Hello,

I would be appreciative of anyone's consideration and/or response to this problem that I have unsuccessfully attempted to resolve myself. The closest I came was following these instructions here: http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_...Q_21234031.html and now I have a Compaq Armada M700 that reboots incessantly unless I use Bart's PE. After 3 weeks of reading forum posts, I decided to consult professionals and was informed that I have no operating system (it *WAS* Windows 2000 Professional), only a damaged partition. I used Bart's PE and a Windows XP CD (I cannot locate my CD, all I have is the serial no. sticker) and tried to copy various files from the X:I386 folder to no avail. I am completely ignorant regarding this field and have exhausted several pages worth of google searches. I would be very grateful for any suggestions that would not result in data loss. (I know that everything is still there thanks to Bart's PE - even if I can never use this computer again, perhaps someone could tell me the most efficient way to move its contents unto another computer.) Oh, BTW, nothing special precipitated this event. I used Evidence Eliminator on this computer for about a month, and one day I turned it on and it displayed the following error message (and would not boot):

Windows could not restart because the following file is missing or corrupt:

<windows root>\system 32\ntoskrnl.exe.

Please re-install a copy of the above file.

My fondest thanks to all readers/responders. I also want to take this opportunity to encourage all collaberators (on the project and otherwise) to continue sharing their knowledge. It's because of intelligent persons like you that a layman like me can use a search engine to find answers to most PC quirks before bothering anyone. Consequently, I'm proud to say that I haven't had to post anything like this in years.

Generically speaking, you can not mix files from one version of Windows with another version. Since BartPE must be built with at least Windows XP or newer... copying the files from it to your existing system will only make matters worse.

What you do want to do with a BartPE or similar disk.. is backup any files that you can possibly recover to another drive. Then you MUST have a Windows CD... either the one you legally own like your Win 2000 Pro CD... or you must purchase a new Full copy of XP Home or Pro CD. At that point you can reinstall Windows to your computer.

Trying to manually rebuild Windows in the manner it sounds like you are attempting would even be hard work for an expert. Usually they ( an expert or advanced user ) will perform a Repair install after recovering the files that can be recovered and repairing the drive/partition if it is repairable.

Its my recommendation that if anything on the system is important to recover... take it to an expert. If it isn't important... feel free to practice on it all you wish but its going to take a lot of learning first on your part to be successful with such advanced techniques as you are asking about.

Thank you for your thoughtful reflections and prompt reply! Your candor is refreshing and I intend to follow that suggestion by using Bart's PE (BPE) to backup files to a storage medium before performing a "write zeros reinstall" on the laptop. I don't know why I didn't consider this prospect before. I've never used software like BPE so I did not understand the memory specifics to realize that I could actually manipulate the data. Very simple and totally effective. Problem solved. As I remarked in my initial post, it's people like you that keep the world running, essentially, by openly sharing your expertise with humankind, not caring if you are compensated for it, or even if it may be practical (there is no one "right answer" as you know). You just do it anyway, proving that it doesn't take brawn to be a hero: you change the world by making a difference in it, one person at a time.

My sincerest gratitude and accolades for your eloquent analysis. I'll be making a donation now. I know it's not much, but I hope in some way it benefits you and the others here that invest their time in helping a stranger out.

I do hope you found my post somewhat helpful. You are very correct with the statement about there not being just one way to do something. I'm always amazed at the various methods the other users will present to a situation... I'm always learning something new myself when the others post their suggestions.

Good luck with whatever method you choose.

*Laughs* That animated icon is a testament to the ingenuity (and remarkable sense of humor) possessed by the contributors/moderators of this Board. However, I would like to take this opportunity to remind hilander999 that I am merely a person, neither better off nor worse than anyone else. I believe that we are all in the same boat in life. It has been my pleasure to meet another knowledgeable innovator.




Your post was instrumental in resolving my conflict. Thank you also for your well wishes and for reminding me that learning is a lifelong process---you said it best yourself, that wisdom is best attained through active participation. While others can be sometimes tactless in their communications, a constant stream of ideas is what propels and shapes information.

(Sorry, we don't get this much praise very often)

I guess I shouldn't mention that times that things got to me and I was tactless...

I guess it happens to us all at times.

