I followed the windows tutorial for this problem support.microsoft.com at no avail.

This problem occurred when I was installing the Service Pack 2 and it froze, so I reboot and got the error telling me

Start Windows Norm + Last Known Good Config. reboot and bring me back to this screen. All the Safe Mode choices run through a bunch of System32\Drivers files then I get the error saying that

So I followed the tutorial like I said in the beginning. I run through it all, except at the end the "quit" command doesn't work, and the cd-rom doesn't eject. So I use "exit" and eject the cd-rom after I reboot. Then it goes back to the same stupid screen about starting windows. Please is there a way to fix this without cleaning my harddrive and reinstalling windows? I did that 2 days ago because of a accidentaly messing up the boot file.

HELP PLEASE!!

Compaq 5WV280 (900 MHz, 128mb Memory)
Western Digital 160 GB hard drive
Windows XP Home Edition

Instead of pressing 'r' at the setup menu, i hit enter to proceed with the installation and repaired it through there. Well it fixed that problem, now I'm getting an error saying:

The article from Microsoft to fix it is here but I don't understand what to do.support.microsoft.com

What the MS document is saying is that normally your biosinfo error is caused by antivirus software and it tells you how to disable it so you can fix your system. Do you have Norton or another AV program installed? If so, is it the latest version that's compatible w/ SP2?

Because of the security changes w/ SP2, the AV companies had to come out w/ patches for their programs; if you haven't upgraded then it could be causing conflicts w/ your SP2 upgrade.

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Common Sense v2.0-Striving to make the world a little bit smarter.

I am using the Zone Alarm Security Suite, but how can I uninstall it if I can't get into Windows (even with Safe Mode).

I purchased a new nx5000 notebook at the end of February. Initially it came with 512MB of RAM and XP Pro then it was upgraded to 1.5GB of RAM. About three weeks ago the machine began:

-randomly indicating different RAM installations as it was trying to boot.

-the famous "ntfs.sys is missing or corrupt" massage

-crashing at odd times when in programs

-and then a 4mm vertical white line appeared on the screen in the centre, as near as damn it.

HP took the machine away to replace the screen (but maybe the problem was in memory, not the screen?)
They delivered it back 24 hours ago but the persistent "ntfs.sys missing message still comes on....And there are several error messages received when trying to reboot using the installation CD - and the very poor instructions etc with that is something to behold too!

So is it my RAM? But it all checks OK by me, and by HP in the post fix checks.

Is it maybe the way the SP2 installation was made?

NOw having read so much traffic on this site about these types of problems I wonder where to go next? Microsoft or maybe do what I had intended doing in the first place and getting an IBM...This sure seems to be a shared problem...

Perhaps you should try an FDISK /MBR either at the Safe Mode command prompt or via the Recovery Console. Theoritically it should repair any/all damaged boot files.

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Common Sense v2.0-Striving to make the world a little bit smarter.

Has the added RAM been removed and the "default" system tested? If it is the memory then you could possibly get a refund. You could try the Recovery Console or FDISK /MBR method, but I don't think it will help in this case.

SP2 could be causing the problems; are you able to remove it and see what happens w/ only SP1? I have a friend w/ an eMachines laptop that refuses to work properly w/ SP2, but it works fine w/ SP1.

On a personal note, I would recommend getting an IBM laptop vs. HP or Dell. Even though IBM sold their computer biz to Levenko (or whatever they're called), it's still one of the highest rated PC laptops available. HP and Dell are fighting for #1 so they're quality is going down as they have a price fight. Although, IMHO, I'd really recommend getting an Apple iBook or PowerBook, if you don't have a real reason to use Windows. And you could probably get the educational discount.

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Common Sense v2.0-Striving to make the world a little bit smarter.

Thank you for all the suggestions. As it happened one of the first things I did after the problems erupted was to remove the Kingston 1GB RAM and see if the intial RAM fit produced the problem - it did! Now the way this memory stiuff seemed to work was that the system would suggest all sorts of "new memory installed" and ask save, ignore or check. If you try anything other than "save" when the actually memory and suggested memory figures coincided (usually after about 5/6 times) I cannot get the system to function. But funnily enough even though it may suggest say 398K RAM as the new change when checking the system info in the BIOS that tell me it is 1.5G...Spurious huh?

I have also reflashed the BIOS update and scrupulously followed the instructions. In addition I have applied the fix advised in Microsoft 887675. So maybe I will be lucky???

It so happens that I moved from a Thinkpad into the HP nx5000. I had been eyeing off the T42 machine but my son(who knows everything hehehe) talked me out of it on a cost/capability basis. And my partner owns two MACs so I know enough about that story too.

My other concern is backup. With the Thinkpad I eventually ditched the IBM method and installed Retrospect. That software worked well for me on the three occasions that I had to reformat the harddisk. So I ahve it now on the HP. I also have just seen the altiris backup method that uses a snapshot parttiton system on the harddisk much like the old way OEM software was provided. All this of course is to suggest that the "simple" CD system supplied as oem by microsoft is very basic and almost useless - certainly not very helpful...