to help get this resolved. Trying to resolve this problem has been my weekend so far.

Also done a repair install and it did not fix things.

Thanks
Evan
 
Have you tried a clean install? You should have your data backed up in another location anyway (eg: a separate, physical drive). You mentioned it was a salvage and didn't do one; are you using the same model/chipset motherboard?
 
When you did the SFC windows checks and verifies the version you are using. When you rebuilt your computer windows sees it as a new computer and must verify the operating system is authentic and licensed. You can call Microsoft and explain your situation and that you need to re-activate your O/S. But good luck with that! Since you built a new computer why not just install Windows 7 on it since MS no longer supports XP at all? Or if you have another PC available download and a copy of Ubuntu and install it on your new build. You can then use it to see if all the salvaged hardware from your old PC is compatible with Windows 7 before you buy it. A clean install would have been a better choice to begin with and you might have avoided allot of these headaches.
 
Thanks for the replies.

@Brainonska511
The option of a clean install will come after I've backed up my data. Which is the only option I see before I can further resolve/diagnose this problem.

I had no way of backing up 84gb worth of data. I salvaged these parts from a failed computer where the motherboard had went bad so I had no way to get my data off my HDD until I bought a new mobo and reassembled the parts. The old dell motherboard had 8xx model chipset and the new motherboard I used had the 945GC chipset.

@pete1229
The SFC started this problem it seems like. I do have a copy of 10.04 Ubuntu on CD stashed away but once again my data is holding me back from doing a fresh clean install of anything. I could call MS but I think it would be a total waste of time. Since I can't boot into a normal state. It never gives me the option to reactivate.

@VirtualLarry
I suspected this after I booted into Ubuntu Live from CD and the disk tool they have said my HDD had 128 bad sectors whenever I unmounted my HDD from Ubuntu. I am very unfamiliar with Ubuntu so I'm not entirely sure I was doing things correctly. Ubuntu ran fine from a Live CD except for it being kind of slow.

If y'all are interested in my build specs I have it all posted over at Tom's. I hope me linking over there isn't against the rules here or anything. lol

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/313949-31-build-finalized-pics-feedback

I plan on buying a SATA to USB adapter or enclosure here soon so I can use my laptop to get my data backed up. After that I will do a fresh format and install of WinXP or Win7. I will decide on that when I come to that split in the road lol.
 
Good idea most external enclosures give you the option of SATA or USB connection to your PC or laptop. Try to use the sata connection (if you have an esata port) as much as possible because it's so much faster. For what its worth, again I suggest going with 7. I skipped Vista completely for obvious reasons so when XP support stopped and I was having problems I upgraded to 7.
 
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