winload.exe missing or corrupt and installation disk will not star

[smeesh]

(sorry if this is long winded but I am trying to make as clear as possible my
situation)

I did an upgrade from XP to Vista Home basic on my
sons computer. It does not have a DVD drive so had to install from 5 CD's.
I put the parental lock on as the computer is in his room and wanted to have
some control on what is viewed (and doing homework rather than
chatting/surfing)!! ;oP

All seemed to be working fine. My son then got to the computer and removed
Grand Theft Auto. The computer no longer starts - he assures me this is all
he did.

It gives the error winload.exe missing or corrupt (yadda, yadda, yadda
Windows failed to start. A recent hardware of software change might be the
cause, To fix the problem: *etc etc*

File: \windows\system32\winload.exe
).

It tells me to reinsert disc and restart. I do this and the CD spins etc,
but it wont boot from the CD. (I have checked boot sequence and it is CD
first.) I get the same boot sequence error page, but the keyboard will not
work - so I cant hit enter either.

I know the keyboard works in the initial boot sequence because if I unplug
it it will not boot at all, and when it is plugged in, I can hit F1 to get to
BIOS. Past this, nothing. In fact I know it reads/recognises a boot disk in
the CD drive because the screen prompts "to boot from CD press any key" and
counts - it will not recognise the key press so goes to the error message
again.

Now what? Please help or provide some ideas as I just cant afford to pay to
fix this one.

thanks in advance

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

Try removing all boot devices other than the CD drive in the BIOS startup
sequence. This way it will be forced to load the CD after the timeout.

What you may have is a hardware failure, totally unrelated to the
installation of GTA, just coincidental.

Once you have the CD loaded, try a startup repair.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[smeesh]

Hi Rick,

thanks for the reply. I have done as suggested and disabled all other boot
sequence devices to no avail. It still goes past the bios startup, gives a
message "to boot from CD press any key" and gives 5 dots as awaiting response
and then moves to the winload.exe missing file message (because the keyboard
will not work after the BIOS startup).

Any other thoughts? You mention hardward failure - best tested by removing
drive and putting in another computer? Is this possibly a way to restore the
winload.exe file to its correct place assuming that the drive still does work?

cheers

 

[John Barnes]

What kind of keyboard are you using? Do you have more than 1 hard drive?

 

[smeesh]

hi John,
It is a dell keyboard (USB) and one single hard drive. GTA was an UNinstall
- so files were removed fromthe computer.

thanks again

 

[Rick Rogers]

Got a PS/2 keyboard you can try?

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[John Barnes]

As Rick suggested, see if you can try a PS2 keyboard or many USB keyboards
come with an adapter to PS2 (all mine have). I am not familiar with the CD
version, but assume the first disk has most of the files except winim, so if
you can get into the the repair section and run the startup repair. It is
highly unlikely that any uninstall would be able to delete the winload
system file.

 

[smeesh]

OH MY GOSH guys - that worked - change the keyboard to a PS2 and we could go
into CD recovery!! yay we have vista again.

I would like to thank both of you for taking the time to help me. I have
used newsgroups for a few years now and am always amazed at the amount of
knowledge and help that is out there. Everybody who ever takes the time to
help out and offer advice is a champ. Just as you both are - thanks again!!!
Really appreciate it.