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Question concerns Dell Dimension 2350 w/ XP Home Edition loaded. No discs available.
Cleaned up system last night - had running alot faster. Last step was defragging hard drive. Set virtual memory to "No page file" beforehand. After defragging, windows will not boot - hangs right before icons load on screen. Get error msg saying paging file size too low. To increase size go to 'help' ( or something to that effect). However, because windows now won't boot up completely - it just hangs on the screensaver screen just before the icons - start button, my computer icon, etc. - are supposed to load. So, I CAN'T click any 'help' button because there IS none, nor can I step through by clicking buttons to get to the location to reset the paging file size for the same reason: no buttons to click!
Preinstalled OS, so no discs available. Hope that there is a way which I can CREATE a disc which is compatible with this system, which will allow windiws to boot up all of the way , so that I can resize the paging file?
eperrymac@arczip.com if anyone wants to email me privately about this.
Note: unless I overlooked something, appears dell doees not allow access to 'safe mode' on this system, as I tried to access it while running the antispyware programs - didn't see a 'safe mode' option when clicking f5 OR f8.
Thanks in advace for any help, as I spent about four hours last night, trying everything I could think of, including using a slipstreamed Win XP/SP2 disc, a UBCD4Win26 disc and A BartPE disc, unless I overlooked something? I just need to bring windows up in its own environment, so that I can access the virtual memory settings to change it back, as windows apparently needs the paging file installed (or not set to 'No page file") in order to boot!
dell doees not allow access to 'safe mode' on this system,
This is not true. You need to tap F8 key for Safe Mode menu as soon as BIOS screen loads.
i_XpUser
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"Why would you select "No page file"? "
When you seek venture, it's only natural that you end up with an adventure ;-)
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"Why would you select "No page file"? "
I think he wanted to defrag the pagefile. It isn't normally defragged. He was hoping that after the defrag and he reactivated it, that it would be recreated as a contiguous file. This doesn't always happen.
A lesson for those people who are too concerned with cleaning up there system. It's really stupid if you don't have any recovery software.
Do yourself a favor BACKUP!
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After it loads to the screen before the icons show up, try pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ESC to bring up task manager. If it brings it up, click file and then run. Type in explorer or control to open the control panels.
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As ham30 suggests, I was trying to defrag the page file, as I have done sucessfully before, following suggestions obtained off of the web in the past. Without getting into a debate over whether or not it is advisable, It know that is IS possible! I was just doing this off of the top of my head, without having any references with me - obviously I goofed up - BIG TIME!
For what it is worth, I am not a neophite computer user, as I have built more computers from scratch, including repairing some issues which a computer shop was unable to. I had the confidence to reinstall Win XP Pro on a Dell system which wouldn't boot up, removing the partition Dell installs, resulting in a much faster system, tweaked to the max (using using X-Setup Pro, TweakUI, among others.
I have no problem trying procuderes which aren't endorsed by Microsoft or a vendor, as I've found that the best way to learn sometimes is to 'break' something, then figure out a way to return it to operating condition.
So, other than the suggestions already offerred in this tread (which I will try),any OTHER suggestions will be much appreciated!
After spending an hour in a chat session this morning with a Dell tech, he suggested that I would need to reinstall Windows, having to repurchase the OS, since the contract expired in 2003. I am not ready to accept that THAT is my only alternative!
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Have you tried taping the F8 key during the boot? That should get you the boot menu. If you can get up in safe mode, you can restore the page file.
If not, an option might be to borrow a RAM stick from a friend. That 'might' give you enough memory, so the page file isn't needed during the boot.
Do yourself a favor BACKUP!
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