Boot disk does not open any window

[Guest]

I am getting an MBR Error 2 message on startup (which continues OK although
slowly) and I want to repair the MBR. When I try to boot up from my original
DVD disk, the Windows wallpaper appears but no window with the various
options. How can I correct this?

 

[John Barnes]

As many times as I read this I have almost no idea what you are talking
about. What equipment are you working with. Do you have a Vista DVD or
restore DVD. Windows wallpaper appears. Do you mean you get to Windows
Vista desktop and it doesn't finish loading. Please detail the various
steps you hint at.

 

[Guest]

Having a bad day, John?

I am using a Dual Core processor with 2GB RAM in a home-brew computer. I
have 4 SATA drives (300GB plus 3 x 500GB), the three 500s in an external
Drobo bay, and the 300 is my internal boot drive. I also have an external
300GB ATA drive and three internal ATA drives (200, 200 and 80GB). I hope
this helps you but I am not sure how. I should have said that I am using a
Vista DVD of which I am the owner, and from which I have previously been able
to boot. Yes, I get to the generic Windows desktop and then no further.
Would you like to know my wife's name?

 

[Chad Harris]

Barrie--

John's not having a bad day. This could simply be clearer. I'm not sure
what you're using the Vista DVD to do, assuming that you have a Vista DVD.
If you can boot to Windows, why are you trying to "boot from the Vista DVD"?
And when you say Wallpaper appears, that evokes the Vista desktop or any
Windows desktop, but when you say no window with the various options
appears, that phrase throws me, because what normally shows up is the
desktop, icons, wallpaper, or a background, and a taskbar and start button
as well as a notification area. "No window with various options doesn't
make sense."

I'm not sure what an MBR Error 2 message is and I've read a few threads on
it, but I wouldn't try to use the Recovery Console to fix it--I know Vista
doesn't have the Recovery Console but it could probably be installed.

Try these options:

***Startup Repair from the Vista DVD***

How to Use The Vista DVD to Repair Vista (Startup Repair is misnamed by the
Win RE team and it can be used to fix many Vista components even when you
***can boot to Vista):

http://www.windowsvista.windowsreinstall.com/vistaultimate/repairstartup/index.htm

If you elect to run Startup repair from the Vista DVD (it can fix major
components in Vista--I've verified this many many times; it's good for more
than startup problems, and the Win RE team simply screwed up when they named
it not understanding its full functionality):

Startup Repair will look like this when you put in the Vista DVD:

http://www.vistaclues.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/click-repair-your-computer.png

You run the startup repair tool this way (and system restore from here is
also sometimes effective):

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925810/en-us

How To Run Startup Repair In Vista Ultimate (Multiple Screenshots)
http://www.windowsvista.windowsreinstall.com/vistaultimate/repairstartup/index.htm

It will automatically take you to this on your screen:

http://www.vistaclues.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/click-repair-your-computer.png

That will allow you to go to the Vista setup that has a Repair link on
thelower left corner>click it and then you'll see a gray backgrounded list
and I want you to click Startup Repair from it and follow the directions.

The gray screen after you click the first link in the above pic will look
like this:

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winvista/images/repair/staruprepair/Image17.gif

Click Startup Repair, the link at the top and after it scans>click OK and
let it try to repair Vista. It will tell you if it does, and if it
doesn't, try System Restore from the Recovery Link on the DVD. If these
don't work booting into Safe Mode by tapping the F8 key and using System
Restore from one of the safe modes besides VGA may work. That means you
have the option to try 4 different safe modes to get to system restore, (one
from the Recovery link on the DVD) and sometimes one will work when the
others won't.


You could also try a Repair Install with Vista which is done exactly the
same way as in XP:

***Repair Install Steps*** (can be used for Vista) MVP Doug Knox
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx


***Using the F8 Environment***

***Taking Full Advantage of the F8 Options (Windows Advanced Options Menu)
by starting the PC and tapping F8 once per second when the firmware screen
with the pc manufacturer's name shows a few seconds after restarting***:

The F8 options in Vista are the same as XP, and the link for Safe Mode Boot
options is labled XP by MSFT but they are the same for Vista (they haven't
updated to add Vista to the title as they have with several MSKBs that apply
to both).

Again, pressing F8 repeatedly when you seem the firmware screen may be is a
generic way to launch Windows RE on some OEM Vista computers.

You could also:

Think: I have 4 different ways to get back my XP at F8 and try 'em in order.
1) Safe Mode 2) Safe Mode with Cmd to Sys Restore which is simply a cmd
prompt in safe mode 3) Safe Mode with Neworking 4) LKG or Last Known Good
Configuration


Try to F8 to the Windows Adv Options Menu>try 3 safe modes there (I don't
use WGA) and Last Known Good>then I go to Win RE in Vista. That gives you a
choice of Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking,and Safe Mode with Command
Prompt.

These methods are outlined in

A description of the Safe Mode Boot options in Windows XP/and Vista
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315222/

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding System Restore from MSFT:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/plan/faqsrwxp.mspx

System Restore can be run from the Win RE recovery environment from the same
link as Startup Repair, and sometimes it will work from one F8 safe mode
location or from the Win Recovery Environment when it won't work from other
locations.

How to start the System Restore tool at a command prompt in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304449

Good luck,

CH

 

[Chad Harris]

For completeness, this error could be from spyware simulating a problem with
the MBR, or much more rarely due to a virus but see if you can use what I
gave you to fix things. I'm assuming you can't boot right now so I gave
you some ofthe the ways to try to fix it. I think you can accomplish more
easily what a "fixmbr" command from the Rec. Console would accomplish using
them.

CH

 

[Guest]

Chad,

It was on my list to get back to you tthis evening, to thank you for your
outstanding effort on my behalf. I can't tell you how grateful I am that you
took the time.

The situation was that I could boot to a normal but extremely slow Vista
startup. As I kept seeing an MBR error message at bootup, I wanted to fix
that before pursuing other detailed dissection of the problem. I had tried
to boot from the original Vista DVD but the process hung, as I thought, at a
screen of Windows wallpaper - see the definitions from Microsoft below. It
turned out when I read one of your linked items that I was probably just not
waiting for the "choose your language" screen with its dropdown options.
When I waited (minutes) I was able to see it through to the Command prompt
and use 'bootrec.exe /fixboot' and 'bootrec.exe /fixmbr' and that solved my
boot record problem. Again, thank you for the advice you have so readily
given.

Microsoft definitions for those who are confused about these things:

Desktop:

 

[Chad Harris]

Thanks for the f/u Berrie. That was a good alert use of bootrec.exe, which
has a lot of switches and I would have mentioned those if I'd know it was
among them. One more nice use of the command prompt available from the
DVD's Recovery link, and also you could get safe mode with a command prompt
using the F8 options.

CH