Total Weirdness

[chris_ah1]

Right, I've never really ever had to ask for tech advice or help in terms of trouble shooting problems but there's a first for everything. I'm utterly stumped.

a) I decide its time for a re-install for windows. I create a winlite iso with SP2 slipstreamed and all my drivers.

b) I install it and i get a weird problem - I can't install anything without doing 'run as' administrator. I reboot, the problem is fixed. However, I still can't install battlefield 2 due to a folder icon problem - WTF???

c) I go back to my faithful win XP CD. It detects windows and i install over it.

d) I boot up and all is fine - but wait - I have no ethernet (no slipstream), and all my drivers and apps and documents in a fat32 partition have disappeared. The partition appears as empty in windows.

e) I get panicked and boot up linux - find everything still there.

f) I copy the files from the borked partition to a network share and a fat32 partition i just created from a BSD.

g) I move the files from fat32 to an NTFS partition so I can continue moving files via the staging area.

h) I've moved over my drivers so install ethernet, sound, TV, and nvidia gpu.

i) I reformat the fat32 staging area and start again - move files over. Then boot up windows to move stuff again and wham bam my NTFS programmes partition moans and has tons of orphaned files.

j) Windows doesn't boot and just cycles back to the boot screen. all settings at stock for the install - no OC'ing.

k) I can't even re-install windows - blank screen when i try the CD again.

HD borked? GPU drivers messed? all whql drivers......I think i might need a new machine anyway :'(

everything extraneous removed, linux runs sweetly, all data is accessible. I don't have a clue why windows won't work.

 

[chris_ah1]

I forgot to say that the system still won't install windows once TV card and X-fi card were removed.

I guess tomorrow i can take one stick of ram out.

I don't have a spare GPU handy, but then again that can't be the problem as its running fine under linux with 3d acceleration? and it should at least sustain windows install process.

As for the HD - I guess i could replace it, but linux detects and sees everything fine even on ntfs partitions without any corruption.

Oh why oh why did I have to install XP with SP2 and get all these problems?

Although in all honesty I've never had such problems with re-installing windows.

Weird huh? Linux = sweet. Windows = blank screen and perpetual reboot.

I've even checked the partition table in linux and its fine - I even relabeled the disappeared drive and wrote it as fat32 so that windows could pick it up again.....but of course windows won't boot in any mode (safe or otherwise).

And i can't even re-install.

Funny thing is - that windows+SP2 died in the same way after i installed the nvidia whql drivers....same with windows without any service pack....only irony is now that the windows CD doesn't even do anything.

Can you tell i'm exasperated?

New machine or salvage?

 

[Alanore]

What about using Linux to wipe the Windows partions and clearing the old MBR. Then load windows the old fashion way?

 

[chris_ah1]

Hmmm, yes. I guess i could do that - I'll try it in the morning. I don't see why a current windows partition should mess up the install CD from showing anything when booting from it.

I'll delete my windows root and start again. once all my files are safe of course.

 

[boardy]

Why have linux installed aswell just out of complete curiosity?? I'd recommend backing all the files up onto DVD or CD's, Linux really isn't a good idea for storing files on a machine thats flakey anyway. I use linux everyday at work for some things and also at home for web design, but I have seperate machines for it, and have by changing 1 thing screwed them both up.

If you don't NEED Linux, I'd recommend getting rid tbh. Also if your running Fedora Core then for some reason it doesn't like you booting from CD. I had to screw up the partition by ghosting an image that wasn't ment for the system onto it. Only then could I boot from CD.

Linux does weird and wonderfull things.

 

[chris_ah1]

I have linux installed so that I can recover all my files from the partition that windows can't see.

It's a godsend for getting all my pics+music+work backed up to multiple remote locations. I'm not storing anything on the linux partitions - its all stored on intermediary fat32 partitions. My problems first started when windows lost the one fat32 partition with all my files+drivers randomly after a fresh windows install.

Usually at uni i do use linux+latex tho so its not sitting there for no reason.

 

[boardy]

Right ok, just checking You do know theres a much easier way to store files....second HDD in NTFS. Much easier when things go wrong, and also NTFS is MUCH more stable than FAT which could also be a problem.

Sorry if I sound sarcastic in there but it's hard not to when stating the obvious.

Boardy

 

[Psykotik]

I've personally just got a 10 Gb partition for Windows and then the rest of the disk for data, if Windows goes tits up then my data is fine and I just do a reinstall using an SP2 slipstrem disk. I prefer loading drivers myself as more often than not there are new ones anyway.

 

[chris_ah1]

boardy: yes, I do have a second external drive, but then again, what is the point of having 230GB of unused space on my system drive? I'm bound to store stuff and programmes on it and files i want readily.

yes psykotik - that's precisely what I had. 20GB windows partition, multiple linux ones, one NTFS programmes drive and one FAT32 shared partition with work+music+pics. I've been running like this on all my laptops+desktops for the past 5 years without a problem.

After installation windows lost sight of the fat32 partition and thought it was unallocated space which has never happened ever in all my re-installs of windows.........so that's when i turned to linux to take off the files and move them to samba shares.

I've now nuked the drive completely and we'll see how that re-install goes.

As for drivers, I did the slipstream disk a week ago so drivers were all fresh. But it seems that the latest nvidia WHQL drivers make it go belly up anyway, but I'll try again in a few minutes when this install is over.

I guess my HD could be the problem.....but then why does linux have no problems then? All the files open properly on a windows machine where they are now stored, and work fine in linux too with no corruption. I'm stumped.

 

[chris_ah1]

right, nvm. I totally nuked the drive and all seems well...for now. Damn - i really wanted a new comp.