Greetings to all. Usually, if you have problems starting operating system or turning off the light during operation, upon subsequent boot of the system, a list of possible starts appears.
In order not to mislead you and teach you some nuances, I will share some very useful tips. So, if the system did not boot but provided a boot choice, then I recommend selecting the following option - Last Known Good Configuration or loading the last good configuration.
This start option cancels any changes made to the registry key CurrentControlSet which directly caused the problem.
This registry key determines the values of hardware parameters and all drivers installed on the system. Function loading last known known configuration will replace the contents of the above registry key with the data stored in the backup copy that was used during the last successful Windows startup.
Reboot the computer. After the sound signal, press the F8 key and hold it until the operating system start selection menu appears. From the list of launch options that appears, select and activate it by pressing the key "Enter".
Remember, you are given one single attempt to restore the system's last known known configuration.
In general, if you were unable to restore the system after starting the OS from the mode, then this means only one thing - backup copy damaged. In this case, this recovery method will not help us.
1 Recovery Console
This method involves using the utility "recovery console". The more complex the problem of loading the operating system, the more serious the approach to solving it should be. The boot CD with the installation system usually contains a very useful utility - "Recovery Console"
To autorun boot CD with Windows OS, place it in the DVD-CD drive and restart the computer. As soon as the computer restarts and the drive begins to read data from the disk, you will see the Setup and Installation Wizard dialog box.
This will happen if you are in BIOS settings in download priority "Boot first device" You put "DVD/CD-ROM". I wrote about this in more detail in the article -. Once the download begins, follow all instructions that appear on the screen.
The program will provide you with a selection of basic files to run the installation program. The installation wizard greets you with the phrase "Welcome To Setup". Now all you have to do is press the key "R" which facilitates the opening of the recovery console.
Now the Recovery Console dialog box has opened in front of you. Here we will see a folder with files and also a request to select the operating system with which you plan to start working.
Next, you have to press the key with the number corresponding to the operating system number, then the program will ask for the administrator password, if any. Well, now you have full access to command line.
I wrote more about how to work with the recovery console in the article -
3 Fixing damage to the Boot.ini boot file
At the initial stage of Windows OS startup, the Ntldr program accesses the boot file Boot.ini. As a result, the program determines the location system files and available options to continue downloading.
This is precisely why, in case of damage to the boot file Boot.ini, the operating system cannot continue or even start booting correctly.
In the event that Windows OS does not boot and the reason for this is a damaged file Boot.ini then the recovery console toolkit will help you - Bootcfg.
To start it Bootcfg you will of course need to start the system from boot Windows disk HR. To run the command Bootcfg, you need to enter into the command line of the management console: Bootcfg /parameter
Where /parameter- this is one of the functions that I will tell you about now.
Add– produces scanning hard disk for the presence of all installed operating systems. In addition, it adds the identifiers of new operating systems to the boot file Boot.ini.
Scan- scans the hard drive for all installed operating systems.
List– displays a list of records in the file Boot.ini.
Default– displays the identifier of the operating system that is being run during startup
Rebuild– completely restores the Boot.ini boot file. The user is given the opportunity to control every step.
Redirect– in administration mode this function allows you to redirect download operations to another designated port. It has several subparameters, or rather two: | ./Disableredirect – Disables redirection.
It is worth noting that in Windows Xp and Windows 7 boot.ini is formed differently. I have written several articles on the topic of boot.ini for XP and 7:
4 Repairing a defective master boot record
The master boot record uses the first sector of the hard drive and carries out the boot procedure for Windows XP. The entry contains a table of all available hard drive partitions and a small program "primary loader" The primary bootloader, in turn, is responsible for placing the active or boot sectors in the partition table.
Once placed in the table, the boot sector begins to start the operating system. If suddenly the boot record is damaged, the active sector will not be able to start the system.
In order to fix this problem, the recovery console provides the Fixmbr program. Boot from the installation disk and activate the recovery console.
