Boot problem

[Guest Paul Floyd]

Hi

 

I'm trying to revive an old PC. It works fine with Solaris, Linux,

FreeBSD and OS/2. However, it won't boot Windows 2000. In the past, it

worked OK with windows.

 

I've tried safe boot and LKG. After the login screen, I get a blank

desktop for a couple of minutes, then it falls back to the login screen.

 

Partition Magic 8 finds no errors on the 2 partitions (D: boot, F: data,

on 2 disks). Same thing for chkdsk from the recovery console. And though

I can login to the recovery console, I can't perform a repair or even

reinstall (in both cases, the W2K installation can't be found).

 

My next line of attack is likely to be to either mount the boot

partition from Linux and try to hunt down a boot log (I'm not too sure

what to look for), or to make a 2nd W2K installation, and see what I can

see in the original installation from there. I suppose that I could also

attempt things like registry repair and so on.

 

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

 

A bientot

PaulPaul

[Guest Dave Patrick]

Re: Boot problem

 

These articles may help.

 

Unable to Log on if the Boot Partition Drive Letter Has Changed

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];249321

 

How to restore the system/boot drive letter in Windows

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223188/

 

 

--

 

Regards,

 

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.

Microsoft Certified Professional

Microsoft MVP [Windows]

http://www.microsoft.com/protect

 

"Paul Floyd" wrote:

> Hi

>

> I'm trying to revive an old PC. It works fine with Solaris, Linux,

> FreeBSD and OS/2. However, it won't boot Windows 2000. In the past, it

> worked OK with windows.

>

> I've tried safe boot and LKG. After the login screen, I get a blank

> desktop for a couple of minutes, then it falls back to the login screen.

>

> Partition Magic 8 finds no errors on the 2 partitions (D: boot, F: data,

> on 2 disks). Same thing for chkdsk from the recovery console. And though

> I can login to the recovery console, I can't perform a repair or even

> reinstall (in both cases, the W2K installation can't be found).

>

> My next line of attack is likely to be to either mount the boot

> partition from Linux and try to hunt down a boot log (I'm not too sure

> what to look for), or to make a 2nd W2K installation, and see what I can

> see in the original installation from there. I suppose that I could also

> attempt things like registry repair and so on.

>

> Does anyone have any other suggestions?

>

> A bientot

> PaulPaul

[Guest Frank Booth Snr]

Re: Boot problem

 

Paul Floyd wrote:

> Hi

>

> I'm trying to revive an old PC. It works fine with Solaris, Linux,

> FreeBSD and OS/2. However, it won't boot Windows 2000. In the past, it

> worked OK with windows.

>

> I've tried safe boot and LKG. After the login screen, I get a blank

> desktop for a couple of minutes, then it falls back to the login screen.

>

> Partition Magic 8 finds no errors on the 2 partitions (D: boot, F: data,

> on 2 disks). Same thing for chkdsk from the recovery console. And though

> I can login to the recovery console, I can't perform a repair or even

> reinstall (in both cases, the W2K installation can't be found).

>

> My next line of attack is likely to be to either mount the boot

> partition from Linux and try to hunt down a boot log (I'm not too sure

> what to look for), or to make a 2nd W2K installation, and see what I can

> see in the original installation from there. I suppose that I could also

> attempt things like registry repair and so on.

>

> Does anyone have any other suggestions?

>

Are you just using the one operating system (Win2K) for your hard drive?

 

It sounds like a profile corruption to me. I don't think it's a

boot-up/disk problem. When you first install Win2k, you shouldn't have

to logon, although you will be asked for login details while installing.

It's only when you instruct Windows to force users to logon that you

then have to supply those details just before boot-up completes. Are you

logging in as 'administrator' or under your own username? You have those

2 alternatives when you first install. Try logging on under the former.

[Guest Paul Floyd]

Re: Boot problem

 

On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 19:35:09 +0100, Frank Booth Snr <fbsnr@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

>

> It sounds like a profile corruption to me. I don't think it's a

> boot-up/disk problem. When you first install Win2k, you shouldn't have

> to logon, although you will be asked for login details while installing.

> It's only when you instruct Windows to force users to logon that you

> then have to supply those details just before boot-up completes. Are you

> logging in as 'administrator' or under your own username? You have those

> 2 alternatives when you first install. Try logging on under the former.

 

Hi

 

The installation used to work, and I've always had to log on. I have the

same problem with both Administrator and a normal user.

 

A bientot

Paul

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Boot problem

 

 

"Paul Floyd" <root@127.0.0.1> wrote in message

news:slrnfgiloj.a1.root@bourbiere.local...

> On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 19:35:09 +0100, Frank Booth Snr <fbsnr@yahoo.co.uk>

> wrote:

>>

>> It sounds like a profile corruption to me. I don't think it's a

>> boot-up/disk problem. When you first install Win2k, you shouldn't have

>> to logon, although you will be asked for login details while installing.

>> It's only when you instruct Windows to force users to logon that you

>> then have to supply those details just before boot-up completes. Are you

>> logging in as 'administrator' or under your own username? You have those

>> 2 alternatives when you first install. Try logging on under the former.

