Windows XP Boot Up Problem

[DRTP]

Hi All,

My Windows XP Professional computer will not boot up and
the problem occured as follows:

1. I was trying to create a dual boot PC.
2. I partitioned the hard disk and created a new drive
with the letter "G" using Partition Magic.
3. Using Parition Magic the new drive "G" was made
the "active" partition.
4. Then in the next step of attemping to install the
second operating system, unfortuantely the computer did
not recognise the second operating system CD.
5. Now the computer keeps booting up in an endless cycle
since I think it cannot find the Windows XP in the
currently active partition drive "G".

I would very much appreciate your help and let me know
whether there is a way of now making drive "C" the active
partition and then this will hide drive "G" and then I
will subsequently be able to boot the machine up
properly. Is it for instance possible to enforce
drive "C" to be the active partition.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Regards,

DRTP

 

[Jim]

Let's first get you back to normal again, then address dual booting
afterwards.

Visit http://www.bootitng.com and download BootIt NG. Unzip it, create the
bootable floppy, and reboot to that new floppy. When prompted to install
BootIt NG, hit Cancel, and you'll be taken to the main menu, where you can
enter the partition manager. Once there, you'll see your HD listed (HD0)
and the various partitions. Hit View MBR, and you should see the contents
of the MBR (master boot record). Normally the first (of the possible four
entries) is marked Active. If not, do so NOW (and of course, remove the
Active mark from any other partitions). Now Apply the changes, exiting the
partition manager, remove the floppy, and Reboot. Unless you made some
other mistakes I'm unaware of, it *should* reboot as normal.

I assume you could have done something similar w/ PM, but I haven't used it
in years (not since PM 4.0), so I can't provide specific actions for that
application. But it doesn't matter, BootIt NG will suffice quite nicely.

HTH

Jim

 

[Jim]

As far as dual-booting, it would be helpful to know EXACTLY want you have on
your HD(s), partitions, their type (FAT32, NTFS, etc.), which OS is in which
partition, ANYTHING that will help describe it more accurately. For
example, the fact you attempted to install into G: tells me you have
*something* betweem your current OS (I assume XP) C:, and the new G:
partition (D:, E:, and F. The more we know, the easier it is to avoid
mistakes.

If you're feeling particularly ambitious/frisky, a PARTINFO file (
http://www.bootitng.com/downloads/PARTINFO.ZIP ) would be even better (less
chance for errors), but that's up to you.

You can either run the DOS version from a bootable floppy:

a:>partinfo > partinfo.txt

....or the Windows version from a command line:

a:>partinfw > partinfo.txt

.... and paste the results in a reply.

HTH

Jim

 

[DRTP]

Jim,

Thanks very much for your reply - appreciate it.

I was actually trying to install Windows 2000 on a
Windows XP Professional Home computer but got into
trouble when it did not like the CD after Partition Magic
had created the partition and then activated it but the
CD was problematic for some unknown reason.

Regards,

DRTP

 

[DRTP]

Jim,

Sorry - the drives in between C and G are things like
DVD, CD etc etc.

Regards,

DRTP