stop: 0x0000008e on start-up [CAN'T START]

[patio]

The only reason i asked about hardware is that error message points to a hardware incompatibility issue and or a driver problem...
Have you installed any new drivers recently ? ?
If so revert back to the older ones.

[bklyn]

thanks for the replies guys.

Broni: ok, i'll try it. after i do this, what next? try to reboot?

patio: no, no new hardware nor drivers.

to the others: do you really believe the problem is from malware? i think it's just coincidental. but if so, i ask the mods to move it to the malware forum.

[Saviour]

Well...

It was you who made the comment...so if worse comes to worse, you can definitely try there.

[Broni]

ok, i'll try it. after i do this, what next? try to reboot?

Talking about the command, I posted earlier?

[bklyn]

yes. once i type the command, should i exit and reboot?

[Broni]

Yes.

[bklyn]

tried it, but got a message "the system cannot find the file specified"

[Broni]

I uploaded the file for you: http://www.uploadbigfiles.net/download.php?file=559win32k.sys

[bklyn]

hey, been a little busy....

anyway, i copied the file over...nothing
i ran memtest86 for ~30 passes...nothing

what should i try next?

[Broni]

I'd say, next logical move is to check your hard drive: http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

[bklyn]

i'll try it.

one thing; i tried the hard drive tests from Dell and they passed. are those diagnostic tests sufficient? also, i was able to access my windows directory in dos. could the hard drive still be faulty?

[Broni]

I'd say, HD manufacturer tests are the best.
HD doesn't have to be totally un-usable to be bad. It may have some errors, which may cause problems in one department, but work fine somewhere else.
I'm not saying, your HD is bad, but it's worth to check.

[bklyn]

sorry, again for the late reply.

gonna try to download the hd file.

question: can i run Nero or easy cd creator (or some other program) from a flash drive? i can burn a cd @ work, but cannot burn an ISO because i don't have a program to do it from the job pc. i figure i can download the program to my flash drive, run it from there, and burn a cd on the cdr drive @ work.

[drmsucks]

bklyn - You can try this but I don't know if it will run from a flash drive.

http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm

[bklyn]

ok, i got the file from Western Digital and was about to run it until i read the part about data "may be lost" while running the diagnostic programs.
that worried me. so i got an external drive to copy my hard drive to. now here's where i am right now:
 -my friend gave me an external HD case. so i put my old hard drive in it and brought it to my laptop. i found i can access pretty much all of my documents and songs(that's a good thing)
 -bought an external drive to copy the entire old hard drive to the new one(as a precaution...just in case)

i am ready to copy, but was wondering what program to use. i have a disc with an old copy of Norton's Ghost on it. should i install that program, or is there an easier way?

once i copy the HD, i can put the old one back into the computer and run the diagnostics. if that doesn't get me up and running and i decide to do a "repair installation", i wouldn't worry about any data loss, because i have the hd backed up.