Windows XP Crash - How To Fix A Serious Crash

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PseudoKiller

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Windows XP CRASHED !!!​
Here’s how you can fix it…
Let me preface this by saying, if you do not have System Restore enabled on at least your boot drive then this will not work. I STRONGLY advise you to enable it on at least your boot drive. If you think it a space waster, or just a waste of resources, you can keep thinking that but guess what, when you start up your computer one day and you get some weird cryptic, even M$ don’t know what the hell it is, error. You will be happy you enabled it.

First off I think I have been one of the fortunate ones as that I have not had any problems with Windows XP Professional. I have great stability, uptime is in weeks and I usually reboot only because I installed a program and it requires me too. All this and yes I installed Windows XP SP1 with no issues and or problems over a month ago. This install of XP is over 9 months old. Which for an M$ operating system is amazing.

Second off, if you are not comfortable with command line operations, get comfortable. I mean it. Learn it, live it, love it. It will save your butt one day.

Ok I give all props to a guy named Charlie White, he is the guru who wrote this tutorial on how to fix XP so it will boot and how to do a manual (command line) restore point restoration. You should do 2 things when looking over this, 1. Copy and paste it in a text file and save it on floppy and on your hard drive somewhere. 2. Print it out, not once but several times and save it various locations. Including but not limited to a safety deposit box. Ok now the meat of this thing, sorry for my rambling but I am so happy I didn’t lose all my crap.
Remember READ THIS CAREFULLY.

 
some very useful info, PK. good job.
 
My tip is: Format and reinstall - it will probably be faster too...

//Solobad69
 
Posted by solobad69
My tip is: Format and reinstall - it will probably be faster too...

//Solobad69

Thats not a tip... I dont know about you but if you put all the time it takes to reinstall all your apps along with a fresh install of XP I am looking at at least 36 hours in total time. This article took me 1 hour to figure out and execute. You do the math.
 
aye, i know the feeling... i would sooner just repair it... especially if everything was workin 100% before the problem occured. anyways... if the repair doesnt work, then you can still format and reinstall it :/
 
Well if it really takes you 36 hours to format and reinstall - by all means keep digging in the old ****...

Sooner or later You still have to format and reinstall the hole enchilada - and it does not take 36 hours...

But if time is more important than quality and stability...
 
Nice find [PK] !!! :)

I would much rather restore then have to reinstall XP and all the software that is on my computer.

solobad69: I'm assuming you don't have too much software installed on your computer. Although it wouldn't take me 36 hours, I do know [PK] has quite a bit more software installed then I do and I could see it taking him that long to install everything and have his machine running as it did prior to the format.
 
it does takes ages 2 get bk to ur old setup. i can reinstall windows in 20 mins but it takes hours 2 set up all the progs + get all the updates for things like nav
 
Hmm lets see, when I do a reinstall I just dont get my proggies back I do alot of customization also. I also restore all my email, contacts, favorites and email accounts. It's never been an XP install and thats it. Let alone my backups were old and I needed to get back into the system to save my stuff. As far as stability is concerned, XP has been pretty good. What caused the problem, I have no idea. Still better than all other M$ os's except for Windows 2k. :D
 
i like to follow the format+re-install method myself, but i have everything i need to install (original installer .exe's or programs that don't need to be installed to keep settings) on a seperate drive so its pretty easy for me.
I should imagine this guide will be handy for most people tho, as re-installing isn't the ideal way of recovering for most.

Good find PK
 
Yeah all I ever used to do is format and reinstall... a great time waster :D but this tutorial is great... works like a charm and if one needs to get in quickly its a great way to save your stuff and then do the format and reinstall thing if need be.
 
it takes me a fair while to get everything reinstalled when i get problems, so id much sooner do a repair. 36 hours is maybe a little drastic, but i gotta admit, 24 hours is close to what some people would need to restore their pc to its former glory.

XP is the best M$ operating system i used since ME (no, seriously, ME was a good OS - possibly better than 2K if not the same (2K took longer to boot lol)). I've always been someone who would back Linux as its totally solid and M$ never was, but XP is an OS that I've seen reconvert Linux ppl back to M$ because its the best one :)

(although 3.11 should really be re-launched lol)
 
Good find PseudoKiller, I really hate it when I have to do the format reinstall fix.


Posted by solobad69
Well if it really takes you 36 hours to format and reinstall - by all means keep digging in the old ****...

Sooner or later You still have to format and reinstall the hole enchilada - and it does not take 36 hours...

But if time is more important than quality and stability...

Sometimes it takes me days just to remember and find where i put all the stuff that I've got installed.
 
Great find PseudoKiller. Hope I never have to use the damn thing. :D

Hey Henyman what operating system can you load in twenty minutes? '95. :eek:
 
The only reason to use R&I (reformat and install) IMO is if your system is so sick that nothing else will fix it (including the restore method mentioned) or have decided you want a clean start on your system.


If you use R&I for minor errors or glitches, which it sounds as though some of the above posters have a habit of doing - then it would be like knocking down and rebuilding a wall to fix a small crack.
 
Posted by Dublex
The only reason to use R&I (reformat and install) IMO is if your system is so sick that nothing else will fix it (including the restore method mentioned) or have decided you want a clean start on your system.


If you use R&I for minor errors or glitches, which it sounds as though some of the above posters have a habit of doing - then it would be like knocking down and rebuilding a wall to fix a small crack.

Good Analogy :D
 
Hd it takes me 20 mins 2 copy right over the top with jus a quick format from the hidden partition:D
 
Posted by PseudoKiller
Good Analogy :D

Thanks, it was something that was in my head while writing reply :D

More seriously though, System Restore is one of the more useful functions of XP and it has saved my hide a couple of times from possible re-installs.

If you make manual restore points and remember to clean out old system restores via the Clean Up Disk applet in XP then it should save you much time and grief.

R&I is useful if you have had XP installed from its release and want to ensure you have a fresh hard-drive however.
 
The easiest solution for XP crash, if at all it does is to make a repair install. There is a set procedure as to how to do a repair install. A repair install will get back all your configured programs and drivers in less than 45 minutes.
 

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Also Hi EP and people. I found this place again while looking through a oooollllllldddd backup. I have filled over 10TB and was looking at my collection of antiques. Any bids on the 500Mhz Win 95 fix?
Any of the SP crew still out there?
Xie wrote on Electronic Punk's profile.
Impressed you have kept this alive this long EP! So many sites have come and gone. :(

Just did some crude math and I apparently joined almost 18yrs ago, how is that possible???
hello peeps... is been some time since i last came here.
Electronic Punk wrote on Sazar's profile.
Rest in peace my friend, been trying to find you and finally did in the worst way imaginable.

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