WinXP Pro won't boot up -- repair or re-install?

[JeepBud]

Windows XP Pro starts to boot up -- after splash screen,
it automatically re-boots before completing the boot
sequence. Booting up in Safe mode fills the DOS (black)
screen with drivers it is loading (ex: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk
(0)partition\windows\system32\drivers\iomdisk.sys) --
hangs there for a while then ... reboots on its own.

I tried doing an Install Repair with an XP Setup CD by
booting from it (in the CD-ROM drive instead from the
HDD). After the Install Repair copies files to the
Windows directory, it ... reboots itself and continues to
keep trying to boot up and then going back into a reboot.

I tried installing the Recovery Console but it required an
Administrator's password. Since I bought the computer
(Sony VAIO from Sony) with Win XP Pro already installed, I
wasn't the one who set up the Administrator's password. I
tried a blank, "sony" and "mysony" as possible passwords.
I called Sony and they could not tell me what it is either.

At this point, I can not boot into windows, I can't repair
the windows installation uing the Install Repair, and I
can't load the Recovery Console. Any ideas?

Question: can I do a fresh install of XP Pro into a new
folder on the C: drive (ie: WINNT)? I think that may wipe
out all my data on the C: partition, which I'd like NOT to
do. I also have a D: partition but that holds most of my
data and I don't want to lose that for sure. IS THERE A
WAY TO REPAIR WINDOWS or RE-INSTALL WITHOUT WIPING OUT
DATA?

Computer specs, for ref: sony Vaio PCV-RZ20CG (all
peripherals unplugged)
BIOS rel date: 12/5/02
Boot sequence: CD-ROM, Floppy, HDD (C
CPU: Intel Pentium4 - 3.06 GHz
C: partition - 13.97 Gb
D: partition - 172.34 Gb

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

See if the following link helps your iomdisk.sys problem:

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=system32\drivers\iomdisk.sys&btnG=Search

--

Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups


| Windows XP Pro starts to boot up -- after splash screen,
| it automatically re-boots before completing the boot
| sequence. Booting up in Safe mode fills the DOS (black)
| screen with drivers it is loading (ex: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk
| (0)partition\windows\system32\drivers\iomdisk.sys) --
| hangs there for a while then ... reboots on its own.
|
| I tried doing an Install Repair with an XP Setup CD by
| booting from it (in the CD-ROM drive instead from the
| HDD). After the Install Repair copies files to the
| Windows directory, it ... reboots itself and continues to
| keep trying to boot up and then going back into a reboot.
|
| I tried installing the Recovery Console but it required an
| Administrator's password. Since I bought the computer
| (Sony VAIO from Sony) with Win XP Pro already installed, I
| wasn't the one who set up the Administrator's password. I
| tried a blank, "sony" and "mysony" as possible passwords.
| I called Sony and they could not tell me what it is either.
|
| At this point, I can not boot into windows, I can't repair
| the windows installation uing the Install Repair, and I
| can't load the Recovery Console. Any ideas?
|
| Question: can I do a fresh install of XP Pro into a new
| folder on the C: drive (ie: WINNT)? I think that may wipe
| out all my data on the C: partition, which I'd like NOT to
| do. I also have a D: partition but that holds most of my
| data and I don't want to lose that for sure. IS THERE A
| WAY TO REPAIR WINDOWS or RE-INSTALL WITHOUT WIPING OUT
| DATA?
|
| Computer specs, for ref: sony Vaio PCV-RZ20CG (all
| peripherals unplugged)
| BIOS rel date: 12/5/02
| Boot sequence: CD-ROM, Floppy, HDD (C
| CPU: Intel Pentium4 - 3.06 GHz
| C: partition - 13.97 Gb
| D: partition - 172.34 Gb
|