failed repair of winxp

[neutralizer]

I know this is the wrong forum. I just figured I'd get more attention in this forum than the OS forum. Okay, I had some corrupt dll problems in windows so I ran sfc /scannow to replace the corrupt dlls with the original windows version. The next time I boot up, I end up with 4-bit color... 4-bit color... with no option to increase the resolution either. Okay, so no worries I thought, I'll just system restore. Turns out system restore won't run because it's missing "dxtrans.dll" (what happened to Windows File Protection in fixing all my dlls?). Okay so I just copy that file from another winxp install and system restore runs fine. I restore back to the nearest restore point and when it boots up... lo and behold "System Restore Incomplete, no changes made to the system." I tried again but even further back, still same result. In desperation, I tried to do Automated System Recovery, but apparently there was no option to burn a CD so I either I had to use 300 floppies to back up all the system state data or not to that at all. So I tried "upgrading" my WinXP. I ran booted from CD, ran install, WinXP setup detected the previous installation and finished the first part. It rebooted, entered WinXP and proceeded to install the second part, the part where it's all fancy GUI and countdowns to how much time you have remaining and fancy explanations about why WinXP is so good. So yeah... I thought I was safe once I got there thinking that repair would save all my information and I would have a functioning computer by tonight. Yeah right... just a minute after it started Phase Two, it came out with a fatal error saying signature file is corrupt, error code 0xfffff05f, cannot find code in some dll. Argh... rebooted, tried again same result. At this point, I don't care about all my settings in WinXP, I just want to be able to preserve "My Favorites" and my emails and contacts from Outlook. So is it possible to preserve these data (My Documents is on non-system partition, so its safe)? Also is there any OTHER alternate route other than clean reinstall?

Sorry about the length
CliffNotes version: I killed my computer and now I need to reinstall windows but save my bookmarks, emails, and contacts from Outlook. I've tried repair "upgrade", what other options do I have?


Posting intentionally in the wrong Forum will get a Lock or Delete so please try and set an example for newer Members

 

[neutralizer]

^ bump, help?

 

[T3C]

get another drive and load XP on it. set your drive thats messed up to slave. boot up. pull data over.

EEEEEEAAAAASSSSSYYYYYYYY

-CYBPNK

 

[chocoruacal]

Originally posted by: cybpnk
get another drive and load XP on it. set your drive thats messed up to slave. boot up. pull data over.

EEEEEEAAAAASSSSSYYYYYYYY

-CYBPNK

What he said...but if you're getting problems using repair...which basically works off the disc...then you might want to consider that a)you have a hardware problem, b) you have a bad disc. Run Memtest86 off a bootable floppy and see if you get any errors...might save yourself a reformat.

 

[neutralizer]

Originally posted by: chocoruacal

Originally posted by: cybpnk
get another drive and load XP on it. set your drive thats messed up to slave. boot up. pull data over.

EEEEEEAAAAASSSSSYYYYYYYY

-CYBPNK

What he said...but if you're getting problems using repair...which basically works off the disc...then you might want to consider that a)you have a hardware problem, b) you have a bad disc. Run Memtest86 off a bootable floppy and see if you get any errors...might save yourself a reformat.

Memtest86 checks memory not hdd. How do I check hdd? Btw does anyone know where outlook data is stored, including contacts and emails?

I'll try reinstalling with someone else's disk.