system restore is not working

[proboscis]

I can start and run system restore when I'm in safe mode, then my computer restarts but it just goes back to the screen that says "Windows has not started successfully...

So I start in safe mode again and a screen comes up that says my system has been successfully restored but it won't let me out of safe mode, it just wants me to run system restore again or continue in safe mode, and if I restart I get the "Windows has not started successfully... screen again.

help me

Thanks!

[bill]

Do you have another system restore point you could try?

[proboscis]

I tried several going back to July 1st, should I try a few more even further back?

Thanks

[bill]

You're having this problem with multiple restore points?

And just to be clear, what version of Windows are you working with?

[proboscis]

Yes, I tried several times going back each time, in WindowsXP.

[bill]

Try this: Troubleshooting steps for issues when you try to use the System Restore tool in Windows XP [support.microsoft.com]

This might help as well: How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" state [support.microsoft.com]

[proboscis]

Thank you Bill, I'll try that.

[proboscis]

Thanks again! I actually got it working and it looks like the problem was my wireless adapter, so I unplugged.

But now if I plug it back in my computer turns off, and I can't reinstall the driver because the cd drive is not working either, and it was before.

I found the troubleshooter for the cd drive and it says this device is working properly and I couldn't see any other problems with it.

What should my next step be?

[youfoundjake]

If it happened after installing the wireless adapter, take it out, go to the vendors website and check for updated drivers.
you can also try a google search for the "cd rom not working with "brandname here" wireless adapter" and see if other people have reported similar issues.

[proboscis]

I had it installed and working for over two years, then something went really wrong with it. I'm stumped as to what to do because I can't get on the internet on that compter without it to get the drivers and for some reason the cd drive isn't working either so I can't fix it that way...

[youfoundjake]

Maybe a windows update hosed something, I've seen that happen.
Is there no NIC on the motherboard?
What you could try is to boot into safemode, go to device manager, uninstall the cd drive (if it is still not working) reboot the computer, hopefully the cd-drive will be auto-detected after a normal reboot, put the driver disk in, copy to a folder on the desktop, shut down, put the network card in, reboot, see if the network card is detected, and if not, point to the folder that contains the drivers, and at the same time see if the cd rom is working.
Then reboot, and you may have your network card working, then work on the cd rom by going to device manager, updating the drivers, which then checks Microsoft's site, or if you know the maker, go to their site and look for updated drivers...

Outside of all this, am I correct in understanding that the cd drive and wireless card have both been installed for two years, and now they are not working?

If so, what has changed recently? Windows updates? Software installation? (something like Roxio which I have seen blue screen a sony cd drive)

What does your event viewer say?
Did you install SP3?

[proboscis]

Thanks youfoundjake! I'm dumb about these things so I don't understand everything you are saying yet.

Here is what I did get.

Found the device manager and uninstalled the cd driver, then restarted but the cd rom is still not working.

Yes, both the wireless card (linksys wireless-g network adapter) and the cd drive have been on my computer and working for over two years.

I have recently installed Ultra Fractal 5, and a few months back I installed some software that came with a canon camera that I bought.

Found the event viewer, it had several errors that read "the device, \Device\CdRomO, has a bad block" the date on these is 8-25 they don't show up any more, today I see "The server did not register with DCOM within the required timeout." and "The COM+ Event System detected a bad return code during its internal processing..." and a VSS error.

Windows updates? In the event viewer I see many entries that say "Windows Update Agent" but the information description says "installation ready" I guess that means those were not installed.

I also see many things that were installed, like "NtServicePack" there are several of those...the ones that I clicked on say some Windows xp hot fix has been installed.

Does any of that mean anything?

[kaled]

Don't ignore the possibility that the CD drive really is dead - they are probably the most unreliable component in modern computers.

Kaled.

[Robert Charlton]

...the CD drive...

I'd had the same thought. Most are pieces of junk.

Is there any easy way to tell whether it's a driver or hardware?

[youfoundjake]

is there power going to the cd drive?
If you hit the eject button, does the tray open? If it opens, it should be ok physically, next is checking the cables since something could have come loose when putting in the card?
reseat the cable. could be a driver issue, what kind of cd rom and what linksys wireless card?

[proboscis]

The tray pops out when I click eject, and when I try to look on the cd the light comes on and I can hear it doing something, sometimes is says "please insert a cd" when there is one there already and sometimes it opens but no files are listed.

I just read on how to check the cables and jumpers but I will have to open the computer and I'm afraid to do that, so at this point should I just buy an external cd burner and see if that works?

[bill]

Even if you get an external unit you'll still have the internal one giving you the same problems, if that is indeed the culprit. It's really just a matter of unplugging and replugging a couple of cables. It's not very difficult.

[Robert Charlton]

...sometimes is says "please insert a cd" when there is one there already and sometimes it opens but no files are listed....

When this has happened to me, the drive was bad.

I can't describe particulars, because I'm not the one who ended up fixing it... but it was more than a driver. I ended up replacing both of my optical drives and my power supply.

[youfoundjake]

Have you tried different cds?
Have you recently tried to burn any discs?
When it sometimes opens, on the left hand side does it say "write these files to cd"?

[proboscis]

It does say "write these files to cd" when I try open a cd.

Is that significant?

If I try to burn a cd, it says "please insert a cd" but there is one there already.

[Stefan]

When this has happened to me, the drive was bad.

Same here, three times now. As kaled said, CD drives are the weakest part of a computer - they should sell them by the half-dozen so you can just slap a new one in every few months. It's really not very hard to do - just read up a little first, and don't shuffle your slippers across a thick carpet before you touch things ;-)

[proboscis]

Thanks everyone for your comments! I'm going to try and replace it and if I can't I'll just take it in. Thanks again :)

[Demaestro]

If you are using a D-link USB wireless network adapter.... SP3 will cause it to not work anymore.

There is stuff about it on the D-link site.

[edited by: Demaestro at 9:23 pm (utc) on Sep. 3, 2008]