error loading operating system

[Guest Dave]

Started up winxp sp2 and got message "error loading operating system".

It was previously shut down automatically while I wasn't there. Used

bartpe and found nothing on the c (system) drive. File system shows raw

with no space and nothing used. The other partition on the same

physical drive is fine. The only thing I can see to do is error check

the C drive but I doubt this will do anything. Any ideas? Thanks.

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: error loading operating system

 

 

"Dave" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message

news:%23V95GGcBJHA.4884@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> Started up winxp sp2 and got message "error loading operating system".

> It was previously shut down automatically while I wasn't there. Used

> bartpe and found nothing on the c (system) drive. File system shows raw

> with no space and nothing used. The other partition on the same

> physical drive is fine. The only thing I can see to do is error check

> the C drive but I doubt this will do anything. Any ideas? Thanks.

>

 

I would try one of the many partition recovery tools.

[Guest Dave]

Re: error loading operating system

 

 

"Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com.oz> wrote in message

news:Ov6TkqcBJHA.4316@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>

> "Dave" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message

> news:%23V95GGcBJHA.4884@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> > Started up winxp sp2 and got message "error loading operating

system".

> > It was previously shut down automatically while I wasn't there.

Used

> > bartpe and found nothing on the c (system) drive. File system shows

raw

> > with no space and nothing used. The other partition on the same

> > physical drive is fine. The only thing I can see to do is error

check

> > the C drive but I doubt this will do anything. Any ideas? Thanks.

> >

>

> I would try one of the many partition recovery tools.

 

I wouldn't know where to begin or how to proceed. Based on what I've

researched so far, the only thing I have found is a hint that fix mbr

mrght help but I really don't know how to proceed with that and am not

sure that would help and it might even cause more problems. Can you

offer some more detailed suggestions please? Thank you.

[Guest Malke]

Re: error loading operating system

 

Dave wrote:

>

> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com.oz> wrote in message

> news:Ov6TkqcBJHA.4316@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>>

>> "Dave" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message

>> news:%23V95GGcBJHA.4884@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>> > Started up winxp sp2 and got message "error loading operating

> system".

>> > It was previously shut down automatically while I wasn't there.

> Used

>> > bartpe and found nothing on the c (system) drive. File system shows

> raw

>> > with no space and nothing used. The other partition on the same

>> > physical drive is fine. The only thing I can see to do is error

> check

>> > the C drive but I doubt this will do anything. Any ideas? Thanks.

>> >

>>

>> I would try one of the many partition recovery tools.

>

> I wouldn't know where to begin or how to proceed. Based on what I've

> researched so far, the only thing I have found is a hint that fix mbr

> mrght help but I really don't know how to proceed with that and am not

> sure that would help and it might even cause more problems. Can you

> offer some more detailed suggestions please? Thank you.

 

Fixmbr will not help since you can see that Windows is missing on the drive.

You can try retrieving your data by using data recovery software. If that

doesn't work, first test the hard drive with a diagnostic utility from the

drive mftr.'s website and if it passes, clean install Windows.

 

http://www3.telus.net/mikebike/RESTORATION.html

PCInspector File Recovery -

http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/welcome.htm

Executive Software ?Undelete? -

http://www.undelete.com/undelete/undelete.asp

R-Studio - http://www.r-tt.com/

File Scavenger - http://www.quetek.com/prod02.htm

Ontrack's EasyRecovery - http://www.ontrack.com/software/

 

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install How-To

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Reinstalling_Windows - What

you will need on-hand

 

Malke

--

MS-MVP

Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: error loading operating system

 

 

"Dave" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message

news:eZbrhrdBJHA.3496@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>

> "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can@fly.com.oz> wrote in message

> news:Ov6TkqcBJHA.4316@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>>

>> "Dave" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message

>> news:%23V95GGcBJHA.4884@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>> > Started up winxp sp2 and got message "error loading operating

> system".

>> > It was previously shut down automatically while I wasn't there.

> Used

>> > bartpe and found nothing on the c (system) drive. File system shows

> raw

>> > with no space and nothing used. The other partition on the same

>> > physical drive is fine. The only thing I can see to do is error

> check

>> > the C drive but I doubt this will do anything. Any ideas? Thanks.

>> >

>>

>> I would try one of the many partition recovery tools.

>

> I wouldn't know where to begin or how to proceed. Based on what I've

> researched so far, the only thing I have found is a hint that fix mbr

> mrght help but I really don't know how to proceed with that and am not

> sure that would help and it might even cause more problems. Can you

> offer some more detailed suggestions please? Thank you.

 

If you have no experience with such things and if you have important

files on your disk that are not backed up then your safest course of

action is to seek outside help, e.g. a friend with expert knowledge or

a computer service shop.

[Guest Dave]

Re: error loading operating system

 

 

"Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote

>

> Fixmbr will not help since you can see that Windows is missing on the

drive.

> You can try retrieving your data by using data recovery software. If

that

> doesn't work, first test the hard drive with a diagnostic utility from

the

> drive mftr.'s website and if it passes, clean install Windows.

