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nvatabus.sys - is missing or corrupt

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Blondie

Registered
Joined
Mar 20, 2004
Location
NJ
I'm hoping someone can help me. Last week, I was checking my email when my computer froze. I tried ctrl + alt + delete to end the email program- it would not do anything. I tried bringing up task manager by right clicking by the clock, same thing. I then tried escape- that did not work either. I pushed the button to restart- and it froze after post. I then tried hitting the button again- this time I walked away after doing that- it got me to a screen that said "Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: System32 drivers nvatabus.sys"

Thankfully I have a spare hard drive that I was able to load windows on. Once it was running, I did a google to see what I can do about my error. Everything I found on this had to do with Windows updates or installing a newer driver without uninstalling the old- which I did not. As per all of my searches I booted with the XP CD- selecting repair- and over wrote the existing nvatabus.sys.
Insert the floppy disk with the "nvatabus.sys? file into the floppy drive. At the command prompt, type ?copy a:\nvatabus.sys c:\windows\system32\drivers? and hit <ENTER>. Once file has been copied, type ?EXIT? and hit <ENTER>. This will reboot your system. Remove floppy from system.


I get to the point where it tells me to take the floppy out- it then says
5. When the system restarts, hit ?Cancel? when all devices are detected
6. Re-install the nForce 2.03 driver kit.

Now, question is- does anyone know what key I hit to cancel? I've tried the escape key, does not work.

Thanks

 
Have you been overclocking lately?

Boot from CD with winxp on it then wait ti'll you get to the option where you make a choice to install and repair......or try going into safe mode by pressing F8.



goodluck
 
when you rebooted, was there anything on the screen that refered to the Fbuttons, it could have been that, you need to hit one of the F buttons.
 
Yeah, I think when it's installing all the drivers it says that you can press F3 to skip it. Try F3 and see if that one works.

JigPu
 
No overclocking.....yet. Been trying to get CPU temps down by installing new fans.

Safe mode, nor any of the other options (last known good) work. I get a blue screen with an 0x000007? error.

when you rebooted, was there anything on the screen that refered to the Fbuttons

No- nothing referred to this. Will give it a shot.

JigPu- I don't recall seeing F3 to skip. Will pay more attention to see if it says that.


 
I've had one this issues before....yup it's very frustrating i know.....but formatting hard drive and reinstalling winxp solved my issue.....


goodluck
vflux
 
vflux, that wasn't what I wanted to hear, and what I am trying to avoid. I want to try to save my programs. My brother that lives in another state just installed 3 new programs for me which I do not want to lose. Other than that I really didn't move in, my email is stored on my backup hard drive as are all of my important files until I knew my new puter was working right.


 
Mr.Radar, yeah from what I've googled that's what I figured too, but I can't boot into windows what so ever to do anything. Is there a way to do this while that main 80 gig hard drive is plugged in as slave?


 
Blondie,

Sorry my bad didnt know you had important files on your HD, If you have the cd that came with the motherboard try and and boot it off with using command prompt...since you cant go into windows because errors halts your system before you could even logged in....

I'm running out of ideas also.......

let me google it out for u and see....

be back still

vflux


Found it...........


This is what NVIDIA advises doing. They give a few options. Here is a zip file which will not only contains the document below but also the nvatabus.sys file.
http://download.nvidia.com/Windows/nForce/Recovery_instructions.zip

Case 1
If you installed nForce 2.03 driver kits and then installed 2.41 & the NVIDIA SW IDE without uninstalling 2.03 and want to go back to 2.03 driver kit, please follow these steps

Option 1: Auto Roll Back Using Windows System Restore
1. Browse to the Start Menu > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore (See option1.1.bmp)
2. Select ?Restore my computer to an earlier time?. Click Next (See option1.2.bmp)
3. Pick a highlighted date on the calendar that is some date before the 2.41 driver package was installed.
4. Click ?Next?
5. When you are sure that you have the right selection, click ?Next? again. (See otpion1.5.bmp)
6. Windows will roll back to an earlier date and then reboot.
7. When Windows returns your system should be running with the 2.03 drivers again.

Option 2: Manual Roll Back
1. Download the nForce 2.03 driver kit.
2. Browse to the Start Menu and select ?Search?
3. Do a search on \windows for *.nvu (See option2.3.bmp)
4. Delete the ?nvide.nvu? file (Option2.3.bmp)
5. Go to Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs
6. Remove the option ?NVIDIA nForce Drivers? (See option2.6.bmp)

NOTE: You must select the option with the exact text above

7. Reboot.
8. When the system restarts, hit ?Cancel? when all devices are detected
9. Re-install the nForce 2.03 driver kit.
10. Click ?Yes to all? when asked to overwriting old files
11. Reboot when install is complete
12. Upon system restart, right mouse click on My Computer and select Properties
13. Select the ?Hardware? tab
14. Click on the ?Device Manager? button
15. Expand the section labeled ?IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers?
16. Left mouse click on the option labeled ?NVIDIA NForce(TM) MCP2 IDE Controller? or ?NVIDIA® nForce(TM) IDE Controller? (your system will only have one of the above options) (See option2.16.bmp)
17. Right mouse click and select ?Update Driver? (See option2.17.bmp)
18. Select ?Install from a list of specific location (Advanced)?
19. Select ?Don?t search, I will choose the driver to install?
20. Select the driver ?Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller?
21. Reboot.
22. After reboot allow device detection.
23. Reboot again.
24. Everything should now be working correctly.

