Computer Screen is blank and only has a Isass.exe system error message showing

[lolo47]

my daughter updated her computer to Service Pack 3 and when she rebooted her computer she gets a blank screen with the following error:

Isass.exe - System Error
The Specified image file did not have the correct format, it did not have an initial MZ

I have tried booting into safe mode, Last known good configuration, Directory services restore mode, and debugging mode, and I get the blank screen with the system error.

I checked out Setup to see if there was anything I could do in there.  I also tried to reload everything from the the disk she got with her computer and none of that worked either.

The Computer is a Dell
The Operating System is Windows XP
RAM - 256MB
CPU - Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.20GHZ
Speed - 533 MHZ

Any help on how to fix this would be greatly appreciated.

[kpac]

You should find a solution here:
http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q=isass.exe+-+System+Error&btnG=Search&meta=

[lolo47]

It wants me to download software to fix the problem....but I have a blank screen (no desktop) how am I suppose to download anything?

[kpac]

Have you much/any personal data on the HD that you need? And have you got your XP CD?

A reinstall may be the only option...

[Broni]

If the first letter is capital "i", your computer is infected with Sasser worm. Travel to Computer viruses and spyware section.

[lolo47]

kpac..... yes there probably is emails and other things she would have liked to save but she understands it may not be possible.

I have her reinstallation CD.  I tried to reinstall yesterday.  During the install it had me choose what drive partition I wanted to use and if I wanted to use a different partition then the factory install.  I chose the C: partition and told it no I didn't want to use a different location to save this install.  It ran though everything, said install was complete and to restart the computer.

I restarted the computer and it was the same stuff all over again.  Blank screen and the lsass.exe system error message.

Any other ideas you can think of?

[lolo47]

Broni...... its lsass.exe.  not sure if its a capital l or capital I.  it looks more like a small l.  my big problem is I have a blank screen and have no way of downloading anything on the computer. 

I found this site called..Ultimate Boot CD.  Have you heard of it?  Its an Iso file.  You're suppose to be able to boot from that to get a desktop.  I loaded it to a CD on my laptop and rebooted from it on my daughters computer.  I was able to boot from it but anything I tried on it didn't work.

Any other ideas will be greatly appreciated.

[Broni]

You should delete all partitions, and format HD, first.

[patio]

The UBCD is a set of very powerful tools which if you are not very experienced with can render a machine unbootable at worst and 2nd worst get rid of all your data...
It will only repair a Windows install without data loss only if you have a good handle on a command-line interface and better than average file system knowledge...
Even at that for most of what it can do sometimes the XP CD is needed anyways.

The Dell Re-installation CD will take the machine back to Day One status and any Programs and Data you have on that drive will be gone forever...

Decide where you want to go from here and we can advise further...

[lolo47]

patio...  I fixed the computer.  I talked to the guy that repaired my laptop once and he told me what I had to do.  I used the Dell Re-Installation CD and when it got to the part about choosing what Partition to use to install I deleted all the partitions and continued on with install.  There was one partition that didn't have a drive in front of it and he said it was probably the virus.  Of course when it restarted there were no icons on the desktop so I had to create those.

I did try the UBCD but couldn't get it to work.  I tried the debugging on the cd and tryed to load the anti virus but it would find errors and couldn't load it.  The stuff on the screen was so big that I coulded see all that was showing so I gave up on using it.

Thanks for your help anyway.  I do find a lot of useful information on computer hope and have use alot of it.  I even recommend it to others.

[lolo47]

Broni....  Thanks for you help.  I did have to delete the partitions before I continued with the reinstall.

[Broni]

So, what's the status of your computer now?

[lolo47]

I have it up and running.  It was a virus.  They guy who fixed my laptop told me what to do.  When I used the reinstallation cd and I got to the part where it showed the partitions.... I had to delete all the partitions first before continuing the install.    There was a partition that didn't have a drive name and that was probably the virus he said.  When the system booted back up I got a desktop with no incons showing.  but that was okay I just had to store stuff to the desktop. 

I also had to use the drivers and utilities cd and add the drivers again (modem, audio and video etc....)

It was good experience for me.

[Broni]

Good news

[lolo47]

Broni.....Again thanks for your help.