In order to run the Fixmbr command, you need to enter the following into the command line of the management console: Fixmbr
Where
- the compound name of the disk for which there is a need to create a new primary boot entry. Compound name for main boot disk C:\ will look like this: \Device\HardDisk0
5 Restoring a damaged HDD boot sector
The boot sector is a small section of the hard drive dedicated to storing data in the operating system, having an NTFS or FAT32 file system, and it is also a fairly small program that helps in the process of loading the operating system.
If the system refuses to start precisely because the boot sector is inoperative, the recovery console tool can help you FixBoot. To do this you need to download installation disk and go to the recovery console menu.
In general, I have already indicated above how to do this. In order to launch this program you will need to enter the following in the command line of the management console: Fixboot:
Where- the drive letter that requires creating a new boot partition.
6 Quick reinstallation of Windows
In the event that the system cannot be started and you do not have a backup copy, you can perform a Quick Reinstallation of Windows.
This procedure involves reinstalling the operating system in the same directory (similar to updating old version system to a newer one) and can fix almost any Windows boot problem.
Place the boot disk into the DVD/CD drive, then restart the computer. Once the disk is recognized and reading begins, you can begin the installation procedure. During installation, a license agreement will appear.
In order to agree to the terms of the agreement, press the F8 key. Next, the program will scan all installed versions Windows. As soon as at least one of the versions is found, the installation screen will appear.
In order to start restoring the version of the system you need, you need to click "R", and to start the installation "Esc". The system recovery procedures will start. The installation wizard will now begin checking the disks for functionality, and then begin a quick reinstallation.
Remember, after reinstalling or recovering a damaged installation, all updates will have to be reinstalled again.
7 How to cancel automatic reboot
As a rule, if an error occurs during stable operation of the system, the operating system automatically reboots.
When an error occurs directly at system startup, a cycle of endless reboots occurs. In this case, you need to disable the function of automatically rebooting the system upon failure.
At the beginning of the operating system startup or after POST, press the F8 key, which will open a menu in front of you « Extra options».
Next you need to select the item "Disable automatic reboot on system failure" and activate it by pressing the key "Enter". Now, when Windows XP starts up, it will display an error message, the essence of which will tell us about the malfunction.
Restoring the Windows operating system from a backup copy.
If none of the system recovery methods helped you, then there is a chance to restore the operating system using a backup copy (if you have one).
The recovery algorithm completely depends on the program you are using to perform the backup, which provides you with all the necessary instructions.
Conclusion
There can be many recovery methods and reasons why Windows does not boot. The main thing is that the system is mostly recoverable and you don’t have to perform. That's all. I wish you success in dealing with the problem.
Unfortunately, sometimes you can encounter quite serious problems with turning on computers and starting operating systems, although until a certain point there were no signs of trouble. It happens that most often the computer turns on, but the operating system does not start. It is these situations that will be discussed further. Let's look at questions related to why the computer won't boot and what to do in such situations. There are several universal solutions here.
The computer turns on, but the operating system does not start: reasons
Among all the possible situations when failures occur at the loading stage, several typical cases can be identified.
There are three options:
- a black screen appears;
- arises blue screen BSoD;
- The operating system starts, but cannot fully boot.
In the first case, when the computer does not start (the boot does not turn on), messages may appear on a black screen indicating physical or software problems. In the very simple case, when nothing serious happens, the system may report that, for example, the keyboard is missing (for desktop PCs). The simplest solution is to connect it and reboot.
If the computer turns on, but the boot does not start, and instead warnings appear on a black screen about software failures or missing files, there can be many reasons for this system behavior. Among them, first of all, we can highlight problems with the hard drive, damage to the operating system (accidental or intentional deletion of system components or registry entries), exposure to viruses, incorrect boot sector entries, RAM conflicts, etc. By the way, if a blue screen pops up, this mostly applies to the RAM or recently installed device drivers, which cause conflicts not at the software level, but at the physical level.
