My PC just crashed half way through installing the XP SP3 update. When I tried to reboot, I got the notorious GOBACK ERROR 118, as a result of which I could not boot up the PC. I Googled for a solution and came accross the following three options. Turns out that it was the simplest option that worked for me - but I may just have got lucky!
Option 1 - Get used to the fact that you now have an ex-PC. All you can do is find a way to retrieve your data from the HDD. BTW this may cost you a small fortune, on top of the cost of a new PC. My advice: don't panic, and see the options below!
Option 2 - Get to work with downloads/re-installations. My advice: I didn't try this, but it may well be that some of the fixes actually work. However, they involve all sorts of fannying about, and may have unintended consequencies. The most extreme of these suggested remedies is that you re-install XP, which I would try to aoid at virtually all costs. But now the good news:
Option 3 - Tell GoBack to continue doing whatever it's supposed to be doing. The problem seems to be that, when you are in a pre-boot Error 118 situation, you cannot click "yes" to tell GoBack to carry on, so effectively the PC just sits there forever assuming you are still thinking about the yes/no dilemma you have been faced with. This problem seems to be due to the fact that in its pre-boot status, the PC cannot detect a USB keyboard. A few posters (inclucing on this site) have pointed out that you can overcome this by using a "wired keyboard". The crucial thing here is that it should be a NON-USB WIRED KEYBOARD - like that 15-year-old one with the round plug on it that you never got round to throwing away. Hook this up to the circular keyboard socket on the back of your PC, restart your PC, type "Y" when you hit screen 118 again, and GoBack will do its business and you should be up and running again (it may take quite a while, depending on what needs to be undone).
So - DON'T PANIC, and I hope this helps anyone who runs into this problem.
P
