Why after installing Yahoo Messenger with BT my system 32 file in windows gets corrupted.PC nees reformatting?

Question

Have P4 1.7 with 512 mb RAM with Win XP. After downloading Yahoo Messenger with BT and restarting the next day the System32 file gets corrupted. As a result I have to reformat my PC since I dont know how to repair Windows by pressing the R key while reloading Windows. Have reformatted my Hard Disk at least 50 times (80 gb with 3 partitions)

Answer 1

There are several steps to cure Windows XP without getting to the point of re-formatting (although a lot of times you end up formatting anyway...)

I assume Safe mode has done nothing for you, nor has System restore if you got into safe mode. I guess "Last Working...." was worth nothing either, so you boot off the Windows XP CD and press R when you are told to.

It will go through a few things and then it might ask you to choose the Windows installation to repair. Usually it is 1 so you press 1. Then it may ask you for the administrator password (which may exist or not. If enter doesn't do it and you don't know the password or another login, you're up the creek.)

Once past the password, it takes you to the prompt > where you need to type in:

chkdsk c: /r

Checkdisk, our old friend, will scour through and might fix the problem, or cure it enough to let you uninstall and see if you can back out with dignity. It will take forever if it finds things and usually at the fifth line it goes up till about 70 % and then drops back to 50 %. This is normal and you're best off leaving it to its own devices till its done and comes back to the prompt. Then you can type Exit and press Enter and hope it helped. If not, try installing windows without reformatting. That might cure it too.

A format should only be a last ditch attempt, once you have all your stuff off on another drive (lucky you have partitions, eh?) Most of the time it is the cleanest option if you have all your software and disks. It is a pain to do, but once a year its good to flush the house out and build it up again. We collect so much junk though!

Have a book handy while you wait...

If you have access to another computer and do a search in Yahoo's help, do you get anywhere? Google Groups is also a good source of tech help.