Re: Reinstallation erases all?

From: "Anton" <nosp@xxxxx>
Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 22:32:36 +0200

Repair install option isnt visible in either CD, at least in XP thats normal
when NTLDR is missing.
W2 is active on C and only visible in PM and install.
XP is hidden inactive and visible on consol and install. It contains ini
etc.
Next I can think of is unhide XP and/or run over W2000 with a new
installation, XP is more important.

PM is often a mess as we can read, but does a very good job sometimes. It
doesnt have a forum, they had good telephone-support before Symantec took
over. I'll take a look at Paragon as are in that Boot CD I linked to.

"John John (MVP)" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> skrev i meddelandet
news:OSa35sStIHA.3680@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Windows 2000 setup program (cd) can see *all* FAT16, FAT32 & NTFS
partitions, if you cannot see the XP partition with the Windows 2000
setup cd then don't expect to be able to be able to boot it using the
Ntldr boot loader. The partitions should *all* be visible from either
the Windows 2000 or XP cd and they should *all* be visible when booted
to the Recovery console from either one of the cds.

If you want to fix the problem I can only suggest that you return the
Active partition status to the partition that it was on before this mess
started and that you not change it around back an forth!

To boot an NT installation with a hard disk the following conditions
must be met:

1- The hard disk must contain an Active Primary partition.

2- The MBR must contain instructions allowing it to pass the boot
process to the boot sector, these instructions can be written to the MBR
by using the FIXMBR command in the Recovery Console.

3- The Active partition must contain an NT boot sector, the partition
must have been formated with an NT type operating system or it must have
had an NT boot sector written to it using the FIXBOOT command in the
Recovery Console.

4- The files boot.ini, ntldr & NTDETECT.COM *MUST* reside in the root
folder of the Active partition.

5- The boot.ini file must contain a valid ARC path to the Windows
installation to be booted.

If you are confident that your computer meets all of the above
conditions and if you still cannot boot your operating systems all I can
suggest is that you do a repair install of the operating systems.

John

Anton wrote:

Last night I'd set xp active with Fdisk for a test, today I'd set

W2active

instead with PM as also made it visible and it did hid XP instead, it

warns

of unhiding all since it may change drive letters, drive mapper have to

work

fixing it.
The only difference I can see is visibilty in explorer. W2 is visible in
install and active so it should work, xp is visible in XP CD console,

I've

learned not to ignore warnings in PM. But I guess PM is not your field

much so I kept it out at first in this thread. If there are nothing else

do I will unhide XP etc. I've not used PM at all since starting this

thread,

until now for unhiding.

"John John (MVP)" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> skrev i meddelandet
news:#VuIXGRtIHA.748@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

You just told us in your other post that Partition Magic shows it as a
hidden partition, so something must have hidden it! Unhide it and try
the floppy disk again! Unhide *ALL* the partitions and park that cursed
Partition Magic! If you keep playing with PM you will end up losing all
the data on your drives. And forget about the drive letters in the
Recovery Console, they may not necessarily be the same as that used by
the Windows installations, they certainly won't match if you keep hiding
and unhiding the partitions and changing things around with PM!

John

Anton wrote:

I didnt unhide it, cause I've never hidden it, w2 worked before and

nothing

is changed of me. Also it warns of changing drive letters doing that,

I

hesitated what use to get in a new mess, if Driver Mapper doesnt work

and

all actions need a restart.
Instead I set W2 active in PM, that hid XP and warn of unhiding, none

boots

now, not even XP as last time with starter disk, it just restarts.

Part.

letters changed in XP consol with that action, with w2 CD one less. W2

is

still lost in consol but active visible as C in install, XP not active.
Consol finds nothing in C. W2 is active in PM.
Time for fixboot mbr?

"John John (MVP)" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> skrev i meddelandet
news:OMZTYsPtIHA.3680@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It no surprise the installations can't be booted with the NT startup
floppy diskette! Use your Parition Magic tools and unhide *ALL* the
partitions then try the floppy boot diskette again.

John

Anton wrote:

W2 CD cant find W2 in R or install, PM can where I can see what space

it

have but shows its "Hidden", 95-Fdisk shows its active non-dos, XP

cant

find W2 in R but in install as K inactive/OS2 boot man, the same as

other

W2s but not XP.
That starter disk have changed some.
K: dir shows its empty, PM its not.

