Drive Image Boot problem

[William B. Lurie]

Running Power Quest's Drive Image 7 caused a boot-up
problem in my XP Pro. In boot-up, I get a few lines of DOS
error message, asking me to hit any key, and then boot up
proceeds okay. I've been working with PQ to fix it, and now
it boils down to this:

Even changing the BIOS setting so that it asks for CD ROM,
CD ROM, CD ROM, it still gives that same error message, and then,
when I hit Enter, it boots to the hard drive. I can't get it
to boot from the XP Pro CD.

Of course, PQ says that's a machine problem, talk to eMachines
or Microsoft. Experience tells me that eMachines won't or can't
fix it.

PQ wants me to select the "Console Recovery" option and repair
the MBR using FIXMBR routine. While running XP (like now), I
can use Windows Explorer to open up the XP Pro CD, and then hit
"Setup.exe", and get the four-choice installation screen. My
question is, can one of you helpful MVPs lead me to Console
Recovery? I believe I have a set of 6 XP Pro Boot floppies,
which I think would also lead me there, but to a DOS prompt, as
I recall.

Thanks for your assistance.

William B. Lurie

 

[Nick Burns]

Just removed a virus off a Compaq that made it so they could not boot off
the CD rom.

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

If you can't boot from the CD-ROM and you don't have the Recovery Console
already installed on your hard drive, this is not a part of the default
installation, then you cannot get to the Recovery Console on this specific
system.

Please see the following Knowledge Base Article for information on the
Recovery Console and how to install it:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307654&Product=winxp

 

[William B. Lurie]

If you can't boot from the CD-ROM and you don't have the Recovery Console
already installed on your hard drive, this is not a part of the default
installation, then you cannot get to the Recovery Console on this specific
system.

Please see the following Knowledge Base Article for information on the
Recovery Console and how to install it:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307654&Product=winxp

Followed your advice, Michael, to install RC. It started and stopped
with this error message:

Setup file f:\i386\compdate\NTCOMPAT.INF is invalid.
Contact system administrator.

I believe this was a downloaded file.
Please advise. And thank you.

 

[William B. Lurie]

Followed your advice, Michael, to install RC. It started and stopped
with this error message:

Setup file f:\i386\compdate\NTCOMPAT.INF is invalid.
Contact system administrator.

I believe this was a downloaded file.
Please advise. And thank you.

Michael, while waiting for you, I decided to try with the CD
in my e: drive. This time it got to where it is copying the
installation files, only for 20 minutes the progress bar has
been showing like about 5% and not moving. At least I didn't
get that "setup file is invalid" message, but I don't know what
it's doing, and the task manager doesn't show anything going on.
What's your advice?
/WBL/

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

Next option would be to try a repair install.

Assuming your system is set to boot from the CD-ROM drive and you have an
actual XP CD as opposed to a recovery CD, boot with the XP
CD in the drive and perform a repair install as outlined below. If the
system isn't set to boot from the CD or you are not sure, you need to enter
the system's BIOS. When you boot the system, the first screen usually has
instructions that if you wish to enter set press a specific key, when you
see that, do so. Then you will have to navigate to the boot sequence, if
the CD-ROM drive is not first line, set it first in the boot sequence. Save
your settings and exit with the XP CD in the drive. The system will reboot.

NOTE, while a repair install should leave your data files intact, if
something goes wrong during the repair install, you may be forced to start
over and do a clean install of XP. If you don't have your data backed up,
you would lose your data should that eventuality occur.

Boot from the CD. If your system is set to be able to boot from the CD, it
should detect the disk and give a brief message, during the boot up, if you
wish to boot from the CD press any key.

Once you have pressed a key, setup should begin. You will see a reference
asking if you need to load special drivers and another notice that if you
wish to begin the ASR (Automatic Recovery Console) depress F2. Just let
setup run past all of that. It will continue to load files and drivers.

Then it will bring you to a screen. Eventually, you will come to a screen
with the option to (1) setup Windows or (2) Repair Windows Installation
using the Recovery console.

