Gaming Problems with my PC

[Varia]

Yesterday I turned on my computer just to burn a PS2 game that I downloaded the day before.
A few minuets later, I tried opening firefox and got an error (something with .DLL?), so I restarted my PC.
It was downloading a windows update, and then turned off.
Then when I turned my PC back on, I got this error:
Interactive logon process initialization has failed. Please consult the event log for more details.

^surrounded by a black screen. In other words, it wouldn't enter my user, and I can't access anything.
Pressing X and OK don't help, the error just disappears for a second, and then comes back.
I've tried searching all over the Internet yesterday, but I couldn't find anything helpful.

Things I've tried:
(through Windows Error Recovery menu):
*Safe Mode - get the same error
*Safe Mode with Networking - same error
*Safe Mode with Command Prompt - same error

(through windows 7 disc):
*Setup Repair - it said that it didn't detect any problems
*System Restore - I tried restoring to multiple different updates, but all got an error, and it wouldn't restore anything.
*Command Prompt - I tried sfc /scannow (etc etc), both ways, it did detect problems, but said it couldn't fix them (even after scanning multiple times).
Also can't enter the CBS.log, so I can't tell what's missing.

I'm all out of ideas, and re-installing Windows is not an option for me, as I have many important files that I haven't backed up.

A little explanation of what it shows once I turn on my PC:
First you get the Gigabyte menu:
TAB: Post Screen
DEL: BIOS setup/Q-Flash
F9: Xpress Recovery 2
F12: Boot Menu
END: Q-Flash

(Haven't tried any of these, I don't want to mess anything up).

5 seconds later, it checks if there's a disc inside. If it detects something that is run-able, it says "press any key to boot from CD/DVD". If not, it will just move on to the next screen.
With Windows 7 disc inside, it will start the installation program, as well as the repair program.
In the repair menu you got:
Setup Repair
System Restore
System Image Recovery
Windows Memory Diagnostic
Command Prompt

When there's no disc inside (or if you just wait 5 seconds without pressing any key, so it won't boot from the disc),
you get the Windows Error Recovery menu:
Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Start Windows Normally

Pressing any of these will get you to the black screen with the error above.
Once you're in the error screen, pressing anything won't help, you can't even turn the PC off,
all you can do is restart.

Using right now a slow-ass old PC to write this. The Internet still works, so I'm scared to unplug anything.
Can anyone please help me solve this problem? or even direct me to place that will know?
Thanks in advance =]

 

[KingBlank]

HEY!

i suggest you use this
http://wiki.ultimatebootcd.com/index.php?title=Main_Page

download the iso and burn it to a disk, or put it on a usb by following a guide.
this will let you boot you computer into a variety of recovery tools and even an linux based operating system called parted magic.
as long as you dont run and of the formatting tools, you wont lose any files with this.

 

[pwsincd]

dont you get an option to re install windows without a format?

 

[FAST6191]

Could still be many things but if you can try running a scan of the drive (as in scandisk) it will be one of the other items off the checklist (it has fixed so many issues for me in recent months). Linux does have some scanning options but I usually prefer to use a windows livecd (either bartpe or hirens with miniXP).

"as I have many important files that I haven't backed up."
Why not add a small partition/resize an existing one and install windows or something on that allowing you to start backing things up.

 

[Varia]

HEY!

i suggest you use this
http://wiki.ultimate...title=Main_Page

download the iso and burn it to a disk, or put it on a usb by following a guide.
this will let you boot you computer into a variety of recovery tools and even an linux based operating system called parted magic.
as long as you dont run and of the formatting tools, you wont lose any files with this.

Unfortunately I can't burn with this PC, it won't read my DVDs/CDs for some reason.
So all I have to do is download UBCD, put it on a USB, connect it to my PC, and it will run?
I'll try that, thanks.

dont you get an option to re install windows without a format?

I don't think so. There's an install option and a repair option. I'd assume it would delete everything if I re-install it.

Could still be many things but if you can try running a scan of the drive (as in scandisk) it will be one of the other items off the checklist (it has fixed so many issues for me in recent months). Linux does have some scanning options but I usually prefer to use a windows livecd (either bartpe or hirens with miniXP).

"as I have many important files that I haven't backed up."
Why not add a small partition/resize an existing one and install windows or something on that allowing you to start backing things up.

sfc /scannow is a scan of the drive (something like sfc /scannow /offbootdir=[driveletter]:\ /offwindir=[driveletter]:\windows)
and it did detect problems, but it couldn't fix them. Are you talking about a different scan?
Also I didn't get the 2nd part. Can you explain please?

