Uninstalled the wrong thing.....can't fix it.(NOW FIXED)

aliasojo

Following on from a post I read regarding the removal of Windows Messenger.....

"To do that just open add/remove programs.
Then click on Add/Remove Windows Components
Then uncheck the tick Next to Windows Messenger and click Next
Then you're done. If you ever decide to change your mind just repeat the process but place a tick next to it."

I decided to do this but I did it the wrong way round. I only realised a second after starting the process that I'd unchecked everything else and left the check next to Messenger. (Very harrassed at the time & should have left it until later. )

Anyway, got my recovery disk out and clicked on the add optional windows components bit and checked the boxes I was supposed to, but it won't work. I get a 'can't find xyz file' screen and the process stops.

Even if I go through the pc and bring the install option up and point to the disk it still wont work.

If I let the 'install windows' process work and select upgrade....will that just reinstall the bits I want? Or will it reinstall everything? If I do this, what happens about all the updates I've done, will they be lost and I'll need to re-do?

aliasojo

Update: I can't even re-install/upgrade Windows because I get this:

An error ocurred copying file vaxscsi.sys to C:\$WIN-NT$-BT\VAXSCSI.sys

The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.

I tried to shut down most of the running processes via task manager but theres loads which throw up an 'access denied' message and so they wont close.

I think some of them are related to Norton so I'm uninstalling that to see if it makes any difference but other than doing that....I'm stuck. I have no idea what the other processes are but I'm assuming these are why windows can't upgrade or even just install the components I wanted?

Can anyone help me please?

GreenNotM

the closest thing to Winows messenger is Windows media player ...

what did you uninstall - is the first question ?

Are you running XP - if so SP1 or sp2 ?

Please stop the above actions - Do you know the adminstrator account's password for that PC

Is the PC still booting up okay ?

intel

If you re check everything they should all come back as those programs
are part of the XP shell pack and should just reappear.

Oh yeah and unticking Windows Messenger and clicking next wil
only remove it from the start list and easy start options..

You should keep it anyway as you need it for remote assistance.

aliasojo

First of...rechecking did not make them reappear. Rechecking meant I was asked for the windows disk but when I put it in the drive, I jusy got error screens saying the file couldn't be found (or accessed - I can't remember now). I could see the files that were needed and pointed to them but it still didn't help.

It's Windows XP Pro with Service Pack 2 btw.

I unchecked everything that was in the same menu screen as the Windows Messenger option and left Messenger checked. So I 'lost' Explorer and the Media Player amongst whatever else was in that menu section....games and network stuff too if I remember.

After rechecking didn't help, I tried to re-install windows but that failed too so I uinstalled Norton Systemworks and Norton Firewall. I then closed down the applications that were running in the system tray but this didn't help either as I still got the 'windows cannot access this file' message.

I then ran msconfig and started the pc with basic drivers/progs and then the install process started. So now it's in the middle of an upgrade and I've probably messed everything up bigstyle now.

Wish I'd left well alone.

Will I end up with 2 copies of xp? Will all my files and existing stuff be lost?

If my stuff is still there, I can copy to another drive or disks and then reformat the whole thing from scratch if that would be better. I've got a lot of work stuff I can't lose.

Well it's just got worse.......setup can't copy some files it needs and the process has halted. Now what?

T4i

aliasojo wrote:

First of...rechecking did not make them reappear. Rechecking meant I was asked for the windows disk but when I put it in the drive, I jusy got error screens saying the file couldn't be found (or accessed - I can't remember now). I could see the files that were needed and pointed to them but it still didn't help.

This should worrk though, when it asks your for your windows disk is it asking for a certain file to be located? You may have to click browse and find the file yourself.

aliasojo

I did T4i........yes it asked for a certain file and it couldn't seem to find it itself and browsing to it didn't work either.

I think it's too late now anyway. Pc is showing windows xp opening screen with a timer instead of a ponter and has been like that for 5 minutes.

Well and truely wrecked it now.

Not quite sure what to do. I assume I've lost eveything now and will have to go for a reformat?

T4i

Is your windows CD scratched? Can you try it in another cd drive?

If the add/remove would read the windows cd it will bring everything back..............


Strange!

What file is it asking for? a .cab?

aliasojo

No, disk's fine.

Can't even access windows now though anyway,it only boots to the window xp screen then hangs. Is there anyway to get to my files on the hard disk before reformat? Or will they be gone anyway because I tried to upgrade and re-install windows?

GreenNotM

Aliasojo

Did you try to boot to safe mode or a system restore point ? (Instead of manually trying to run in safe mode )
Is your CD XP with SP2 or did you apply SP2 to an earlier install of XP or XP Sp1 ?

If you install over your old windows directory you will have one copy of windows, unless you told XP to install in another directory ...

GreenNotM

Do not reformat