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How to Perform Repair Installation of Windows XP

Aug 26

Posted by Admin in Troubleshooting | No Comments


Repair installation of Windows XP means replacing all the system files with original files on the Windows XP installation disc. Since all these files are restored, you will lose any Windows Updates or Service Packs that you have installed after the computer was set up. However, if you are using a disc that has the Service Pack files on it, you will have a service pack installed system after the repair installation.

To perform Repair Installation, follow the steps below:

  1. The computer must be set to boot from CD/DVD drive. For this, you need to enter BIOS and set the first boot device in Boot Priority / Sequence to CD/DVD drive.
  2. Once done, you need to insert the Windows XP installation disc in the CD/DVD drive and restart the computer.
  3. While rebooting, you will see a prompt on the screen to “Press any key to boot from CD”
  4. When you get this prompt, press any key on the keyboard.
  5. This will initiate a booting process from CD. The setup will load a lot of files before taking you to a screen with some options to select. You will not be able to use your mouse on this screen. The selection has to be made using the arrow keys on the keyboard.
  6. Press the “Enter” key when you get the message to “Press Enter to setup Windows XP now”. Do not press “R” since this will take you to Recovery Console.
  7. You will get a License Agreement prompt. On this screen, press the “F8” key on your keyboard to accept the license agreement.
  8. Now you will get an option to select the Operating System installation that you want to repair. Select the correct option (usually there is only one installation, unless you have a dual boot set up) and press “R” to initiate the Repair Installation.
  9. Follow the instructions to complete the process
  10. The computer will reboot once the process is complete.
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Tags: boot, installation, Microsoft, Repair, Windows XP

NTLDR Missing or Corrupt: Solution

Aug 26

Posted by Admin in Troubleshooting | No Comments

 
NTLDR is an abbreviation for NT Loader. This is the boot loader for all Windows based Operating systems on NT technology, like Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. It is run from the primary hard drive, but can be executed from a removable media like a CD-ROM. This requires boot.ini file to be present to function properly.

 

This error usually appears in the following formats:

“NTLDR is Missing

Press any Key to Continue”

 

“NTLDR is Missing

Press Ctrl Alt Del to restart”

 

There are various causes for this error message:

  1. PC is booting off a CD-ROM or USB drive or any external drive/device
  2. Corrupt files and file configuration
  3. Corrupt sectors on Hard Drive
  4. BIOS problems

 

Solution

  1. Restart the computer to check if the problem still occurs. If this is intermittent, there is a high probability that the connection to the hard drive is loose.
  2. Check if you have a floppy drive or CD/DVD in the CD/DVD drive. If you have any, try booting the computer without these disks.
  3. Check the settings in BIOS. You should check for detection of Hard Drive on the BIOS Screen. A sample screen looks like below:

 BIOS1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bios2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make sure that you have something listed against IDE Primary Master / Hard Drive / First Boot Device, depending on the BIOS that you have.

 

4. If the above steps don’t help (in most cases they don’t), try to extract and restore the booting files from Windows installation Disc. If you don’t have the disc, you can borrow the disc from someone else. This does not violate the piracy norms set by Microsoft. To do this, follow the steps below:

  • Set the First Boot Device in BIOS to CD/DVD drive. Enter the Windows installation disc in the drive and restart the computer. You will see a prompt to “Press any key to boot from CD”. At this prompt, press any key on the keyboard to boot from CD.
  • On the selection screen that comes after the setup has loaded all the files, press “R” to go to recovery console. You may be prompted to enter your administrator password on the screen here.
  • The next screen will look like a command prompt, with a black screen and blinking cursor. On this screen type the following commands:

                                                                                       i.      Copy d:\i386\ntldr c:\

                                                                                     ii.      Copy d:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\

 

Here, d: refers to the CDROM drive and c: refers to the partition in which Windows is installed on your machine.

  • If you get a prompt to replace the existing file, press “Y” to confirm
  • Once this is done, take the Windows disc out of the drive and type “exit” to restart the computer.

 

This should replace the existing corrupt files with a set of new files. On restart, your computer should boot properly without any error message.

 

 5. If these steps also don’t resolve the issue and you still get the same NTLDR missing message, boot from the Windows installation disc and go to the recovery console prompt again (As explained in first few steps above). On the recovery console, follow the steps below:

  • Type “bootcfg” and press Enter
  • You will get a prompt to “Add installation to Boot List?” after you press Enter key. Type “Y” to say Yes and press Enter key again
  • You will get another prompt to enter the name of the installation. On this prompt, type “Windows XP Professional” or “Windows XP Home” depending on the version of OS that you are using and press Enter.
  • You will get another prompt to enter OS Load Options. On this screen type “/Fastdetect” and press Enter Key again.
  • Now take the Windows installation disc out of the drive and type “exit” to restart the computer.

