Windows XP SP2 blue screen

[Maljonic]

A guy I work for who's disabled and unable to speak has broken his computer again, think I may have mentioned him before. Usually I have to guess what he's done because he can't tell me and figure out a way to fix it, usually means restoring files from the trash or restoring his computer, but this time I'm not sure what to do because I can't get it to come on in the first place.

It gets just past the windows loading screen with the animated line then stops on a blue screen saying it can't continue because the file GDI32.dll is missing. I can't get it to start in safe mode and I can't put his hard drive in my computer to try and restore the file because it's a SATA drive and wont fit.

Any suggestions?

 

[xane]

A guy I work for who's disabled and unable to speak has broken his computer again, think I may have mentioned him before. Usually I have to guess what he's done because he can't tell me and figure out a way to fix it, usually means restoring files from the trash or restoring his computer, but this time I'm not sure what to do because I can't get it to come on in the first place.

It gets just past the windows loading screen with the animated line then stops on a blue screen saying it can't continue because the file GDI32.dll is missing. I can't get it to start in safe mode and I can't put his hard drive in my computer to try and restore the file because it's a SATA drive and wont fit.

Any suggestions?

Do a Windows Repair (Reinstall but it doesn't lose installed programs or files), make sure you get the Licence Code ready, and up-to-date SP2 install CD, or failing that, the SP1a and SP2 on CDs.

I did this the other day and XP wouldn't recognise the CD Drive, I had to temporarily replace it to continue the install

 

[Maljonic]

Thanks, I'll give it a try. For some reason I forgot you can just repair instead of install when you put the CD in, it's been ages since I've had to do anything like that.

 

[wyrd_fish]

it's an almost monthly chore for me

 

[Maljonic]

I haven't had to reinstall XP on my home computer for nearly 2 years. I fact I usually try and buy a new computer every 2 years so this will be the first time I've had the same install of the OS from start to finish if nothing goes wrong for a few more months.

 

[xane]

I know you wont be doing this here, but if you can, I'd strongly recommend doing a full-disk backup (like Ghost) before any repair, my sanity has been saved on more than one occasion by doing this. The Repair sequence is not that stable and if you do have an interruption at an unfortunate point it will refuse to continue the Repair and insist on a new Install.

Saying that, the Repair I did with the dud CD Drive was happy to continue even after several restarts.

 

[xane]

One last comment, the first thing you should do after an install and before you start patching, is to run anti-spyware or something like HiJackThis, just to check it was not a nasty trojan or Sony CD that screwed it up in the first place.

 

[PLightstar]

I haven't had to reinstall XP on my home computer for nearly 2 years. I fact I usually try and buy a new computer every 2 years so this will be the first time I've had the same install of the OS from start to finish if nothing goes wrong for a few more months.

I shouldn't say that if I were you, think you have just jinxed yourself, never say things like that around a windows platform, its all downhill from here.

Anyway a repair install should work, but I have always had to start from stratch as a repair install just won't cut it.

 

[inactionman]

Ouch, GDI32.dll is the Graphical Display Interface, so you won't even be able to start it in safe mode, something's gone seriously wrong there!

I'd say you are probably best off doing a complete reinstall, possibly with a through scan of the disk using the tools provided by the manufacturer beforehand.

Could have been spyware that caused it, could be a standard windows fuck up, could be the hard-drive is on the way out!

 

[smurkin]

funny thing...I had the same file problems a few years ago - iirc, I replaced the broken file with one from the install disk using dos. It might be just a disk error thats broken the file. I can't see how you can delete this file manually if it is already in use.

Whatever, how do you repair windows from the install disk? - I wanted to try this recently but it came back with an intimidatory warning about the current version being more up-to-date than the one on the CD

 

[xane]

Whatever, how do you repair windows from the install disk? - I wanted to try this recently but it came back with an intimidatory warning about the current version being more up-to-date than the one on the CD

Normally, you force a boot from the CD and continue as if you were going to install, you don't use the "Recovery Console" from the first "menu", Windows will then scan the HDD for existing installations and if it finds any it will prompt to Repair them, it is a bit scary as it looks exactly like an original installation, but be assured that it will keep programs, files and settings.

Are you sure you were not using an "upgrade" CD or asked for an "upgrade" instead of a repair/reinstall ?

AFAIK, if you use an out of date CD then Windows may ask for files from the SP1a or SP2 CD along the way, in fact, it is a good idea to copy the Windows CD and SP1a and SP2 to the HDD and use them.

The GDI32.DLL file error reminds me of a similar problem, which was actually a corruption of the Fonts folder.

 

[Maljonic]

Well I did it eventually, took ages. It's a Dell computer with no mouse and keyboard ports, just USB, and I didn't bring his mouse and keyboard with me so I had to drive back across town to his house and do it there.

I had to fully install windows because it kept asking for a file from the windows xp sp 2 disk, which is what I had in the drive, and I couldn't get around it. I installed it on a different partition than the original installation and it went very very slowly, like twice as slow as normal. I was there 3 hours before I had it finished so he could go on the internet again, firewall and anti virus installed.

I think I might have to do it again when I go on Wednesday, seems Hellish slow now.

 

[smurkin]

Normally, you force a boot from the CD and continue as if you were going to install, you don't use the "Recovery Console" from the first "menu", Windows will then scan the HDD for existing installations and if it finds any it will prompt to Repair them, it is a bit scary as it looks exactly like an original installation, but be assured that it will keep programs, files and settings.

Are you sure you were not using an "upgrade" CD or asked for an "upgrade" instead of a repair/reinstall ?

AFAIK, if you use an out of date CD then Windows may ask for files from the SP1a or SP2 CD along the way, in fact, it is a good idea to copy the Windows CD and SP1a and SP2 to the HDD and use them.

The GDI32.DLL file error reminds me of a similar problem, which was actually a corruption of the Fonts folder.

Its good to know that the programs will be saved. The version I have is an XP pro SP1 full install. I might have to revisit this problem again soon, so I'll post if I get cold feet