Invalid partition table

[AlphaWoolf]

Hello all. Common enough problem, I know. My Windows XP system won't
boot, telling me "Invalid partition table". I've booted from my
Windows CD and taken the "R"ecovery option. After selecting the
Windows installation I want to log into it says:

"The system registry does not appear to have an active ControlSet key.
The system regisrty may be damaged."

It then prompts me to to take the "Last Known Good Configuration"
after rebooting, which is useless because Windows won't start due to
the partition table error. From the Recovery Console I've also run
FIXMBR, which says it has successfully rewritten the MBR. However it
makes no difference to the bootability.

I've taken the HD and put it into another system. I can read and
write from it just fine, and the Configuration Manager says the
primary partition is "healthy".

I am at a complete loss of what else to do without just starting from
scratch and reformatting the drive. Any ideas?


Alphawoolf

 

[John Doe]

It then prompts me to to take the "Last Known Good Configuration"
after rebooting, which is useless because Windows won't start due
to the partition table error.

So the partition table error comes before you have a chance to press
F8.

From the Recovery Console I've also run
FIXMBR, which says it has successfully rewritten the MBR. However
it makes no difference to the bootability.

I've taken the HD and put it into another system. I can read and
write from it just fine, and the Configuration Manager says the
primary partition is "healthy".

Have you made a copy of any important files on that hard drive?

I am at a complete loss of what else to do without just starting from
scratch and reformatting the drive. Any ideas?


Alphawoolf


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From: AlphaWoolf <alpha.woolf yourcoatsbcglobal.net>
Newsgroups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Subject: Invalid partition table
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[Gremenbulin]

Hello all. Common enough problem, I know. My Windows XP system won't
boot, telling me "Invalid partition table".

The simplest cause of this is lack of an "active" or "bootable"
partition.

http://tinyurl.com/p8ho5

if that is the case you should be able to fix it using "fdisk -a 1"
from the recovery console

http://docsrv.sco.com:507/en/man/html.ADM/fdisk.ADM.html

http://www.dewassoc.com/kbase/hard_drives/master_boot_record.htm

http://www.ntfs.com/mbr-damaged.htm

 

[JAD]

Hello all. Common enough problem, I know. My Windows XP system won't
boot, telling me "Invalid partition table". I've booted from my
Windows CD and taken the "R"ecovery option. After selecting the
Windows installation I want to log into it says:

"The system registry does not appear to have an active ControlSet key.
The system regisrty may be damaged."

It then prompts me to to take the "Last Known Good Configuration"
after rebooting, which is useless because Windows won't start due to
the partition table error. From the Recovery Console I've also run
FIXMBR, which says it has successfully rewritten the MBR. However it
makes no difference to the bootability.

this sounds like a harddrive that had its partitions manipulated by
'partition magic' or one of those other parttition butchers

I've taken the HD and put it into another system. I can read and
write from it just fine, and the Configuration Manager says the
primary partition is "healthy".

is this a fat32 or a ntfs?

 

[Gremenbulin]

is this a fat32 or a ntfs?

And how is it partitioned?

 

[John Doe]

"JAD" <JOHN DOE PORN ADDY HARVESTER.com> wrote:

Hey JAD, is your mother still a whore?

this sounds like a harddrive that had its partitions manipulated
by
'partition magic' or one of those other parttition butchers

In the hands of a skilled user, PartitionMagic or another disk
manager is an extremely useful program.

It's like a power tool, you should be a grown-up before you try
using it.

 

[JAD]

some more boring stuff <<<<<<<YAWN>>>>>>>>>

 

[AlphaWoolf]

The simplest cause of this is lack of an "active" or "bootable"
partition.

http://tinyurl.com/p8ho5

if that is the case you should be able to fix it using "fdisk -a 1"
from the recovery console

http://docsrv.sco.com:507/en/man/html.ADM/fdisk.ADM.html

http://www.dewassoc.com/kbase/hard_drives/master_boot_record.htm

http://www.ntfs.com/mbr-damaged.htm

To followup with this and some of the other responses:

1. The drive was originally partitioned with the Seagate tool (it's a
Seagate drive).

2. I have copied all data off this drive. It's NTFS.

3. I saw FDISK mentioned everywhere but I didn't know it was part of
of the Recovery Console. This is my first big education in Windows
recovery (I have little idea what caused this in the 1st place but my
PC has been acting flaky at bootup). I think it's too late for FDISK
now. At some point between running FIXBOOT and FIXMBR Windows setup
could no longer see a Windows installation. I've since deleted the
partition in Windows Setup and created a new one. However the format
failed. I've since been busy with other things since but my next step
is put it back in my working PC and try formatting it with the Seagate
tool.

