Hard Drive Problems.. Need Help Hmm I am wondering if something is possi

[spawn_syxx9 1]

Ok well yesterday I dled an apparently important windows security update. After it downloaded my screen changed it's size and level. It went from a 1028 by 800 or whatever that regular 17 inch size is to 640 by 880 and it had changed to medium 12 bit. I don't know why. So I turned my computer off and left for school. I came back home and I turned my computer on. It said that something in my system32 file was either gone or corrupted and that I had to reboot my entire computer. So um.. I am asking, how do I get all my files and music files off the hard drive before I reboot my computer? I can't get onto my desktop mind you so yeah. If you can help please I would like to know.

[Furor 0]

Which version of Windows are you using?

One thing which you could try is to run the System Restore in "Safe Mode". To run "Safe Mode", press F8 on the bios screen and select the "Safe Mode" option. This probably will enable you to run the system restore (Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools).

If that doesn't work out, please reply and I'll think of an alternative.

[spawn_syxx9 1]

I will try that though I don't even think it will get to there but that sounds viable. Oh yeah sorry. I am using Windows XP home edition

[burgen 0]

Ok well yesterday I dled an apparently important windows security update. After it downloaded my screen changed it's size and level. It went from a 1028 by 800 or whatever that regular 17 inch size is to 640 by 880 and it had changed to medium 12 bit. I don't know why. So I turned my computer off and left for school.

I came back home and I turned my computer on. It said that something in my system32 file was either gone or corrupted and that I had to reboot my entire computer. So um.. I am asking, how do I get all my files and music files off the hard drive before I reboot my computer? I can't get onto my desktop mind you so yeah. If you can help please I would like to know.

55469[/snapback]

I guess you can try reboot and see what happens, hopefully it will be OK. If not, insert you winxp install disk and do a repair, but be careful not to format you disk. this will most likely solve your problem. If not either, remove you harddrive, attach it to another PC, copy all your important files, your music and files or whatever to another PC or harddrive, then move your harddisk back, format and reinstall winxp.

[spawn_syxx9 1]

Sounds good to me. Thank you man. Wait.. I can do that?

[burgen 0]

Sounds good to me. Thank you man.  Wait.. I can do that?

55486[/snapback]

do what?

[HmmZ 0]

Yes you can do that-Put a windows 98se floppydisk in your floppydrive[Download the bootdisk files from http://www.bootdisk.com/ and put it on a floppy]-reboot your computer-It will automatically read the floppy and start MS-DOS Prompt-Insert your windows XP Pro/Home disc-Go to your discdrive (command= cd D:/ (D is the default cd-rom/dvd drive))[Result: D:/]-When you have D:/ (instead of A:/) type the following command: cd i386[Result: D:/I386]-Type the following command then: winnt[Result: Starts Windows XP MSDOS setup]-Then follow the screens, once you see repair/restore (not sure), use that option-I'm not completely sure, but that should most likely fix the problem, Windows Repair will find the corrupted file, and repair it

[canute24 0]

If you want all your stuff back then don't write anything to the drive where you have your stuff. Then use some data recovery software and recover the data store it on some other drive and then do whatever you are suggest to do. Your data will be safe.

[fsastraps 0]

Well the disk could be completely corrupted and you would have to reformat it and install the operating system again, but i dont think that is the case with your system. Well a way that i have done to xtract files from your pc, b/c something similar has happened to me. But well first you need, another HDD lets call it [2], and you need an operating system running on it,you need both HDD's plugged in into your computer, preferably the HDD[2] has to have the same OS as the other HDD, then run your OS from your HDD[2], then your OS will hopefully detect you other HDD, then you can probably access the files and copy them to your HDD[2] and then just re-install your OS in you HDD[1] and you can copy the files back from [2] to [1]!!Hope this works for you, if you have any problems, e-mail me or PM.

[spawn_syxx9 1]

Wow I had no clue I could do all of that. Thank you for all the help people. I will probabl print all this info and then hopefully use it at home.

[HmmZ 0]

fsastraps, your solution sounds like an expensive one, buying another HD just like that is not everyones hobby, and to buy a primitive HD from the Stone Age, would only make things more difficult, because first of all, the transfer would be slow and second, every HD has his protection, and the primitive ones (of course) have less protection, also, if the dangerous file was to be on one of the files spawn wants to transfer, he would be transferring the dangerous file aswell to the other HD, making things only more complicated =/

[Styx 0]

i wouldn't know where exactly to download it from, but try downloading or getting a copy of knoppix. it runs off the cd and you can copy all ur important files off. or, for the next time, get BartPE and create a rescue cd that lets you basically work in windows without loading windows.

[Galahad 0]

I agree with fsastraps, and would do the same thing... I would tahe my HD out, go to a friend and copy all the relevant files to his HD... No need to buy new HD HmmZ... And why do you thing it's some kind of virus or some other malicius software? It could just be Windows bug... I mean, I myself had several situations where "important" update actualy messed my win... If the Restore Point doesn't work, the best and easiest way to get the data off the HD, i s to put that HD in some other comp, and just copy all the files. If you suspect of malicious software causing this, just copy the most important files, scan them with some AV, and that's that...

[fsastraps 0]

fsastraps, your solution sounds like an expensive one, buying another HD just like that is not everyones hobby, and to buy a primitive HD from the Stone Age, would only make things more difficult, because first of all, the transfer would be slow and second, every HD has his protection, and the primitive ones (of course) have less protection, also, if the dangerous file was to be on one of the files spawn wants to transfer, he would be transferring the dangerous file aswell to the other HD, making things only more complicated =/

56066[/snapback]

HDD are not the most expensive things these days, you can probably get a 120gb if its in sale for $40-$50 bucks, but if you dont want/have that money, you can allways do what Galahad says, just put it on a friends pc and you can just scan the files with a virus software, although it is possible for an important update of windows to not install correctly and mess up a file in your sys that is neded to start the OS but, that another thing.