What to do if the computer does not boot and the operating system does not start for the above reasons? Depending on the situation, there are several solutions. To an uninitiated user, they may seem quite complicated, but in certain situations only they can be used to resuscitate the system. Therefore, you will have to spend both time and effort.
The computer turns on but does not boot: what to do first?
So, let's start with the simplest thing. Let's assume that a short-term technical failure has occurred in the system, for example due to incorrect shutdown or power surges.
As a rule, almost all Windows modifications used today usually automatically activate startup upon restart. If this does not happen, before starting the system you will have to use the F8 key to call up an additional boot menu(Windows 10 uses a different method).
The computer turns on, but the operating system does not start? There's no need to get upset. Here in the very simple version you can select the line to load the last working configuration. If with system components everything is fine, the system will boot without problems. If this does not help, you will have to use the troubleshooting section, and sometimes even trying to boot into safe mode may be successful.
Possible viral infection
Unfortunately, viruses can also cause such situations. What to do if the computer does not turn on? Ways to solve this particular problem boil down to using a powerful one that could check for threats even before the OS itself starts.
Among the variety of anti-virus software, it is especially worth noting disk utilities that start directly from an optical media or USB device, have their own boot records and even GUI like Windows. One of the most powerful tools is Kaspersky Rescue Disk. Its use can guarantee almost one hundred percent detection of viruses, even those hiding in RAM.
RAM conflicts
Now let's see what to do if the computer does not boot and instead a blue screen appears. As already mentioned, most often this indicates problems with drivers and RAM. We’re not touching the drivers yet, but let’s look at the RAM.
The proposed solution to the issue of if the computer does not boot is mainly designed for stationary PCs. In this situation, you should remove all memory sticks, and then insert them one by one and check the load. Perhaps one of them is the link that causes failures. This may occur when trims from different manufacturers are added.
If the system can somehow be loaded using the same safe mode, the RAM should immediately be checked using the Memtest86+ utility, which will help identify the true cause of the problem.
The system does not see the hard drive
Now the worst situation is when the computer does not boot. The causes and ways to eliminate them may be related to hard drive.
A hard drive can have both software and physical problems, although sometimes that’s not even the issue. The problem may be completely trivial: the user has set the priority in the BIOS settings to boot from a removable device, for example, from an optical disk, which this moment is in the drive, but is not a system file. You just need to remove it and download again.
On the other hand, another problem that the computer does not start (the system does not start) may be due to the fact that the bootloader and the records of the corresponding sector are damaged. The solution to this situation will be discussed a little later. But in the simplest case, you can try to restore disk data using Recovery utilities.
Sometimes changing the settings of the primary BIOS input/output system also helps. Here you need to find the section related to setting up the hard drive, and in the SATA configuration parameters, deactivate the use of AHCI mode.
Finally, the hard drive may also have purely physical damage, and this cannot be done without outside intervention.
Using the installation disc
Many users clearly underestimate the help that the installation or system image can provide in solving problems associated with situations when the computer turns on, but the operating system does not load.
Firstly, almost any kit includes a so-called recovery console, with which you can eliminate many software failures, and secondly, you can use the command line here. This, by the way, is the most effective method. Next it will be clear how this works.
Problems with the BOOTMGR bootloader
It is believed that the most common problem when the computer turns on, but the operating system does not start, is damage Windows boot loader(Boot Manager). In this case, the system just writes that there is no system partition (it simply does not see the hard drive).
You can fix this problem by starting from the boot disk and going to the command line in the recovery console, to open which you press the “R” key. Next, you need to first use the check disk command and then fix (restore) boot records.
The whole sequence looks like this:
- chkdsk c: /f /r;
- Bootrec.exe /FixMbr;
- Bootrec.exe /FixBoot.
