Windows 2000 startup failure

Question

I am trying to help a friend. I really have no knowledge of Windows 2000.

My friend cannot boot her system up.

When she tries, she gets error messages.

The first starts like this:
Del:Setup:Auto detect primary master not detected.

The second error is ,
2nd master not detected

Then it goes on to give more error messages and information that flashes too fast to copy down.

The final message is:

Boot failure insert boot diskette in A:

I realize this information is a bit vague, but can you give me some idea what is going on in this system?

Thanks
Steve

jwatt · Answer

Steve,

I believe (without a lot of data!) that those two error messages relate to a failure of the IDE controllers. Whether the drives themselves have failed I don't know. Can you get the machine to enter BIOS Setup? Are there any IDE controllers or hard drives to be found there? I suspect the system won't even boot from a Resource CD (because it's IDE), so running diagnostics could be difficult.

(edit) Check over the IDE cabling in the machine. Make sure everything's properly seated. Was a device (like a CD) added to the machine before this happened?

Jim

Message Edited by jimw on 02-18-2005 06:31 PM

zbestwun2001 · Answer

Jim,
No I can't get the system to enter the BIOS, I had her try.

Let me run these points you made by here and let me get back to you. I am in Los Angeles, and she is in ABQ. But she is very computer savy.

Jim,thanks again.
Steve

zbestwun2001 · Answer

Jim, She has checked the cables and they are seated properly. No device was added recently. Imput? Thanks, Steve

jwatt · Answer

Steve,

Sorry about the delayed response. I've set the thread for EMAIL alert now.

She needs to get the machine into the BIOS, so she can look at what drives are being detected. Which machine is it? Here's a list of various keystrokes to enter the BIOS.

Do the drives spin up? If not, suspect a power supply failure.

Jim

zbestwun2001 · Answer

Jim, Thanks for the help. It is not a Dell system. It is a home built system. I will run these new ideas by her as soon as we talk on the phone. I will get back to you with the outcome. Thanks Steve

zbestwun2001 · Answer

Jim It was a badly seated DIMM connections, 1 bad pin connecting. Will boot into Windows but now only into SAFE MODE. Imput? Steve

jwatt · Answer

Steve,

DIMM problem, eh? Makes the point that memory problems can look like *anything*, including IDE bus problems. What's the symptom when a normal mode boot is attempted?

It might not hurt to shut the machine down and reseat everything that can be reseated. How old is the machine?

Jim

zbestwun2001 · Answer

Thanks Jim, I will run this by her and get back to you. Have a good weekend. Steve

jwatt · Answer

Steve,

Have her check over the file c:\boot.ini and make sure it doesn't contain any switches that would cause the system to start in safe mode, like "/SAFEBOOT". Here's a list of all the possible boot.ini switches.

Also have her check the system and application event logs (Start/Run eventvwr) and see if any errors are logged during startup in either the system or application event logs.

If the boot.ini looks OK, one useful switch is the "/BOOTLOG" switch, which will cause everything that starts during bootup to be logged, as described in the article on boot.ini.

Is it possible that she thinks it's booting into safe mode because of the video resolution, or does the screen actually say "Safe Mode"? If it's not showing "Safe Mode", the video driver settings should be checked.

By the way, Win2K's such a close relative of XP that most of your XP knowledge applies.

(edit) Also see this post for some notes about Win2K parallel and repair installations...if it comes to that!

Jim

Message Edited by jimw on 02-19-2005 10:26 AM

zbestwun2001 · Answer

Jim
When a normal boot is attempted it goes into Safe Mode automatically.
She has reseated everything that can be reseated.

She is pretty darn computer savy so I await your intructions.

The machine is between 1 and 2 years old.

It is a custom job with 2 individual processors in the tower.

She is a video editor amoung other things.

Steve

Message Edited by zbestwun2001 on 02-19-2005 10:13 AM

chaistt · Answer

Steve, try running check disk in windows, it has fixed problems like that for me in the past

Windows General

Windows 2000 startup failure

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