Re: system restor not working!!!

Dear Bert,

Thanks for the link. Very useful... BUT, Mark's first crucial step is to
"copy the contents of your Windows XP CD 1 and 2", and I don't have anything
at all resembling the contents of CD 2 (i.e. that allusive "Cmpnents" folder).

I have a licence for MCE, but I don't have the installation disks. That is
the problem.

By the time I find a solution, I will probably be ready to go out and buy
myself a nice set of brand new Vista disks.

Regards

AllanF

"Bert Kinney" wrote:


"AllanF" wrote
Dear Bert,

Thanks for your continuing interest.

I'm in Australia, hence the 12 (or so) hour delays in correspondence. I'm
presuming you're on the other side of the world.

Yes, east coast of the US.

The model of my computer is Toshiba Qosmio G20, a Media Center Edition
Laptop. An equivalent model in US is the Qosmio G25 AV(?)

Unlike HPs, there are no hard-drive partions containing the installation
files.

All I have is a disk labelled "Product Recovery DVD-Rom; Toshiba Qosmio
G20". When this disk is inserted, a dialogue box appears with two options:

1. "Install applications and drivers" - which allows me to select items from
a list of the pre-installed "crapware" (I believe it is called) for
re-installation purposes. The operating system is not in the list.

2. "Restore the original default system install" - which reformats the
hard-drives and restores that Ghost Image of a two-year old factory
hard-drive replete with all the crapware including Norton Antivirus 2005, and
"crap-settings". Simple and effective.

There are no other options... no "Repair", no nothing.

I began my journey with Symantec, in the hope that I may be able to store a
computer image of my own making - with my own software and settings. The
twists and turns, the unexpected terrors, the unending quest for answers... I
feel like Frodo in Lord of the Rings. Is this a piece of software for
home-users like mum and dad, or a powerful curse intent on bringing a quiet
and comfortable lifestyle to a sad end?

Pre-installed, the C drive does have an "i386" directory which I have used
to create a "proper" installation disk. But missing from this directory is
the vital "Cmpnents" (sic) directory which contains the Media Center
installation files. So, all I end up with is an installation of Windows XP
Pro sans MCE.

I'm a little bit annoyed that I went to the trouble to figure out how to
slipstream (... I'm not sure if this is the correct term to use when
integrating not only service packs, but updates, applications, drivers, etc
into an installation source), only to discover that the required MCE
directories have not been provided.

This may help in creating a slipstream of MCE.
Mark's MCE Blog - Creating DVD Install Media and Slipstreaming SP2 Media Center
http://www.salloway.org.uk/mceblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=baae689c-957d-49d0-a88c-1d0a411171b3

Both Toshiba's and Microsoft's Customer Support say, "Sorry, can't help.
Thanks for calling, and have a nice day."

Feeling somewhat knobbled,

--
Regards,
Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
http://bertk.mvps.org
Member: http://dts-l.org


"Bert Kinney" wrote:


"AllanF" wrote
Dear Bert,

Thanks for your reply, and links.

One of your links suggests that the Norton Removal Tool can disable
the
Microsoft Update process, thereby, further degrading a computer's
security.

Is there a comprehensive list of the manifold ways that Norton
destroys the
proper functioning of one's computer?

It may be worth doing performing a repair install after removal process
just to get rid of it all.

As for slipstreaming an installation source with service packs, updates,
etc; I would certainly be satisfied if that were possible, but, I feel a
little bit miffed because the manufacturer of my Media Center computer
and/or M$ have decided to provide nothing more than a hard-drive image for
the purposes of re-installing the OS. (That image happens to have been
created by a much earlier version of Norton Ghost.) I understand that
slipstreaming requires proper installation disks.

The computer manufacturer is responsible for providing the OS.

Is this a Dell?

Thanks again,

AllanF

--
Regards,
Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
http://bertk.mvps.org
Member: http://dts-l.org



"Bert Kinney" wrote:

Norton strikes again!!!

Here's some information on fully removing Norton crapware.