The first option, to setup Windows is the one you want and requires you to
press enter. When asked, press F8 to accept the end user agreement. Setup
will then search for previous versions of Windows. Upon finding your
version, it will ask if you wish to Repair your current installation or
install fresh. Press R, that will run a repair installation. From there
on, follow the screens.

If you only have a recovery CD, your options are quite limited. You can
either purchase a retail version of XP will allow you to perform the above
among other tools and options it has or you can run your system recovery
routine with the Recovery CD which will likely wipe your drive, deleting all
files but will restore your setup to factory fresh condition.

 

[William B. Lurie]

Next option would be to try a repair install.

Assuming your system is set to boot from the CD-ROM drive and you have an
actual XP CD as opposed to a recovery CD, boot with the XP
CD in the drive and perform a repair install as outlined below. If the
system isn't set to boot from the CD or you are not sure, you need to enter
the system's BIOS. When you boot the system, the first screen usually has
instructions that if you wish to enter set press a specific key, when you
see that, do so. Then you will have to navigate to the boot sequence, if
the CD-ROM drive is not first line, set it first in the boot sequence. Save
your settings and exit with the XP CD in the drive. The system will reboot.

NOTE, while a repair install should leave your data files intact, if
something goes wrong during the repair install, you may be forced to start
over and do a clean install of XP. If you don't have your data backed up,
you would lose your data should that eventuality occur.

Boot from the CD. If your system is set to be able to boot from the CD, it
should detect the disk and give a brief message, during the boot up, if you
wish to boot from the CD press any key.

Once you have pressed a key, setup should begin. You will see a reference
asking if you need to load special drivers and another notice that if you
wish to begin the ASR (Automatic Recovery Console) depress F2. Just let
setup run past all of that. It will continue to load files and drivers.

Then it will bring you to a screen. Eventually, you will come to a screen
with the option to (1) setup Windows or (2) Repair Windows Installation
using the Recovery console.

The first option, to setup Windows is the one you want and requires you to
press enter. When asked, press F8 to accept the end user agreement. Setup
will then search for previous versions of Windows. Upon finding your
version, it will ask if you wish to Repair your current installation or
install fresh. Press R, that will run a repair installation. From there
on, follow the screens.

If you only have a recovery CD, your options are quite limited. You can
either purchase a retail version of XP will allow you to perform the above
among other tools and options it has or you can run your system recovery
routine with the Recovery CD which will likely wipe your drive, deleting all
files but will restore your setup to factory fresh condition.

I thank you very much for going through all of the above instructions.
Before proceeding, let me add that, after 1/2 hour of no progress during
the 'install', I decided to cancel it, so I stopped it, and it started
to remove all the components it added, and I went out to supper and came
back and it was still at the same place. So now I did Start>>reboot and
came back here to talk to you. That method of installin RC doesn't work
here.

Now your advice above is good but could lead me to something too
dangerous. As I mentioned, eMachines doesn't supply a system CD, only a
GHOST (and separate CD with drivers). Yje CD I've been using is a
borrowed XP Pro regular installation CD. But I have a set of six
XP PRO Start-Up floppies, which I think will, if I'm brave enough, lead
me to the same place as you speak of above, with Repair capability.

Michael, this is getting to be another of those cases where the
cure could leave you worse off than living with the disease. There
should be a way to get at the MBR and FIXMBR, from within Windows,
but maybe what should exist.....doesn't.

Well, I'd welcome any additional opinions, but living with this anomaly
is not unbearable. What scares me is that I'm due to make a Drive Image
again, and I don't know what that will do to Drive Image's own
anomalous operations.

Bill Lurie

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

Bill, I certainly agree about where this is leading. It's not a question of
could or should, the MBR and FIXMBR commands among others that can be run
from the Recovery Console cannot be run while Windows is booted. Even if
you managed to install the Recovery Console, it would still exit Windows
before becoming functional.

The boot floppies were specifically designed to enable setup on computers
that don't have the ability to boot from the CD-ROM. That is their
function. Regardless of what is on the floppies, you'd still need an XP CD
for installation and the same is true for the repair install.

