Windows XP Home won't boot

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MMCinNZ

40 posts

Geek

#60534 27-Apr-2010 15:32

Situation is

Old hard drive has XP Home SP3 installed. Installed a new drive 3 months ago. Tried to load XP Home on this new drive as a second OS.

The installation process went well with original OEM Windows disc as supplied with Desktop PC when bought 5 years ago.

Followed all procedures. Then when instll finished, machine failed to boot. Mem Test good. Detected all drives, but then hung at Verifying DMI Pool Data. How do i fix this.

I tried fixing the original install with chkdsk /r through Windows recovery console.

I disconnected the new drive altogether to see if system would boot without it. Same issue.

Can someone please help me with this.

I want to fix boot problem to use original Windows install.

Then I want to remove/delete/format new drive as necessary to install second OS.

Then I want to transfer all programs settings and files to new drive so I can format the original drive

MMCinNZ

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#323717 27-Apr-2010 15:40

did you try fixboot and/or fixmbr at the recovery console after you did chkdsk /r ?? I happen to be doing this to a machine that is in the workshop at the moment :)

MMCinNZ

40 posts

Geek

#323719 27-Apr-2010 15:45

Haven't ever used either of those. How do I use those please, and I'll give them a go......

MMCinNZ

garvani

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#323723 27-Apr-2010 15:52

in recovery console type fixboot , then restart your pc.. if it hasnt fixed it go back to RR and type fixmbr , one of these should solve it..

MMCinNZ

40 posts

Geek

#323733 27-Apr-2010 16:08

I'm in recovery console and the C:\Windows> prompt is showing. Do I simply type fixboot at this level i.e. C:\Windows>

;o)

MMCinNZ

40 posts

Geek

#323735 27-Apr-2010 16:10

Did that, and the response is

"The target partition is C:. Areyoy sure you want to write a new bootsector to the partition C: ?"

MMCinNZ

40 posts

Geek

#323739 27-Apr-2010 16:16

<"The target partition is C:. Areyoy sure you want to write a new bootsector to the partition C: ?">

Typed "Y" it reports the boot sector was successfully written. And returns to C:\windows prompt.

What do I do next to restart the machine

MMCinNZ

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garvani

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#323740 27-Apr-2010 16:20

yes.. type exit, take disc out and cross fingers! :)

MMCinNZ

40 posts

Geek

#323743 27-Apr-2010 16:24

Nope, same issue. But I may have stuffed the process up. Typed exit. machine rebooted. Entered BIOS. Changed boot sequence. Saved changes, and machine rebooted from Hard Drive with same result. Verifying DMI Pool Data ........... with a flashing cursor.

Should I not have done it that way? Should I just have pressed the restart button having taken the CD out?

;o)

MMCinNZ

garvani

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#323745 27-Apr-2010 16:28

no it shouldnt matter. Boot back into recovery console and try the second option fixmbr

MMCinNZ

40 posts

Geek

#323748 27-Apr-2010 16:34

Read the warning, but same result, it does MEM Test, Finds the drives, Finishes PCI Listing then leaves Verifying DMI Pool Data hanging once it finds no CD

MMCinNZ

40 posts

Geek

#323751 27-Apr-2010 16:35

Is there any chance it has something to do with the poxy BIOS?

MMCinNZ

HP

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MMCinNZ

40 posts

Geek

#323754 27-Apr-2010 16:40

Right, I changed the SATA controller to RAID in BIOS and saved changes.

"Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \system32\hal.dll. Please reinstall a copy of the above file."

Geez what a mess.

MMCinNZ

garvani

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#323755 27-Apr-2010 16:40

hmm well that is weird! scratching my head at present.
I would say run a HD diagnostic utility & Memtest+ but you probably dont have a bootable cd with these on it im guessing. Hopefully someone else will chime in with a few ideas
edit: posted that without reading your two other posts. It could be the bios, but seems weird that it happened after you installed 2nd XP. Dont change it to raid, thats not the problem, you would then need to load the raid drivers for that motherboard (but windows xp will not load that far to begin with)

MMCinNZ

40 posts

Geek

#323760 27-Apr-2010 16:47

Ok. Well I'm officially frustrated.Starting to feel as if taking a clean install on the new hard is the only way to go. Is there anyway to recover folders and files from the other drive if I manage to get a single operational OS operating on the new hard drive?

MMCinNZ

40 posts

Geek

#323762 27-Apr-2010 16:50

I tell you what I've just noticed, I get a funny red block with a C in it at the Verifying DMI Data Pool....................

It just seems to pop up........
:o(

MMCinNZ

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