That is one mistake that I have learned from. I think that it is a prevalent trend that many do not provide feedback unless a negative experience has occurred and the matter must be redressed. It has recently become my understanding that it is equally important to acknowledge positive contributions. There are a lot of good people in the world, contrary to the beliefs of pessimists. Although we all have days that are more vexing than others, leading us to sometimes take our blessings and each other for granted, I find that it is often a stranger that offers help when I least expect it that immediately refreshes my faith in humanity. I am a New York State resident. My answer hailed from Oklahoma. I did not expect this level of volunteerism and do not subscribe to the "that's what they're here for" ethic that is apparently popular because ignorant individuals visualize their neighbors as functions instead of flesh-and-blood people, their equals. Moreover, who wants to live in a society where one is always being told only when one is doing something wrong? If people aren't told when they're doing things right, how can they feel encouraged to continue doing it? It is a shame that few would ascribe you all the recognition and esteem you are so deserving of----without your activities, many novices would have malfunctioning PCs and/or clutter forums with the same redundant questions, or have to spend hundreds on a technician. Even after I researched, tried my own solutions and consulted specialists, the local perspectives involved were too complicated. Sometimes just the clarity and insight your comments present are what is invaluable. I want you all to know that there are so many whose lives you touch and we are appreciative----bravo and keep up the great work! Perhaps you were not aware of just how many of us there are since you likely do not hear from us frequently, because those with sound reasoning sensibilities usually peruse pages of your suggestions---and successfully implement them (your accuracy evidences your computing acumen)---before bothering anyone else. I may not understand what your instructions mean exactly, but that doesn't take away from the satisfaction I feel knowing that it worked! Day in, day out, you all have this effect on perhaps thousands of lurkers. Microsoft owes you all millions in commission fees...but this is another discussion.




We all have lapses in judgment. Mistakes are opportunities to learn. Anyone that truly valued you and your skillset would take the time to remember these facts before addressing your shortcomings in anger---just as you said, we all share this human flaw.

Luckily people and posts like yours come around. It helps remind us all what my main goal and vision of this project is.....simply to help people.

Sometimes after answering the same question over and over again we lose sight of that goal and let frustrations take over. I still wonder the mindset of some users that demand answers and support for a freeware project.

I am very happy to hear your problem has been resolved and that our team was able to help you.

Oh and BTW: How was the answer at expertsexchange?? When searching for answers for different problems I have almost always saw links to them. I've just always been too cheap to pay, and worried that I would waste money and not have the right answer. Have you ever used them in the past and are their answers any good??

I apologize for my delayed response. I did not anticipate hearing from anyone else, especially considering all of your contingencies---this project has flourished and I am certain that you are all just beginning. I feel honored by the level of support and thought-provoking commentary that my solicitation for help has initiated. This has been a rewarding interaction for me and just reading about the dynamic that each of you brings to the table is stimulating (not to mention entertaining, at times - it's grand to know that such intelligent persons *DO* have a good sense of humor and can appreciate having more fun with each other than it makes sense to be having - another stereotype defied---who says that those with a high degree of technical/analytical smarts have to have a dry/dour personality).

It is a fine thing to be greeted by one who has dedicated his life to benefitting global society through his efforts of team leadership. I know now that there are even more of you out there than I originally surmised. Better yet, SteelTrepid, your character is corroborated by your willingness to use "we" more than "I" and I can only imagine how this inspires those around you. I may not know much, but I think it is another common trait of humankind to 'lose sight of [the] goal'. It happens to us all at some point on a few hundred occasions, irrespective of our profession, hobbies or pursued interests. I say to you, never give those more ignorant than you the satisfaction of seeing a frown on your face. We all know how trying circumstances and coping with people can be. At the end of the day though, most cultures have their own way of acknowledging this maxim: "It's all in the wheel", "Karma", "What you give out is what you get back", "The Circle of Life" (LOL Lion King there, remember that?), et al. Sometimes it's simply best to remember that you have to give mercy in order to receive it. We've all said/done stupid things.

Regarding expertsexchange, I followed the suggestions exactly as posted at http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_...Q_21234031.html (scroll down the page, after it looks like you have to pay in order to view the solution---you don't, just keep going). I also went to this page http://65.24.134.81/KipSolutions/BootableCDrom/BartsPE.htm and this is how I discovered your amazing product. I was awed that it was freeware.

