Windows Data Recovery if Pci.sys File Is Missing Or Corrupt

Windows is one of the most advanced and reliable GUI based operating system that can be used to perform various tasks. Even though it went through many faces of evolutions , the one thing that this powerful operating system cannot guarantee is that data will not be lost. That is why, it is recommended that users must maintain backup to be able to perform Windows data recovery. Otherwise, in such a situation, they have to opt for powerful software to perform the task. Let us take an example to understand this better.

On trying to start your Windows 2000 computer system, you get an error message similar to the following:

File is missing or corrupt: C:\Winnt\System32\Drivers\Pci.sys

Reason:

This error message occurs in case the Pci.sys file is unavailable or corrupt.

Troubleshooting:

The following measures may help you troubleshoot the problem:

1^st Method: Restore Pci.sys file using the Recovery Console in MS Windows. In the Console, you will need to expand Pci.sy_ to \%SystemRoot%\System32\Drivers folder on the hard disk. Pci.sy_ is in the I386 folder of the CD of Windows 2000 CD.

1. To start the Console, insert the CD in the drive and restart computer.

2. On the 'Welcome to Setup' page, press R (followed by Enter) to repair.

3. Next press C (followed by Enter) to Enter the Recovery Console.

4. Type the number corresponding to the 2000 installation that needs to be repaired (followed by Enter).

5. Enter the password when prompted.

6. In the Console, type map (followed by Enter). Make a note of the drive letter assigned to the CD drive.

7. Once done, type the command followed by Enter:

expand X:\i386\pci.sy_ c:\winnt\system32\drivers /y

where, X refers to CD drive letter,

C refers to Windows drive,

winnt is the folder in which Windows is installed,

Also, there is a space before c:

8. You should get following error message

pci.sys

1 file(s) expanded.

9. Once the same is done, you can quit the Console by typing exit.

10. Restart Windows normally.

2^nd Method: In case the above method doesn't start the system normally, there is a possibility that some additional files are missing or corrupt. So to replace them, perform an in-place upgrade, by

• Inserting the installation CD in the drive, and restarting the computer.

• Install Windows 2000, by pressing Enter on first option screen, and click 'Accept' on the License Agreement.

• After this, the Setup detects installation and when it prompts you to repair, press R.

3^rd Method: But in case the setup refuses to detect Windows installation, then you will need to reinstall the operating system. But, since this procedure removes all the data saved in that partition, you will have to recover partition data using the most recent backup. But, in the absence of a backup, you will have to perform Windows data recovery using appropriate software.