Sorry for the late responses everyone, this PC is just awful.

 

[FAST6191]

sfc usually just checks system files for corruption (also useful for detecting modified system files- malware is a great fan of this) and will not do anything about say a minor corrupted part of the registry or something which scandisk (the drive/sector/filesystem checking tool) might well fix. No idea if you will fix your problem (I am leaning towards probably not) but it has seen several seemingly dead installs spring back to life for me over the years and it is very much one of the list of things you really should do before thinking about reinstalling windows and similarly annoying procedures.

Second part.
Drives are a given size but that is not the whole story- on top of that you slice them up into partitions (it is how one physical drive can appear as many although most of the time people just make one partition- if however your machine came with a recovery partition (usually a way cheap OEM machines avoid having to press windows discs for shipping with the machine) it might well have two) and each of those partitions is formatted to use a given filesystem (FAT, FAT32, NTFS, ext2, ext3 and there are many many more). With various combinations of tools and existing filesystems (NTFS and gparted work wonders) you can resize a partition to gain some space for another and stick another one on there in effect "tricking" your machine into thinking it has two drives. With two "drives" you can install windows to the other partition if you want and tell it to boot off that allowing you to do whatever needs to be done.

Indeed I often do this for clients that have a history of screwing their install up so they can have their my documents and such on one "drive" and everything else on another allowing me to just reinstall the OS and not have to worry about grabbing their files..

Edit- as for booting off a USB drive http://www.pendrivelinux.com/install-and-boot-ultimate-boot-cd-ubcd-from-a-usb-device/ although UBCD might not be exactly what you want (although it is one of the key members of my computer fixing CD pouch) here as Hiren's is closer to what you want (mini XP for one).

 

[Jamstruth]

Just an extra bit on FAST6191's suggestion for backing up.
You don't necessarily need to install Windows on an extra drive. Most Linux Distros use a LiveCD to allow users to try before they commit to a full install. If you put this on a memstick and booted it you can have access to your full harddrive and move all important files onto an external HDD before doing a Windows reinstall. Saves the work resizing your partitions (if you have an external HDD anyway)

 

[Varia]

Oh I see. but can you run scandisk at boot? because I can't enter my user (or desktop to that matter). I tried chkdsk, but it didn't detect any problems.

As for the 2nd part - what you are saying is to divide the drive into 2, and on the 2nd part to install Windows, make the PC boot from that part, and then transfer the files from the 1st part to the 2nd?
that sounds really complicated haha. Is it something that any one can do? I don't even know if I have a recovery partition.

Thanks for the UBCD link, I'll try that now (after it finishes downloading).

Edit: @Jamstruth
I don't have an external HDD, so I guess that won't help.

 

[Jamstruth]

Depends, how much free space do you have on the HDD and how much do you want to back up? Using a partition editor in Linux you could create a new partition and copy all your files over to it. (basically the same as what FAST was suggesting but without the superfluous WIndows install)

 

[FAST6191]

If you are running from hirens it has a version of windows XP that boots from the disc and bypasses everything on the drive up to and including passwords (it is one of the reasons these sorts of discs are so useful) allowing you to run disc scans (even better as the drive will not have anything being read from it the scan can be more in depth) or maybe hunt down that log to see what it says (log files are usually just plain text or something close to it). As Jamstruth said you can also stick a USB drive in and copy things across or maybe fire up a disc burner.
Most current linux distributions work in a similar manner and can run directly from the disc or USB drive.

Anyhow scandisk and checkdisk are more or less the same thing so this is becoming somewhat redundant unless you are going to go in for a full sector level scan (most of the time the errors are filesystem related and a basic check sorts that out).

Bonus- if you do grab something on the linux front your old junk machine might well take to it better than what you have on there now (certain distributions are very lightweight).

 

[Varia]

Depends, how much free space do you have on the HDD and how much do you want to back up? Using a partition editor in Linux you could create a new partition and copy all your files over to it. (basically the same as what FAST was suggesting but without the superfluous WIndows install)

I have about 600GB/1TB left, and I need to back up about... 3GB. After I copy all the files I want from one partition to another, then reinstall Windows on the 1st one, I can then bring back my files from the 2nd to the 1st and combine them? if so that would be fantastic, but how do I use Linux? I can't access my user.