After entering commands, punctuation marks are not placed, but the enter key is pressed. If for some reason executing these commands does not have a positive effect, you can alternatively use a complete rewrite of the boot sector, which is performed by the Bootrec.exe / RebuildBcd command. If the hard drive is not physically damaged, this should work, as they say, one hundred percent.
You can also use some third-party utilities. The most suitable program seems to be a tool called MbrFix, which is included in the Hiren’s Boot CD. After calling it, for example, for Windows 7, provided that this particular system is installed, and only on one disk (there is no partitioning), the following should be written:
- MbrFix.exe /drive 0 fixmbr /win7.
This will save the user from having to make changes to boot records, and the boot will be restored.
Problems accessing the NTLDR file
When a message appears that a given component is missing from the system, a boot commit is first applied, as in the previous case.
However, if the result is not achieved, you will need to copy original file to the root system partition. For example, if the drive is "C" and the drive is "E", the command would look like this:
- E:\i386> copy ntldr C:\ (after copying, the system will boot without problems).
Damaged or missing HAL.dll file
If the computer turns on, but the operating system does not load in normal mode, the reason may be a damaged component HAL.dll (a corresponding notification may be displayed on the screen).
In this situation, you need to boot the system in safe mode, call the command console and write the following line in it:
- C:\windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe (then press the Enter key and restart).
Instead of a total
Here is a brief summary of everything that concerns solving the problem of the inability to start the operating system. Naturally, the issues that could be caused by low power, failure of the CMOS battery, loose cable connections, or the presence of dust inside were not touched upon here. system unit or other malfunctions. But in software terms, the above methods work flawlessly.
Most of the features the average owner uses desktop computers and laptops, are accessible to humans thanks to the use of special operating systems on technology. The most popular OS is the product from Microsoft. Therefore, if Windows 7 or one of the other OS variants does not boot, the user is in serious trouble.
There are many reasons why Windows 10 (7, 8, XP) does not load. Often in this case, an unpleasant situation is accompanied by a specific error message. But what to do if Windows 10 (7, 8, XP) does not boot on a laptop or regular PC without such messages? There are several universal methods treatments that can lead to a way out of the current situation.
Selecting the download type
This is the simplest fix method if Windows 7 or another type of operating system from Microsoft does not load. What you need to do:
- Start rebooting the computer.
- Press the “F8” button.
- In the proposed list, select the launch item with the most successful configuration.
In some cases, this action is quite sufficient when Windows 7 (8, 10, XP) does not load.
Windows Recovery
So Windows won't boot. You can try to return Windows to full functionality using the recovery menu. To do this, of course, you will need to have a boot disk with the desired OS option on hand. What actions should the user take in this case if Windows 7, 8, 10 and XP does not load:
- Insert the source into the drive.
- Change the priority in BIOS. That is, the operating system should not be launched from a hard drive, but from a DVD-ROM.
- After starting the process, you will need to press the “R” button.
- Select the option to restore.
- Wait for the results. Restart the equipment one more time.
Windows XP (7, 8, 10) still won't load early? Next option.
Recovery within the OS itself
If previous operations have been carried out, but Windows 7 still does not boot, you can try to restore it directly using the tools of the operating system itself. It's quite simple:
Naturally, at the end you will need to restart the computer to check whether Windows 10 (7.8, XP) does not boot or whether the problem has been successfully resolved?
Boot file disinfection
If after Windows updates 7 won't load, then possible reason The trouble lies in a damaged Boot.ini boot file. To fix the problem you will need to follow these steps:
- Start the PC using the same external source.
- In the recovery menu, go to the command line.
- Enter the phrase “Bootcfg/add”.
Wait for the process to complete and initiate another reboot to check whether Windows 8 or its equivalent of a different version does not boot, or whether the treatment helped in this predicament?
Boot record defect
Another option for trouble with Windows. Windows won't load? The boot record may have become corrupted. In this situation, you will need to repeat almost the entire procedure described in the previous paragraph, but enter a completely different phrase into the command line. Namely: “Fixmbr\Device\HardDisk0”.