>

> Hi

>

> The installation used to work, and I've always had to log on. I have the

> same problem with both Administrator and a normal user.

>

> A bientot

> Paul

>

 

It is highly likely that your system drive letter has changed. Dave

Patrick gave you the recipe to fix this. You should try the

method described in his link.

[Guest Paul Floyd]

Re: Boot problem

 

On Sun, 7 Oct 2007 09:01:17 -0600, Dave Patrick

<DSPatrick@nospam.gmail.com> wrote:

> These articles may help.

>

> Unable to Log on if the Boot Partition Drive Letter Has Changed

> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];249321

>

> How to restore the system/boot drive letter in Windows

> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223188/

 

Hi

 

This looks fairly promising. I boot with grub. The W2K system partition

is on the 1st primary partition of the 2nd disk. On the 1st disk, there

is a small FAT partition and an HPFS partition. The FAT partition ia hidden

and the HPFS partition not hidden. This means that the W2K NTFS partition

gets assigned d:.

 

At about the time that it stopped working, I had just added some drivers

to access a Sony digital camera via USB. Then the video card died, and

it was several months until I replaced it. I doubt that either is

related to the problem I'm having logging in.

 

A bientot

Paul

[Guest Frank Booth Snr]

Re: Boot problem

 

Paul Floyd wrote:

>

> Hi

>

> The installation used to work, and I've always had to log on. I have the

> same problem with both Administrator and a normal user.

>

What did you do beforehand just before the system fouled up? You don't

need OS2/HPFS. Stick to Win2k. It's one of MS's better operating

systems. By the time you spend trying to fix this problem, you'll either

likely make things worse, or could have done a re-install. Have you

backed up your data files. If so, then do a re-format/reinstall on drive

C and be done with it. It doesn't take that long, and then you have a

fresh start.

[Guest Paul Floyd]

Re: Boot problem

 

On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 23:54:10 +0100, Frank Booth Snr <fbsnr@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> Paul Floyd wrote:

>>

>> Hi

>>

>> The installation used to work, and I've always had to log on. I have the

>> same problem with both Administrator and a normal user.

>>

> What did you do beforehand just before the system fouled up? You don't

 

The last thing that I remember doing was installing some digital camera

drivers, but I don't think that is the cause. I have 3 ghost backups,

and I've tried restoring one that I'm sure predates installing the

drivers, and it also has the same problem. Another change that I made

was switching some Solaris partittion IDs, from 0x82 to 0xbf I think.

AFAIK, both are unrecognised by W2K.

> need OS2/HPFS. Stick to Win2k. It's one of MS's better operating

 

OS/2 still needs it to boot. I can't access that partition from Windows,

and I'm not too bothered by it.

> systems. By the time you spend trying to fix this problem, you'll either

> likely make things worse, or could have done a re-install. Have you

> backed up your data files. If so, then do a re-format/reinstall on drive

> C and be done with it. It doesn't take that long, and then you have a

> fresh start.

 

I'm currently doing a reinstall. I'll see how things go from there.

 

A bientot

Paul

[Guest Paul Floyd]

Re: Boot problem

 

On Mon, 8 Oct 2007 00:09:19 +0200, Pegasus (MVP) <I.can@fly.com> wrote:

>

> It is highly likely that your system drive letter has changed. Dave

> Patrick gave you the recipe to fix this. You should try the

> method described in his link.

 

I don't have a networked Windows computer to allow remote registry

editing. And my various attampts to hide partitions didn't get anywhere.

 

It'd be a lot easier if I had a console to work with, and/or a detailed

log.

 

A bientot

Paul

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Boot problem

 

 

"Paul Floyd" <root@127.0.0.1> wrote in message

news:slrnfgl3ef.m2.root@bourbiere.local...

> On Mon, 8 Oct 2007 00:09:19 +0200, Pegasus (MVP) <I.can@fly.com> wrote:

>>

>> It is highly likely that your system drive letter has changed. Dave

>> Patrick gave you the recipe to fix this. You should try the

>> method described in his link.

>

> I don't have a networked Windows computer to allow remote registry

> editing. And my various attampts to hide partitions didn't get anywhere.

>

> It'd be a lot easier if I had a console to work with, and/or a detailed

> log.

>

> A bientot

> Paul

 

There are other methods to edit the registry if your PC is not

networked. Here are four of them:

a) Install the hard disk as a slave disk in some other Win2000/XP

PC, then use regedit.exe to load the System hive for editing.

b) Boot the machine with a Bart PE boot CD, then run regedit.exe

as above.

c) Load an auxiliary copy of Windows into a directory other than

c:\WinNT, then run regedit as above.

d) Boot the machine with a Nordahl boot diskette (http://www.bootdisk.com),

then edit the registry with the inbuilt editor.

 

Method a) requires another PC.

Method b) requires Bart PE CD. This is a very powerful tool but

it takes some time to make one.

Method c) requires sufficient disk empty disk space.

Method d) is about as intuitive wrestling is for the Pope.

 

However, all of them let you modify the registry.

