Beep.Sys Error:

Gadgetman496

I have a Beep.sys error on startup & believe it might be malware related.

On startup the machine boots to the windows XP login screen & displays the user accounts.

Once I choose to log on to any of the accounts it starts the logon procedure & briefly displays the desktop before imediatelly blue screening with the following Msg.

Beep.sys error:

Windows has shutdown to protect you system

This may be caused by a recent software or hardware change.

Yada, yada yada........

You may need to disable Caching Shadowing in the BIOS memory options.


The same thing happens no matter what user account I attempt to log into.

It also happens if I try to go into Safe Mode.

I can boot from the OS Disc & get to the command prompt but that's about it.

Any ideas as to what I can try now?


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R3al

Have you recently made any changes to your PC i.e. added hardware, upgraded memory, installed software, patches or service packs?

Gadgetman496

It's not my own PC but my understanding is that the owner was attempting to run some kind of software puzzle game thingy he had just downloaded from the net when the machine threw a hissy fit.

Hence my thinking it is more than likely some sort of malware/virus.

That's the only known change to the system & I have no idea what the site or software names were.

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Jonathan

Boot into the recovery cd and repair the installation?

dubfir

Try copying beep.sys onto floppy drive on a pc running xp and copy it from c:\windows\system32\drivers\ Then try boot into safe mode with command prompt.
Cd windows
cd sytem32
cd to drivers

Rename beep.sys to beep.broke or whatever then copy from floppy drive to replace beep.sys (Copy a:\beep.sys c:\windows\system32\drivers\)


.............hopefully pc has floppy drive, good luck.

Gadgetman496

dubfir wrote: »

Try copying beep.sys onto floppy drive on a pc running xp and copy it from c:\windows\system32\drivers\ Then try boot into safe mode with command prompt.
Cd windows
cd sytem32
cd to drivers

Rename beep.sys to beep.broke or whatever then copy from floppy drive to replace beep.sys (Copy a:\beep.sys c:\windows\system32\drivers\)


.............hopefully pc has floppy drive, good luck.

Well the PC did have a floppy drive & that was indeed almost the perfect solution.

9 out of 10 dubfir.

Safe Mode was not an option as it too led to an instant blue screen.

So to access the command prompt you need to boot from a XP installation CD & choose the "R" repair option which will take you to the command prompt.

Once at the command prompt the procedure is as dubfir described.

cd windows
cd sytem32
cd drivers

Rename beep.sys to beep.old (or whatever) using the following line:

ren beep.sys beep.old (Note the spaces)

Restart the machine

No blue screen & you have full autonomy over the PC so you can then replace the beep.sys anyway you want.


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dubfir

Glad it worked..... maybe would have worked from cd drive but not sure if pcs cd/dvd drive is available b4 it has booted.

Gadgetman496

dubfir wrote: »

Glad it worked..... maybe would have worked from cd drive but not sure if pcs cd/dvd drive is available b4 it has booted.

Not sure what you mean, remember that the only way to the command prompt in this case was through using the boot from OS disc method & that was using the CD drive

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dubfir

Sorry confusing myself....... was thinking you got there from safe mode command prompt

Gadgetman496

dubfir wrote: »

Sorry confusing myself....... was thinking you got there from safe mode command prompt

No worries.

Easy happen

Aside from the bit of confusion though, wasn't it a very simple fix in the end?

I was sure I would have to re-install & was not looking forward to that.

The install itself is no bother, it's the programs & configuring that come after that takes all the time.

Anyway, all is well now

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halbatross

Hi, I have the exact same problem but don't have a working XP CD. Anyone know how to solve it?

Gadgetman496

Surely you know someone with a CD?

Anyone who bought a Dell in the last five years more than likely got one with their system.

Family, friends, neighbour, work colleagues?

I wonder if you could download a Ubuntu Live CD on another machine & boot from that, you might be able to navigate to the Beep.sys file that way?

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halbatross

Actually safe mode command line worked. Thanks anyway.