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Reinstalled windows - Now badly need help!

  • 30-09-2006 2:34pm
    #1
    Idoubtit
    Closed Accounts Posts: 54 ✭✭


    Ok so I had a serious hardware issue which led windows to do a physical memory dump. I looked up the STOP error message and it suggested I take out a couple of sticks of RAM and reinstall windows. So i used this guide

    http://pcworld.about.com/magazine/2109p156id111652.htm

    'How to reinstall windows without losing your data' Hmmmmm...
    So what I did is I just reinstalled windows in the same folder and all folders in the root of the c drive are still there with files in tact. The big problem was with my windows profile (I had nearly everything saved in my documents folder and cant get into this now!)

    So the guide says
    "Reopen Windows Explorer. Select your C: drive (you may have to click Show the contents of this folder). Right-click in the right pane and select New, Folder. Name the new folder oldstuff. In the left pane, choose the Documents and Settings folder. It should have subfolders for each user from the previous install, plus one for Temp and a few others. Move the folders for your previous user names to oldstuff.

    Select Start, Control Panel, User Accounts (Start, Settings, Control Panel, Users and Passwords in Windows 2000). Create an account for each user who was registered before the reinstall. Be sure to use the exact names. They are the same names as the folders you just moved to oldstuff (as shown in FIGURE 2). In Windows XP, at least one user must have administrator privileges.

    Log off and back on as each user, before logging back on as Temp. Make sure that you select Log Off and not Switch User at Windows XP's Log Off dialog box (this isn't an issue in Win 2000).

    Log on as Temp, select Start, Programs, Accessories, Command Prompt (in XP, Start, All Programs, Accessories, Command Prompt), type xcopy c:\oldstuff\*.* "c:\documents and settings" /s /h /r /c, and press Enter. Press a when asked if you want to overwrite a file. Log off Temp and log on to each restored account to make sure everyone's documents and data are where they belong. Log on as an administrator and run Control Panel's User Accounts applet again to remove the user Temp."

    but typing xcopy c:\oldstuff\*.* "c:\documents and settings" /s /h /r /c gives the message, copied 0 files!

    Basically I can "see" my old profile folder but cant get into it "access denied" error message comes up.

    Any ideas would be really appreciated! I badly need those files, cant believe I didn't back them up.

    Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    Idoubtit
    Closed Accounts Posts: 54 ✭✭Idoubtit


    Ok, I took over ownership of the folder by starting in safe mode. Now all I have to do is download the missing drivers etc. and figure out why most of the programmes aren't working. Great way to spend the weekend!


  • #3
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 93,567 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    sounds like your new windows doesn't recognise the settings of the old
    at this stage it doesn't really matter if that was caused by registry damage or by the reinstall

    two options
    A system restore in safe mode ( Kill or Cure ) start - programs - accessories - system tools - system restore , if there is one from before the crash then you might be able to go back in time, BUT it won't be cure all because you have overwritten some files and others may not be at the same patch level (hence kill or cure)
    B reinstall all the programs again, hopefully they will inherit their previous settings, if not put them in again, note microsoft office stands out as a badly behaved app if it's borked after the reinstall you'd have to remove it completely, the add/remove or setup options don't even come remotley close to a clean uninstal , then again maybe you will be lucky

    to speed up recovery in future
    when finished run ntbackup and take a copy of a) system state and b) system state and windows folder - for future reference
    a full backup isn't a bad idea either
    if you have XP home it's hidden on the CD somewhere


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