Computer Problem with XP home edition

Factual Questions
1

My computer came up with the blue screen of death yesterday and upon reboot decided to run a disk check. It found a file (cryptdll.dll) which it decided was broken and renamed it or something. Now the PC won’t boot with the error “lsass.exe can’t find cryptdll.dll”

I’ve tried booting in safe mode, but that didn’t work.

My XP “install disk” is really a different partion on my hard drive, so I can’t really just boot up on a floppy.

I tried to do a “system recovery”, but that didn’t fix the problem. System recovery is supposed to refresh the sytem files without affecting user files. It is just short of doing a format and reinstall.

I can download the Windows XP boot files from microsoft and see if I can replace the cryptdll.dll file, but is there anything else I can do?

Any help greatly appreciated.

2

Uh… how did that “addition” get in there…

I really meant edition. d’oh!

3

You can download a fresh copy of it here. If you can boot to a command prompt using F8, you can then copy if from floppy into your C:\windows\system folder.

4

Gotcha covered.

5

Thanks manhattan!

And thanks Q.E.D for the info on how to get the dll.

I did tried to boot with F8, but it didn’t work. I’m not sure why. I might not have timed it right, but I’ll give it another shot.

I have downloaded the boot files from microsoft and when I get home tonight I’ll give that a shot if the F8 thing doesn’t work.

6

With this post I will have posted 4 out of 6 posts in my own thread. Bad form? I don’t know… but my system is functioning again and maybe someone will find useful information in the resolution. So I’m going to post this.
I tried to use the boot disks I had made, but unfortunately the Program Files directory was not available (access denied). I have no idea how to change that permission, so I called HP.

The call went like this:

HP Rep: <asks for all the mundane stuff such as name, phone, address, etc.>

HP Rep: You purchased this system on April 10, 2002?

Me: Sounds about right

HP Rep: Did you purchase an extended warranty or did you have just the 1 year warranty?

Me: Just the 1 year warranty

HP Rep: What is the problem?

Me: I can’t access the Program Files directory when I use the boot disks. I get an “access denied” message. I tried to use the attrib command but that too gave me an “access denied” message.

HP Rep: You are out of the warranty period but for $30 I can try to help you. Of course, there is no guarantee I can help.

Me: This is a really simple question and I’m 17 days past the 1 year period. You really can’t help?

HP Rep: Hang on. <pause 2 minutes> I’ve talked with the supervisor and we’ve agreed to waive the $30 charge. You need to run the non-destructive system recovery.

Me: I ran that last night. I didn’t work.

HP Rep: Do you have additional hardware that you’ve installed since the computer was first purchased? Including printers, scanners and other peripherals?

Me: Yes. Some memory and other things.

HP Rep: Disconnect them all, including the memory, and try the system recovery again.

Me: Okay! Thanks for the tip. And thanks for going to bat for me and help me free of charge. That was great!

HP Rep: Glad we could help. Good luck.

<click>

I went and took out my extra memory, disconnted the printer and scanner and modem and tried to doing a system recovery.

No dice. The system still wouldn’t boot. Just as I was about to kick the stupid thing, I noticed the hard drive I had installed. I disconnected the hard drive and…

Tried the system recovery again and wahla! It worked!

So my system is up and running again.

Thanks again to Q.E.D for his help.

7

Did you read the HP manual? My friend has one of those 2002 HPs & she asked me to take a look at her computer (no boot from HD) & in the manual it states holding down the f10 key when turning on the computer, this causes the HP Restore to boot…Its a complete restore & thats the way to get to it. Took 20 minutes to get everything back.

8

handy -

I did knot about the f10 option, but there are two way to recover once there.

Non-Destructive system recovery is where the computer attempts to recover just the system, leaving data files in tact.

Full System Recovery wipes your hard drive and all your information is lost.

I had to disconnect my printer/scanner/modem/memory/hard drive in order for the non-desctuctive recovery to work. I don’t know what the full system recovery would have done with the perhipherals still connected.