Perhaps this action will be quite enough when Windows 7 does not load and freezes on the logo.
Damage to the boot sector on the hard drive
This nuisance can lead to a situation where, for example, Windows 7 does not load beyond “Welcome”. Here the treatment is also quite simple - the steps are repeated by running the command line from the computer user, into which you should type “Fixboot” and then the letter that is responsible for the hard drive partition where the installed OS version is located.
Quick reinstall
Sometimes, if the computer does not boot beyond the Windows 7 splash screen, only reinstallation can help. But it is not at all necessary to launch a full-fledged procedure that lasts quite a long time. You can speed up this process. This is very powerful tool treatment, since he is able to cope with most of the troubles that arise.
What is required from a person:
- Start again from the boot disk.
- Press the “R” button, then the “Esc” key.
- Select quick reinstallation of the operating system.
It is important to understand that this procedure can only work if identical versions of the OS are located on the disk and hard drives. That is, if, for example, Windows 10 does not boot after the update, you should not try to quickly reinstall it using a boot disk with Windows 7 or 8 for this purpose.
Conclusion
A special case of this situation may be a constant automatic reboot of the OS. Naturally, this option excludes the possibility of any therapeutic processes. To break this sequence, you will need to press the “F8” button the next time you start the system and go to the “Advanced parameters” menu. After this, disable the OS reboot procedure and if failures are detected. Well, then you can use one of the treatment options described above.
All described methods are universal. That is, they are recommended to be used only when it is not possible to accurately determine the root cause of the malfunction. Most often, the user can see a message on the monitor screen indicating a specific error code. And each of them has their own method of correcting an unpleasant situation. Most of them can be easily found on this Internet resource dedicated to answering questions related to OS damage from Microsoft.
In this article we will look at all the popular reasons why Windows 7 or xp does not load on a laptop or computer and a black screen with inscriptions appears. Those. possible software problems and ways to eliminate them. This will be a continuation of the first part of our review, in which we looked at possible options for why the computer does not boot, and hardware problems (with hardware). So, if you haven’t found the answer to your question here, be sure to read the first part - maybe it’s there.
If your PC shows absolutely no signs of life and does not react in any way to pressing the power button, then we recommend that you read the article why your computer won’t start. It discusses the main causes and ways to eliminate this breakdown. But don’t forget that if you don’t want to deal with the problem yourself, you can always contact our service and order computer repair at home.
We tried to this review was as complete as possible, and collected all the most popular reasons why Windows 7 or xp does not start on a computer or laptop. Each case has been encountered many times in our practice. But it is also possible that you will not find a solution to your problem. In this case, write in the comments and we will try to help you.
On a black screen there is an inscription: NTLDR is missing and Windows does not boot
This is one of the most common reasons why Windows xp or 7 does not start. The message "NTLDR is missing" is translated as "NTLDR is missing." NTLDR is the boot file of the operating system, which requires three files (NTLDR, boot.ini and ntdetect.com) in the active to run. hard section the disk from which booting is configured. If at least one of the files is missing or there is no access to it, then Windows 7 or xp will not boot and will give an error.
Possible reasons and what to do:
- The NTLDR, ntdetect.com, and boot.ini files have been moved or completely removed from the disk containing the operating system. In this case, you need to copy the missing computer files from the working OS.
- Severe virus infection - a deep scan of the PC for viruses is necessary. You may also need to restore damaged system files.
- In the root directory system disk Too many files have accumulated.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of the NTFS file system, which is used on most modern computers, simply deleting unnecessary files from the root directory of the system partition is unlikely to help eliminate the problem - Windows will not start anyway. Additional copying may be required boot files from a work PC.
- If several operating systems are installed on the hard drive at once, then a conflict may have occurred between them.
You can fix this problem by booting the computer using the operating system recovery disk and manually editing the boot.ini file, which is responsible for the OS boot order.
