Windows XP not starting - I need my files

Hello all,

my Windows won't start - it starts loading normally, but just before when there should become that account log in -view (sorry for possible weird terms - I don't have an English version of Windows), it stops loading, so i don't get to see that log in -view and thus can't log in. It just stops with that normal blue background with text that says that Windows is loading. I really REALLY need my files.

I have Fujitsu Amilo M1437G -laptop with Windows XP Home SP3. Only one partition in HDD.

I also have the recovery disk for my laptop, and also Windows XP Home OEM-disk with service pack 2 (I have SP3 installed on my laptop).

I don't care if I don't get my laptop fully fixed, but I REALLY need my files from its HDD - I have very important data stored on that HDD and I don't have any backups. The best way would be if I could log in to my account and transfer my files to usb-HDD.

If you need any info what has happened before this problem, then here you go: Two days ago my Norman anti-virus automatically detected and removed two trojans within one minute, and after about one minute it detected the first trojan again and removed it again. All was fine after that. Next day I started my laptop, and just after logging in I got this error message that said that VIAIDE.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. I just closed that error message, and everything worked fine after it. I rebooted my laptop, and got that VIAIDE.exe error message again, and again I closed it and everything worked fine after it. Today I started my laptop, and got this big problem - Windows stops loading just before that account log in -view.

I tried to start Windows in safe mode and with Last Known Good Configuration -option, but they didn't help - the same problem still occurred.

One interesting note - when the loading gets stuck, I tried to press Num Lock and Scroll Lock, and I noticed there was about 5 second lag before their indicator lights lit on the keyboard. Also the laptop fan seems to be running at maximum all the time, so it's possible that the CPU has very high constant usage (I'm not sure about that though).

Please can somebody help me with this problem - I really need to get my files. I don't have other pc's.

 

You can try doing a chkdsk c: /f to see if it can find and fix any file corruption. That would be my first fix.

Next try making a bartpe using your windows xp installation cd. The software is free and takes about 30 minutes to make. The bartpe will boot up your computer and let you access all your files on your non-booting drive and transfer them to an external drive.
There's also the free paragon rescue kit 9.0 express it's a bootcd that has a file transfer utility.

Even if the drive is corrupted all your data is still safe. Just a few bits of corruption on your drive will make the whole drive seem damaged but everything is still recoverable. Worst case scenario you can use testdisk (photrec addon) to recover your data.

 

Thanks for your reply jony218. I must say that I'm not very good at this kind of problems... eg. I have never re-installed Windows or stuff like that.

Where can I put that chkdsk c: /f -command? As I explained, I cant get in to Windows because loading gets stuck before I get to see the log in -window.

And never heard of that bartpe before... Does it work in my case because as I said, I have everything (Windows, my files etc.) on that laptop HDD on same partition (only one partition on that HDD).

 

You can use the windows xp disc to boot up the computer and get into the dos screen to type in the chkdsk command.

The bartpe bootcd will be easier because it gives you a "windows" like interface where you can use your mouse to move your files around. But you will need an external usb drive to transfer your data.

The windows xp installation cd/bartpe bootcd/paragon rescue kit are all "livecd's" they will access your "non-working" drive and transfer the files.

 

I pressed F8 while starting my laptop, and it gave me a list of options for how to load the Windows. I put the Windows XP disk in and chose to load from it, but it seemed to start doing some installing (possibly re-installing? I don't know - I haven't done things like this before) without asking anything beforehand. So I quickly took the disk off, and it seems like it didn't cause any harm (hopefully). I won't try with it again before I'm sure whats going to happen.

And also, my laptop's Windows has SP3 installed, and my XP disk has SP2. Does that create some kind of a compatibility problem?

And could I create that bartpe even if I can't start my Windows?

 

I tried to repair my Windows XP but couldn't do it. I set my laptop to boot from cd-drive, then put the Windows XP Home edition -disk in and restart laptop. At the beginning I get a message "Press any key to boot from CD". I press a key, and the computer starts loading drivers from the CD. So it doesn't ask me to press ENTER to setup Windows or anything, just starts loading those drivers. After about one minute the screen goes black (only a blinking white cursor at the top left corner), and the cd-drive stops. Nothing happens after that.

Is this normal? Could my HDD be broken or what? When my Windows still worked I got that VIAIDE.exe -error message after starting Windows. I believe it has something to do with the motherboard drivers. Could my motherboard be broken? I did manage to save my files with ubuntu so I don't believe the HDD or motherboard are broken.

Any ideas?

 

I managed to get my files with a linux live cd.

