System crashed after running CCleaner - Help!

[Ram Eddy]

I have a dell dimension 8100 running XP home edition. I recently used ccleaner to "clean" out my registry and delete duplicate files. The next time I logged in, I clicked on my user account and I would see my desk top for a second then it would automatically log me out.

 

Next, I tried to boot off my disk drive using the original XP disk but it doesn't do anything. I tried changing and playing with the order of booting in the setup mode and that doesn't work. I tried going to safe mode and I can't get the command prompt to come up; it just goes to the window login screen. I also tried " return to previous state that worked" and nothing happened.

 

Also, when I boot it says that the Primary disk drive 1 does not exist. When I go to the setup screen, it appears that Primary disk 0 is my hard drive (because I have this option set to auto and it acknowledges it) So I tried changing the settings for Primary disk 1 to auto, user 1 and some of the different sizes.

 

Please help!!! I have pictures of my kids on the hard drive and my wife will slap the snot out of me if I lose them! Thanks

[lokoike]

Well, as far as getting the pictures back (and abstaining from receiving the snotless slappings of your wife as well), I would recommend resorting to DOS for long enough to make a backup. Hopefully, your computer has a floppy drive. Assuming it does, I also hope that you have access to a Win98 or ME or XP startup floppy. If you don't, try to find someone who does.

 

You can put one of these in you computer and then turn it on; make sure that your computer is set to boot from the floppy first! After the floppy has loaded, you should be presented with a command prompt, which I assume you are somewhat familiar with.

 

You'll have to find the directory which contains your pictures, and copy them onto floppies, unless you have a second hard drive you can quick hook up and transfer stuff to. Quite a nuisance, but if you must format your primary hard disk, you don't have too many other options.

 

Assuming your pictures are located in My Pictures, you'll need to navigate to that by going under C:\ Documents and Settings\ Whatever your user name happens to be\ My Documents\ My Pictures . You must type "cd" (no quotes) followed by a space, and the name of the folder you are going into (cd stands for change directory). If you can't remember the names of the pictures you want to copy, you can display the names and some basic file information by going into the directory of your choice and typing "dir" (no quotes).

 

I doubt CCleaner did this; but it does sound like your Windows is toast. But please clarify something: did you make it to the login screen of Safe Mode? If you don't know how to go into Safe Mode, that is easy enough, and would make the file copying process much faster and easier. All you need to do is hit F8 over and over (hit it a couple times a second) as soon as the computer starts booting. This will give you a screen that lets you enter into Safe Mode, Command Prompt, Last Good Config, etc.

[Glenn]

??? "... used ccleaner to "clean" out my registry and delete duplicate files ..."

 

Am I missing something? Where is that in CCleaner?

[lokoike]

He probably just meant cleaning out logs and temp files. I don't see anything about duplicate files in CCleaner, or duplicate reg entries for that matter.

[Glenn]

Or did he run another app? I vaguely recall something about another cleaner app that has a Delete duplicate files which can really trash a computer by deleting the "duplicate" files required for individual user accounts.

[lokoike]

O dear! That sounds like a pretty safe bet. Regardless, it sounds like his computer isn't doing so hot right now. I guess whether or not he can get into Safe Mode is the most important thing to find out. If he can't, and has transfer everything via DOS, that is gonna suck! You can fit maybe 2 pictures per floppy, if you're lucky!

[krit86lr]

I have a dell dimension 8100 running XP home edition. I recently used ccleaner to "clean" out my registry and delete duplicate files. The next time I logged in, I clicked on my user account and I would see my desk top for a second then it would automatically log me out.

 

Next, I tried to boot off my disk drive using the original XP disk but it doesn't do anything. I tried changing and playing with the order of booting in the setup mode and that doesn't work. I tried going to safe mode and I can't get the command prompt to come up; it just goes to the window login screen. I also tried " return to previous state that worked" and nothing happened.

 

Also, when I boot it says that the Primary disk drive 1 does not exist. When I go to the setup screen, it appears that Primary disk 0 is my hard drive (because I have this option set to auto and it acknowledges it) So I tried changing the settings for Primary disk 1 to auto, user 1 and some of the different sizes.

 

Please help!!! I have pictures of my kids on the hard drive and my wife will slap the snot out of me if I lose them! Thanks

 

 

I feel your pain. I was there not too long ago. Lokoike mentioned a startup floppy disk, and I agree with him. Microsoft's website has 2 options that I know of, but you'll need to look around to find them. You can download a boot disk that will reinstall your D drive so that you can continue with CD's. In addition, you can download setup disks (it requires 6 for XP) that might get you going.

 

Why can't you boot in safe mode? Restart your computer, and immediately begin pressing F8 over and over until the Command Prompt appears (hit F8 ~1X every second or so).

 

Keep us posted. Don't give up until you've tried absolutely everything. That reminds me... I had the same problem with "return to previous state that worked", it didn't work for me either. Are there any system restore points that you could use, or did that not work either (it didn't work for me).

 

Good Luck!! Sorry

K