missing file vgaoem.fon on windows xp

:eek7: My son's computer all of a sudden won't work. It's missing the system file vgaoem.fon and says to put in the operating system set up disk and press "r" to repair it. My problem is that I can't open any disk, can't go into safe mode, can't do anything without that file. He installed windows xp recently while already having the ME of windows and it worked for awhile. I know how to remove ME, but can't even get into the computer to do it until I can somehow get into it to repair the corrupted or missing vgaoem.fon file. Is there a way to repair the file using dos? or is there a way for me to completely wipe out the hard drive and reinstall windows xp without getting into it????

Please help!!!

thanks

Do a system restore to the last time it was working.

Do a system restore to the last time it was working.

can't do that.... I can't get into the computer at all... just a message saying the file is missing, and to put in the original setup disk and type in "R" for repair.... I tried that, and I can't even run the disk. I can't get into windows, or safe mode or anything at all.
thanks... :(

On another PC, get a bootable version of Linux and run the XP CD from there.

<<<is just a mom... lol.... can you explain how to do that??? lol

Download from this link:
http://www.knopper.net/knoppix-mirrors/index-en.html

Open the .zip file, extract the .iso file. Burn to a blank CD using Nero or similar.

Put new bootable CD into broken PC, wait until the Linux operating system boots then insert the Win XP CD and run setup.

Let me know if you'd like more detail with any of those steps.
:)

correct me if I'm wrong but last I checked Knoppix or linux in general can mount NTFS partitions, but only as read only.

I've used the same recovery technique with damn small linux and it has worked fine. :)

With NTFS though? I mean correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not exactly the most up to date linux guru in the world.

Is there a way to repair the file using dos? or is there a way for me to completely wipe out the hard drive and reinstall windows xp without getting into it?
You might be able to boot into command line safe mode and copy the file. If you can't, you should try to boot off of a windows XP CD and do a repair.

There is of course a way for you to wipe out the hard drive and reinstall XP without booting into it. This is only if you don't care about loosing everything on that partition though. If you you've got the XP cd and you don't care, by all means just reinstall the OS. It never hurts to have a fresh installation.

Can't remember, was months ago. :(

Download from this link:
http://www.knopper.net/knoppix-mirrors/index-en.html

Open the .zip file, extract the .iso file. Burn to a blank CD using Nero or similar.

Put new bootable CD into broken PC, wait until the Linux operating system boots then insert the Win XP CD and run setup.

Let me know if you'd like more detail with any of those steps.
:)



Which file do i download?

can't do that.... I can't get into the computer at all... just a message saying the file is missing, and to put in the original setup disk and type in "R" for repair.... I tried that, and I can't even run the disk. I can't get into windows, or safe mode or anything at all.
thanks... :(


What I'm getting from that is that you cannot boot from the windows XP cd in order to access its repair option. In this case go into the bios and change the boot order to start off with the cdrom first then hdd.


Personally i would go with the option that my3rdskyline posted and use the automatic repair mode found on the XP cd and i would use the knoppix CD to back up all my files.

The automatic repair will repair and replace all system files with the original ones so make sure afterwards to use windows update and get the system back up to date.


Which file do i download?



here use this link, its from a US mirror so its close to you and its the english version:

ftp://mirror.cs.wisc.edu/pub/mirrors/linux/knoppix/KNOPPIX_V4.0.2CD-2005-09-23-EN.iso

What I'm getting from that is that you cannot boot from the windows XP cd in order to access its repair option. In this case go into the bios and change the boot order to start off with the cdrom first then hdd.


Personally i would go with the option that my3rdskyline posted and use the automatic repair mode found on the XP cd and i would use the knoppix CD to back up all my files.

The automatic repair will repair and replace all system files with the original ones so make sure afterwards to use windows update and get the system back up to date.






here use this link, its from a US mirror so its close to you and its the english version:

ftp://mirror.cs.wisc.edu/pub/mirrors/linux/knoppix/KNOPPIX_V4.0.2CD-2005-09-23-EN.iso


OK I downloaded the file now i burn it to a cd and then boot from it on the laptop? then What do I do? IS this going to format my hard drive