Comments for How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?

Comment from Mike Grandy on 2011-01-15

2011-01-16T00:02:05Z

Leo, I have HP Pavilion a800N computer (a few years old now) and my CD and DVD drives recently stopped working. My investigations revealed that the driver is either missing or corrupted. All attempts to fix this so far (using programs such as Driver Medic) have all been unsuccessful; message I get is that this is a system driver, and can't be downloaded from the net. I don't have the restoration CDs -- and couldn't use them if I did -- but I do have a D drive partition with system recovery files. Other than the CD/DVD drives my computer is operating normally. Can I access the D drive to just recover the driver(s) for the CD/DVD drives without impacting the rest of the computer? FYI, I have backed up all my data.

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A comment on: How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?

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Comment from annie hodges on 2010-10-02

2010-10-02T17:41:01Z

all i get is a blue screen. when i turn off and turn on it says windows failed to start it gives me the options of launch startup repair or start windows normally neither works what should i do

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A comment on: How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?

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Comment from fariez on 2009-03-25

2009-03-25T07:26:44Z

i'm using Acer Aspire 4925 and my partition D is missing..What should i do??

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A comment on: How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?

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Comment from Harishanker Singh on 2009-03-19

2009-03-19T07:15:04Z

i have pre installed windows xp sp2 but my windows
will be currept. when i login my wondows then system login again by again. i don't want loos my data and i don't want format my system and also i want edit registry tell me what can i do.

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A comment on: How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?

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Comment from Ronny on 2008-10-11

2008-10-11T13:22:04Z

Leo, you insist on OS CD. I have many clients who purchased Barnded systems both laptops & desktops. They came with the stickres (CD Keys) and I386 folder across the partition.
I agree with Randy's comment on October 8,2008. I dont know where Randy is from but I am in India

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A comment on: How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?

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Comment from Randy on 2008-10-08

2008-10-09T02:31:39Z

I do a lot of new computer setups for people and I have noticed that if a computer comes without the operating system on disks, it also has a recovery partition, and in the quick setup guides it mentions creating recovery cds or dvds with a program provided by the computer manufacturer. I usually run this program before doing anything else. I hope this helps users.

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A comment on: How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?

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Comment from joel on 2008-10-08

2008-10-08T10:47:56Z

if your computer was pre-installed and your manufacturer did not provide you with an installtion cd of windows [recovery disc] and something goes wrong like the case above then you dont need any installation cd to reinstall windows . the copy of windows is in hidden partition on the hard drive . to start reinstall windows from the hidden partition you need to type on the f11 [ it may be differnt from atoher version of windows ] key right when you start your computer and in few seconds you can get access to recovery options

That approach only works if the thing going wrong was not your hard disk failing. If the recovery information is on a hard disk that you can no longer access, you need an installation CD.

- Leo
08-Oct-2008

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A comment on: How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?

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Comment from Bernard on 2008-10-07

2008-10-07T21:41:24Z

Sorry meant 461 MB

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A comment on: How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?

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Comment from Bernard on 2008-10-07

2008-10-07T21:37:24Z

Leo,when you covered no installation disk supplied in the past didn't you say if you have the I386 folder(on my machine 461Kb)you could re-install winxp from that or did I misunderstand you
Kind regards Bp

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A comment on: How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?

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Comment from Alexander More on 2008-10-07

2008-10-07T20:00:04Z

Should we not, perhaps, all be lobbying our Congressmen, MPs, etc. to get it made a legal requirement for OEMs to supply installation disks with machines that have pre-installed Windows?

In my opinion more regulation and more government is not the answer. Consumer awareness translating into consumer demand is.

- Leo
08-Oct-2008

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A comment on: How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?

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Comment from Obiwan Computerguy on 2008-10-07

2008-10-07T16:37:55Z

"You should ALWAYS get the installation disks"?

Are you KIDDING? Have you TRIED buying a Toshiba laptop in the last 5 or 10 years? They NEVER come with installations disks. And I'm pretty darn sure that the last HP laptop I bought didn't have them either....

No, I'm not kidding. That's why I say insist on installation CDs or purchase your computers elsewhere. That's the only way companies will get the message.

- Leo
08-Oct-2008

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A comment on: How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?

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Comment from Carl R. Goodwin on 2008-10-07

2008-10-07T16:07:23Z

This is an excellent example of why you should NEVER store your personal stuff on the Windows drive. If the main drive crashed, you would still have your data saved on an external drive. Not to mention that the main drive doesn't get as fragmented as you add files to the external drive.

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A comment on: How do I recover a corrupt system file if my Windows was pre-installed?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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