"John John (MVP)" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> skrev i meddelandet
news:#p5I6#CtIHA.1316@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Anton wrote:

And those shall not be expanded?

No, they aren't in a compressed form on the XP cd, just copy them to

the

floppy diskette.

I understand there are expanded and not expanded, possibel to copy.

They aren't compressed, just use the copy command as instructed in
another post.

They have diff. sizes and expand is not copy.

Names in ini are for our id, perhaps fastdetect is missing?

What do you mean? Tell us how many hard disks and how many

partition

you have on each of these hard disks, or paste the contents of your
boot.ini file here for us to have a look at it. The second sample

that

I posted can boot either Windows 2000 or Windows XP on all possible
partitions on two hard disks with two partitions each.

http://www.ubcd4win.com/downloads.htm is taken down now.

What do you intend to do with this that you can't do with the

Recovery

Console or with a repair installation?

I will just look at it if other methods fail.

It all started with merging 2 NTFS files over a bootsector with

Part.

magic,

as use to restart automatic, but may need my passwords. I did this
overnight, woke up and thought it was finished, shutting it off as

perhaps

should have been restarted instead.
XP stopped but W2k worked and should at least be possible to

regain?

You should have said that in your first post! Partitioning errors
seldom forgive and mistakes when using these tools is a fine to
completely wreck the operating systems or lose all the data on the

disk.

What do you mean by "merging 2 NTFS files over a bootsector"? Do

you

mean that you merged two partitions?

Windows 2000 was working but it stopped after you changed the active
partition to another partition. If Windows 2000 was working then it
should boot with the floppy diskette and a correct boot.ini file.

This

partition merging would certainly explain the hal.dll is missing

error

when you were trying to boot Windows XP, by merging partitions the

disk

layout was changed and the partition number for the Windows XP
installation changed, the partition that the boot.ini file pointed

was rendered invalid.

Other than that all I can suggest is that you make sure that the

correct

partition is marked as active and that you make sure that the files
boot.ini, ntldr and NTDETECT.COM are in the root of this active
partition. After you are certain that these conditions are met boot

to

the Recovery Console and navigate to the root of the active

partition

and issue the following commands:

fixboot

fixmbr

For good measure, as there is no way of knowing what Partition Magic
did, it would be a good idea to make sure that the disk contains the
standard Microsoft NT type MBR, the fixmbr command will do that. If

you

want more help you will have to state exactly how your hard disks

and

partitions are laid out, and where the operating systems are

installed.

John

"John John (MVP)" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> skrev i meddelandet
news:#ujqQA#sIHA.3564@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I'm not sure what you mean, the floppy diskette will only contain

files:

boot.ini
NTDETECT.com
ntldr

We don't know how many hard disks and partitions you have, by

default

Windows 2000 installs to the WINNT directory while Windows XP

installs

to the Windows directory, the boot.ini file should reflect that,

perhaps

you can try this for the boot.ini file:

=========================================================
timeout=-1
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="XP First harddisk,

first

partition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="XP First harddisk,

second

partition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="XP Second harddisk,

first

partition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS="XP Second harddisk,

second

partition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="W2K First harddisk,

first

partition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="W2K First harddisk,

second

partition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="W2K Second harddisk,

first

partition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINNT="W2K Second harddisk,

second

partition" /fastdetect

======================================================================

=

If you cannot boot any of the operating systems with that then you

will

have to use your installation cds and repair the installations.

John

Anton wrote:

Its all there plus hal.dll.
Put expanded ones (renamed) on also?

"John John (MVP)" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> skrev i meddelandet
news:ulQZ0B9sIHA.1436@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

No. Put a all purpose boot.ini file on the diskette, like the

one

on

Bart's site:

============================================================
[boot loader]

timeout=-1
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="First harddisk,

first

partition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="First harddisk,

second

partition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="First harddisk,

third

partition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="First harddisk,

fourth

partition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Second harddisk,

first

partition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Second harddisk,

second

partition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Second harddisk,

third

partition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Second harddisk,

fourth

partition" /fastdetect

===================================================================

John

Anton wrote:

PS
XP got SP2 and are on NTFS if it makes any diff. W2 are on FAT.

"Anton" <nosp@xxxxx> skrev i meddelandet news:...

First in the broken PC via CD and R, now it worked a little

better

and

simpler on a working PC.