Case 2:
If you installed nForce 2.03 driver kits and then installed 2.42 & without uninstalling 2.03 and want to go back to 2.03 driver kit, please follow these steps

Manual Roll Back
1. Browse to the Start Menu and select ?Control Panel?
2. Select ?Add/Remove Programs?
3. Remove the option labeled ?NVIDIA nForce Drivers?

NOTE: You must select the option with the exact text above.

4. Reboot.
5. When the system restarts, hit ?Cancel? when all devices are detected
6. Re-install the nForce 2.03 driver kit.
7. Reboot.
8. After reboot allow any additional devices to be detected (if applicable)
9. Reboot.
10. Everything should now be working correctly.

Case 3
Your system is unbootable because you tried to use Add/Remove programs on the nForce 2.42 driver kit

Recovering Windows
1. Copy the ?nvatabus.sys? file to a floppy disk. This file is included in the zip file that include these instructions.
2. Boot system to Windows XP installation CD.
3. At the Setup screen, press ?R?.
4. This will bring up the repair console.

Which Windows installation would you like to log onto
<To cancel, press ENTER>?

Hit ?1? and <ENTER> or the number that represent your Windows XP installation.

Type the Administrator password:

Type password and hit <ENTER>

Insert the floppy disk with the "nvatabus.sys? file into the floppy drive. At the command prompt, type ?copy a:\nvatabus.sys c:\windows\system32\drivers? and hit <ENTER>. Once file has been copied, type ?EXIT? and hit <ENTER>. This will reboot your system. Remove floppy from system.

5. When the system restarts, hit ?Cancel? when all devices are detected
6. Re-install the nForce 2.03 driver kit.
7. Click ?Yes to all? when asked to overwriting old files
8. Reboot when install is complete
9. Upon system restart, right mouse click on My Computer and select Properties
10. Select the ?Hardware? tab
11. Click on the ?Device Manager? button
12. Expand the section labeled ?IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers?
13. Left mouse click on the option labeled ?NVIDIA NForce(TM) MCP2 IDE Controller? or ?NVIDIA® nForce(TM) IDE Controller? (your system will only have one of the above options) (See option2.16.bmp)
14. Right mouse click and select ?Update Driver? (See option2.17.bmp)
15. Select ?Install from a list of specific location (Advanced)?
16. Select ?Don?t search, I will choose the driver to install?
17. Select the driver ?Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller?
18. Reboot.
19. After reboot allow device detection.
20. Reboot again.
21. Everything should now be working correctly.
 
Vflux, that's pretty much what I've found too. I'm using case 3 to try to fix. It is this point that I get stuck at

Insert the floppy disk with the "nvatabus.sys? file into the floppy drive. At the command prompt, type ?copy a:\nvatabus.sys c:\windows\system32\drivers? and hit <ENTER>. Once file has been copied, type ?EXIT? and hit <ENTER>. This will reboot your system. Remove floppy from system.

5. When the system restarts, hit ?Cancel? when all devices are detected

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last night I booted off of the XP CD- went to try to repair. Checked the bootlog, says there are errors. Also chkdsk says errors. Tried repair on chkdsk- didn't work.

I've read that installing windows over itself will work, anyone tried that yet? I am also not too good using XP repair, so I'm not sure of how to find this bad driver to replace.

 
To update this, I tried everything to fix the problem. Used those instructions, tried booting with the XP CD to repair doing a diskcheck fix, which told me that there were unrecoverable errors. I had no choice but to use my gigabyte restore, which BTW worked like a charm!

I hope this does not happen to anyone else, it is a total inconvenience to lose all of your programs.

 
I was not able to get anything to work except a reformat.
Some people did have luck with the file on a CD, while most did not.
 
I also had the same navatbus.sys missing-problem.
after struggling doing the mentioned action i found a much simpler one:
download this file from a second pc-mine was a new netbook. btw: Acer Spin 111-32N. a convertible. saved the file on stick but was not need. i mounted drive in external ide-docking-station. and adapter would do also. the copied the file from netbook to the folder. BINGO! Nothing easier than that.

had the very same problem earlier when i used DDO. thats a videodrive-uninstaller. i wouldnt use it.
This time i deleted videodrivers except the display-driver.and had to do in safemode. alone this should have rang the alarm-bells. and had no new backup.
Never do these stupid things. thanks for not having closed the thread. some an important contribution. have over 25 years of intense care with pcs.
 
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