Symantec Removal
http://basconotw.mvps.org/SymRem.htm

And

How to use AutoStreamer to Slipstream Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/using_autostreamer/using_autostreamer.shtml

--
Regards,
Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
http://bertk.mvps.org
Member: http://dts-l.org

"AllanF" wrote
Hello Bert,

I feel elated!

Here was I fuming at MS. I have been plagued by bugs. Norton Antivirus
2005
came preinstalled with my MCE. When the subscription expired after 30
days, I
purchased a package - Norton System(Doesn't)Works Premier and Internet
Security 2006. These programmes were installed to provide safety and
protection to my system. It was then that I came to notice a heap of
undesirable flaws like System Restore failing when it was needed.

Norton Ghost (part of SystemWorks Premier) refuses to write its recovery
images to my DVD drive, and seems to render the drive useless with "D:\
is
not accessible. Incorrect function." It's a long saga, but Norton
support
have thrown at me, every destructive "work around" in their arsonal.
Every
suggestion - from changing drive letters to purchasing more software and
hardware - has proven to be more insidious than the most virulent of
vruses.

Pleeasssee. I am a humble consumer with no Operating Sytem Discs,
just a disc containing an OEM's image of a factory hard drive created
almost two years ago. I have sixty-eight windows updates to make every
time I re-install this image. I also have a dozen or so Office patches,
and countless other applications to install, not to mention the hours
spent
resetting my Personal Preferences... only to repeat the process when
another
glitch hits the system.

I want to make an image of my hard-drive in its up-to-date, functional
and happy guise, or at least be able to slipstream the patches and
programmes into my own installation disks. Please.

Norton GoBack was a total disaster. After Norton WinDoctor left half
my applications non-functional. I tried to GoBack to a restore point 20
minutes earlier. My poor laptop steamed away for eight hours. Yes!
Eight hours, during which time, Norton support insisted I not interrupt
the process. They also informed me that GoBack is not compatible with
my RAID-0 configuration. Well... a bit late. Uninstalling GoBack,
firstly
required it to be disabled. I discovered that this disablement required
my computer
to steam away at full capacity, locked in the GoBack interface, for
another eight
hours. Yes! ANOTHER EIGHT HOURS!

Currently, I suspect a virus or trojan has simply wandered through
Norton
Personal Firewall onto my sytem, because an insistent pop-up keeps
informing me that an unidentified programme wishes to connect to [My
Computer's Name] via the internet. Norton's scans and logs show that it
is
totally oblivious to this.

To top this off, Media Center's Live TV "hangs" my entire system
everytime I switch to one particular high-definition channel. I've had
the
laptop's monitor pop to black, and I've had a screaming BEEEEEP.
I've had it all. And I've paid more than the dollar premium to buy this
Media
Center Laptop.

Now you have provided me with the information that it is Norton who
is responsible for the aggravating failure of Sytem Restore.

I am over the moon! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Regards,
AllanF


"Bert Kinney" wrote:

Hi Phil,

I assume you are logged on as an administrator.

Try running System Restore from Safe Mode.
Restart your computer, and then press F8 during the initial
startup to start your computer in Safe Mode.

Log on to your computer with an administrator account or with an
account that has administrator credentials.
In Safe Mode type or paste the following command in the Start -
Run box then press Enter.

%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

There are also other possibilities that can cause this to happen.
The following pages have some troubleshooting steps to take.

Troubleshooting steps to take when System Restore fails to restore:
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/srfail.html

How to Disable and Enable System Restore
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/disablesr.html

Here are some tips on keeping System Restore Healthy and hopefully
keep the restore points from becoming corrupted in the future.
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/healthy.htm

--
Regards,
Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
http://bertk.mvps.org
Member: http://dts-l.org


"phil brown" wrote
hi i have resently built my new computer it has had its first
hickup though.
the system restore does not work i am using xp home sp2 fully
updated
ect. but when i go to click on anything to do with system
restore it says
"system restore is unavalible at this time please restart and
try again." so i
do but nothing i check to make sure its on yep its on then i
click the box to
try and restart it i click turn off system restor same message
system restore is
unavalible restart and try again." so i do nothin. can you guys
help me please.



.

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