These steps will reconfigure the Boot.ini file on your computer.

 

6. If you are still getting the NTLDR missing message, you will need to go to the Recovery Console again and attempt to fix the Boot Sector on the hard drive. This command will rewrite the boot sector information. To do this, follow the steps below:

  • Go to the Recovery console as described earlier
  • On the command prompt, type “FIXBOOT” and then press the Enter key
  • Once the process is over, take out the Windows installation disc and type “Exit” to restart the computer.

This should resolve the issue if the issue is with Boot Sector information on hard drive.

 

7. If you still face the NTLDR Missing message, the problem could be with the Master Boot Record (MBR) on the hard drive. To fix this, follow the steps below

  • Boot to the Recovery Console as described above
  • On the command prompt, type “FIXMBR” and press Enter key
  • This will rewrite the existing MBR on your hard drive. Please note that if you have installed any recovery software, it will not function in pre boot state if you perform this step.
  • Once the process is over, take out the Windows installation disc and type “Exit” to restart the computer.

 

8. If the problem still exists, you will have to perform Repair Installation of Windows.

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Tags: boot, bootcfg, console, corrupt, Error, fixboot, fixmbr, MBR, Microsoft, missing, NTLDR, Recovery, Repair, Windows XP

Intel vPro: Technology Overview

Aug 20

Posted by Admin in New Technologies | No Comments


Intel® vPro™ is the latest in technology offering from Intel. vPro based laptops and desktops are now available in the market. The big question is: What is the benefit of this new technology? Does it make a difference to stability, speed or performance of a computer? These questions will be demystified today.intel_vpro_large

vPro technology is built to enhance manageability of computers in any environment. This is a hardware based solution that allows technicians to manage/troubleshoot computers remotely, even if the computer is not booting. Yes, even if the computer is in a no boot state. This allows technicians and IT departments to take a stock of both hardware and software issues, without the need of physical intervention. Currently, remote troubleshooting is possible only if you have network/internet connectivity, which comes only if a computer is booting into the Operating System (Usually Microsoft Windows). This technology will permit technicians to look at your machine remotely, even if the computer is not going to the familiar desktop screen. vPro is Windows 7 ready and support virtualization also. It includes hardware capabilities that allow OS and application streaming also.

This technology allows technicians to access the PC even if the PC power is off, the OS is not responding/ booting, or hardware has failed. It also allows technicians to access critical system information such as Windows event logs, application logs, BIOS information, etc. This technology also equips technicians/users with capability to remotely power on a PC. It ensures that a corporate IT setup remains sanitized by comprehensive patch management, which will be possible now even if some machines are powered off.

This technology also provides programmable defense mechanisms for protection against viruses and hacking attacks. It also provides programmable triggers that can protect data theft, in case a laptop is stolen. This technology is referred as Intel Anti-Theft Technology (Intel AT). This is a optional programmable tool for laptops. It can be configured to disable access to encrypted data by deleting the encryption keys stored locally, based on some definable events/triggers. It can also disable a PC completely so that it would not boot the Operating System, even if the hard drive of the computer is replaced or reformatted.

If you are thinking that these elements are scary and could potentially translate into loss of critical information, Intel has thought through the repercussions of this technology also. Intel AT also provides simple and easy reactivation and system recovery in case the Anti Theft technology was activated considering the events as a theft. This is done in the following 2 ways:

  1. Users could provide a pass phrase and use it as a password during a special Pre-OS stage. If the user enters this password, the system can be recovered.
  2. IT departments can generate special “Recovery Tokens” which can be used as a password on the special Pre-OS stage to recover the system.

Both these methods recover the computer to full functionality with no data loss.

 The chipsets that support vPro technology are energy efficient too. These systems support an enhanced system sleep state that shuts off one of the processors when it is not needed. It supports DDR3 memory which reduces device power consumption without compromising on speed of data flow.

What if I am a Home User?

This technology is not a differentiator for home users. The only advantage that it offers to home users is in form of troubleshooting no boot issues remotely. If your technical service provider supports it, he/she will be able to resolve even your no boot issues remotely, without the need of visiting you.

 All in all, this is a technology meant for corporations. This will dramatically impact the IT infrastructure maintenance costs and uptime, both of which are critical in current economic conditions.

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Tags: BIOS, boot, chipset, Intel, performance, remote, Security, Troubleshooting, vpro, windows

Windows XP does not start after installing Windows Vista as a dual boot option

Aug 17

Posted by Admin in Windows Vista, Windows XP | No Comments


You may be unable to log into Windows XP after installing Windows Vista and making your computer a dual OS / dual boot machine. This primarliy happens when Windows Vista is installed in unallocated space on the hard drive that existed in front of the Windows XP partition. To resolve this issue, follow the steps below:

(Please note that you will need administrative rights on your login to perform these steps.)

