Cannot boot, setup cannot detect existing installation

[dclist]

After being infected by a virus (cleaned from via anti-virus bootcd)
my Dell XP machine no longer boots. Trying to boot in safe-mode stalls
after the line that says that it is loading ACPI.sys. I tried to do a
repair from the windows XP setup CD but it fails to detect the
existing installation. I don't know if it makes any difference but
there are 3 partitions (C:, dell utility and dell recovery).

Since it seems to loading the other 'sys' files before ACPI I assume
that the bootloader sequence is okay (MBR, boot partition, etc) and
the problem lies with system files.

I'm desperately trying to avoid a fresh install (from a labor
perspective, I know I can save the data).

Any help is appreciated.

 

[neil]

After being infected by a virus (cleaned from via anti-virus bootcd)
my Dell XP machine no longer boots. Trying to boot in safe-mode stalls
after the line that says that it is loading ACPI.sys. I tried to do a
repair from the windows XP setup CD but it fails to detect the
existing installation. I don't know if it makes any difference but
there are 3 partitions (C:, dell utility and dell recovery).

Since it seems to loading the other 'sys' files before ACPI I assume
that the bootloader sequence is okay (MBR, boot partition, etc) and
the problem lies with system files.

I'm desperately trying to avoid a fresh install (from a labor
perspective, I know I can save the data).

Any help is appreciated.

 

[neil]

After being infected by a virus (cleaned from via anti-virus bootcd)
my Dell XP machine no longer boots. Trying to boot in safe-mode stalls
after the line that says that it is loading ACPI.sys. I tried to do a
repair from the windows XP setup CD but it fails to detect the
existing installation. I don't know if it makes any difference but
there are 3 partitions (C:, dell utility and dell recovery).

Since it seems to loading the other 'sys' files before ACPI I assume
that the bootloader sequence is okay (MBR, boot partition, etc) and
the problem lies with system files.

I'm desperately trying to avoid a fresh install (from a labor
perspective, I know I can save the data).

Any help is appreciated.

Hi,
If is a DELL OEM disk you may not be able to do a repair install but I'd
have thought you should use the recovery partition. How long did you leave
the PC while attempting the safemode boot (it some times takes quite a while
to boot and appears to get stuck).

What about trying "last known good configuration".
Neil

 

[John John - MVP]

After being infected by a virus (cleaned from via anti-virus bootcd)
my Dell XP machine no longer boots. Trying to boot in safe-mode stalls
after the line that says that it is loading ACPI.sys. I tried to do a
repair from the windows XP setup CD but it fails to detect the
existing installation. I don't know if it makes any difference but
there are 3 partitions (C:, dell utility and dell recovery).

Since it seems to loading the other 'sys' files before ACPI I assume
that the bootloader sequence is okay (MBR, boot partition, etc) and
the problem lies with system files.

I'm desperately trying to avoid a fresh install (from a labor
perspective, I know I can save the data).

Any help is appreciated.

Usually a symptom indicating that the boot.ini file is missing or that
it points to an incorrect location. Can you boot to the Recovery
Console? If yes, try to rebuild the boot.ini file with the BootCfg
command and see if things change.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291980
A discussion about the Bootcfg command and its uses

Of course, when dealing with virus anything is possible... maybe the
Windows or Windows\system32 folder was renamed or it is completely borked...

John