Computer Out-of-Order

DarkHououmon · **on:** February 05, 2008, 10:30:03 AM

The computer is not working. And it is due to a mistake on my part.

See, I had used EasyCleaner to wipe out most of the duplicate files on the computer, but this had corrupted both Photoshop CS2 and Sony Vegas 7.0. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling Vegas, but it still was not working.

So I tried a System Restore to bring the computer back to how it was yesterday. But something went wrong. When it tried to boot up, an error message came up, stating that some file is missing and to reboot.

The file in question is responsible for the comp's ability to boot and according to what Clint found, the message means the computer is trying to load from someplace it should not, or the file is missing or corrupted.

We have performed the tests in System Recovery but none detected a failed system anywhere.

Clint tried this morning to fix it with no luck. If it comes down to it we will have to reformat the computer. Hopefully we will have it up and running soon. Until then I will be absent with the exception of using the Wii, which is how I am typing this message.

After this experience, I don't think I can trust EasyCleaner again, and I definitely don't trust myself with System Restore either.

Mumbling · **Reply #1 on:** February 05, 2008, 10:33:26 AM

Good luck with your computer mate.. -_- I hope it works soon again

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #2 on:** February 05, 2008, 10:40:43 AM

Cleansweep and other programs like it are not safe. I've used one many times, and it's corrupted files every time unless I just delete the green files which don't take up hardly any space. No one should use that program for any reason. It'd be less irritating to just buy a new bigger hard drive and have it as a slave. BTW, if you need to recover your data, there's an easy way to do this. Get a cheap $2 hard drive from a garage sale or thrift store that's only like 3gb and format that hard drive. Set it as the master and your old hard drive (the one you have now) as a slave. Then you can recover the data onto a CD or flash drive. Recovering data after a format is extremely difficult and expensive, taking dozens of hours. Data recovery specialists charge about $80 an hour, so that adds up to the thousands. You should backup your data and not format the drive yet.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #3 on:** February 05, 2008, 10:51:23 AM

I had only started to use EasyCleaner because Petrie said it had been his savior, so I thought it was safe. I plan on getting rid of it if Clint can restore the comp without reformatting.

We have a lot more than just 3GB of memory on that computer.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #4 on:** February 05, 2008, 10:54:46 AM

Yeah, I would hope so. Don't backup to the new drive. Just windows xp will take up 2gb of it anyway. It's just an easy way to access your data so you can back it up to CD before you format.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #5 on:** February 05, 2008, 11:00:30 AM

Ah okay. One problem though: There are no cheap computers available nearby.

Although buying a new computer may not be a bad idea, in case the old computer cannot be fixed.

Kor · **Reply #6 on:** February 05, 2008, 12:58:12 PM

Having a spare pc is a good idea I think. I have one I play video games on and this one which I web surf on. So the video game computer is also a spare for web surfing. I didn't know you could web surf on the wii. I though the only consoles you could web surf on were the Ds and maybe the psp.

Hope your pc stuff comes out ok. Have you thought about using a hard drive with an exernal housing to store some stuff on? I have some stuff on a hdd in an external housing. It's not usually connected, only if I want something or to store something. I have as little as possible on the system hdd.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #7 on:** February 05, 2008, 01:09:38 PM

We kind of do have a spare computer but it kind of doesn't work.

And yes I thought of getting an external harddrive.

Kor · **Reply #8 on:** February 05, 2008, 01:24:08 PM

You can either get an external hdd, or get a hard drive housing and use an internal hard drive. I did that, and my internal hdd is now an external hard drive.

Again good luck on your pc problems, those can be a huge hassle.

Chiletrek · **Reply #9 on:** February 05, 2008, 03:44:32 PM

Hello:
That's too bad to read, I hope you'll pc will get fixed very soon

. If you can get it back without reformatting it may be good for you so your files that are not in a backup can be safe, maybe you may re-install windows. And if that is not possible, maybe you'll have to format everything, but in that case, I hope you can get (borrowed perhaps)another pc, so you can copy your files there.
Well, I wish you good luck

Petrie. · **Reply #10 on:** February 05, 2008, 04:34:15 PM

EasyCleaner is fine provided you know what you're doing. I won't even touch the "Remove Duplicates" task because what just happened to you is very likely no matter how experienced the computer user. There's even a warning about using that task.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #11 on:** February 05, 2008, 04:50:24 PM

There was? Man I feel stupid now.

The missing file is entitled NTLDR.

Kor · **Reply #12 on:** February 05, 2008, 06:45:32 PM

Don't know if it will help any but I did a quick google on NTLDR and found a link entitled NTLDR is missing, hope it helps but no idea if it will or not.

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000465.htm

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #13 on:** February 05, 2008, 06:49:42 PM

You don't need a whole computer. If you've got a spare, format the spares hard drive and use it as a main to backup your data.
You could always look in CMOS, but the file is corrupted. Still, try getting the hard drive out of the spare and using that.

Installing an operating system on an external hard drive is not recommended. I wouldn't do it if I were you. Here are some other solutions:

get a ubutnu disk. You can download it for free off the ubutnu site. Then, you can pop it in and boot from it and backup your files.

Do the slave hard drive thingy

If you made a backup disk, use it to recover windows xp using the recovery console.

I have an admin tool I use to boot computers with missing or corrupted operating systems. I could send it to you in a zip archive and you can burn it and use it to recover your data. The admin recovery disk boots a very limited version of windows CE. You can use that to backup your data to a flash drive. It is bootable by CD.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #14 on:** February 05, 2008, 07:56:40 PM

Clint has successfully reinstalled the missing file on the computer, so it's working now. However the damage caused by EasyCleaner's "Delete Duplicates" is still in effect. Photoshop CS2 and Sony Vegas remain out-of-order, and I do not know what other files were effected. I hope that it's only these 2 programs.

Petrie. · **Reply #15 on:** February 05, 2008, 08:38:53 PM

Quote

There was? Man I feel stupid now.

There was, but I wouldn't feel stupid over it. It doesn't say "Don't Run This" just be careful when you do. Your computer is fixed and working.

This is what it says on my version:

DarkHououmon · **Reply #16 on:** February 05, 2008, 08:51:43 PM

Oh dear. I missed that.

Kor · **Reply #17 on:** February 05, 2008, 10:18:32 PM

You may have to reinstall certain programs. I hope you get everything fixed and back to working order.

DarkHououmon · **Reply #18 on:** February 06, 2008, 01:56:40 PM

Does anyone know how I can reclaim the file Config.NT?

Kor · **Reply #19 on:** February 06, 2008, 03:53:33 PM

Not sure if it will help but I found a page with steps at:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324767

Method 1 is long but I have copied method 2 here since it is short:

Method 2
1.   Click Start, click Run, type C:\windows\repair, and then click OK.
2.   Right-click the Autoexec.nt file, and then click Copy.
3.   Click Start, click Run, type %windir%\system32, and then click OK.
4.   In the System32 folder, press Ctrl + V to paste the Autoexec.nt file in this folder.