Hmmm, I just realized that the solution given by Experts Exchange cannot be accessed by that link. In short, I was told to download BartsPE (BPE) and use it to make an ISO image of the i386 directory from the OS CD. I was running Win 2000 on the Armada M700 but lost that disc, so I used the XP one to do this, being told that this was permissible since both OSs are Win NT (I remind you, I am not adequately educated to assess these statements, I am merely relating the advice I obtained). Next I was to load this BPE byproduct and type at the command prompt expand d:\i386\ntoskrnl.ex_ c:\windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe. This did not work for me. I copied every file I knew by using statements like expand x:\i386\*.exe [substitute various extension types here] c:\WINNT\system32\*.exe [substitute hard drive counterpart extension types here]. The culmination of these actions was that I reached the point where the laptop was continuously rebooting. Thinking that I was only 1-2 instructions off, I decided to consult with you all here to see if there was perhaps another 2 lines I was supposed to type.

Conclusively, before I contacted you all, the suggestions given by Experts Exchange was, by far, the most effective solution to this problem. I mused through pages of google searches and found other alternatives (e.g. using the Repair Utility, chkdsk function, modifying registry contents, replacing the boot.ini file, ad nauseam) futile. However, let it be said that hindsight is 20-20 and life is one martinet of a teacher---usually presenting the test before the lesson, as the maxims declare. This problem could have been obviated by my investment in storage media to begin with, for had I been diligent about backing up my precious files in compliance with the general rule of thumb, I would not have to do it now by accessing them from within the hard drive's own environment!

Everyone's definiton of "having fun" or being "normal" is different....that's half the fun of life!! While a project like this is supposed to be "professional", I think we have a very good mix. We provide good answers and try to have some fun at times too!! My definition of normal is much different than a lot of people. Some of the private discussions or comments made would probably scare some away.

But anyways. You mention of me saying "we" is a difficult one. For a little more than the first year of the project it was pretty much me. I won't discount the help and work others did, but back then I did most of the work on the releases myself. Others did contribute bits and pieces (and I always thanked them on the site) but for the most part I was in complete control. Now with our development team things have changed greatly. While I still control the final release, I have no clue about some additions or aspects of the project.
OK, what was my point again with all this boring stuff??? Nothing really. Just a story to explain that some pages of the site may still show mentions of "me." Only because "me" hasn't had the time to notice and update the reference. I spent a lot of time updating the site and trying to find all me and I references to change them. Mostly because I did not want to offend anyone in the development team! I am kind of anal like that and I guess your reference to it made me happy because someone else noticed that I do NOT want all of the credit. If the development team were not here, the project would not be as great as it is today!!

@megalithic

Playing "Catch up", WOW that was a lot to read. Oh, & one more...

It's really nice to get positive feedback from users such as yourself. Most people have no idea how many hours are put into developing a project like this one. I've only been with this project for less than a year but my contributions are mostly with complicated processes, the new layout & the main ubcd4win system core that is the backbone of the latest release. We don't do this for Fame or Money, so everything works out fine when we get neither. WE are all just trying to provide the best recovery CD around because we can.

I had sent a few hundred users here from 911 when they were having trouble getting pebuilder to "Play Nice" with the software they were trying to use. After getting some questions about certain plugins included in the download & not having the answers due to my lack of ever building a ubcd4win CD, I downloaded the current release & gave it a shot. I thought to myself.. "WOW this is cool!!", but why is "This" or "That" not working properly?? I examined the build closely & had many conversations with Ben (SteelTrepid) with suggestions & bug fixes & before long I became the "Development Team", which was odd because I was the only active member (must have a mouse in my pocket)so I began "Hinting" to other very experienced 911CD members & now we really do have a "Team".

The "Development Team" is really just getting started. Most of us have had some issues this summer & have pretty much taken a break & not done anything, but things should be moving forward shortly. Every member of the development team brings something unique to the table. None of what you will be seeing shortly could have been possible without the help of the ENTIRE "Team" & as you know... There is no "I" in team.

Any way, thanks for sharing your thoughts & the positive experience you have had with this project & if you have any more questions, please feel free to ask.

PS: Hang out, post just about anything you might want to talk about & you will be surprised what kind of discussions might get started. We have an "Off-Topic" section among others & the only real things that is off limits here at the forum is Warez & Porn, so lets get some new insights on anything that comes up.

