Corrupt/missing file won't allow system startup

[SLLAB02]

It all started with Quake 4. I installed it and it wouldn't run, so I assumed I needed to reinstall my video card drivers. I did it, and when I restarted I couldn't connect to the internet, so I did system restore.

When my comp came back from restore, almost immediately I receive a message that a file related to Nvidia is corrupt and won't allow my system to start. It also tells me that if I use the original Windows startup CD that this problem can be fixed, but I don't have that disc any longer. So I called my manufacturer's tech support line and they game me the website to download all the drivers I need. Of course, I need to use another computer to access the files, but I was able to use the CD burner on my roomates comp and put em on. However I'm not sure how to get the disc with the files to boot right away. All I did was download the files from the driver website straight onto the disc, I'm not sure my roomate has software to create a boot cd, if that's even what I want to do with these driver files.

I'm preparing to reformat, but I really don't want to if I don't have to. Any tips??

 

[CrazeD]

Well, you'll need the Windows XP CD to reformat, so if you don't have that you can't reformat with XP.

If you come across a CD, do a repair or just reformat.

You can't boot with drivers.

 

[STATus h2O]

Have you tried booting in safe mode?

 

[SLLAB02]

Any tips on how to retrieve an Xp home 2002 boot cd? My computer initially came with a whole bunch of CDs, not just a Win xp boot cd.

The fellow on the tech support line just told me to download those drivers and that was that. I'd already explained to him that my comp was completely inoperable, so I assumed he was telling me that I could make a boot CD with those drivers

My computer won't allow for safe mode -- the absolute first thing that happens (after the screen which says "hit f9 for BIOS" (or something to that effect) and "hit DEL for backup utility" (or something like that)...
the first thing after that is the message describing that the named file is "missing or corrupt". there's not even a command to type anything at all.

 

[RitchieTheBrit]

A clean install with WinXP (or maybe even a repair), will delete the driver service table. That way, you will run using the default Windows drivers.

Apart from running in the wrong resolution initially, everything else should be okay. It sounds to me like you may have used a version of WindowsXP with nVidia drivers slipstreamed into it, as the original disk doesn't install a specific manufacturer driver to begin with.

Try another repair with an original disk, failing that, try a re-format.

 

[Apokalipse]

to get into safe mode, you hit F8 just after POST

 

[SLLAB02]

I don't have access to the original startup disc - it's lost. Any ideas on where to get one?

And safe mode isn't an option for me either it seems, I get the same message, which by the way I just wrote down and reads as follows:

"Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
system32\drivers\nvatabus.sys
You can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows Setup using the original Setup CD-ROM.
Select 'r' at the first screen to start repair.

Again, I don't have the original startup disc. My manufacturer says I can't be sent a new one. Might I try contacting Microsoft by phone instead?