Guest 920jeff Posted August 7, 2008 Posted August 7, 2008 My desktop running XP wouldn't boot this morning. I got the message "NTLDR: Fatal error 256 reading boot.ini. Anyway to fix this short of a complete re-install? I suspect a virus caused this. Thanks.
Guest BigJim Posted August 7, 2008 Posted August 7, 2008 Re: XP computer won't boot that is the loader file, you can do a repair install, if that fails then a full install would be required. Instructions are here: http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm "920jeff" <920jeff@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:F9356D01-8F53-4C0A-90DE-5D64A38D4C92@microsoft.com... > > My desktop running XP wouldn't boot this morning. I got the message > "NTLDR: > Fatal error 256 reading boot.ini. Anyway to fix this short of a complete > re-install? I suspect a virus caused this. Thanks.
Guest Pegasus \(MVP\) Posted August 7, 2008 Posted August 7, 2008 Re: XP computer won't boot "920jeff" <920jeff@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:F9356D01-8F53-4C0A-90DE-5D64A38D4C92@microsoft.com... > > My desktop running XP wouldn't boot this morning. I got the message > "NTLDR: > Fatal error 256 reading boot.ini. Anyway to fix this short of a complete > re-install? I suspect a virus caused this. Thanks. Your first step should consist of finding out if your Windows installation is still intact. You can do this by booting the machine with your own WinXP boot diskette. Here is how it works: - Format a floppy disk on some WinXP PC. - Copy these files from the i386 folder of your WinXP installation CD to A:\ ntldr ntdetect.com - Create a file a:\boot.ini with these lines inside: [boot loader] timeout=5 default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS [operating systems] multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin - Change the boot order in your BIOS so that the floppy disk drive is your primary boot device. If unsure how to do this, read the manual that came with your PC. Report here if you can boot the machine successfully with this boot diskette.
Guest 920jeff Posted August 7, 2008 Posted August 7, 2008 Re: XP computer won't boot I made the floppy boot disk and it started up to an a: prompt. I can look at the c: drive but I can't boot from it. What's next? "Pegasus (MVP)" wrote: > > "920jeff" <920jeff@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:F9356D01-8F53-4C0A-90DE-5D64A38D4C92@microsoft.com... > > > > My desktop running XP wouldn't boot this morning. I got the message > > "NTLDR: > > Fatal error 256 reading boot.ini. Anyway to fix this short of a complete > > re-install? I suspect a virus caused this. Thanks. > > Your first step should consist of finding out if your > Windows installation is still intact. You can do this > by booting the machine with your own WinXP boot > diskette. Here is how it works: > > - Format a floppy disk on some WinXP PC. > - Copy these files from the i386 folder of your WinXP installation > CD to A:\ > ntldr > ntdetect.com > - Create a file a:\boot.ini with these lines inside: > [boot loader] > timeout=5 > default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS > [operating systems] > multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP > Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin > > - Change the boot order in your BIOS so that the floppy disk > drive is your primary boot device. If unsure how to do this, > read the manual that came with your PC. > > Report here if you can boot the machine successfully with > this boot diskette. > > >
Guest Pegasus \(MVP\) Posted August 7, 2008 Posted August 7, 2008 Re: XP computer won't boot If you get an A: prompt then you did not follow my instructions verbatim. You appear to have made a DOS boot disk. You MUST format this disk on a WinXP machine by right-clicking drive A: in in Explorer and selecting "Format", and you must NOT tell WinXP to make it a boot disk. My instructions will take care of this! "920jeff" <920jeff@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:9B38B5E5-0262-40BF-BA6E-7DF83FFC098F@microsoft.com... >I made the floppy boot disk and it started up to an a: prompt. I can look >at > the c: drive but I can't boot from it. What's next? > > "Pegasus (MVP)" wrote: > >> >> "920jeff" <920jeff@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message >> news:F9356D01-8F53-4C0A-90DE-5D64A38D4C92@microsoft.com... >> > >> > My desktop running XP wouldn't boot this morning. I got the message >> > "NTLDR: >> > Fatal error 256 reading boot.ini. Anyway to fix this short of a >> > complete >> > re-install? I suspect a virus caused this. Thanks. >> >> Your first step should consist of finding out if your >> Windows installation is still intact. You can do this >> by booting the machine with your own WinXP boot >> diskette. Here is how it works: >> >> - Format a floppy disk on some WinXP PC. >> - Copy these files from the i386 folder of your WinXP installation >> CD to A:\ >> ntldr >> ntdetect.com >> - Create a file a:\boot.ini with these lines inside: >> [boot loader] >> timeout=5 >> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS >> [operating systems] >> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP >> Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin >> >> - Change the boot order in your BIOS so that the floppy disk >> drive is your primary boot device. If unsure how to do this, >> read the manual that came with your PC. >> >> Report here if you can boot the machine successfully with >> this boot diskette. >> >> >>
