Boot-up problems

Question

Hello,   I have a Dimension 4100 running XPPro SP2.  I recently upgraded my hard drive.   Old Config: WD 20 GB (dual OS 98SE + XP Pro SP2) + WD 100 GB (partitioned 40+60)   New Config: WD 160 GB (partitioned 40 + 120 GB, running only XPPro SP2) + WD 100 GB (partitioned 40+60)   The new setup ran fine for a week, but now I am having boot up problems.  When I turn on the system, initially it started hanging up after detecting the different devices.  It never went to the OS options screen.  I went into bios, reset system settings to default and the system started fine.  But only once.  Now it doesn't even detect any devices.  After detecting the video card, the www.dell.com screen shows up and the systems hangs up.  It seems to look for a floppy but that's it.   When I installed the 160 GB system, WD's installation program warned about drives greater than 137 GB.  But I thought since I was running SP2, I was OK.  Initially when the system ran fine for a week, a WD program used to start which gave me an option to hit C to boot from disk or something else to boot from CD.  I never used that option because the system always booted fine.   I tried putting my old 20 GB drive back, but the system still hangs up at Dell.com.   1. Is this related to the 137 GB issue? 2. Is this a battery related problem since my system is quite old? 3. How can I start my system? 4. I assume it is not a bad 160 GB drive problem, because the 20 GD which has always worked also failed. 5. How can I reset my system? 6. I could not install Norton GoBack on the new setup because of some partition issues.  Anybody know why?  GoBack could probably have saved me. 7.  Can I do a system restore?  I have never used it before(, because Goback has always worked).   Help me.   Thanks.

dunedin · Answer

Hi,

I don`t think it is the size of the large drive since you have partitioned it as you are supposed to do.

Try this first
Get your WinXP CD handy, then go to Start>Run and type
"sfc /scannow" without the quotes. (There is a space before /)

That'll replace any missing or corrupt system files.

pjirvine · Answer

I am unable to boot up my computer and hence don't have access to start\run. I tried the msdos boot disk without any luck too. Thanks.

dunedin · Answer

Sorry, kinda forgot that.

Can you boot into Safe Mode by pressing F8 at boot up?

If so you could indeed have a go at "System Restore from command prompt"

type

C:\Windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

(if Windows is on "C")

pjirvine · Answer

No, I can't even get to Safe Mode.  I don't get any options.  The system seems to hang up on the www.dell.com screen. Thanks.

dunedin · Answer

Hi,

Well, if you can`t even get into Safe Mode I think your only option is to try a repair

A repair won't lose any data, other than Service Pack 1/2 (if not on XP installation CD), any Windows Updates and unsigned drivers, which will need to be re-installed afterwards.
Stay offline to do a repair and do not go online again without a firewall enabled. After repairing XP, install Service Pack, firewall and then you must install all Critical Updates next.

How to Repair XP
Boot up with the XP CD in the drive and let Setup run. Go past the first "R" repair option by pressing Enter just as if you're doing a clean install and you'll eventually come to an option to "Repair an existing installation". Select this one.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;315341

http://www.theeldergeek.com/repairing_windows_xp.htm
Scroll way down page to
Windows Installation CD - Repair Current Installation

pjirvine · Answer

My computer stops at dell.com logo or after detecting devices, depending upon whether I enable quick boot.    If I insert my XP CD or MSDOS floppy disk, it doesn't do anything.  I have tried changing the bios to boot from CD, floppy, etc but none of them work.  I have switched back to my old hard drive but that didn't work either.   Even the WD hard drive setup CD doesn't do anything.   Any guesses where I am screwing up?   Thanks.

dunedin · Answer

Hi,

When you changed the boot order in the BIOS did you Save it before exiting?

Have you got a Win98 Startup floppy with CDROM support?

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

Navigate to the i386 folder on the CD (at the A:> prompt type the letter of the cdrom drive, then "CD i386" without the quotes)
Then at the X:\i386> prompt (where X: is the letter of the cdrom drive) type "Winnt.exe".

That should run the normal Windows Setup.

pjirvine · Answer

Yes, I do save the settings after changing.

