Hi Lt. Washburn--
My understanding is your issue is repairing your Windows XP boot, not Vista.
There is a differential diagonsis of the common cause sof your problem, but
without a specific error message I can't speculate as to the cause. I do
have ideas for a solution though.
I want to qualify this advice at the outset that I know for a fact that when
you try to do a repair install in XP which is one of the modalities that
will be in my suggestions below, that some Linux bootloaders can directly
interfere with access to the XP repair interface and block a repair install.
I know particularly that the bootloaders Grub and Lilo will on a consistent
basis but these are my accumulated experiences in helping people fix XP no
boots who have multiboots that include those bootloaders. I don't have a
series of a thousand to statistically guage the percent of time this
happens, and I don't have experience with other Linux bootloaders
interfering with a repair install (Gnu, Sislink, Loadlin, and more). This
is in spite of the fact that most bootloaders are written in assembly with
the exception of Grub.
Boot loader showdown: Getting to know LILO and GRUB
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-bootload.html
It would be interesting to hear what Darrell Gorter [MSFT], his collegues,
or many of the people on this group who are also familiar with Linux have
experienced with regard to blockage of the setup of an XP repair install
which is a formidiable tool with a negligible downside risk and an excellent
percent of efficacy. I am still waiting to see the time I cannot fix XP no
boots (if a Lilo or Grub and perhaps other Linux boot are not in the
eqauation) and perhaps yours will have no effect. In several hundred
successful attempts to do this over the past six years, I have encountered
no failures unless the partitions were systemically damaged to a degree that
XP could not be repaired, and less than one percent of the time you might
have to repeat the simple quick repair install proceedure 2 to 3 times to
achieve success. These incidences have occured less than the fingers on my
right hand which I am able to count consistently. Bottom line I have had to
repeat a repair install twice in several hundred successful attempts.
That said, though, I think you have a number of options that take very
little time, and I strongly urge you to take a shot with each and every one
listed below. If F8 advanced options don't work, and you have an XP CD in
your posession, then I certainly would take the few minutes to try the
simple repair install proceedure that for my benefit, given all the ones out
there, is free. There are other fine software applications to attempt to
fix no boots, (Technet Sysinternals, Boot NG)but they are not free, and
offer no more efficacy althought they might offer more detailed insight into
the reasons for the no boot situation.
Background Context for XP No Boot Fixes:
I base my approaches for repairing Windows XP on Chapter 28 of the XP Pro
Resource Kit and a particular MSKB linked below:
Resources for troubleshooting startup problems in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308041
Windows XP Professional Resource KitTroubleshooting the Startup Process
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/reskit/c29621675.mspx
Windows XP Pro Resource Kit
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/reskit/default.mspx
Windows XP Professional Resource Kit Understanding Troubleshooting
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/reskit/c27621675.mspx
XP Resource Kit
http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/6795.aspx
Here's what I recommend you doing, and please let us know how this works
out:
See for ref:
Access/Enter Motherboard BIOS
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm
Boot Order in Bios (Set Boot from HD 1st)
http://www.short-media.com/images/mm/Articles/build_computer/bios/bios03.jpg
Repair Install
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx
Repair Install (Method 2):
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/315341
III Taking Full Advantage of the F8 Options (Windows Advanced Options Menu):
You could also:
Think: I have 4 different ways to get back my XP at F8 and try 'em in order.
1) Safe Mode 2) Safe Mode with Cmd to Sys Restore which is simply a cmd
prompt in safe mode 3) Safe Mode with Neworking 4) LKG or Last Known Good
Configuration
Try to F8 to the Windows Adv Options Menu>try 3 safe modes there (I don't
use WGA) and Last Known Good>then I go to Win RE in Vista. That gives you a
choice of Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking,and Safe Mode with Command
Prompt.
These methods are outlined in
A description of the Safe Mode Boot options in Windows XP/and Vista
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315222/
How to Use System Restore
http://bertk.mvps.org/
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding System Restore in Windows XP from MSFT:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/plan/faqsrwxp.mspx
Using System Restore
http://tinyurl.com/dvekb
System Restore for Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_restore.htm
How to start the System Restore tool at a command prompt in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304449
Repair Install: (This option has the best chance of succeeding and it
preserves everything in your OS--you do not lose anything with this option):
Make sure the CD you have is an XP CD.
Pitfalls: If the CD came from friend or relative or P2P, you may have
problems. P2P besides being illlegal in many countries including the U.S.
can be corrupt. If CD came from friend or relative, they may have given
you the CD to use but if product key is in use, MSFT is not going to accept
it for activation. Make sure you clean the CD carefully using proper
cleaning fluid and strokes that radiate from center like spokes on a wheel.
