My Cd-rom Doesn't Work After I Used The Restore Cd

[rik]

veronica, is this the same issue you were working on in this thread? http://www.techzonez.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8526

[Big Booger]

Threads Merged.

[veronica]

veronica, is this the same issue you were working on in this thread? http://www.techzonez.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8526

Yes.
I do not understand the previous part.
Thanks for your replies.
Any more info will be greatly appreciated. Do I put the new install in a new partition or the same one. I want to gain access to my old files. I can not make copies of my files because my CD-ROM and CD-RW do not work.

[rik]

ok...lets back up a step. If you already used the restore disk then the first installation should be gone. That is if the disk worked correctly. That means all the data, everything would be gone...and that is if it's a true restore disk. I have only seen a "dual boot" situation happen if you used a retail, or different copy of the OS, and only if you put it in while at a Windows desktop and chose the "Setup" option. If not then maybe it just installed but hosed the boot.ini file, and is just listing a 2nd OS that isn't actually there. In either case your data may just be gone, gone. Now as for the cdrom drive...Roxio at times puts registry entries in that will hide the cd drive until they are removed...I'll have to get back to you when I find those to see if that is what happened. Until then just do this and it should cure the booting problem: go to START|RUN MSCONFIG click on the BOOT.INI tab, if there are 2 installs of the OS it should show 2 differing lines under the [operating systems] entry.

there is a button thee that reads "Check All Boot Paths". If you click on that it will diagnose any problems in the boot.ini file and should let you correct them. Plz let us know if this helps.

EDIT:
Here are examples of what you may see. The first shows the boot.ini file as it should look if you only have one copy of Windows installed. The 2nd shows what you would see if there are 2 copies...

This is a sample of a default Boot.ini file from a Windows XP Professional computer.
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

This is a sample of the above Boot.ini file after adding another partition running Windows 2000 Professional.
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(1)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

[veronica]

If you already used the restore disk then the first installation should be gone. That is if the disk worked correctly. That means all the data, everything would be gone...and that is if it's a true restore disk. I have only seen a "dual boot" situation happen if you used a retail, or different copy of the OS, and only if you put it in while at a Windows desktop and chose the "Setup" option. If not then maybe it just installed but hosed the boot.ini file, and is just listing a 2nd OS that isn't actually there. In either case your data may just be gone, gone.

When windows comes on, it asks me

which OS do I want to use.

The files where still there, but some of the

software was missing or corrupted.

When I used the restore CD, It asked if I wanted to install in a new partition

or the same partition or a 3rd choice [which I can't remember]. I picked the

3rd choice.

It is the restore CD that came with the computer. Thanks. Any new info will

be greatly appreciated.

It initially told me to put the restore CD in to 'repair it. It couldn't repair it.

Then it put a second OS on my PC. IT left my data, files, etc, intact. I

transfered them to the new OS. The 1st OS would not even boot up. IT said

a file was missing.

[cash_site]

I think the computer is getting more hosed... you might be better off, getting a bootdisk, formatting the computer and remove all partitions etc, then use your restore CD to install everything again on a clean HD.

Similar thing happened on a Dell Machine. Removed the HD from it and put in new Comp, then formatted and installed XP, but a loader was there saying 2 OS installed.

[veronica]

I think the computer is getting more hosed... you might be better off, getting a bootdisk, formatting the computer and remove all partitions etc, then use your restore CD to install everything again on a clean HD.

Similar thing happened on a Dell Machine. Removed the HD from it and put in new Comp, then formatted and installed XP, but a loader was there saying 2 OS installed.

I think I fixed it. I am not sure what I did. I used the

restore CD [again] when I turned it on. I may have used it to repair or write

over old files, I think on the 2nd OS. I can't remember. There were so many

options. It said my old files may be deleted. I think they are intact. I used

the 'Add new hardware wizard' and the 'Drivers' CD to add new drivers. It

brought back my sound and CD-ROM. My 'ROXIO EASY CD CREATOR' CD-RW

software is gone though. I am going to ask Gateway for the restore CD for it.

It was on the computer when I bought it. Thanks for the help everyone.