Guest BillW50 Posted August 7, 2008 Posted August 7, 2008 Re: XP computer won't boot In news:uwWfrtN%23IHA.3952@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl, Pegasus (MVP) typed: > If you get an A: prompt then you did not follow my instructions > verbatim. You appear to have made a DOS boot disk. You MUST > format this disk on a WinXP machine by right-clicking drive A: in > in Explorer and selecting "Format", and you must NOT tell WinXP > to make it a boot disk. My instructions will take care of this! > > "920jeff" <920jeff@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:9B38B5E5-0262-40BF-BA6E-7DF83FFC098F@microsoft.com... >> I made the floppy boot disk and it started up to an a: prompt. I >> can look at >> the c: drive but I can't boot from it. What's next? >> >> "Pegasus (MVP)" wrote: >> >>> "920jeff" <920jeff@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message >>> news:F9356D01-8F53-4C0A-90DE-5D64A38D4C92@microsoft.com... >>>> >>>> My desktop running XP wouldn't boot this morning. I got the >>>> message "NTLDR: >>>> Fatal error 256 reading boot.ini. Anyway to fix this short of a >>>> complete >>>> re-install? I suspect a virus caused this. Thanks. >>> >>> Your first step should consist of finding out if your >>> Windows installation is still intact. You can do this >>> by booting the machine with your own WinXP boot >>> diskette. Here is how it works: >>> >>> - Format a floppy disk on some WinXP PC. >>> - Copy these files from the i386 folder of your WinXP installation >>> CD to A:\ >>> ntldr >>> ntdetect.com >>> - Create a file a:\boot.ini with these lines inside: >>> [boot loader] >>> timeout=5 >>> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS >>> [operating systems] >>> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP >>> Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin >>> >>> - Change the boot order in your BIOS so that the floppy disk >>> drive is your primary boot device. If unsure how to do this, >>> read the manual that came with your PC. >>> >>> Report here if you can boot the machine successfully with >>> this boot diskette. What do you see when you do this Pegasus? I don't have a floppy drive on this computer, but I did follow your instructions on a bootable removable SD card and I get the following message: ~~~~~~~~~~ Invalid system disk Replace the disk, and then press any key ~~~~~~~~~~ I added a few more files like IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS and then I got the following: ~~~~~~~~~~ Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windows root>\system32\hal.dll. Please re-install a copy of the above file. ~~~~~~~~~~ -- Bill Gateway Celeron M 370 (1.5GHZ) MX6124 (laptop) w/2GB Windows XP Home SP2 (120GB HD) Intel® 910GML (64MB shared)
Guest Pegasus \(MVP\) Posted August 7, 2008 Posted August 7, 2008 Re: XP computer won't boot See below. "BillW50" <BillW50@aol.kom> wrote in message news:OwyvLEO%23IHA.4780@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... > In news:uwWfrtN%23IHA.3952@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl, > Pegasus (MVP) typed: > > What do you see when you do this Pegasus? I don't have a floppy drive on > this computer, *** In these cases I make a boot diskette on a machine that does *** have a FDD, then burn a bootable CD based on this diskette. *** I would then test this boot CD on that same machine. > but I did follow your instructions on a bootable removable SD card and I > get the following message: > > ~~~~~~~~~~ > Invalid system disk > Replace the disk, and then press any key *** Sorry, I have never tried this. > ~~~~~~~~~~ > > I added a few more files like IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS and then I got the > following: *** You do not need io.sys and msdos.sys - they are Win9x boot *** files. It is sufficient to have a WinXP boot sector, which is *** created when formatting the floppy disk under Explorer or *** with format.exe, but only on a WinXP/2000 PC. > ~~~~~~~~~~ > Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: > <Windows root>\system32\hal.dll. > Please re-install a copy of the above file. > ~~~~~~~~~~ *** This could happen if the system drive number is incorrect. *** You can get around the problem by having several lines *** in a:\boot.ini like so: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="1 Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="2 Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="3 Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="4 Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin *** Note that these are long lines that might get broken up *** by your newsreader. *** *** During the timeout period of 5 seconds you get an *** opportunity to select one of the 4 options, each *** pointing to a different partition on your first disk. *** *** If your Windows installation is intact then you will be *** able to boot into Windows with this boot diskette/CD, *** even if the hard disk boot environment is damaged. *** The next step would then consist of repairing the boot *** environment. > -- > Bill > Gateway Celeron M 370 (1.5GHZ) > MX6124 (laptop) w/2GB > Windows XP Home SP2 (120GB HD) > Intel® 910GML (64MB shared) >
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