Without starting disk "NTLDR missing"
With -:- hal.dll missing on all but not XP, it started on

second

but

stopped

at the XP logo.
Last working still wrong I/O.
Now I'll try to implement the missing ones the new way.

"John John (MVP)" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> skrev i meddelandet
news:ugA1Tb7sIHA.1436@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

How are you trying to copy the files? From which operating

system

are

you trying to do this? Just navigate to the i386 directory

the

Windows XP cd and copy them to the floppy diskette.

John

Anton wrote:

Access denied.

"John John (MVP)" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> skrev i

meddelandet

news:#0mtzi5sIHA.4476@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

copy x:\i386\ntdetect.com a:
copy x:\i386\ntldr a:

X is the drive letter of the CD-ROM.

John

Anton wrote:

Those files are only in XP as Sp's, otherwise in W2, as

found

in

3

other

PC's. Now I'll try on the XP CD but where?

W2 didnt start to my surprise.

"John John (MVP)" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> skrev i

meddelandet

news:ecZTnx2sIHA.1220@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

You *MUST* use the Windows XP version of the files ntldr

and

NTDETECT.COM, extract them from the Windows XP cd. As

mentioned

in

another post the Windows 2000 version of these files

*cannot*

boot

Windows XP.

Does your Windows 2000 installation now boot properly?

John

Anton wrote:

Windows XP version of the ntldr & NTDETECT.COM files

are?

I used those from w2k, it started but didnt work:

"Previous

working

OS

I/O

fault at use of startsector s.."
Otherwise on first its ntoskrln missing, second w32 conf

sys,

the

rest

ntoskrln.
This or similar will be next

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Boot-Manager-Disk/UBCD4WIN.s

t

m

l

or

I'll

try bootfix mbr and cfg again when acitve now is

changed.

Last

I'll

run

over

W2000 on C if nothing better turns up.

Moving the disk over as slave and then transfer what I

need

didnt

work

last

time, some things couldnt be found but got back when OS

was

repaired.

"Anton" <nosp@xxxxx> skrev i meddelandet
news:OKGrDjvsIHA.1772@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

First part ok.

Copy from XP even if its starting with W2k on C?

"John John (MVP)" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> skrev i

meddelandet

news:O7iNKNnsIHA.1952@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Active partition flag can be set with a Windows 98

boot

diskette

and

the fdisk utility, Windows 98 boot diskettes are

available

on

the

Bootdisk.com site. You can also do this with third

party

tools

like

BootItNG by TeraByte Unlimited.

If you have a floppy drive you can make an XP/NT boot

floppy

diskette

and try to boot the Windows installations with it.

Remember

to

use

the

Windows XP version of the ntldr & NTDETECT.COM files

create

the

floppy diskette. Also, the floppy diskette must

contain

an

NT

boot

sector, it *must* be formatted with Windows

NT/2000/XP,

if

you

format

it

with DOS or Windows 9x the diskette will fail to boot

Windows

2000/XP.

http://www.nu2.nu/bootdisk/ntboot/

John

Anton wrote:

See in-line:

"John John (MVP)" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> skrev i

meddelandet

news:uenGGkmsIHA.4912@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

See in-line:

Anton wrote:

When XP wasnt working I'd set it active via w2k,

then

nothing

worked,

deactive without an OS now?

Don't change the Active (System) partition! It will

only

add

confusion

to the mix, return the active partition status flag

the

original

active partition.

How can it be done without an OS?

XP repair doesnt work, from another Bootdisk it

says

hal.dll

is

a

problem.

What "other Bootdisk" do you mean? To do a repair

install

of

Windows

XP

you have to use a real Windows XP cd. What is this

other

boot

disk

that

you speak of?

From bootdisk.com got beyond the black screen and

says

hal.dll

is

missing/corrupt
Otherwise I use the XP CD.

I'll try to copy an Hal and then check boot.ini.

Make sure that the partition containing the boot.ini

file

is

the

Active

partition. Post the contents of the boot.ini file

here.

Where do I find it without an OS?
Then I'll try to copy to a floppy.

On Logon it is
1E Winnt
2C XP
3M,4H and 5G Winnt

Bootcfg scan has 1-4 without xp!

John

"John John (MVP)" <audetweld@xxxxxxxxxxx> skrev i

meddelandet