Windows XP won't boot due to registry problems
As a rule, this problem is specific to this version of the operating system. In the newer ones (seven, eight, ten) we did not encounter such a problem.
Before booting begins, one of the following messages appears on a black screen:
- Windows cannot start because the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM file is corrupted or missing;
- Windows cannot start because the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE file is corrupted or missing.
These messages mean that your operating system registry is faulty. There may be several reasons why this could happen and now Windows XP does not start:
- Your PC has become infected with a virus.
- You incorrectly shut down your computer by forcibly turning it off using a button or unplugging the cord from the outlet.
- Your hard drive is failing (or has already failed).
There are several ways in which you can restore functionality to your operating system. If everything goes well, this can be done even without reinstalling the entire system. But all these methods require deep knowledge of PC software.
A beginner, having made even a small mistake or inaccuracy, risks losing the opportunity for subsequent successful recovery. In addition, you may need to restore personal information located on your hard drive. Therefore, we recommend contacting specialists for this problem.
The following message appears on the black screen: BOOTMGR is missing
"BOOTMGR is missing" is translated as "BOOTMGR is missing." If Windows 7 or XP does not boot and appears this message, this means that the boot sector is missing or damaged.
This could happen due to incorrect installation of programs, a failure in the operating system, careless user actions, or problems with the hard drive. Before attempting to resolve the error, you must diagnose your hard drive for bad sectors.
In order to fix this problem, you will need the boot disk from which you installed Windows. You need to boot your computer from the disk and select “Startup Repair” in “System Recovery Options.”
In this case, the boot sector will be restored to automatic mode. If after this Windows 7 still won’t start, and you don’t know what to do, then it’s better to contact the service. Because restoring the boot sector manually is a very difficult operation. Careless actions can lead to the loss of all information stored on the computer.
Why Windows won't boot and freezes during boot
Many have encountered a problem when, when starting the operating system, a logo with a creeping line appears and the computer freezes. There is no point in waiting an hour, two or a day - Windows will not start.
Here are the main reasons why this can happen:
- The operating system has been heavily infected with viruses - in this case, a full scan of the system disk for viruses can help. You can do this by booting your computer from a rescue disk or by connecting the hard drive to another computer.
- The operating system has crashed
You can try booting into safe mode and performing a system restore, or try performing a “Last Known Known Configuration” boot. Very often this helps solve the problem. To do this, immediately after turning on the PC, start pressing the “F8” key. A menu should appear where you can select this download option.
- Computer hard drive failure.
Due to improper use or simply over time, bad sectors may appear on the hard drive. The information that was written to them becomes inaccessible and, as a result, Windows 7 or XP may stop loading and freeze during the boot process. You can restore and replace bad sectors, but it would be best to replace the hard drive itself. You can read it.
Also, if such a malfunction occurs, you can try “Load last known known configuration”. If this still does not bring results, then in the same menu try the “Safe Mode” item (on English language it could be "Safe mode"). When it turns on, try to rollback to the previous state. To do this, in “Start”, find and run “System Restore”.
Blue screen of death appears
Another popular problem is when Windows 7 does not load beyond the logo, but a “blue screen of death” appears. In this case, you will also need to bring up the boot menu using the "F8" key.
There should be an item in the menu called “Troubleshoot your computer.” Click it and the “Recovery Options” window should appear on your screen.
Let us briefly examine the points that are contained in it.
- Startup Repair - automatically analyzes problems that prevent Windows 7 from starting and attempts to fix them. It doesn't always help, but it's definitely worth a try.
- System Restore - from here you can also “roll back” the system, just like from safe mode.
- Restoring a system image - if you have a saved system image on your hard drive, you can restore using it.
- Diagnostics Windows memory- examination system memory for mistakes.
- The command line is for “advanced users”. Using it you can delete, copy or move files manually.
So, first of all, try using the “Startup Repair” item, if that doesn’t help, then “System Restore”.