If you are running from hirens it has a version of windows XP that boots from the disc and bypasses everything on the drive up to and including passwords (it is one of the reasons these sorts of discs are so useful) allowing you to run disc scans (even better as the drive will not have anything being read from it the scan can be more in depth) or maybe hunt down that log to see what it says (log files are usually just plain text or something close to it). As Jamstruth said you can also stick a USB drive in and copy things across or maybe fire up a disc burner.
Most current linux distributions work in a similar manner and can run directly from the disc or USB drive.

Anyhow scandisk and checkdisk are more or less the same thing so this is becoming somewhat redundant unless you are going to go in for a full sector level scan (most of the time the errors are filesystem related and a basic check sorts that out).

Bonus- if you do grab something on the linux front your old junk machine might well take to it better than what you have on there now (certain distributions are very lightweight).

Not sure what hirens is, is it like UBCD?
So you're saying that I can copy things from my HDD to a USB/CD? that would also be fantastic. How do I do that?

I'm using Windows XP on my old PC, but last time I formatted it it ran very quickly. It's stuffed with junk right now, so probably formatting it again will fix things.

 

[Jamstruth]

If you can boot from a USB stick then either of these solutions will work.
Hirens Boot Disc has a miniature version of XP that will run off the memory stick, a Linux Live CD does the same thing (though thinking about it you'll need an image pre-installed with a partition editor e.g. GParted to do what I suggested)
Basically these solutions are both the same thing but with different OSes. Its possible Hirens will have a built-in partition editor for you to use though making it the better option.

You're running an entirely different operating system from you memory stick. It doesn't care that your current Windows install can't get to desktop, its version on the memory stick can and it can access your harddrive. Assuming your User files aren't infected with some terrible virus that destroyed your current install you can access your documents, back up and reinstall windows. Your backup partition should remain untouched (if you do it right) and then you can copy back and resize if you so wish.

 

[Varia]

So all I need is Hirens mini windows xp installed on a USB, and then I can transfer data from my HDD to the USB.
Still sounds like a mess, I wish there was an easy fix...
Any chance for a guide? and a download link? :> I would try finding one myself, but it literally takes 5-10 minuets to uplaod a page.

Thanks a lot for the help you two, really appreciate it.

 

[Jamstruth]

This is Hirens' Boot CD: http://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd
Found after a quick google. Might be an idea to check fro problems using a few of its programs as well. Something about this cataclysmic shut down of your computer makes me fear you might be infected with a nasty virus and any attempt to save files will just destroy the next Windows install. I have never used Hirens' Boot CD myself, but I've never really had an issue big enough for me to need something like this to save my computer. Good luck

 

[Zetta_x]

You have to uninstall the last batch of windows update. I forget which windows update that caused it but I found a microsoft article a while ago that detailed on how to uninstall this specific update that caused it.

 

[KingBlank]

Yeah, i use hirens for all the fancy stuff it has, but ubcd is smaller and has parted magic (a linux based partioning tool).
it should be all you need, but if its not, hirens is ur next best bet.

 

[Varia]

OK guys, I found a solution! it's called Regedit.exe.
In other words, I go into command prompt, type in "Regedit.exe", and then I can access my drive and transfer files into to USB sticks.
This should actually help anyone who has booting problems and can access the windows disc.
Going to re-install Windows after I transfer all the important files (by the way, nothing was damaged).


Thanks a lot for the help all of you :']

 

[Jamstruth]

Regedit? How does that....whut?

 

[Varia]

It opens a window, from there you go to file->import, and then you can access your files.
I can now transfer my cbs log to a USB stick, and check what was the problem on my other PC. Then I can replace the damaged/missing file/s.

 

[FAST6191]

Ah the old workaround... takes me back to my school days (you could circumvent the entire security system in a similar manner).

For what it is worth explorer.exe * is probably a better bet (being you know the thing that usually manages files on windows)- regedit is designed to edit your windows registry (just quickly windows has a couple of large files that are largely text based in which it stores various settings ranging from system critical settings to whether you have a saved game on spider- if it sounds stupid from a security and usage standpoint it is** and five times out of ten when fixing a machine I end up looking at it directly and eight times out of ten I get to manipulate it to fix it) and regedit is the basic editor for it that windows comes with.

*if explorer is messed up and you do not fancy livecds then you do have some other file manager options.
**it is also the main reason you can not just copy your program files and user folder and have it all work on a new machine.