system32\DRIVERS\pci.sys

Hi, may I begin with an apology if I've posted this in the wrong place.

Probably many have had this error;

following file missing or corrupt:
system 32\DRIVERS\pci.sys

I am not an experienced pc 'error' user so any simple help would be appreciated. I don't always get this message with reboots just reboots 2 -3 times and then pc is usable. I have Windows XP Home Edt SP 2.
I have just run Hijack This and all seems to look ok.

Thanking you all in advance for your help.

 

Found a thread here;
http://computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/133426.html
with a couple of links, including a download link in response 3. I DL'd it but it was not the same version as on my system! I'm on SP2.
Anyway, I posted mine in the test forum here as a txt file. If it's the correct version, it can be DL'd and changed back to .sys
Version is as follows;

 

Hi Thank you 'bigbuck', I'll check this out. Cheers.

 

'bigbuck' how do you access 'pci.sys properties'. Will your download solve my problem?
Cheers, tweety pie

 

Go to C:, Windows, System32, Drivers
Right click on the file, select properties in the right-click menu.

What I would do is;
Save my file to your desktop.
Rename to pci.sys

You will have to have file extensions visible for files.
Go tools, folder options, view and uncheck "hide extensions for known file types".



You should then be able to see the extensions on file names (like .txt, .sys etc).



Rename my file to pci.sys (ie Change the .txt extension I put on it to post it)

Go to system32, drivers and rename pci.sys to pci.old.
Put the new one in the drivers folder.

Hope this helps.

 

Thank you for your update, I'll try my best..... such a pity you are far far away, I live in the U.K. I don't have a lot of experience when it comes to things like this.

 

Some further points for clarification;

1. I couldn't attach a .sys file here at Wilders. That's why I changed it to a .txt file. You'll have to change it back to .sys

2. You could just put it in the drivers folder and have it overwrite the other one, but by renaming yours, you haven't lost it and you can still change it back if it doesn't work.

 

if you live anywhere near me (London) i'll come around and fix it for you. are you a beautiful female? i'm male BTW

oh well, maybe next time

 

Oh you're good Ice!

 

Hi, Thank you for your comment. Still struggling with this. I'm not as pretty as your picci of the lady, I'm 42, married thanks.

 

Hi bigbuck, Why is it that my pc doesn't reboot all of the time, so far it hasn't. I've managed to access pci.sys properties by searching in the files and folders section and I have the same info and same version number as you, but still haven't downloaded your file.
(Oh thanks for your comment to iceni60)
So much wish I had my own pc techy to hand but thank you for your help so far.

 

I'd say it's not booting because of the corrupt pci.sys file.
It's all quite easy if you follow the directions above.

Save my file to you desktop.
Change the folder options to show extensions (screenies above).
Rename mine pci.sys.
Rename yours (in windows, system32, drivers) to pci.old.
Drag and drop mine (or copy/paste) into the drivers folder.
Try to reboot a few times.

Post back here with any problems/questions.

Cheers.

 

Thanks bigbuck, I'm going to print your info, Cheers.

 

thank you, Buck

the lady that cut my hair the other day was 42, she seemed alright to me. i'm leaving this thread now, Goodbye.

 

Hi bigbuck, I don't want to appear stupid or daft... I'm probably a bit of both...
I have got to the stage of renaming the file to pci.old on the drivers page and I have downloaded your file renaming it and it is on my desktop. When I went to 'search files and folders' it is listed saying 'documents and settings'..... I am stuck, I don't know how to drag/drop your file or copy/paste to the drivers folder, please can you tell me step by step what to do, I'm frightened to close down the pc without fixing this problem.
I followed your advice as at the same time mu pc rebooted 6 times and I began to get some what distressed, please can you help as soon as you can, Thank you, tweety pie.

 

Hi again just noticed I have another entry for pci.sys along with pci.old on the drivers page, is this of any use to you? tweety pie

 

There should not have been 2 with the same name.....maybe that was the prob?
Anyway, mine should be the right version.

You will have to rename that other pci.sys also.....it can't be pci.old (the other one already is!), so try pci.old2.

Right click on mine, select copy,

then go to the drivers folder,

select edit, then paste..

 

Don't bother using search....
Go;
My Computer,
Local Disk (C,
WINDOWS,
system32,
drivers.

 

bigbuck thank you so much for your help. I think I have done it right but I still have 2 entries of this, when I click on properties for your file it gives me todays date but when I click on the other file's properties it says Aug 2004, this being the renamed 'old', should I delete this file?
In fact my 19 year old daughter helped me with the drag & drop, sometimes I can do the hard things yet the easy becomes hard, crazy I know.
Thank you again goodness knows where I'd be without people like you, Cheers.

 

there's no point in deleting the "old" file, while that is it's name it is isn't being used. besides, there's a small chance you may need it.

like Buck said, it isn't possible to have two files with the same name in one folder. you can have pci.sys and pci.sys.old though because the names are different.

it is also possible to do a search and have a file returned twice, but in different folders.

 

Thanks for helping Ice!....at least you're on the same timezone as Tweety Pie. I'm having trouble being online at the same time!

Anyway tweety Pie,
I've just searched my comp and I've got three pci.sys in different places...



Now don't go renaming all of them! We are really only concerned with the one in your drivers folder. This is why I said... don't search, just navigate to the actual folder.
Now I'd gotten the impression that you had 2 in the drivers folder? Is that right? If so, rename each pci.old and pci.old2.
We don't want a pci.sys in that drivers folder when we drop my new one in.
We can always change names back if we need to....

Thanks again Ice, please do jump in! Any extra help is appreciated!

Tweety Pie, get back to us and let us know how it's going...
Cheers,
Brad.

 

In hindsight now, we probably could have just copied the one out of the service pack files and dropped it in, looking at the screenshot above....
Anyway, no harm done, just a bit more work...

 

Hello, Thank you for your comments, fingers crossed I've cracked it.... so far pc hasn't rebooted, Cheers, tweety pie.

 

Yes I see what you're saying. I've not had any reboots so things maybe ok.
Yep the time difference is a pain, I did stay at the pc logged on for a while then realized you'd of been asleep but I am so grateful for your help, I'll soon be back if things go wrong again, thanks for all you've done, Cheers, tweety pie.

 

Cheers! Let us know how it goes...