In this article, we looked at the main reasons caused by a software malfunction of the computer, due to which Windows very often does not boot. We hope that we were able to answer all the questions and clearly explain what to do in this case.
If you still haven’t been able to figure out on your own the reason why Windows 7 or XP won’t start on your computer or laptop, and you don’t know what to do next, then you can always contact us for help - the center computer help website. Our service technicians will quickly and accurately determine the cause of the breakdown and eliminate all faults. In addition, they will give valuable advice on how to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
Also write your questions in the comments. And you will definitely get an answer to them.
When Windows XP won't boot...If your computer's devices start normally, but your Windows XP operating system does not, you may need to begin a troubleshooting process that consists of identifying the reasons for the system's boot failure and fixing them. Below are 10 tips to solve Windows XP startup problems.Using a Windows boot floppy
The first thing you should turn to if problems occur during the system startup process is the boot floppy disk. It can help if the active partition is damaged hard drive or files required to boot Windows.
To create a Windows boot floppy disk, insert the floppy disk into the disk drive of a machine with an operating system that is working correctly and configured in a similar way. Windows system XP, open the My Computer window, click on the floppy disk icon and select from context menu"Format" command. In the Format dialog box, leave the default settings unchanged and click the Start button. When formatting is complete, close the window to return to “My Computer,” double-click on the shortcut to drive C and copy three files from its root directory to the floppy disk:
Boot.ini
NTLDR
Ntdetect.comNow insert the created boot floppy disk into the floppy drive of the computer with the damaged system and click to restart the computer. When started from this floppy disk, the system will try to boot, ignoring the active hard disk partition and boot files.
Using the Last Known Good Configuration option)
You can also try starting the system using the Last Known Good Configuration option, which will undo any changes that caused problems in the CurrentControlSet registry key, which is responsible for determining the values of hardware parameters and installed drivers. The “Load last known good configuration” option will replace the contents of the specified registry key with the data from the backup that was used at the last successful start of the OS.
Restart your computer by clicking. When you see the message “Please select the operating system to run” operating system to start) or hear a single sound signal, press the key to launch the Windows Advanced Options menu. Select Last Known Good Configuration and press .
Please note that you only have one attempt to restore the Last Known Good Configuration. In other words, if the option did not help fix the system boot problem, it means that the backup copy is also damaged.
Using the System Restore utility
Another useful tool for troubleshooting Windows XP boot problems is the System Restore utility. She works in background as a service to continually check critical system components for changes. Before changing any setting, the service immediately creates a backup copy and a restore point. In addition, by default, checkpoints are created every 24 hours.
To use the System Restore utility, restart your computer by clicking. When you see the Please select the operating system to start message or hear a single beep, press the key to launch the Windows Advanced Options menu. Select Safe Mode and press .
After Windows XP boots into Safe Mode, click the Start button and go to the Programs | Standard | Service | System Restore (All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore). In Safe Mode, only the option “Restore your computer to an earlier state” is available as it is already selected by default, just click “Next”. The Recovery Wizard will then prompt you to select a checkpoint and begin the recovery procedure.
Using the Recovery Console
Windows XP boot problems of a more complex nature require a correspondingly more serious approach. The Windows XP Boot CD contains a useful Recovery Console tool.
To start the system from the Windows XP boot CD, insert it into the CD-ROM and press to restart the computer. Once the download begins, simply follow the prompts, which will allow you to select the main files to run Setup. At the Welcome To Setup screen shown in Image A, press the R key to launch the Recovery Console.
Rice. AThe Recovery Console menu screen appears (Image B). This displays a folder containing the operating system files and asks you to select the operating system you want to log into. Press the corresponding number key, and then enter the administrator password. You now have access to the Recovery Console command line.
Rice. BFixing a damaged Boot.ini file
At the beginning of the Windows XP boot process, Ntldr uses the Boot.ini file to determine the location of the operating system files and what options are available to continue booting. Therefore, if the Boot.ini file is damaged, Windows XP cannot start correctly.
