Windows Boot Manager has experienced a problem 

File: \Boot\ BCD

Status: 0xc0000098

The Windows Boot Configuration Data file does not contain a valid OS entry.

You can try to recover the system with the tools listed in the System Recovery Options menu.

(You might need to restart the computer manually.)

If the problem continues, please contact your system administrator or computer manufacturer.

Enter=Continue            ESC=Exit

New Dell Inspirion 6400 laptop with Windows Vista Business

BIOS A14

Came with 4 partitions

FAT16 DellUtility 1-1 54.88MB

NTFS Recovery 1-2 10GB

NTFS OS 1-3 64.34GB

FAT32 MediaDirect 1-4 1.999GB

Attempts to fix

You can use the Startup Repair option in the Windows Recovery Environment to repair the BCD store. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Put the Windows Vista installation disc in the disc drive, and then start the computer.

2. Press a key when you are prompted.

3. Select a language, a time, a currency, and a keyboard or another input method, and then click Next.

4. Click Repair your computer.

5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.

6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Startup Repair.

7. Restart the computer.

If the previous method does not resolve the problem, you can rebuild the BCD store by using the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Put the Windows Vista installation disc in the disc drive, and then start the computer.

2. Press a key when you are prompted.

3. Select a language, a time, a currency, and a keyboard or another input method, and then click Next.

4. Click Repair your computer.

5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.

6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt.

7. Type Bootrec /RebuildBcd , and then press ENTER.

• If the Bootrec.exe tool runs successfully, it presents you with an installation path of a Windows directory. To add the entry to the BCD store, type Yes . A confirmation message appears that indicates the entry was added successfully.

• If the Bootrec.exe tool cannot locate any missing Windows installations, you must remove the BCD store, and then you must re-create it. To do this, type the following commands in the order in which they are presented. Press ENTER after each command.

Bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup

ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old

Bootrec /rebuildbcd

8. Restart the computer.

Method 1 got me to the repair Startup system and I went through twice. The third time it could not find anything wrong with startup.

Method 2, I had to rename and rebuild. But no joy.

Seems I cannot change directory to the c:\ prompt. Only the x:\ drive(DVD) can be seen.

I used Acronis Disk Director Suite to review the various partitions. Exploring the Vista drive I can see it did rename the BCD and I am guessing the rebuild happened since it exists in the directory. When I open edit BCD, I see “regf”. What Should it be?