Windows XP UNMOUNTABLE BOOT DEVICE (Different to what I've read)

[scifi_aaron]

I boot a laptop I have and it says UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_DEVICE

Also Code: 0x000000ED (0x82BCF590, 0xC0000006, 0x0000000, 0x0000000)

I try to boot from CD but hard drive is first option, i try to change BIOS settings to boot from CD, but there is no way to change it, I have a Official Windows XP CD

Hard drive it 40gb

Ram is 768mb, I think

Nothing is plugged into it, but I tried the external CD ROM drive and it can't boot from it

All safe mode options, normal boot and last known good configuaration all lead to the same blue screen

No caching or anything like that has been changed, I can't even find how to change it on these laptops

There is no floppy drive

Laptop is HP Compaq nc4000 with a Pentium M processor, not celeron, also ram was upgraded to 768, but no problems with any other laptops, and this one was fine for months, now this.. so.. anything I can do, a way to force a dos prompt or something, without booting from a disk would help, I feel a XP recovery/basic reinstall or scan disk could fix the problem, let me know...

 

[GameMaster]

Get a bootable Xp Cd or the SIX Xp Boot floppies with a non-bootble XP Cd in the drive.

Make sure you make the necessary changes in the BIOS to determine which one to boot from first.(either the CD or the Floppies). With the floppies follow the instructions as to "insert disk 2" etc Making sure that the any Xp cd is in th CD-ROM drive.

With the Xp bootable Cd Insert before booting.

All two ways:

When you get to the Setup Welcome Screen press R for recovery console.

NOW,

use all of the following three commands carefully.

1. chkdsk /r ENTER (dont forget space /r and it takes some time to finish. Just be patiient)
2. chkdsk /p ENTER
3. fixboot c: ENTER (where C is the boot Hard disk).

After all these type exit to restart. (make sure to take out all disks)

This will make you solve this problem.

Good Luck!

 

[scifi_aaron]

You didn't read what I said, you cannot change the boot device, even when it is plugged in, there is no floppy drive, I don't have an external drive either, and it won't let ne boot from CD, I have the bootable XP CD and it only boots from the hard drive.

I know how to chang BIOS settings, and I looked through everything, there is no option for it to look for other boot devices or to change it manually, in the menu there is a option to change what to boot first, but the only thing in the list is the primary laptop hard drive, nothing else...

So I'm wondering if there is a way to force a DOS prompt or whatever

 

[GameMaster]

When I look at your case now I see no more possibilites.
Reformat.
Wait for some expert to answer.

 

[scifi_aaron]

Well, does anyone know how to remove the hard drive?

I think even reformatting seems impossible, I can't get to a command prompt and I can't boot from CD, maybe I can try to put Linux or DOS on a pen drive, and see if I can change the boot device while it is plugged in, I can try it, I doubt I can change the boot device though

 

[GameMaster]

Reformatting is ALWAYS possible.
Please, if you care to get rid of the problem, turn off the computer ( it's turned off already I guess lol), unscrew it and take the HarDisk and install it on the other computer. Then you can do all what you couldn't do on your computer.

 

[Adywebb]

You should be able to access the boot sequence in the Bios by pressing F10 at startup, then navigate to the Advanced Menu and select Boot Options>Boot Order.

 

[scifi_aaron]

I will try the F10 thing with advanced options, if the hard drive will work in a different laptop, that suggests the problem is not on the hard drive, unless the hard drive is attached as the second hard drive, if it is the second hard drive I can backup information, but my only option is to install windows after formatting the hard drive.

Hopefully the F10 thing works, I'll try in a few days when I get home, thanks, When I tried F10 before there was safe mode options and stuff like that, there was a alternate option, cannot remember what it was called, but it didn't do anything, I think there was only options to boot from the primary hard drive, but I will check soon and give a update, is double posting allowed on this forum lol..