SteelTrepid, perhaps what I appreciate the most about this project, from what details you have divulged regarding its inception and subsequent development is that it truly has taken on a life of its own and the side effects have been numerous but you all have maintained an open-mindedness that would serve most people well, should they choose to acknowledge it! Your activities have clearly given rise to a community in which members are valued for their input and you have defined several concepts by your own terms, unafraid that your society may not mirror those of the world---and I think this really enhances your creative aptitudes because often times, unconventional thinking is what fosters breakthroughs and entire revolutions. As you know, when you begin something, it grows and emerges---rapidly and forcefully pulsating through one continuum before suddenly veering off and shifting toward another direction entirely. Before you know it, you've arrived at a transient destination only long enough to realize that "this "thing" has become something different"! In your cases, you have learned to embrace change and this level of adaptability has caused you to succeed, even in the face of adversity (e.g. disagreements, competing priorities, schedule incompatibilities, problematic modules). These healthy attitudes will mean that you lend each other support when frustrations abound. There is a truism that states that friends are wonderful mathematicians: they divide sorrow and multiply joy. As you all know, just stepping back and taking a break, being silly and venting can be all that's needed to regain focus.

It is my opinion that although you were the originator of the project, the fact that you took the time to express your gratitude toward others, though you were doing the bulk of the work back then, was a primary determinant in increasing involvement. You know that motivation stems from personal satisfaction (as hilander999 remarked, you guys do it because you want to---it's not for money or fame) and the way you rewarded participation likely raised awareness for this cause. Moreover and more importantly, you were able to reliquish control and become more of a purveyor of talent---this is *THE* requisite for expansion. You were able to recognize talent, put your ego/pride aside and accept others for their natural talents---not caring if they appeared to be more remarkable than yourself in some areas. Counterproductive competition hinders and it is noteworthy that you all possess your individuality but simultaneously remember that none of you is as great as *all* of you.

hilander999 *guffawing* you have touched on admittedly my most dreadful habit, my garrulousness. I really must apologize---undoubtedly, I've cluttered this forum with my wordy posts, and furthermore, we are not really using this section appropriately---completely my fault! However, there are so many conversations that we could have just based upon only one statement that each of you has furnished. *laughs even harder about the animated worshipping icon* You really ought to stop doing that! Why, I don't even know about the complexities you all digest on a daily basis, like programming, peripherals, OSs, GUIs, etc.! Actually I must say that examining your older forums is titillating for me, akin to the excitement one experiences from accessing privileged information. Yes, we're all geeky in our own ways. I'm not in denial of even my unrefined attributes.

I know that I have written a lot already and I hope that someone will kindly inform me if I am selfishly prating---I do not mean to impose and any offense is unintentional, but I do feel compelled to reflect on some of your affirmations. (Perhaps you can suggest another board to continue since we have exhausted the ntoskrnl.exe issue.) I am riveted by the extent of your mutual engagements to give the world, not only a sophisticated yet user-friendly application, but also to do it for free. This ensures widespread distribution and illustrates that when one is doing something for honorable reasons, often the publicity and funding that comprise the primary basis of unscrupulous people's actions occur as repercussions. Your post, taken together with SteelTrepid's, demonstrates how you all compliment each other's personalities and use your own particular influences to shape the flow of the project. The biographic information was like a great movie: funny, touching at times, conflict-ridden but with a happy finale (except that this is not the end, it is the beginning, but hey memoirs and flashbacks are provisions in motion pictures too). Especially the way you discerned---and foremost helped others to realize---that you were a cohesive group (like in the Sandlot or Stephen King's It when someone said, 'I guess we're a club' and suddenly everyone had that clarity that often accompanies delayed recognition and after a pause they rang out in a chorus, 'Yeah, we are!' 'That's it!' 'Aaawwlll right!')

I thank you for your invitation to share my inquiries and suppositions---I do not take this gesture lightly after hearing about only a small fraction (I'm sure) of the negativity you all have encountered by ingrates who seek to benefit from your years of labor and firsthand research (at no financial cost to them, only to you since you all paid or scraped together resources to do this) and would vent their irritation at you just because they do not understand your fields---as if to suggest that you all may be responsible for their ignorance! It baffles the mind of reasonable persons! Certainly, it is not the object of our spotlight, however. You are all wonderful examples to behold, for you have shown me in a mere matter of days that if one devotes a fraction of his/her time to his/her interests, then one is living life the way it was intended to be lived.

@megalithic

Finally - someone who writes longer posts than me. I am in awe of your verbosity.

Without me having to parse everyone word and sentence, tell me - were you able to save your data, or are you still in that process?

DW

@DW
Errr... I'm assuming you're suddenly a big V for Vendetta fan...?