Basically I'm down to nuking it and starting from scratch, which I
have the luxury of doing since I could copy the data off.


Alphawoolf

 

[jj92_2]

Get GParted or Knoppix - burn a CD from the ISO image - use the tools
supplied.

/JJ

 

[AlphaWoolf]

Get GParted or Knoppix - burn a CD from the ISO image - use the tools
supplied.

/JJ

Well, after repartitioning the drive on my good machine, I've
attempted to load Windows back in the original box. Windows Setup got
to the point where it needed to reboot. At that point it came back
with the same invalid partiton error again. Now, both Windows Setup
and Recovery Console blue screen with the following error:

STOP: 0x00000024 (0x001902FE, 0xF7CAA814, 0xF7CAA510, 0xF74281FC)
ntfs.sys - Address F74281FC base at F741B000, Datestamp 41107eea

I'm going to put the drive back in my good machine and check it out
but I don't have much hope for this scenario. Previously the drive
had repartitioned and copied data for hours on the other PC without a
hitch. SMART diagnostics show good too. I'm thinking either buy a
new drive or a controller card?

Alphawoolf

 

[JAD]

sounds as though the boot sector of your drive is damaged beyond repair

 

[jaster]

Well, after repartitioning the drive on my good machine, I've attempted to
load Windows back in the original box. Windows Setup got to the point
where it needed to reboot. At that point it came back with the same
invalid partiton error again. Now, both Windows Setup and Recovery
Console blue screen with the following error:

STOP: 0x00000024 (0x001902FE, 0xF7CAA814, 0xF7CAA510, 0xF74281FC) ntfs.sys
- Address F74281FC base at F741B000, Datestamp 41107eea

I'm going to put the drive back in my good machine and check it out but I
don't have much hope for this scenario. Previously the drive had
repartitioned and copied data for hours on the other PC without a hitch.
SMART diagnostics show good too. I'm thinking either buy a new drive or a
controller card?

Alphawoolf

There are some boot utilities like MBRtool which allow you to rebuild the
MBR on the hd. I know the Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD) has that and other
tools.

Did you post output from a fdisk -l ? Or something showing the
partitions? Did you clean the Windows CD, maybe the problem is the CD
and not the hd?

 

[AlphaWoolf]

There are some boot utilities like MBRtool which allow you to rebuild the
MBR on the hd. I know the Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD) has that and other
tools.

Did you post output from a fdisk -l ? Or something showing the
partitions? Did you clean the Windows CD, maybe the problem is the CD
and not the hd?

I bought a new HD. Halfway through Windows Setup the system rebooted
and the drive now reports - you guessed it - invalid partition table.
Rather than buying more components and swapping them in an attempt to
find the faulty piece I've taken it to a shop for diagnosis. I do
appreciate your responses and I'll try to followup with the ultimate
solution.

Alphawoolf

 

[jaster]

I bought a new HD. Halfway through Windows Setup the system rebooted and
the drive now reports - you guessed it - invalid partition table. Rather
than buying more components and swapping them in an attempt to find the
faulty piece I've taken it to a shop for diagnosis. I do appreciate your
responses and I'll try to followup with the ultimate solution.

Alphawoolf

I'd exchange it for another drive at the store I bought it. It's
rare but sometimes there are bad components.

I had 2 CDs one wouldn't install (on reboot stops trying to load a file
from the D drive) the other installed without problem.

I suggested MBRTool, with it you could have installed a new MBR and
partition tables if you wanted. Really not enough info to make a good
guess.

 

[AlphaWoolf]

I'd exchange it for another drive at the store I bought it. It's
rare but sometimes there are bad components.

I had 2 CDs one wouldn't install (on reboot stops trying to load a file
from the D drive) the other installed without problem.

I suggested MBRTool, with it you could have installed a new MBR and
partition tables if you wanted. Really not enough info to make a good
guess.

Well I am happy to report a successful conclusion to this ordeal, at
least so far.

The shop (a local franchise of the Geek Squad chain) did a diagnostic
and recommended a new motherboard. I was able to talk to the tech in
detail and one thing mentioned was reflashing the BIOS. Since this
was essentially free before getting anymore hardware, I tried it.
Reflashed to the latest Abit BIOS for the board and presto! Windows
installed without a hitch. Time will tell if it remains stable in the
longer term but for now it's running like a top again.

Thanks for all the replies!

Alphawoolf