Can't boot Win2K after editing Lilo.conf

[Jason Ducharme]

Hi,

I have a dual boot system - RH9 and Windows 2000

I edited lilo.conf and changed the Windows label from "DOS" to "Win2K." I
also changed the default boot system to "Win2K." I then ran Lilo at the
command prompt by typing "lilo" to effect the changes.

After restarting the system, I could no longer boot Windows. I got the
message:

" Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\winnt\system32\config\SYSTEMced "

I have since fixed the Windows boot problem by following the instructions
at:

http://www.jsifaq.com/SUBF/TIP2700/rh2783.htm

But my question is, why did this happen, and what should I do differently if
I ever want to edit Lilo.conf again?

Thanks in advance,
Jason Ducharme

 

[Dave Patrick]

Probably just coincidence.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect


:
| Hi,
|
| I have a dual boot system - RH9 and Windows 2000
|
| I edited lilo.conf and changed the Windows label from "DOS" to "Win2K." I
| also changed the default boot system to "Win2K." I then ran Lilo at the
| command prompt by typing "lilo" to effect the changes.
|
| After restarting the system, I could no longer boot Windows. I got the
| message:
|
| " Windows could not start because the following file is missing or
corrupt:
| \winnt\system32\config\SYSTEMced "
|
| I have since fixed the Windows boot problem by following the instructions
| at:
|
| http://www.jsifaq.com/SUBF/TIP2700/rh2783.htm
|
| But my question is, why did this happen, and what should I do differently
if
| I ever want to edit Lilo.conf again?
|
| Thanks in advance,
| Jason Ducharme
|
|

 

[Jason Ducharme]

I wondered about coincidence too, but it seemed odd that I've rebooted Win2K
several hundred times, in the past years, and only ever encountered this
problem immediately after editing lilo.conf.

Jason

 

[Dave Patrick]

No idea really on lilo.conf but I also don't see this causing damage to the
system hive of the registry.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect


:
|I wondered about coincidence too, but it seemed odd that I've rebooted
Win2K
| several hundred times, in the past years, and only ever encountered this
| problem immediately after editing lilo.conf.
|
| Jason

 

[Jason Ducharme]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm no expert on Windows or Linux, but I agree
that from what I've read about the system hive, it doesn't appear that
editing lilo, a boot loader, should affect it. I wonder perhaps if the
Master Boot Record, somehow references the \winnt\system32\config\system
file, and changing the Windows label incorrectly corrupts it? Just
speculating...

Jason


"Dave Patrick"

 

[Dave Patrick]

If that were true then system.alt wouldn't have worked either.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect


:
| Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm no expert on Windows or Linux, but I
agree
| that from what I've read about the system hive, it doesn't appear that
| editing lilo, a boot loader, should affect it. I wonder perhaps if the
| Master Boot Record, somehow references the \winnt\system32\config\system
| file, and changing the Windows label incorrectly corrupts it? Just
| speculating...
|
| Jason

 

[Jason Ducharme]

Part of the fix of the problem involved renaming system.alt as
system.alt.old. I assumed that copying c:\winnt\repair\system to
c:\winnt\system32\config recreated a new system.alt file.

Actually, upon re-reading the fix instructions, I see I was supposed to
rename system.alt to systemalt.old, but I used system.alt.old instead. Not
sure if that had any impact.

Jason

 

[Dave Patrick]

The choices should have been in this order;

1.) %systemroot%\system32\config\system.alt
2.) %systemroot%\repair\regback\system
3.) %systemroot%\repair\system

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect


:
| Part of the fix of the problem involved renaming system.alt as
| system.alt.old. I assumed that copying c:\winnt\repair\system to
| c:\winnt\system32\config recreated a new system.alt file.
|
| Actually, upon re-reading the fix instructions, I see I was supposed to
| rename system.alt to systemalt.old, but I used system.alt.old instead.
Not
| sure if that had any impact.
|
| Jason
|
| >"Dave Patrick"
| > If that were true then system.alt wouldn't have worked either.
| >
| > --
| > Regards,
| >
| > Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
| > Microsoft Certified Professional
| > Microsoft MVP [Windows]
| > http://www.microsoft.com/protect
| >
| >
| > "Jason Ducharme" wrote:
| > | Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm no expert on Windows or Linux, but I
| > agree
| > | that from what I've read about the system hive, it doesn't appear that
| > | editing lilo, a boot loader, should affect it. I wonder perhaps if
the
| > | Master Boot Record, somehow references the
\winnt\system32\config\system
| > | file, and changing the Windows label incorrectly corrupts it? Just
| > | speculating...
| > |
| > | Jason
| >
| >
|
|

 

[Jason Ducharme]

Curiosity got to me, and I just made the same changes. This time everything
worked fine. You were right, it must have been a strange coincidence.

Thanks
Jason

 

[Dave Patrick]

Thanks for the feedback on this.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect


:
| Curiosity got to me, and I just made the same changes. This time
everything
| worked fine. You were right, it must have been a strange coincidence.
|
| Thanks
| Jason