Bad_system_config_info :(

[Kenshiin]

I really screwed something up and I have no clue what to do. I went to download the new 9.4 drivers for my ATI HD 2600 and did the normal install for them (uninstall 9.3 ver > restart > install > restart). But when trying to restart the final time my screen would just go black after the Windows XP screen. So I booted up in safe mode and uninstalled the 9.4 drivers and installed the 9.3 version. When I went to restart again I got the blue screen with the Bad_system_config_info message. I can't start in safe mode anymore or do anything else really. What the hell is going on?

[Stee]

looks like a ram problem

[Stee]

Try this

"STOP 0x00000074 BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO" Error Message When You Start Your Computer

EDIT: Actually it might also be a registry problem too you can just spam hit F8 when you try booting your computer up before it hits the blue screen and maybe be able to restore it that way.

[Kenshiin]

I can get to the safe boot option screen but I still get the blue screen when trying to log on in safe mode. Is there something else to do there?

[Stee]

If you can get that far try using your recovery cd, or the recovery partition some computers have.

[Kenshiin]

I tried to load the recovery boot CD but it sent me to the same blue screen of death. In the boot setup I got it to load to the partition and it's running some tests for Memory Test. Here is what they are testing on the right side of the screen as well as the results:

Stress : Pass
WCMATS : Pass
WCMch : Pass
MATS : Pass
MarchB : Pass
XMATS32 : Pass
WdPcMch : Pass
MarchS : Pass

Running the system diagnostic test now:

That all passed the express test.

I'm now in the Sympton Tree running different tests for the "Window Blue Screen" and it looks like everything is passing here too.

Does any of this information help?

[Stee]

your in the recovery partition?

if you can get there try to have it reset it to last known good configuration.

If that works then it wasn't a ram problem

[Kenshiin]

I'm not sure if it's the recovery partition or not, but it's under the boot setup (f12 at startup) and I think it's called "Boot to partition" or something like that.

I tried to reset it to the last known good configuration but it didn't work.

[Kenshiin]

After spending the evening talking to dell support and trying multiple troubleshooting options I'm at the spot where it's going to be best to reinstall windows XP. I have an external HD that I have a few items on but I really don't want to lose the rest of my HD. They told me to take it to a computer technician if I wanted to back up my HD but I know it's going to cost me money I don't want to spend.

I'm not very computer savvy but I wouldn't consider myself a complete idiot when it comes to computers. Is there an easy way for me to do it myself? I have another desktop I'm using to type on now that I might be able to use. Or should I just take it in and bite the bullet?

If I do have to take it in, does anyone know what kinda cost I'm looking at to have the HD backed up?

[Tythera]

Your best bet would be to hook the hard drive from the broken PC into the working PC and then copy what you need off of it onto that computer's main HD. That's not too complex of a thing to do but you may not have a spare SATA cable lying around if you don't do much computer work.

As for backing that up, I'm just making this number up but I wouldn't be surprised if you got charged $60 minimum and upwards of $100.

[Kenshiin]

If the working computer already has a 2nd hard drive in it that's not being used can I just take it out and stick the one I want to backup into that slot? The SATA cable should be there already correct?

[Kenshiin]

It looks like both of the hard drives in this older computer are IDE, I'm not sure if the newer hard drive will connect to it now or not.

[Kryssan]

Go to your local handy dandy computer store and pick up a single external HDD case. They make them for both IDE and Sata, pick the flavor that best suits your operation. This will allow you to change your harddrive from the internal to external flavor and most of them connect by USB. Connect it to a working computer, save what you want, and then proceed forth. It'll cost you about 10~20$ depending on quality and shop. In the past when my laptops died I would yank the HDDs out of them in this way and create my own little inexpensive travel HDDs.