Repairs to Win2k with Win98SE boot HELP?

[derek]

Dual Boot System all Drives are FAT 32 File System

This is a stand alone PC, not on a network.

C: win98SE
d: win2K
Upon install of a new HD and using Maxblast 3.3 to overlay the drive
partition on drive d: the Master Boot Record on c: appears to be
damaged.

In order to go in to fix it, I need to load the 4 win2k setup disks
and login to Win 2K as administrator to fix the boot record and
affected files on the root of Windows 2000 on d:

Problem
The system asks for the admininstrator's password in order for me to
access the Command Prompt. I am certain that I have never set one up!

Does anyone know how I can recover my win2k without re-formatting the
drive and re-loading Windows 2000 and all of the trouble prone
Microsoft service packs?

 

[philo]

Dual Boot System all Drives are FAT 32 File System

This is a stand alone PC, not on a network.

C: win98SE
d: win2K
Upon install of a new HD and using Maxblast 3.3 to overlay the drive
partition on drive d: the Master Boot Record on c: appears to be
damaged.

In order to go in to fix it, I need to load the 4 win2k setup disks
and login to Win 2K as administrator to fix the boot record and
affected files on the root of Windows 2000 on d:

Problem
The system asks for the admininstrator's password in order for me to
access the Command Prompt. I am certain that I have never set one up!

Does anyone know how I can recover my win2k without re-formatting the
drive and re-loading Windows 2000 and all of the trouble prone
Microsoft service packs?

the boot record is probably not damaged
if your bios can "see" the new drive ok
uninstall the drive overlay software

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

See below.

Dual Boot System all Drives are FAT 32 File System

This is a stand alone PC, not on a network.

C: win98SE
d: win2K
Upon install of a new HD and using Maxblast 3.3 to overlay the drive
partition on drive d: the Master Boot Record on c: appears to be
damaged.

Why did you use an overlay?

If your file system on drive C: is still standard then you can do this:
- Make yourself a Win98 boot disk.
- Get a free copy of bootpart.exe from
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/gvollant/bootpart.htm
- Boot with your Win98 boot disk.
- Run this command: fdisk /mbr. This will restore the MBR on drive C:
- Run this command: bootpart winnnt boot:c:
This will restore the Win2000 boot sector.
- Run this command: bootpart win95 c:\win98.sys "Windows 98".
This will create a Win98 boot sector file. It will also create an
appropriate entry in c:\boot.ini.

If your file system on drive C: is non-standard, due to some overlay,
then the above procedure is likely to destroy it. To protect yourself
against this event, you can use disksave.exe to save the MBR, before
you run the command "fdisk /mbr". Disksave.exe comes with the
WinNT Resource Kit. I have never tried it in an overlay situation.

In order to go in to fix it, I need to load the 4 win2k setup disks
and login to Win 2K as administrator to fix the boot record and
affected files on the root of Windows 2000 on d:

Problem
The system asks for the admininstrator's password in order for me to
access the Command Prompt. I am certain that I have never set one up!

I'm afraid you're wrong. When you set up Win2000, the installation process
asked you to enter the administrator's password. You either entered one,
or you clicked OK for a blank password. Without you clicking OK, the
installation process would not have proceded beyond this point. You can
resolve the situation by temporarily installing your disk as a slave disk in
some other Win2000 PC, then renaming the file d:\winnt\system32\config\sam.
This will wipe all account information; you can then logon as
"administrator"
and a blank password. Use the opportunity to create a secondary admin
account - after all, you would never drive a car with just a single set of
keys,
would you? Seems way too risky!

 

[philo]

See below.




Why did you use an overlay?

If your file system on drive C: is still standard then you can do this:
- Make yourself a Win98 boot disk.
- Get a free copy of bootpart.exe from
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/gvollant/bootpart.htm
- Boot with your Win98 boot disk.
- Run this command: fdisk /mbr. This will restore the MBR on drive C:
- Run this command: bootpart winnnt boot:c:
This will restore the Win2000 boot sector.
- Run this command: bootpart win95 c:\win98.sys "Windows 98".
This will create a Win98 boot sector file. It will also create an
appropriate entry in c:\boot.ini.

If your file system on drive C: is non-standard, due to some overlay,
then the above procedure is likely to destroy it. To protect yourself
against this event, you can use disksave.exe to save the MBR, before
you run the command "fdisk /mbr". Disksave.exe comes with the
WinNT Resource Kit. I have never tried it in an overlay situation.

not sure why
but i;ve never been able to remove EZ Bios by using fdisk /mbr
i've always had to run the EZ Bios utility
then diable EZ Bios
and finally after it's disabled...use the utility to uninstall it completely

 

[derek]

See below.




Why did you use an overlay?

If your file system on drive C: is still standard then you can do this:
- Make yourself a Win98 boot disk.
- Get a free copy of bootpart.exe from
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/gvollant/bootpart.htm
- Boot with your Win98 boot disk.
- Run this command: fdisk /mbr. This will restore the MBR on drive C:
- Run this command: bootpart winnnt boot:c:
This will restore the Win2000 boot sector.
- Run this command: bootpart win95 c:\win98.sys "Windows 98".
This will create a Win98 boot sector file. It will also create an
appropriate entry in c:\boot.ini.

Thanks for your advice Pegasus - I managed to repair the MBR and can
now access win2k on my new drive. Incidentally I used an overlay
because my old bios would not see the larger drive, but had to finally
add a PCI IDE controller. I had followed your earlier instructions to
x-copy my old disk with win2k to the new disk. I can log-on to my
primary master drive containing win98 but it will only work in safe
mode - seems that video drivers and others are missing or corrupt. I
might have to reinstall win98 - a problem I know with win2k already
installed. If so would it be possible to use the 4 win2k set up disks
to reach repair consul and then use command "Fix boot C" or similar?
At the moment though I have another problem - in win2k add/remove
programs fails with message "mshta.exe generated errors - restart
program, exception # C0000005 - access violation"
Finally I am also having problems using IE5 - slow response to any
mouse movement, but if I log on as the administrator the response is
normal - can you suggest a cause?
As you can tell I am a complete novice with win2k so need very simple
and specific instructions!

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

See below again.

"Pegasus \(MVP\)" <[email protected]> wrote in message


Thanks for your advice Pegasus - I managed to repair the MBR and can
now access win2k on my new drive. Incidentally I used an overlay
because my old bios would not see the larger drive, but had to finally
add a PCI IDE controller.

This is much better than using an overlay, since you're now no longer
out on an overlay limb.

I had followed your earlier instructions to
x-copy my old disk with win2k to the new disk. I can log-on to my
primary master drive containing win98 but it will only work in safe
mode - seems that video drivers and others are missing or corrupt.

I assume you're talking about Safe Mode in Win98. If so the you
should post your question in a Win98 newsgroup.

I might have to reinstall win98 - a problem I know with win2k already
installed. If so would it be possible to use the 4 win2k set up disks
to reach repair consul and then use command "Fix boot C" or similar?

I gave you full instructions in my previous post on how to restore the
boot environment for a Win2000 installation.

At the moment though I have another problem - in win2k add/remove
programs fails with message "mshta.exe generated errors - restart
program, exception # C0000005 - access violation"

Sorry, don't know. You might find something on the MS Knowledge Base,
or on Google.

Finally I am also having problems using IE5 - slow response to any
mouse movement, but if I log on as the administrator the response is
normal - can you suggest a cause?

Log on as admin, then rename the profile folder that belongs to the
bad account. This will force a new profile to be created. Profile folders
reside in c:\Documents and Settings.