If the system does not boot due to a damaged Boot.ini file, you can use the Bootcfg tool in the Recovery Console. Of course, to do this you will have to start the system from a bootable CD and use the Recovery Console, as described in point 4.
To run the Bootcfg command, enter in the Management Console command line:Bootcfg /parameter
Where /parameter- one of the options below.
Parameters and description
/Add– scans the disk for all installed versions of Windows OS and allows you to add new OS identifiers to the Boot.ini file.
/Scan- scans the disk for all installed versions of Windows OS.
/List– Displays each entry in the Boot.ini file.
/Default– assigns the identifier of the default operating system specified in the boot menu as the main one.
/Rebuild– completely recreates the Boot.ini file. The user has the opportunity to confirm each step.
/Redirect– allows you to redirect the download operation to a special port in administration mode without a monitor. Has two subparameters: | .
/Disableredirect– Disables redirection.Fixing a damaged hard drive boot sector
The boot sector is a small section of the hard drive that contains data about file system operating system (NTFS or FAT32), as well as a very small program written in machine code language that assists in the OS boot process.
If the system does not start due to a damaged boot sector, you can use the FixBoot tool in the Recovery Console. To do this, you will have to start the system from a bootable CD and use the Recovery Console, as described in point 4.
To run the FixBoot command, enter in the Management Console command line:Fixboot:
Where - the drive letter for which you want to create a new boot partition.Fixing a corrupt master boot record boot record)
The Master Boot Record occupies the first sector of the hard drive to start the Windows boot procedure. It contains the disk's partition table and a small program called the master boot record, which is responsible for placing the active or boot sector in the partition table. Once placed in the table, the boot sector begins to start Windows. If the master boot record is damaged, the active sector will not be able to start the system.
To resolve this issue, the Recovery Console provides the Fixmbr tool. Start the system from the bootable CD and activate the Recovery Console as described in step 4.
To run the Fixmbr command, enter in the Management Console command line:Fixmbr
Where - the qualified name of the disk for which you want to create a new master boot record. For example, the distinguished name for the main boot drive C would look like this:
\Device\HardDisk0
Cancel automatic reboot
When a critical error occurs while working in Windows XP, the system automatically reboots. If a crash occurs during the startup process of Windows XP, the system gets stuck in an endless reboot loop. In this case, you should disable the option to automatically restart when the system fails.
When the system starts to boot and you see the “Please select the operating system to start” message or hear a single beep, press the key to launch the Windows Advanced Options menu. Then select “Disable The Automatic Restart On System Failure” and press . From now on, Windows XP will display an error message during the boot process, from which you can find out the cause of the problem.
Restoring from a backup
If you can’t get Windows XP to boot, you can try restoring the system from a backup (if you have one). The recovery algorithm depends on the utility used for Reserve copy, which will provide all the necessary instructions.
"In-place upgrade"
If you can't get Windows XP to boot and you don't have a backup copy, you can perform an in-place upgrade. This operation is a reinstallation of the operating system in the same folder (as in the case of upgrading to a later version of Windows) and can fix almost all Windows boot problems.
Insert the Windows XP boot CD into the drive and restart your computer. When the preparation stage is completed, the screen will appear Windows installations XP (shown earlier in Figure A). Click to begin the installation procedure. After a couple of moments, the license agreement page will appear, click to confirm your acceptance of the terms. Then the program will search for previously installed Windows versions XP, and after it finds one of them, the second Windows XP installation screen will open (Figure C).
Rice. CTo restore the selected version, you need to press R, and to install a new copy of Windows XP, press . IN in this case, the operation to restore a damaged version is identical to an "in-place upgrade", so press R. After this, the installer will check hard disks check for faults and then perform an “in-place update”.
Please note that after an in-place upgrade or repair of a damaged installation, you will have to reinstall all Windows updates.
