Unable to start XP on my Laptop

[Mira]

On this fine morning, I am unable to boot my HP Laptop
(P4) with XP Pro. (I haven't done any S/W upgrades etc)
After powring ON the screen displays a blinking hiphen ("-
"). That's all! Some observations:
1. I did not have ERD or ASR floppies for my Laptop.
2. I booted the system with my oroginal XP CD and
selected the option R. I could enter C:\WINDOWS folder
like in a DOS session. All my data is in "C:\Documents
and Settings\Administrator". But I cannot Change
Directory to that folder. It says "Access denied" though
I logged using the administrator password. Even if it
allows me I cannot backup my data onto Floppy disks as it
runs into Giga bytes.
3.I am planning to install Xp again without erasing the
present OS on the Laptop. Does this process leave intact
my data files after I log into the re-installation?

Any other means to recover my system? (Particularly the
data).

 

[Darren Curtis]

In the Recovery Console, it is by design that you cannot get to any other folders other than C:\ , C:\Windows and any subdirectories below.
Like you said even if you could, the Recovery Console will not let you copy any data out to a floppy or external storage. You can only use
the RC to copy in, on to the HDD.

Your best bet is to go back to the Recovery Console and use the command:

FIXMBR

fixmbr device name

Use this command to repair the MBR of the boot partition. In the command syntax, device name is an optional device name that specifies
the device that requires a new MBR. Use this command if a virus has damaged the MBR and Windows cannot start.

Warning This command can damage your partition tables if a virus is present or if a hardware problem exists. If you use this command, you
may create inaccessible partitions. We recommend that you run antivirus software before you use this command.

You can obtain the device name from the output of the MAP command. If you do not specify a device name, the MBR of the boot device is
repaired, for example:

fixmbr \device\harddisk2

If the fixmbr command detects an invalid or non-standard partition table signature, fixmbr command prompts you for permission before
rewriting the MBR. The fixmbr command is supported only on x86-based computers.

Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;314058

The Repair option you mentioned will preserve your data and hopefully your software programs.

The articile for these steps is:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;[LN];315341

If that fails, I suggest a parallel install, (install XP again into a new folder) and this will allow you to get to your files and back them up before
you rebuild completely:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=266465

Best Regards,
Darren Curtis, MCSE
Microsoft Enterprise Support Engineer
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

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[Mira]

Darren,

The system still unable to boot after FIXMBR and FIXBOOT
options from the RC.

Now, I plan to do parallel installtion. But the KB
article 266465 referred by you talks only for Win2000 and
Win2003 servers but no mention about Xp. What do you
suggest?

-----Original Message-----
In the Recovery Console, it is by design that you cannot

get to any other folders other than C:\ , C:\Windows and
any subdirectories below.

Like you said even if you could, the Recovery Console

will not let you copy any data out to a floppy or
external storage. You can only use

the RC to copy in, on to the HDD.

Your best bet is to go back to the Recovery Console and use the command:

FIXMBR

fixmbr device name

Use this command to repair the MBR of the boot

partition. In the command syntax, device name is an
optional device name that specifies

the device that requires a new MBR. Use this command if

a virus has damaged the MBR and Windows cannot start.

Warning This command can damage your partition tables if

a virus is present or if a hardware problem exists. If
you use this command, you

may create inaccessible partitions. We recommend that

you run antivirus software before you use this command.

You can obtain the device name from the output of the

MAP command. If you do not specify a device name, the MBR
of the boot device is

repaired, for example:

fixmbr \device\harddisk2

If the fixmbr command detects an invalid or non-standard

partition table signature, fixmbr command prompts you for
permission before

rewriting the MBR. The fixmbr command is supported only on x86-based computers.

Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN- US;314058

The Repair option you mentioned will preserve your data

and hopefully your software programs.

The articile for these steps is:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB; [LN];315341

If that fails, I suggest a parallel install, (install XP

again into a new folder) and this will allow you to get
to your files and back them up before

 

[Darren Curtis]

Apologies!

The parallel option is the very last resort, the article although specific to 2000 and 2003, will work for XP. It is just a new install of XP into a
new folder. The big thing is to choose a different folder name. You will have issues after the parallel install as the C:\Program Files and C:
\Documents and Settings folder is written to by the second install and make duplicates of programs that are already there.

Before doing the parallel try the things below:


Overnight I thought of another plan:

Make a floppy boot disk by following the procedures in the article below and try booting off it by putting it in the drive and turning on the
laptop. Basically it is just getting a floppy, copying 3 files, ntldr, ntdetect.com and the boot.ini from another xp box. The configuration of the
boot.ini file is specific to your laptop which the article points out.

How To Create a Boot Disk for an NTFS or FAT Partition in Windows XP (305595)
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;305595

If the boot floppy does not work

I would try the in-place upgrade / repair install

The XP article is:

How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP (315341)
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;315341

Best Regards,
Darren Curtis, MCSE
Microsoft Enterprise Support Engineer
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

=====================================================
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via
your newsreader so that others may learn and benefit
from your issue.
=====================================================

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.