I tried win98 boot up disk and even created a xp boot up disk set, but nothing happens. Bios seems to recognize the floppy drive and the light does come on, but nothing happens.

dunedin · Answer

Now I`m thinking you must have mucked up the floppy drive connections in some way when you were installing the new hard drive. Go check all the connections and make sure all the pins are connected   While you are in there just check the connections for everything. Check that the RAM is seated properly too. It is so easy to just nudge something out of place.

pjirvine · Answer

Thanks a lot for your help.

I unplugged and plugged back almost everything on the system and finally decided to remove the Netgear WG311 wireless adapter card, which had started giving me problems over the past 3 weeks. That solved the problem. Now the system boots up without any problems. The Netgear card had worked for about a month before it started failing.

Thanks.

dunedin · Answer

Hi,   You are welcome, but you solved it yourself in the end.   Well done :smileyhappy:

denden66 · Answer

Hi!   This is just about my unit, Inspiron 600m, which suddenly failed to boot to windows XP. It reaches only the dell-com display then loop back again and again. It only stops when the power supply switvh is turned off. I tried to observed the flash of series of text before and the last line of display. It reads: Loading PBR for descriptor 2...done. while on the last line, NTDETECT FAILED!  which I am not sure of getting the right words beacause it happens so fast. Can anybody suggest or tell me what's causing this errors?   I tried the Safe Mode, Last Good Configuration already and all other modes therein but nothing seems to happen. Most of my files at work are saved in my laptop and its a bulk of work if I cannot access it again. Pls. help!   A friend of mine suggested that re-installation of OS (XP Home Edtion SP2) will resolved this issue. Will it really resolved the errors without deleting my files? and How?

dunedin · Answer

denden66 :smileyhappy:   denden66 wrote:   NTDETECT FAILED!   A friend of mine suggested that re-installation of OS (XP Home Edtion SP2) will resolved this issue. Will it really resolved the errors without deleting my files? and How?    A reinstall will lose EVERYTHING, so don`t do that.   If you got the NTDETECT message correct, there is a way to fix this using your XP installation CD, so I hope you have one. :smileyhappy:   First you will need to access the BIOS to make the computer boot from the CD before the hard drive http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?c=us&l=en&s=gen&dn=TT1035156   (To access the BIOS, hit the F2 key right when you booting up (while the Dell symbol is still being displayed). The menu that loads is called the BIOS. Press and hold the ALT key, and press the P key to move through the menu pages. I believe it is the second page where you will see the Boot Order settings. Simply change the first boot device to cd-rom drive and then hit the ESC key and choose YES if prompted to save.)   Then put the XP installation CD in the drive and reboot 1.Watch for 'Press any key to boot from CD' (it is not there for long so don`t miss it) and let the set up run as if you were reinstalling XP.   2.At the first R=Repair option, press the R key. This is the Recovery Console   3.Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair. Typically this will be #1   So just type 1 ENTER   4.Enter in the administrator password when requested If you did not set a password when installing XP just press ENTER   5.Enter in the following commands at the cursor  (X: is replaced by the actual drive letter that is assigned to your CD ROM drive.)   COPY X:\i386\NTLDR C:\ ENTER   COPY X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:\ ENTER   fixmbr ENTER   fixboot ENTER   6.Take out the CD ROM and type exit   Hopefully this will fix your problem

denden66 · Answer

Thanks!   I'll try what you have suggested but as you said there's a way in fixing it without sacrificing my files using the XP installation CD, if i have one. Sadly, I don't have it right now. But Dell was kind enough to have granted my request and in fact delivered it already in my sister's place as confirmed by her only this day. She mailed it already for me and i should expect it to arrived 5 to 7 days then. As you know, my sister whose living now in the States bought it for me as a gift on her vacation here in the Philippines last Nov. of 2005. I had never processed the transfer of ownership of it as sugessted by Dell, so, in my request I still gave the information of my sister in her purchased of it. So much excitement! that was what happened on my part.   Anyway, as soon as I have the back-up copy of my OS CD in my hand, I will contact you if all things work out right.   Again, Thanks a lot......

dunedin · Answer

You are very welcome :smileyhappy:   Good luck

Windows General

Boot-up problems

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