  1. Boot the computer into Windows Vista
  2. Right click on the “Start” button and on the pop up menu, click on “Explore“
  3. Click on ”Organize” option and then on the drop down menu, click on “Folder and Search Options“
  4. Click on the “View” tab
  5. In the advanced settings area, click “Show hidden files and folders“. Click on the checkbox next to “Hide extension for known file types” to uncheck it and then click on “Hide protected sytem files (Recommended)” to uncheck it. Click “yes” to confirm that you want to display operating system protected files and then click on “OK”
  6. Locate the Windows XP drive by using the “Computer” panel browsing (Start–>Computer)
  7. Now locate “boot.ini” file. Right click on it and click on “properties” on the pop up menu
  8. On the boot.ini properties window, click on Security tab and then click on “Advanced“
  9. Click on the “Owner” tab and then click on “edit“. If you get a prompt to enter administrator password, type your password to continue to the next step.
  10. In the change owner list, Click your alias or leave the default option selected. Now click on “OK” 4 times.
  11. Now right click on boot.ini file again and click on “Edit” on the pop up menu
  12. On this window, modify the Advanced RISC Computing (ARC) path to the correct Windows XP partition

These steps will solve your issues with Windows XP booting and allow you to enjoy both the operating systems compleltely.

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Tags: boot, dual, Error, issue, Microsoft, Vista, windows, XP

Automated System Recovery: Windows XP

Aug 13

Posted by Admin in Operating System, Windows XP | No Comments



Automated System Recovery (ASR) feature in Windows XP allows users to create backups to be prepared for a complete system crash situation. This helps in rebuilding the system from a scratch.

Microsoft recommends users to create ASR disks regularly to be prepared in case the system fails. This is the last resort after Safe Mode and other troubleshooting steps have failed.

The ASR wizard backs up system state, system services and other components of the Operating System. The restoration through ASR can be accessed by tapping F2 key when prompted.

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Tags: backup, boot, Recovery, restore, system, Windows XP

Unmountable Boot Volume – Windows XP

Aug 12

Posted by Admin in Windows XP | No Comments


Exact Error Message:

STOP 0×000000ED (0xaaaaaaaa,0xbbbbbbbb,0xcccccccc,0xdddddddd)
UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME

(Note: aaaaaaaa, bbbbbbbb, cccccccc, and dddddddd are hexadecimal numbers)

Following are the situations in which you might get this error message

1. UDMA Hard Disk Controller issues

  • You are using UDMA on a 40 wire cable (Which is meant for DMA).
  • The basic input/output system (BIOS) settings are configured to force the faster UDMA modes.

UDMA stands for Ultra Direct Memory Access. This is an improvement over DMA (Direct Memory Access).

UDMA requires 80 Wire 40 Pin cable to connect. whereas DMA requires a 40 wire cable to connect.

 

     2.    The file system is damaged and cannot be mounted

 

Solution:

There are 2 troubleshooting sequences you can try:

  1. Try and Repair the Volume

Warning: You might lose some data in the process of repairing the Volume. Also these steps involve changes in BIOS, if you are not comfortable doing them do not try them!!.

In order to repair the volume, you will have to boot to Recovery Console. You would need either of following to boot the computer to Recovery Console:

  • Startup Disk for Windows XP
  • OS Installation disk for Windows XP

You would also need the Administrator Password to access Recovery Console.

Once you have either the Startup Disk or OS installation disk handy, perform following steps:

  • Change the boot sequence to either Floppy or CD in BIOS, depending on what you are using (Startup Disk – Floppy, Installation Disk – CD)
  • Boot the computer using Startup Disk or CD and press R to select Repair option on Welcome to Setup

       5183-500-275

  • You will be prompted for Administrator Password, once you enter it you will be inside Recovery Console.
  • Type chkdsk /r and press Enter.
  • This will run the repair on the Volume, it will take some time to let it be for a while.
  • Once the repair is complete, check if it has found any errors or not. Restart you computer and check if the issue is resolved.
  • If you are still getting the same error message, boot to Recovery Console again and type fixboot and press Enter.

Restart your computer and check if it works. If it still does not work, in all probability issue is with HDD cable and BIOS settings. move to next troubleshooting sequence.

  

      2.    Check the HDD Cable and BIOS settings

If repairing the Volume does not help, you can try to change a setting in BIOS and check the HDD cable you are using.

Try following:

  • In the BIOS settings for your computer, load the ‘Fail-Safe’ default settings, and then reactivate the most frequently used options, such as USB Support
  • Check your Hard Disk connecting cable. If you are using a 40 wire cable, change it with a 80 wire cable.

 

Hope this helps !!!!

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Tags: boot, boot issues, unmountable, unmountable boot volume, unmountable_boot_volume, unmountable_boot_volume Windows XP, volume, window, window xp, windows, Windows XP