 

When I try to boot with the XP install cd, I still get the same error

message. Is this because the drive's not formatted (bartpe shows a raw

file system with 0 bytes used and 0 bytes available)? I can format the

drive in bartpe. If I do this will I then be able to reinstall XP?

[Guest Dave]

Re: error loading operating system

 

 

"Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote

>

> Fixmbr will not help since you can see that Windows is missing on the

drive.

> You can try retrieving your data by using data recovery software. If

that

> doesn't work, first test the hard drive with a diagnostic utility from

the

> drive mftr.'s website and if it passes, clean install Windows.

 

When I try to boot with the XP install cd, I still get the same error

message. Is this because the drive's not formatted (bartpe shows a raw

file system with 0 bytes used and 0 bytes available)? I can format the

drive in bartpe. If I do this will I then be able to reinstall XP?

[Guest Malke]

Re: error loading operating system

 

Dave wrote:

>

> "Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote

>

>>

>> Fixmbr will not help since you can see that Windows is missing on the

> drive.

>> You can try retrieving your data by using data recovery software. If

> that

>> doesn't work, first test the hard drive with a diagnostic utility from

> the

>> drive mftr.'s website and if it passes, clean install Windows.

>

> When I try to boot with the XP install cd, I still get the same error

> message. Is this because the drive's not formatted (bartpe shows a raw

> file system with 0 bytes used and 0 bytes available)? I can format the

> drive in bartpe. If I do this will I then be able to reinstall XP?

 

Please run the hard drive diagnostic as I previously suggested. To answer

your question, you do not need to format the drive before you clean-install

Windows. You should delete/create partitions and then format from within

the XP installation routine. Of course, doing this will destroy all data on

the drive. You understand this, yes?

 

It sounds to me like your hard drive has failed which is why I suggested you

test it.

 

Malke

--

MS-MVP

Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

[Guest Dave]

Re: error loading operating system

 

 

"Malke" <malke@invalid.invalid> wrote

>

> Please run the hard drive diagnostic as I previously suggested. To

answer

> your question, you do not need to format the drive before you

clean-install

> Windows. You should delete/create partitions and then format from

within

> the XP installation routine. Of course, doing this will destroy all

data on

> the drive. You understand this, yes?

 

I understand this. I have also gone thru the first few screens of the

install cd and am understanding it. The problem with it not running was

that I didn't press any key. I downloaded the diagnostic tool earlier

but it was Windows only. Now I look again and see that the dos tool can

be run under XP. I saw the word dos and thought xp couldn't handle it.

Thanks. I will not lose anything important if I decide to reinstall.

>

> It sounds to me like your hard drive has failed which is why I

suggested you

> test it.

 

Please note there are 2 partitions and I can read and write to the 2nd

one without any problems. I will probably run the diag tool. I have

searched the error message extensively and have not found anything that

matches my problem and provides a solution. I thought there would be a

simple fix. Perhaps an expert could recover the partition or the data.

[Guest Malke]

Re: error loading operating system

 

Dave wrote:

 

> I understand this. I have also gone thru the first few screens of the

> install cd and am understanding it. The problem with it not running was

> that I didn't press any key. I downloaded the diagnostic tool earlier

> but it was Windows only. Now I look again and see that the dos tool can

> be run under XP. I saw the word dos and thought xp couldn't handle it.

> Thanks. I will not lose anything important if I decide to reinstall.

 

Hard drive diagnostic utilities should be run outside of Windows. You will

download the utility from the drive mftr.'s website and create a bootable

CD using third party burning software (burn as an image, not as data). Boot

with the media you created and do a thorough test of the drive. If it fails

any physical tests, replace it.

 

Malke

--

MS-MVP

Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

[Guest proposedsolution@gmail.com]

Re: error loading operating system

 

On Aug 25, 4:10 pm, Malke <ma...@invalid.invalid> wrote:

> Dave wrote:

> > I understand this.  I have also gone thru the first few screens of the

> > install cd and am understanding it.  The problem with itnotrunning was

> > that I didn't press any key.  I downloaded the diagnostic tool earlier

> > but it was Windows only.  Now I look again and see that the dos tool can

> > be run under XP.  I saw the word dos and thought xp couldn't handle it.

> > Thanks.  I willnotlose anything important if I decide to reinstall.

>

> Hard drive diagnostic utilities should be run outside of Windows. You will

> download the utility from the drive mftr.'s website and create a bootable

> CD using third party burning software (burn as an image,notas data). Boot

> with the media you created and do a thorough test of the drive. If it fails

> any physical tests, replace it.

>

> Malke

> --

> MS-MVP

> Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

> FAQ -http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

 

Guys...

 

So many unanswered questions here -

 

Is the drive detected in the BIOS?

 

Is the correct partition set as active?

 

The raw partition could well be a linux partition or some kind of

hidden recovery partition.

 

I'd suggest following a few of the guide on this site, even if you're

not receiving the exact error messages as they could well solve your

problem. Let me know how you get on.

 

http://www.proposedsolution.com/PS0011_Windows_Boot_Problems_Troubleshooting_Guide.html

 

Hope this helps.

 

Rosco