Multiple error messages, can anyone help me?

[KLC]

I'm having trouble starting my WinXP Pro system.

When I start the computer I get the Win splash screen then it sends me to Checkdisk, checkdisk runs through two of three process and then gives me an erro message:

Unable to read security descriptors

So I put in the XP install disk and tried to use recovery console, then it say there is a problem with ntfs.sys and advises me to disconnect new hardware and/or start in safe mode.

I haven't installed anything new for 3 weeks, at that time I put in an Edimax PCI wireless card.

So I try to start in Safe mode, I get an error telling me that pci.sys is missing or corrupt and to use recovery console to fix it.

Is my only other option to reinstall windows? That's what I'll do unless someone can give me some guidance about this. I'm stuck right now.

Thanks for any help.

 

[KLC]

Continuing my saga previously outlined in the last two messages. After going through checkdisk, trying safe mode, recovery console, last known good configuration, etc etc without success I loaded a new copy of win XP on a second hard drive.

I booted up the computer with this hard drive and left the original boot disk in the computer. Windows told me that something was wrong with the original disk and started checkdisk. This time checkdisk completed its routine, it told me it had made repairs, etc. I was able to access the original boot disk with windows explorer.

So I removed the new boot disk and reconfigured the BIOS for the original boot disk. But now it doesn't boot at all, I get a black screen with a cursor. So I put in the XP install disk and rebooted. Once I got to the setup options I chose R for recovery console. I got the following messages:

"The system registry does not appear to have an active controlset key"

"System registry may be damaged"

"try restarting from the last known good configuration or try repairing windows using the setup repair and recovery option"

I then get a command prompt, C:\windows and nothing else happens.

I can't start the computer far enough to use the last known good configuration and I'm already using the setup repair and recovery option, why is it telling me to use the recovery option from within the recovery option?

Is there another recovery option besides the console? Is it possible to use recovery console from the command prompt? Is there another way to get recovery console to work? I'm really at the limit of my patience and understanding here. The disk seems intact, I don't want to reformat it and lose all of my settings, what else can I do?

 

[SickBeast]

You could actually boot up from a Ubuntu CD, resize your XP partition, and add a new EXT3 partition so that you can install Ubuntu. From there, you could back up all of your documents and settings onto a DVD, and then reinstall XP completely.

 

[Billb2]

You could run the HDD manufacturer's diagnostics.
Sounds like the original HDD is failing though.
You're lucky to get the errors you're getting instead for a catastrophic failure.
Get what you need off of it soon.

 

[KLC]

I decided to do a new install of XP, first I chose installing on the existing partition, that gave me the same black screen with blinking cursor I got before. So I bit the bullet and reformatted. I've run disk diagnostics and everything comes up OK. We'll see how things go. Thanks for the replies