AARRGGGH, desperate for help

Could be many things!

I would boot from hirens into mini xp or one of the many tools n check your system start with a HDD check.

Deleting that file from the system shouldn't be easy to do. Have you tried going to an earlier system restore to see if that works?

If not, and you have your Windows installation disc, put that in and click on repair?

If not, try this (You need Windows installation disc: I found this solution elsewhere):

On start menu open the run command then type
sfc \scannow
if there are missing files windows will ask you to insert the windows installation CD this will take about 15 min

Don't know what the file does, but I know it's important. I have known mates who have had sys32 files deleted and had to format their hard drive though.

Sorry for the bleak 'format' solution.

have you got a Windows CD, XP or Vista? [Which ever you're using] You can replace any lost files and drivers without having to re-install. With Vista it's easy peazy You just boot from cd and click on the 'Repair' option and it'll replace missing or corrupt files, drivers ..Etc... with no fuss and it takes no time at all. With XP it's a little more involved and takes a bit longer but still easy enough. Boot from cd press 'r' to repair in recovery console, type 'help' and a list of comands will apear. Also you can press 'Enter' instaed of 'r' then when the next screen apears press 'r' for repair and it will install windows replacing corrupt or missing files but you'll still have you're personal settings and all your software intact. Before you try all that though try 'system restore' or 'Booting from Last Known Good Configuration' [Pressing F8 when system is starting up, as if you're entering 'safe mode']
System32 has a lot to do with your 'services' also your 'i386' folders in there and I think .. your service pack upgrades.

Sound like one of those cases where I'd just reformat

yeh as long as you can still log in save your pics video and music to an external or spare drive, then do a full formatt fresh install:Cry:

I would still check the condition of HDD with some kind of tool, it's just if a system file gets buggered I always like to check for bad blocks, it's bollox to reinstall only to find an issue with the HDD! Believe me I've dunit. lol

Do as ZippyZippy said..... use a Windows disc to do a repair, chkdsk /r
Should sort it out.

Hejira said:

I would still check the condition of HDD with some kind of tool, it's just if a system file gets buggered I always like to check for bad blocks, it's bollox to reinstall only to find an issue with the HDD! Believe me I've dunit. lol

Click to expand...

I think this is the best advice, something is going on there and with the speed problem coupled with missing/corrupt files I would suggest a hardware prob on its way.

Thanks for all your help guys.
I managed to move important files onto my other hard drive and have done a re-install from the manufacturers support disc. (which I eventually found.)
On the bright side the computer is running like a demon without all the crap that I managed to bung it up with over the years.
On the down side everytime I go to do something I'm having to load another program on that I didn't realise I used that often.

Also blamed the wife for everything as she was on the internet the day it went down. Should keep her off facebook and doing some cleaning for a bit roud:
Cheers
Wizbit77

Sounds like the HD is on the way out. Mine started playing up exactly like that a few weeks back. It had 2 partitions C and D. The C partion was playing up so I used Spinrite to check it out and it showed bad sectors. Couldn't afford a new drive so installed Windows to C again and it worked long enough to get all files off the D partition to save them. Decided to use the D partition for Windows since it was still working and I didn't want to get a new drive and it worked for a few weeks but then it too started to fail.
Bought a new drive and then checked to see if the original drive was under warranty. Went to Wester Digital site, typed in details and still under warranty until June 2010 ( 3 year warranty I guess ). Filed an RMA, boxed it and sent it off.