Now I'm trying to repair my Windows. The problem is that my Windows XP Home SP2 -CD doesn't have SATA-drivers for my laptop (I have a SATA-HDD), so the repair install gets stuck after about one minute.
I guess I should slipstream the necessary drivers with nlite, but nlite seems to need "Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 1 (x86)" installed on the pc. I'm using my friends pc (Win Xp Home Sp3), and I can't install any weird service packs to this pc. Does nlite really need that thing installed?

I ran a memory diagnostics program, and it showed no errors in ram memory, so that's not the problem. Maybe I should run a HDD diagnostics program as well, but I don't know any that would work with my laptop and would not erase data from hdd.

 

Tried many things today to repair my Windows - nothing helped.

First I created Windows XP SP3 -disk with correct SATA-drivers with autostreamer. It booted my laptop, and this time it didn't get stuck. But after I chose the option "To repair a Windows XP installation using recovery console, press R" by pressing R, it said that "Windows Setup could not find any HDDs that are connected to the computer".

Then I checked what HDD is in my laptop, and it is Seagate Momentus 5400.2

Seagate offers two HDD diagnostics programs, and I downloaded both of them and created bootable CDs. Both of them worked, but they both gave me the same error message: No Hard Drives Found.

I also tried with Bootable Hitachi Drive Fitness Test, but it didn't work, just kept re-booting my laptop.

Memory diagnostics program showed no errors in ram-memory.

Finally I tried with linux live-cd, and it did find the HDD and I was able to access my files, so the HDD is there and accessible.

This all seems so weird now, what could cause the problem??

 

No I still haven't changed anything from bios. I assume that if nothing is physically broken from my laptop then some software should be able to help... but nothing has helped so far.

I don't even know what those sata/ide/achi things really do and if I change them what they will change in the system. And can I set those settings back to original without getting any problems or negative issues?

 

Whwen you change to ide mode then you can install/run whatever but only in that mode.. as you are doing a rebuild the best method is probably do a clean windoze install.. in ide mode.. then make an nlite disk with all your drivers added.. then reinstall again but in sata mode. Keep the disk safe afterwards because if you add ALL the hardware drivers you need it becomes a valuable asset for the 6 monthly reinstalls M$ stuff needs to work properly.
A hands free if you like.. with your key and your timezone/keyboard and everything set automatically.

 

Apparently I couldn't put the SATA-drivers correctly in the Windows XP -disk first time, but now it succeeded. Now I have a new Windows XP Home disk that contains SP3 and the drivers for my HDD. It seems to work and it recognizes my HDD, but the problems didn't end here... Now when I boot the laptop with that disk, i don't get an option to use recovery console or do a repair-install. This is how it goes:

After pressing some key after the message "Press any key to boot from CD", the Setup starts loading files. After doing that, it says that it's inspecting previous Windows-installations. After few seconds, on a blue background, it shows up the following window:

---------------
From the list below you see the partitions that are in use at this moment.

*Press ENTER to install Windows XP to a chosen partition

*Press L to create a new partition

*Press P to remove a chosen partition


C: Partition 1 <Local> [NTFS]

F3=Quit
---------------

If I press ENTER, I get to see the following window:


--------------
WARNING: The folder <\WINDOWS> already exists and may already contain Windows. If you continue, Setup replaces the current Windows-installation in this folder.

All the files, sub folders, user accounts, programs and settings will be lost. Also "My Documents" -folder will be deleted.

*Press S if you want to install Windows to a chosen folder and completely replace the Windows-installation that it contains.

*Press ESC, if you want to do the installing to another folder.

*Press F3 if you want to quit the Setup.
------------------

At this point I wasn't sure what to do, so i chose F3 to quit.

So isn't there any way I could use the recovery console or do a repair install?

I don't have other partitions on the HDD for Windows.

One funny thing was that when the laptop rebooted after i quit the Setup, the Windows started loading, but after few seconds it gave a message that said "One of the HDDs has to be performed a unity (or uniformity or integrity or consistency - I'm not sure about the correct word) checking". Then CHKDSK started checking files:

----------
Phase 1/3: checking files

Phase 2/3: checking indexes

Fixing errors in file's 7892 index $I30.

(bla bla bla...)

CHKDSK is returning (or bringing back) lost files
.
.
.
------------------

But even that didn't help; Windows still gets stuck before reacing the log in -view.

How could I get the repair install or recovery console available? Any suggestions?

 

Well I was thinking that if it was possible to do a repair install, then that would save me from finding and installing all the programs again. And also making all the settings for antivirus program and firewall and all the other settings...

And with recovery console I could use the chkdsk-command...

I only have one partition in that hdd, and creating new partitions sounds a bit too complicated to me.