Now my Laptop's gone wrong! I hate computers!
Laptop has gone weird. When I switch it on, I get a password prompt, never happened before. In the BIOS it says password is switched off.
Anyway I leave it clear and press enter, and i get an error:
Oleaut32.dll missing, so the application couldn't start.
I click OK, and get the desk top background, but no icons, no task bar, nothing. If I try CTRL ALT DEL, I get another OLeAUT error, and the usual box, but nothing else.
I can't even get any sense out of it in safe mode.
It recently tried installing an MS update (SP3?), but it seemed to just hang for ages, so I stopped it. It was after the next reboot the problems started.
I can't even get into windows to do a system restore.
I don't really want to use the recovery disc as then I'll lose the whole of my iTunes library, amongst other stuff, but iTunes is it's main use.
It is an Acer travelmate. I am currently considering removing the HDD, and putting it in an external enclosure which I have my old laptop HDD in. I would then connect it to my desktop PC, transfer the files I really want, and then put it back and use the recovery disc.
Or maybe there is a simpler solution?
Sorry for all my recent computer woes, but you are the guys!
Anyway I leave it clear and press enter, and i get an error:
Oleaut32.dll missing, so the application couldn't start.
I click OK, and get the desk top background, but no icons, no task bar, nothing. If I try CTRL ALT DEL, I get another OLeAUT error, and the usual box, but nothing else.
I can't even get any sense out of it in safe mode.
It recently tried installing an MS update (SP3?), but it seemed to just hang for ages, so I stopped it. It was after the next reboot the problems started.
I can't even get into windows to do a system restore.
I don't really want to use the recovery disc as then I'll lose the whole of my iTunes library, amongst other stuff, but iTunes is it's main use.
It is an Acer travelmate. I am currently considering removing the HDD, and putting it in an external enclosure which I have my old laptop HDD in. I would then connect it to my desktop PC, transfer the files I really want, and then put it back and use the recovery disc.
Or maybe there is a simpler solution?
Sorry for all my recent computer woes, but you are the guys!
Post edited by Alien 8 on
Comments
have you maybe tried getting hold of a copy of this file from a Windows 98/XP disc and popping into your Windows install? I've done that a few times with corrupt or missing files to fix problems before.
I wouldn't blame SP3. Usually when problems appear it's the result of a combination of things or underlying issues that were already there. All you can do is address the issues one at the time until you determine the best course of action. If guesser was here he would say "backup, reload o.s., copy data back" or "People should create system images to be able to get back on their feet in no time". :) But if you have the time to troubleshoot it, let's do it. Hopefully it's not a hardware problem.
Careful with iTunes. It's easy enough to backup the entire folder including the library, but if you end up having to re-install the O.S. and re-activate that computer in iTunes, it will only let you do it if you didn't go beyond the number of allowed activations. A computer must (should) always be de-authorized before a Windows re-installation.
After you make a backup of anything you consider important, try going to "C:\Windows\System folder" and renaming oleaut32.dll to oleaut32.old. If you're removing the hard drive this will be easy. If you're not you would need a bootable cd (like for example Ubuntu) to make this change. You would then try to boot up in normal mode and if it works, you would then install this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/192461
Remember, there might be other issues with your O.S. One error message doesn't mean it's the only problem.
SP3 should've been installed a looong time ago.
Clear up something here.
When you say "can't even get into Windows" are you talking about pressing F8 right after the BIOS (and right before the regular Win logo/startup) ...
OR
Are you just talking about Windows proper, i.e. full fledged with Start button and all?
And I guess my question is first and foremost, are you able to get to the "restore last point/etc" menu by pressing F8?
OK, that sounds hopeful. It just says on the CD that everything would be wiped and it would be reset to how it was when new, hence my concern.
I think the file can be got from the internet and burnt to a CD. Problem is I'mm not sure it would work if I can't actually get windows to work properly. Butthen I don't know much about this stuff, hence my questions!
Think I might try the recovery disk after all, presumably if there is no file save option, I can abort the mission?
I've seen those options, but there's nothing better than a nice full hard drive backup as an image. If it's a Seagate or a Maxtor drive, you can use Maxblast or Diskwizard to do this. It's free. DriveXML has also helped me in the past. Automated backup tools might not always be smart enough to get everything you need. One example? Firefox profiles (with all bookmarks and add-ons). Another example? Internet Explorer favorites. Another example? Personal data stored in folders outside of the usual ones (shared folder, root, public, etc.).