Again a repair install has the most likely chance to succeed, but you need
to have an XP CD. If you try a Repair Install and end up at a C:\ prompt
(dos prompt) you are in the Recovery Console and need to try again carefully
to follow the simple steps in the repair link, and make sure you enabled
CD-Rom as first in the bios setup boot order.
First, in order to do a Repair Install You must boot to the bios setup and
position booting from the CD first in the boot order.
Booting to Bios Setup:
For 85% of PC's and all Dells you can tap the F2 key to reach bios setup.
How To Enable CD Rom Support (put CD boot first) in bios setup boot order:
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_enable_cdrom_support_i.htm
Screen Shot of bios setup boot order:
http://www.poy.net/proxy/bios2.jpg
Repair Install Does Not Lose Anything; you may need to try 2-3 times but
that's rare.
How To Repair Install
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341#XSLTH3127121122120121120120
Screen Shot Repair Install
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winxppro/installxpcdrepair/indexfullpage.htm
Other Options with Slim Chances of Success:
Boot Discs:
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm
How To Create a Boot Disk for an NTFS or FAT Partition in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305595
How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310994
Recovery Console:
As discussed before, the Recovery Console is very low odds for getting back
your OS with it's 13 original dos cmds, but references are included. It
should be your last option, even when the MSFT KB article offers only it.
When they do this, they disregard their own Resource KB listed at the top as
well as their own XP Resource Kit Chapter 28.
Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058/EN-US/
How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654/
The recovery console can be installed via a cmd to your HD from the XP CD
and it occupies nearly 7.36MB of space.
Driver Verifier and it's significance and use in preventing BSOD Stop
errors:
Unfortunately, it is rare for Joe User or even Joe or Suzy CTO or Sys Ad to
know about driver verifier and deadlock detection and it's significance in
inducing Windows no boots or BSOD stop errors.
I am not going to go indepth on Verifier or deadlock detection, because you
can google it and read up. I am going to relate a typical case study of
why it's important and can be essential to understand if you are going to
repair your system.
MSFT has had a number of people lecturing and evangelizing a bit that 60-70%
of XP no boots or BSOD stops (recognizing that not every blue screen results
in a no boot and some will progress to one soon). It is not unusual to walk
up to a veteran engineer at MSFT and ask them if the above is true, and they
will immediately say "Of course."
I think this paints an incomplete picture, because there are other causes
that don't get the emphasis they should on MSFT's sites, in their KBs and in
books on XP specifically and NT Kernel OS's in general.
This typical experience will illustrate that. I can't say the percent of
time this happens, because I don't have the test lab that MSFT Research has,
and like any stats, the role of Driver Verifier's configuration and
software driver parsing warrants a large number of repros to assess it's
true significance statistically.
You are bopping along in Windows and all of a sudden at random, you get a
BSOD stop. The error message reads:
The computer has rebooted from a bugcheck. The bugcheck was: 0x000000c4
(0x00000090, 0xffdff120, 0x00000000, 0x00000000). A dump was saved in:
C:\WINDOWS\MEMORY.DMP.
A device driver is attempting to corrupt the system and has been caught. A
faulty driver on the kernel stack must be replaced.
What do you do? If you do a driverquery cmd at the cmd prompt, you are
going to find you have anywhere from 150 to 200 kernel stack drivers and 35
or so non-kernel stack drivers on your system, and some are software
drivers.
The behavior of this stop error is that it will increase in frequency at
random. You will be able to boot after it shuts you down for about 15 times,
and then you won't.
You have to do a repair install, because F8 options are going to strike out
in this situation. The repair install will get you back to Windows where
you need to be, but you aren't out of the woods yet.
Typically, you will being to get the same Blue Screen Stop crash again,
every time you try to install, run your AV program, or at random and this
can be just after you reboot soon.
What Needs to Be Done:
This KB does not match the error message but it's close and provides a clue
to this problem along with another link.
Fatal System Error: 0x000000C4 If Deadlock Detection in Driver Verifier Is
Turned on and Norton Antivirus Is Installed
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;325672
How to Use Driver Verifier to Troubleshoot Windows Drivers
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q244617/
Per the first KB, using the Driver Verifyer tool accessable via the
Verifier cmd, you disable deadlock detection, and you disable inspecting
your Antivirus software drivvers (Norton has 5 for example).
A further clue to this interaction is found in this discussion among
developers:
Interop problem w/ NAV (Symantec Antivirus)...
http://www.osronline.com/showThread.cfm?link=42909
This scenario of Repair Install and using the Verifier Tool to disable
deadlock detection and the inspection of software AV drivers by the Verifyer
tool should be deployed much more frequently, and many blue screen stop no
boot to Windows situations would be prevented.