[Guest Paul Floyd]

Re: Boot problem

 

On Mon, 8 Oct 2007 23:02:12 +0200, Pegasus (MVP) <I.can@fly.com> wrote:

>

> "Paul Floyd" <root@127.0.0.1> wrote in message

> news:slrnfgl3ef.m2.root@bourbiere.local...

>> On Mon, 8 Oct 2007 00:09:19 +0200, Pegasus (MVP) <I.can@fly.com> wrote:

>>>

>>> It is highly likely that your system drive letter has changed. Dave

>>> Patrick gave you the recipe to fix this. You should try the

>>> method described in his link.

>>

>> I don't have a networked Windows computer to allow remote registry

>> editing. And my various attampts to hide partitions didn't get anywhere.

>>

>> It'd be a lot easier if I had a console to work with, and/or a detailed

>> log.

>>

> There are other methods to edit the registry if your PC is not

> networked. Here are four of them:

> a) Install the hard disk as a slave disk in some other Win2000/XP

> PC, then use regedit.exe to load the System hive for editing.

> b) Boot the machine with a Bart PE boot CD, then run regedit.exe

> as above.

> c) Load an auxiliary copy of Windows into a directory other than

> c:\WinNT, then run regedit as above.

> d) Boot the machine with a Nordahl boot diskette (http://www.bootdisk.com),

> then edit the registry with the inbuilt editor.

>

> Method a) requires another PC.

 

I do have 2 working PCs, but neither has Windows 2K/XP.

> Method b) requires Bart PE CD. This is a very powerful tool but

> it takes some time to make one.

> Method c) requires sufficient disk empty disk space.

 

The d: drive has only about 800Mbytes free. There's plenty of space

elsewhere, so I could make a fresh new bootable primary partition.I

could make a fresh new bootable primary partition.

> Method d) is about as intuitive wrestling is for the Pope.

 

It looks like this is a Linux app. I'll make a note of it, as I have

Linux installed, so I wouldn't need to build a boot floppy/CD.

 

A bientot

Paul

[Guest Frank Booth Snr]

Re: Boot problem

 

Paul Floyd wrote:

> On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 23:54:10 +0100, Frank Booth Snr <fbsnr@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

>

>>Paul Floyd wrote:

>>

>>>Hi

>>>

>>>The installation used to work, and I've always had to log on. I have the

>>>same problem with both Administrator and a normal user.

>>>

>>

>>What did you do beforehand just before the system fouled up? You don't

>

>

> The last thing that I remember doing was installing some digital camera

> drivers, but I don't think that is the cause. I have 3 ghost backups,

> and I've tried restoring one that I'm sure predates installing the

> drivers, and it also has the same problem. Another change that I made

> was switching some Solaris partittion IDs, from 0x82 to 0xbf I think.

> AFAIK, both are unrecognised by W2K.

>

>

>>need OS2/HPFS. Stick to Win2k. It's one of MS's better operating

>

>

> OS/2 still needs it to boot. I can't access that partition from Windows,

> and I'm not too bothered by it.

>

 

Yes. That's the problem. You may get an error at setting up Win2k which

should be done after you install OS/2. Because OS/2 uses its own boot

manager Win2k may try to destroy it on installation. However there

appears to be a fix for this on http://os2site.com/sw/util/disk/boot.

 

Have a read of this - http://www.felgall.com/os2ins6.htm

[Guest Paul Floyd]

Re: Boot problem

 

On Tue, 09 Oct 2007 22:53:27 +0100, Frank Booth Snr <fbsnr@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> Paul Floyd wrote:

>> On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 23:54:10 +0100, Frank Booth Snr <fbsnr@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

>>

>>>Paul Floyd wrote:

>>>

>>>>Hi

>>>>

>>>>The installation used to work, and I've always had to log on. I have the

>>>>same problem with both Administrator and a normal user.

>>>>

>>>

>>>What did you do beforehand just before the system fouled up? You don't

>>

>>

>> The last thing that I remember doing was installing some digital camera

>> drivers, but I don't think that is the cause. I have 3 ghost backups,

>> and I've tried restoring one that I'm sure predates installing the

>> drivers, and it also has the same problem. Another change that I made

>> was switching some Solaris partittion IDs, from 0x82 to 0xbf I think.

>> AFAIK, both are unrecognised by W2K.

>>

>>

>>>need OS2/HPFS. Stick to Win2k. It's one of MS's better operating

>>

>>

>> OS/2 still needs it to boot. I can't access that partition from Windows,

>> and I'm not too bothered by it.

>>

>

> Yes. That's the problem. You may get an error at setting up Win2k which

> should be done after you install OS/2. Because OS/2 uses its own boot

> manager Win2k may try to destroy it on installation. However there

> appears to be a fix for this on http://os2site.com/sw/util/disk/boot.

>

> Have a read of this - http://www.felgall.com/os2ins6.htm

 

Hi

 

I'm aware of incompatibilities with OS/2 bootmanager. But that can't be

the problem, as I haven't used it for many years. At present, I boot

with grub (on a disk that only has RH9 on it).

 

A bientot

Paul