Are you talking about a BIOS password or a user-password for Windows? (if it's the Win password then it makes sense that the BIOS says "switched off" for the pw.)
Not sure how to do that. I tried using an ethernet cable earlier, but that is probably very badly wrong.
One of the recovery discs says it is bootable, would that do?
My laptop doesn't get used much, hence the delay.
Windows password.
I seem to remember that the quickest (ha-ha-ha...) way to get round this was to take the casing off the laptop and short 2 connectors.
But it was about 4 years ago when I did this...it worked though. Stopped the prompt, but getting the chassis off was no simple task.
I can get the BIOS screen up, I can also get the F8 options up, but it won't start in any of the safe modes.
OR
No start button, taskbar etc.
OK, we're getting somewhere here.
Are you given the [R] option? (or I've forgotten how to do that part, could some other WoSser please help out here if you know what I'm trying to get at here, please)
If you have the original Win CD/DVD (i.e. a bootable CD/DVD of your version of Windows), then why not try booting off of that CD/DVD and restore/repair from there.
Maybe we can try to fix the dll issue, and if that proves useless, we'll explore the backup options before attempting other things.
What does the disk say?
Yeah, I posted same time as Alien8...
Problem I dealt with was a BIOS one.
DO NOT GO SHORTING STUFF - Unless you're bored.
You can repair the XP while it is in the external drive but what you suggest above is quicker, easier and more reliable. It would be a very messy repair to try and fix a botched SP install. You repair this bit and another error will probably show up.
Sorry for delay.
No, I've not seen an R option, but I'll recheck later, not much time now.
It was all on the machine when I bought it, but I have 3 recovery discs, one of which is bootable.
System CD Rev 3.0. Says it was put on HDD in the factory and only to be used for recovery. Also says Disk 1, bootable. There are also 2 other disks.
Don't worry, I won't go shorting anything.
I thought it probably was.
I don't really want to take the HDD out, never done a laptop before. I took the bottom off and it didn't look very straightforward, but maybe it is.
Thanks all for your help, back later.
That's a good idea. I'll have a look.
I did the swapping about of the hard drive last might and used the recovery discs. Windows is now back up and running on the laptop. Actually removing the hard drive from the laptop was easy, it just slid out.
I've only just got it working and not had any chance to check much else, but it seems that some files I left on there were recovered as well, only things like Excel, Powerpoint etc were lost, but I have discs for them anyway.
So far I have not been able to make iTunes work, but my library was transferred OK. Somewhere I have a very old disc for iTunes too. Once I have sorted out my anti virus protection, I can always get it from the internet anyway.
The main thing is windows is back up and running, everything else should be easy in comparison now. Thankyou everybody for your help.
-You should've done a full recovery which starts with a format. If your recovery disk includes software which is smart enough to preserve personal data that's fine, but if it kept some of that programs that you had installed yourself, it's not a full recovery (and it will probably not work right after a while).
-You mentioned you can't get iTunes to work. Can you elaborate? How do you know that the library transferred ok if iTunes doesn't work? Don't use any disk to install iTunes. Always download the most recent version of the software.
Once you're up and running again and have all your necessary programs installed, I recommend doing what guesser has said multiple times: Learn how to make a disk image of everything, so that in the future you can restore the operating system and programs back to that hard drive (or another one) if needed, fast.
Vista and 7 actually provide that sort of backup for free. On XP you need something like DriveXML, Acronis, Maxblast, Discwizard, or similar programs.
edit: Almost forgot... install SP3. :-P
hoping that's not the case.
I've not had much chance to look yet, but the program won't start. The Library has transferred, which is the main thing. Once things are abit more back to normal, I'll download the latest version.
All good ideas. I'll get up and running first, and then do it. Would be best to do it before I build my barebones if possible.
Don't buy an Acer they're utter s***e.
I bought one for my son 2 years ago, HD died (which I replaced) then the screen failed, had to buy him a Sony last Christmas.
To be fair to acer, they don't make either of those components and most laptops will use the same identical (rubbish) parts.
the hard drive in a cheap laptop is quite often a samsung or hitachi and they are pretty naff. Dunno about current laptops but the screens used to be samsung LCDs in a lot of stuff.
They are aiming for cheapness, hence selecting crappy hitachi hard disks.
If you buy a cheapo laptop you get cheapo components, it's not rocket surgery ;)