Computer Wont Boot?!?!

[#tbone]

Hey Guys

I recently bought a new Dell XPS laptop and i was moving my files from the pc that i own to the laptop. When it came to a couple of games that i own, i was told that could just copy the game directory over and it would work. when io ran the game it errored and said it could not find a certian file in the register.

so then i was told to copy the registry keys over for the game and that would fix it. i was told to type regedit under start > run and go export the games registry file. then put it on the new computers by double clicking the reg file it makes when it exports.

well i did that and ran the game and it still errored. well i was going to give up, so i shutdown the laptop. when i came back and started it up it ran the dell splash screen and started to load windows XP pro but then errored to a blue screen saying that there is a "SYSTEM LICENCE VIOLATION".

It stays on that screen for around 3 seconds and then restarts. it then goes to the dell splash screen and then to an option that asked to:
Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode With Command Prompt
Last known Good Configuration
Start windows normally

i have tried all of them multiple times and the computer just restarts over and over. i have preformed the full system scan at the computer start up, started it without the battery, without the hard drive, without each ram cards, without the dvd drive, with both OS(xp home it came with and xp pro i updated it with) and before it can read the cd to ask to install/repair it gives me the error.

basically ive tried everything i know how to do. If anyone can help me with this problem i would greatly appreciate it. Thanks alot.

#tbone

[bentkey]

If you're getting a license violation error, you're not booting to the cd rom. Make sure your system bios settings are set to boot from cd first. It looks like you corrupted the registry and you'll have to do at least a repair install of xp professional.

[#tbone]

awesome man! i just called dell and that is exactly what they did for me. there is no more blue screen and it appears to be working but it has to reinstall/repair windows XP pro and when it restarted and was about to start to fix it a box cam up saying

Files needed

The file 'asms' on Windows XP Professional Service Pack 1 CD is needed.

Type the path where the file is located, and then click OK.

copy files from:
(drop down menu)

the only options the dropdown menu gives is

C: and E:\

the CD is in the drive and when i put d:\ in there it wont work.

do you know what and where i can find this file, the path name that i can put in there for it to work.

When i select cancel it creates a log that has like 10 different errors in it. if you need me to put those errors here let me know if it my help.
thanks for all the help dude.

#tbone

[Catweazle]

It's got me absolutely bewildered why you tried to "copy a game that you own" from one machine to another!

Grab the game CD, install it on the new machine, play the game. Rather straightforward and simple, I would have thought.

:/

[bentkey]

If your machine is working good enough to browse files, you can look and see what drive letter is attached to your cd drive now. Do you have an E: drive? Maybe that's where your cd is. I would try typing in E:\I386 . ASMS is really a folder in the I386 folder on the CD.

[#tbone]

Catsweazle: i would have done that but the cd is scrathed and useless so i was told this was the next thing to do. little did i know it would do all this crap. so im an idiot and wont do it again.

bentkey: sorry about that but i meant to mention that it does not have a browse option. so i went and put it in my other computer and found the file path , wrote it down, put the cd in the laptop and tried that file path, but it didnt work.

the path i tried is: D:\I386\ASMS

when i select cancle the first error it gives is:

" The D:\I386\NT5INF.CAT catalog file could not be found. THe error code is 1. This is a fatal error.

Incorrect Function"

then the next error says that the signature for Windows XP Pro Upgrade is invalid.

then the only other error that says anything says it could not register the OLE Control (file path).

anything now.....

#tbone

[Catweazle]

When you have a scratched game CD, the best way to deal with it is to identify and contact the local distributor for the particular game in your country of origin (not the Game's publisher).

You'll find that you can obtain replacement Cds, either for a small price or for postage cost only, so long as you can provide proof that you own the game. (Usually something like answering a question related to what's on the packaging.)

To identify the local distributor, try googling:

game publisher local distributor site:countrycode

providing the italicised information accordingly, of course.

[#tbone]

i did not know that and will try that now to get a new cd for the game, that is once i get my comuter to start up and get to the desktop. thanks for any help
#tbone

[bentkey]

Still, we have to know how the computer is reporting the cd drive's letter. Was there more than one partition on your hard drive before?