I'd start backing up data files in case you have a disaster in preparation
for starting over. At least at this point you still have access and this
gives you the necessary time to be able to make sure your data is safe.

 

[William B. Lurie]

Bill, I certainly agree about where this is leading. It's not a question of
could or should, the MBR and FIXMBR commands among others that can be run
from the Recovery Console cannot be run while Windows is booted. Even if
you managed to install the Recovery Console, it would still exit Windows
before becoming functional.

The boot floppies were specifically designed to enable setup on computers
that don't have the ability to boot from the CD-ROM. That is their
function. Regardless of what is on the floppies, you'd still need an XP CD
for installation and the same is true for the repair install.

I'd start backing up data files in case you have a disaster in preparation
for starting over. At least at this point you still have access and this
gives you the necessary time to be able to make sure your data is safe.

Right, Michael. I'm going to try to do a Drive Image, which
is what caused this problem in the first place. So at worst I still
have that Drive Image from the end of December.

As to exiting windows before Recovery Console became functional,
am I not correct, that the 6-floppy XP Boot end up with the Recovery
Console as an option? It is then not in Windows. But I fear that
it will try to call a Recovery Console that hasn't been created
yet. Does that line of thinking lead you anywhere more useful?
Bill L.

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

That's only if you install Recovery Console to your hard drive which I
believe then creates a shortcut to the Recovery Console but it would still
have to exit Windows before the RC would open.

The floppies won't work, even if they have a command to open the Recovery
Console, if it is not installed on your hard drive, the command goes no
where as they don't contain the Recovery Console. The RC is between 30 and
50MB and would not fit on 6 floppy disks.

 

[William B. Lurie]

That's only if you install Recovery Console to your hard drive which I
believe then creates a shortcut to the Recovery Console but it would still
have to exit Windows before the RC would open.

The floppies won't work, even if they have a command to open the Recovery
Console, if it is not installed on your hard drive, the command goes no
where as they don't contain the Recovery Console. The RC is between 30 and
50MB and would not fit on 6 floppy disks.

Well, then the crux of the problem is why we can't get RC to download
and install. Or why I can't boot using the XP Pro CD I borrowed. You've
given me plenty to work with, which I appreciate, and I'll just have
to see what I can do on my own. I'm sure I'll be reporting back in on
it after a while. Thank you very much, Michael.

William B. Lurie

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

My guess is, when you were working with Drive Image, it might have corrupted
something that is now causing problems with the attempted download and
install of the RC.

Sorry, I can't be more help but sometimes a system just goes south and
there's not much you can do but start over or restore a good image.

Good luck, Bill.

 

[Sarge]

Running Power Quest's Drive Image 7 caused a boot-up
problem in my XP Pro. In boot-up, I get a few lines of DOS
error message, asking me to hit any key, and then boot up
proceeds okay. I've been working with PQ to fix it, and now
it boils down to this:

Even changing the BIOS setting so that it asks for CD ROM,
CD ROM, CD ROM, it still gives that same error message, and then,
when I hit Enter, it boots to the hard drive. I can't get it
to boot from the XP Pro CD.

Provided you don't have a boot manager or drive overlay program, and if you
can boot from a floppy, try:

fdisk /mbr

from a Win98 boot floppy. You can get one here:

http://www.bootdisk.com/

 

[William B. Lurie]

@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl:




Provided you don't have a boot manager or drive overlay program, and if you
can boot from a floppy, try:

fdisk /mbr

from a Win98 boot floppy. You can get one here:

http://www.bootdisk.com/

=================================================
Thanks for the advice, Sarge.... I'd be willing to try it,
but did you really mean Win98 boot floppy? Incidentally,
I do have downloaded Win98 and ME and also XP boot
floppyies...
WBL

 

[Sarge]

Thanks for the advice, Sarge.... I'd be willing to try it,
but did you really mean Win98 boot floppy?
Yup.


Incidentally, I do have downloaded Win98 and ME and also XP boot
floppyies...

I don't know about ME, but you won't find fdisk.exe on the XP disks.