Thread: Operating System error

What Should I Do If My Operating System Will Not Start?

A two-week vacation in Hawaii might be ready to move to the top of your priority list. But before you call your travel agent and pack up your swimsuit collection, you'll need to run some diagnostics. You might get lucky and be able to fix your problem so that you can get back to work (or perhaps we should say that getting back to work could be the unlucky outcome). An operating system that fails to start could be suffering from something as simple as a minor problem with Windows or as complex as a corrupted Registry. Here's what you need to do:

Try to return your system to an earlier state:
This solution will work only if your computer is Still booting up and you are using Windows XP. Windows XP provides a special feature that allows you to return it to a state it was in prior to its current state. If you installed some new software or hardware drivers recently, for example, your computer might be acting up. You can then use the Windows System Restore feature to restore your computer without losing any of your personal data.

• Use the Windows Setup CD that came with your PC: This is another important solution that can be used if you are running Windows XP. Your Windows XP Setup CD provides a repair option that can fix startup problems, problems with system files, and more. To use this feature, you'll need to boot from the Setup CD. After th~ Setup software starts, you will be given an option to select the repair feature. It is important that you select the repair option and not the option to reinstall Windows. The repair software feature will check your computer and try to fix the problems that it finds so that your computer can then boot up on its own.

• Try to fix a Registry boot problem: Your computer may be suffering from having a corrupted Registry. This is a problem that can be fixed, so you won't have to fully reinstall Windows. See the section that follows for advice on how to do this.

• Use the Windows Upgrade feature: This is another nice trick you can try if you are running Windows XP. You'll need to locate your Windows Setup CD (you didn't lose it, right?). boot from it, and run the Install! Upgrade option. This option will install Windows Xp. but it will treat the installation as an upgrade and therefore it will preserve your installed programs, data files, computer settings, and so on. Running this procedure is similar to using the repair option; it simply takes longer. It is a good fallback position if the repair procedure won't work for you.

• Perform a clean install of Windows: This is your last resort. If you've tried everything else and you still can't get your PC to boot, you'll need to use your Windows Setup CD and perform a clean install. The really bad news is that this procedure will reformat your hard drive and you'll lose all of your data and programs.