fixing a .dll error on a laptop

Chunks

Hi all,

Working on a friends laptop at the moment as it's not booting up due to a .dll file missing or corrupt.

My options are as follows.

1. Re-install windows but lose all of their files on the hard drive (not really an option)

2. Load up ubuntu in order to transfer files from the hard drive to an external storage source (this isn't working, there is an error reading from boot cd)

3. Take the hard drive out and put it in an external casing, remove all required files from HDD and put it back in the machine before re-installing windows.

As you can see options 1 & 2 aren't really an option for one reason or another. Option 3 seems to be my only other avenue but if there is a 4th option i'm overlooking could you let me know?

Thanks in advance fellow nerdlingers

bushy...

You could netboot it using another pc/laptop.
Boot Knoppix ( http://www.knoppix.org/ ) on the other pc ,
connect the two with a crossover cable or a switch ,
look through the knoppix menu for netboot
then set the faulty laptop to boot from network ( some bring up a menu if you hit f12)

Chunks

bushy... wrote: »

You could netboot it using another pc/laptop.
Boot Knoppix ( http://www.knoppix.org/ ) on the other pc ,
connect the two with a crossover cable or a switch ,
look through the knoppix menu for netboot
then set the faulty laptop to boot from network ( some bring up a menu if you hit f12)

netboot you say.... is that similar to a boot from the CD drive but to make the network boot before the HDD or CD drive? I'm not the greatest at networking.

unnameduser

does it say what .dll is missing? Can you boot to the installation CD and use the recovery console?

Chunks

unnameduser wrote: »

does it say what .dll is missing? Can you boot to the installation CD and use the recovery console?

Yeah it tells me which.dll is corrupt/missing. if i have any random copy of XP home would it work? Or would it start a full re-install (essentially formatting the hard drive) without asking?

RobbieMc

If you have windows XP on the laptiop, you could start the install from the windows CD and pick the repair windows feature. This will leave all data alone and fix the windows installation only.
I have used this many times with out loosing data.

On saying that if you do go done this road, I take no responsibility for any problems that may occur
Thats my disclaimer

No, all going well this will work.
Sure PM me if you want.

Rob

unnameduser

Yes any XP cd should do. If you are unsure of the recovery console commands have a look here: http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/recovery_console_cmds.mspx?mfr=true

Chunks

Right, i think i have a copy of XP home knocking about somewhere. I'll shtick her in and see if i can make repairs without a re-install.

Thanks for the advice guys

astrofool

A dll error usually points to a hard drive or registry error rather than that file being the problem, you''ll probably find that even replacing the file does not fix the problem. You may need to run a repair install of Windows instead.

But as said, try the recovery console method first, scandisk(think it might be chckdsk), fixboot and fixmbr might help.

Chunks

astrofool wrote: »

But as said, try the recovery console method first, scandisk(think it might be chckdsk), fixboot and fixmbr might help.

how do you run the recovery console? I'm not too familiar with this

astrofool

When you boot off the windows cd, one of the options is to access the recovery console, you then get asked which windows directory to use (usually there's only one) and then get asked the admin password.

You're then dropped to a command prompt where you can enter the commands above, or type "help" to find the full list of commands.

If I remember correctly, the option to repair windows (which does a reinstall over the current windows, replacing user accounts, and windows files, but does not touch programs/documents etc.) is after the recovery console.

Can anyone here confirm the order?