[#tbone]

i tried this: C:\I386 and it accpeted it but only just to go and search for that file and then to come up with message again. but when i select d: or e: it just sits there and highlights the text in the menu ready to replace it.

this is the text that i get the first time the box pops up.
GLOBALROOT\DEVICE\CDROM0\I386

i went back and restarted the computer, selected f12, and then selscted start from cd rom . then i selected to (as the dell guy told me too) install XP ( other option is to repair using the console thing), then it takes me to xp pro setup and offers to either selsect repai windows xp installation or to continue a fresh copy of windows xp without repairing.

i selected repair and then it copies all the files to the windows installation folders.
it restarts and continues with the set up but the first thing that it does it give me that files needed box.

i dont see anywhere where it list partitians.
i never messed with the partitions before it messed up. it was always d: drive.

thats what i did.
should i try to any of the other options?

#tbone

[#tbone]

also can i jsut reinstall the upgrade ie. XP pro without it deleting anyof my files? that is what i did the first time to upgrade my computer and it didnt delete anything. just wondering if it would just upgrade it again.

[bentkey]

If you do an install, it will delete the windows files and install a whole new version of windows. Your files won't be deleted unless you choose to format, but none of your applications will work afterword. The repair install you're been trying is in essence the upgrade install. One way you could get out of this, is if you have another PC you could put your drive into and copy the cd to a folder on your C:\drive. then run setup from there. I have had this problem before for various reasons. One of which was an adaptec cd driver that was in the windows folder from the original install, but would break the cd function during setup. The fix was to delete the driver file before running setup.

[#tbone]

i dont have another pc to tranfer the harddrive over. can i just reinstall the XP Pro upgrade cd? that wont erase any of my files right? it didnt the first time. i will have to reinstall any application i have put on there?
i would like to do that if it doesnt erase stuff.
thanks

#tbone

[Catweazle]

Here's how to do a 'Refresh Install' of Windows XP

In theory, it won't erase your 'stuff'.

But if the problems on your system are particularly bad, it also might not fix them, and if you've got encryption enabled on your files to 'protect' them, they will still be there after the install, but you won't be able o access them!

To be safe, before you go ahead with the procedure, right click on any folders you use to store your data files and choose 'Properties'. On the General tab, click the 'Advanced' button and make sure the 'Encrypt contents' box is not selected. On the 'Sharing' tab ensure the 'Make this folder private' box is not checked. When you've confirmed those settings, or changed them wherever you need to, go ahead with the refresh install by following the instructions in that article.

[#tbone]

i dont think you understand. everytime i start my computer it begins to finsish its repair that it was going but cannot fine the before mentioned file (asms), so i was wondering to get my computer to even get to the desktop if i could just reinstall XP Pro and the files and stuff would still be there. right now the only thing my computer does is ask for that file everytime it starts up.
basically my compuer does not have the registry problem because it does not give me the error anymore. it just needs that file and i dont know how to get it to it because it wont read the cd drive, so i just want to reinstall pro. can i do that?
thanks

[Catweazle]

Hi again.

I've just done some searching and found record of a few more instances of the exact same problem as you're experiencing. From the reports, it appears that your problem could be amongst the following:

Dirty CD
Scratched CD
Poorly burnt Cd
Malfunctioning CD drive.

I think you should contact Dell again, and have them work you through the problem ;)

[#tbone]

been on hold with dell for the last 45 minutes...........

Pick Up!! Pick Up!! Pick Up!! Pick Up!! Pick Up!!

[#tbone]

just keeping you informed

currently i have deleted the ntfs particion and am formatting a new one to reinstall xp pro. hopefully this will work and not erase everything i had on there. which right now would not make me that mad, i really just want the thing to turn on. cross your fingers.
#tbone

[Catweazle]

Just letting you know. If that NTFS partition is the one your information is stored on, then deleting the partition has already made everything on there disappear, which is why I never advised you to take that course of action.

Damn eh?

[#tbone]

i know it sucks for me and it is all gone but i needed the damn thing to work. i can get everything back it will just take a little bit of time. thanks for all the help. you guys know your stuff. ill be back here if i need anything esle.

#tbone