You will need this reference:
How to start the System Restore tool at a command prompt in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304449/en-us
How to start your computer by using the Last Known Good Configuration
feature in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307852
The command to use for system restore at the safe mode cmd prompt is:
%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
The reason for doing this is one of these choices may work, when the other
doesn't. My experience is that people do not fully try F8 when they think
or have said they have. It is that they can almost always reach Windows
Advanced Options though.
Ways To Access System Restore (whether in Safe Mode or Windows)
Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore
Type msconfig in run box>system restore button
Type restore in run box>click third item down in folder>rstrui
Don't ever turn off System Restore unless you are doing virus removal, but I
would encourage you to put sysdm.cpl in the run box and on the system
restore tab, push the slider to 2% because it defaults to 12% and that's a
lot of real estate to take up on a hard drive.
Other Options with Slim Chances of Success:
Boot Discs:
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm
How To Create a Boot Disk for an NTFS or FAT Partition in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305595
How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310994
*Recovery Console in Windows XP*:
the Recovery Console is very low odds for getting back your OS with it's 13
original dos cmds, but references are included. It should be your last
option, even when the MSFT KB article offers only it. When they do this,
they disregard their own Resource KB listed at the top as well as their own
XP Resource Kit Chapter 28.
Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058/EN-US/
How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654/
The recovery console can be installed via a cmd to your HD from the XP CD
and it occupies nearly 7.36MB of space.
*Driver Verifier*:
An important tool for prophylaxis of XP and Vista BSOD No Boots that MSFT
has failed to showcase and teach adequately and probably will continue to
fail to showcase and teach adequately. Why is a very good question since
the cheif software architecht has done considerable speaking and invested
considerable money in enhancing teaching methods in the public school
systems of the US and other countries.
Driver Verifier and it's significance and use in preventing BSOD Stop
errors:
Unfortunately, it is rare for Joe User or even Joe or Suzy CTO or Sys Ad to
know about driver verifier and deadlock detection and it's significance in
inducing Windows no boots or BSOD stop errors.
I am not going to go indepth on Verifier or deadlock detection, because you
can google it and read up. I am going to relate a typical case study of
why it's important and can be essential to understand if you are going to
repair your system.
MSFT has had a number of people lecturing and evangelizing a bit that 60-70%
of XP no boots or BSOD stops (recognizing that not every blue screen results
in a no boot and some will progress to one soon). It is not unusual to walk
up to a veteran engineer at MSFT and ask them if the above is true, and they
will immediately say "Of course."
I think this paints an incomplete picture, because there are other causes
that don't get the emphasis they should on MSFT's sites, in their KBs and in
books on XP specifically and NT Kernel OS's in general.
This typical experience will illustrate that. I can't say the percent of
time this happens, because I don't have the test lab that MSFT Research has,
and like any stats, the role of Driver Verifier's configuration and
software driver parsing warrants a large number of repros to assess it's
true significance statistically.
You are bopping along in Windows and all of a sudden at random, you get a
BSOD stop. The error message reads:
The computer has rebooted from a bugcheck. The bugcheck was: 0x000000c4
(0x00000090, 0xffdff120, 0x00000000, 0x00000000). A dump was saved in:
C:\WINDOWS\MEMORY.DMP.
A device driver is attempting to corrupt the system and has been caught. A
faulty driver on the kernel stack must be replaced.
What do you do? If you do a driverquery cmd at the cmd prompt, you are
going to find you have anywhere from 150 to 200 kernel stack drivers and 35
or so non-kernel stack drivers on your system, and some are software
drivers.
The behavior of this stop error is that it will increase in frequency at
random. You will be able to boot after it shuts you down for about 15 times,
and then you won't.
You have to do a repair install, because F8 options are going to strike out
in this situation. The repair install will get you back to Windows where
you need to be, but you aren't out of the woods yet.
Typically, you will being to get the same Blue Screen Stop crash again,
every time you try to install, run your AV program, or at random and this
can be just after you reboot soon.
What Needs to Be Done:
This KB does not match the error message but it's close and provides a clue
to this problem along with another link.
Fatal System Error: 0x000000C4 If Deadlock Detection in Driver Verifier Is
Turned on and Norton Antivirus Is Installed
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;325672
How to Use Driver Verifier to Troubleshoot Windows Drivers
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q244617/
Per the first KB, using the Driver Verifyer tool accessable via the
Verifier cmd, you disable deadlock detection, and you disable inspecting
your Antivirus software drivvers (Norton has 5 for example).
A further clue to this interaction is found in this discussion among
developers:
Interop problem w/ NAV (Symantec Antivirus)...
http://www.osronline.com/showThread.cfm?link=42909
This scenario of Repair Install and using the Verifier Tool to disable
deadlock detection and the inspection of software AV drivers by the Verifyer
tool should be deployed much more frequently, and many blue screen stop no
boot to Windows situations would be prevented.
Good luck,
CH
