"UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME" Recovery Console not working.

[limekle]

When I try to start Windows XP I get the blue screen with
"UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME" as an error. I went through some of the posts
here and found that I should run Chkdsk. I booted from my Windows XP
CD, setup finished loading the necessary files, I choose the Recovery
Console, but when it gets to "Examining Startup Environment" it just
tries to reboot and ends up going back to the original Unmountable Boot
Volume error.

Am I doing something wrong here?

 

[Guest]

Have you tried Safe mode, and if you can, do a CHKDSK in safe mode? It will
prompt you to reboot.

 

[limekle]

Trying to run Safe mode results in it running through a list of file
names and then ultimately going back to the Unmountable Boot Volume
error.

 

[Malke]

When I try to start Windows XP I get the blue screen with
"UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME" as an error. I went through some of the
posts here and found that I should run Chkdsk. I booted from my
Windows XP CD, setup finished loading the necessary files, I choose
the Recovery Console, but when it gets to "Examining Startup
Environment" it just tries to reboot and ends up going back to the
original Unmountable Boot Volume error.

Am I doing something wrong here?

If Chkdsk won't run, do a diagnostic with a utility from the hard drive
mftr. Download the file and make a bootable floppy or cd with it. Boot
with the media and do a thorough test. If the drive has physical
errors, replace it. If the hard drive tests OK, then post back with
troubleshooting results for more help.

Malke

 

[Frank]

I feel compelled to ask if you have a floppy disk in the drive

 

[Plato]

One could try, depending on how bold you are, a dos ntfs disk with a
special version of chkdsk and see if that helps:

http://www.datapol.de/dpe/freeware/

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Power off
Desktop:...Open the case and reseat the hard drive IDE ribbon cable at both
ends.
Laptop/Portables:... simply remove and reinsert the hard drive.
If that fails:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=297185
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=315403

Otherwise go to the website of the hard drive manufacturer and download
their hard drive diagnostics.

Do you have a hard drive overlay such as Max Blast?
Windows XP sometimes has issues with overlay software.
You may need to perform a Clean Installation without their overlay software
which is not needed anyway.

 

[limekle]

Okay, this sounds like my best bet so far, so I'm going to attempt to
do this now. I downloaded the files from the hard drive mtfr's site and
am now going to try to make a boot cd with it. I've never had to make
one before so this could take me a while to figure out... wish me luck.

Plato: Forgive my ignorance, I don't know much about the technical
side of computers and fixing them... I have no idea what "a dos ntfs
disk" is.

Jupiter Jones: I already reconnected all the ribbon cables, didn't make
a difference. And that's a negative on the hard drive overlay.

Frank: Just checked, no floppy.