The second NTFS boot sector is unwriteable

  • Thread starter Thread starter JPL
  • Start date Start date
J

JPL

Owing to a graphics display problem on booting the PC, it was not possible
to type in username and password and start usage as normal; it was therefore
necessary to press the power button and power the PC down directly rather
than shutting down in the usual way. The next attempt to boot worked
correctly.

This has happened twice since upgrading to SP2. On each occasion I checked
the disk just in case. The first time there was no problem. The second
time all 5 CHKDSK phases seemed OK but CHKDSK then reported at the end:

"The second NTFS boot sector is unwriteable."

I can not find this error message in the Microsoft KnowledgeBase. What is
the cause of the error?
How may it be remedied if CHKDSK is unable to cope with it?

The PC has a pair of 40Gb discs in mirrored mode, with a single NTFS
partition (C:).

Regards,
JPL
 
JPL said:
Owing to a graphics display problem on booting the PC, it was not
possible to type in username and password and start usage as normal;
it was therefore necessary to press the power button and power the PC
down directly rather than shutting down in the usual way. The next
attempt to boot worked correctly.

This has happened twice since upgrading to SP2. On each occasion I
checked the disk just in case. The first time there was no problem.
The second time all 5 CHKDSK phases seemed OK but CHKDSK then reported
at the end:

"The second NTFS boot sector is unwriteable."

I can not find this error message in the Microsoft KnowledgeBase.
What is the cause of the error?
How may it be remedied if CHKDSK is unable to cope with it?

The PC has a pair of 40Gb discs in mirrored mode, with a single NTFS
partition (C:).

Regards,
JPL
Click to expand...

The cause is a corrupted secondary boot sector. See
http://www.microsoft.com/windows200...2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/w2000Msgs/2413.asp
or http://tinyurl.com/4x5fc

The copy of the boot sector in the center of the HD is corrupted.
Reformat and reinstall. BTW Google is your friend.

Q
 
I did find that reference but had ignored it as it is for Windows 2000 and
has not been updated for XP.

There are no other symptoms, and so the recommended fix is far, far too
extreme to contemplate. (I just don't have the spare 30 hours...)

Many thanks for your response.
JPL
 
Back
Top