[Techtalk] RE: MBR & XP

- - mqa2d at yahoo.com
Thu Aug 14 05:48:30 EST 2003


Hi,
 
I think the unreadable characters are because the file system has been changed - it was NTFS, but when I did a 'map' in Recovery Console, it is shown 'fat16'.
 
And I know (I think) the boot.ini is not there, as the dir command shows all the files are very large size. 
 
Am I right?
 
I can't get a Norton CD. So, I was thinking about to create the boot.ini in Recovery Console (dos promot). But I don't know how to do it. 
 
I was also thinking about to zip my data in Recovery Console. Is that possible to do it?
 
Thanks very much.
 
MQA


Robyn Manning <rmanning at adam.com.au> wrote:
Hi

If you can get a Norton System Works CD or Norton Utilities CD that is
compatible with XP I think you can boot from it and run Disk Doctor from
the CD. Don't set it to fix automatically.

As a last resort try scandisk. Then it's format if you can't fix it.

Robyn

On Wed, 2003-08-13 at 22:14, - - wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I can find the scandisk after booting up the pc with
> the XP CD. Also the redirection 
> 
> dir > dir.txt 
> 
> and the 
> 
> attrib *.* 
> 
> don't work. 
> 
> Is there any other thing I can try? I really really
> don't want to reformat my hard disk.
> 
> Thanks heaps
> 
> MQA
> 
> 
> --- - - wrote:
> > Thanks Robyn.
> > 
> > No, I can't read anything except the ones I copied
> > across (ntldr & ntdetect).
> > 
> > There is no flopy driver with my notebook. I could
> > use usb memory key when the XP was working, however,
> > after booting the notebook up using XP boot CD and
> > put the usb memory key in, the notebook hangs... 
> > 
> > 
> > Robyn Manning wrote:
> > There may be a demo or template one on the cd
> > otherwise I can send you
> > one. There was one written out for you in a previous
> > email.
> > 
> > You need to do something about those unreadable
> > characters, until you do
> > those file/directories are unreadable. Is the
> > c:\windows directory there
> > and readable also the c:\Program Files directory.
> > Can you put a
> > directory listing in an email. I think the command
> > is 
> > 
> > dir > dir.txt
> > 
> > then dir.txt should have the directory listing in
> > it, copy it to a
> > floppy and paste it into an email.
> > 
> > hth
> > 
> > Robyn
> > 
> > On Wed, 2003-08-13 at 08:17, - - wrote:
> > > Thanks Robyn.
> > > 
> > > Is boot.ini in the XP boot CD as well? 
> > > 
> > > Yes, the unreadable characters are thoese where
> > file/directory names should be. :<
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Robyn Manning wrote: 
> > > Hi
> > > 
> > > The boot.ini file is created when XP is installed
> > and it is put in c:\>
> > > (or where ever you put XP d:\> ).
> > > 
> > > The unreadable characters don't sound good. Are
> > these where filenames
> > > should be? You could try the command
> > > 
> > > attrib *.*
> > > 
> > > and see if you see boot.ini on the list. Can you
> > run scandisk or Norton
> > > Disk Doctor was ndd.exe !!these both need to be XP
> > versions !!.
> > > 
> > > Robyn
> > > 
> > > On Tue, 2003-08-12 at 19:58, - - wrote:
> > > > Thanks Jacqueline.
> > > > 
> > > > No, event I ticked the view hidden file/dir (in
> > > > another pc), I still can't see the boot.ini in
> > my XP
> > > > boot CD.
> > > > 
> > > > And I tried to use 'dir' in Recovery Console.
> > Can't
> > > > see it too.
> > > > 
> > > > I also tried
> > > > 
> > > > c:\>bootcfg /list
> > > > 
> > > > but I got the message saying "there are
> > currently no
> > > > boot entries available to display".
> > > > 
> > > > When I did 
> > > > 
> > > > c:\>dir
> > > > 
> > > > I saw some unreadable charaters, except the ones
> > I
> > > > copied into (ntldr and ntdetect.com). Is this
> > the
> > > > reason caused the problem?
> > > > 
> > > > Thanks very much
> > > > 
> > > > MQA
> > > > 
> > > > --- Jacqueline wrote:
> > > > > Hi MQA,
> > > > > the boot.ini is a hidden, read only protected
> > system
> > > > > file in the root of
> > > > > your primary active partition (normally c:\).
> > You'll
> > > > > need to modify your
> > > > > folder options to get to see those (in Windows
> > > > > Explorer -> Tools -> Folder
> > > > > Options -> View ).
> > > > > 
> > > > > It is something like this:
> > > > > [boot loader]
> > > > > timeout=30
> > > > >
> > default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
> > > > > [operating systems]
> > > > >
> > > >
> >
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft
> > > > > Windows XP
> > > > > Professional" /fastdetect
> > > > > 
> > > > > And the "rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS" means:
> > XP
> > > > > boots from the first
> > > > > partition on the first harddisk (in Linux it
> > would
> > > > > be 'hda')
> > > > > 
> > > > > If you need any more help please let me know!
> > > > > 
> > > > > Regards, Jacqueline
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > From: "- -" 
> > > > > To: 
> > > > > Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 12:50 AM
> > > > > Subject: Re: [Techtalk] RE: MBR & XP
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > > Thanks Jacqueline.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I can't find the 'boot.ini' from my XP boot
> > CD.
> > > > > Could you tell me the
> > > > > path? (I copied ntldr from /i386)
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thanks very much.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > MQA
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Jacqueline wrote:
> > > > > > Hi there,
> > > > > > there is a file in XP that's called
> > "boot.ini". It
> > > > > should contain the path
> > > > > > to ntldr and it is read by the system during
> > > > > startup. Maybe you could post
> > > > > > the contents of your boot.ini? I could make
> > soms
> > > > > suggestions.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Best regards,
> > > > > > Jacqueline
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > > From: "- -"
> > > > > > To:
> > > > > > Sent: Monday, August 11, 2003 1:48 PM
> > > > > > Subject: Re: [Techtalk] RE: MBR & XP
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > Thanks Hans.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I did overwrite the boot sector by using
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > fixboot
> > > > > > > fixmbr
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > in the XP Revovery Console, and reinstall
> > the
> > > > > GRUB to
> > > > > > > MBR by reinstalling the whole RH9. I can
> > boot
> > > > > into RH.
> > > > > > > However, if I select to boot XP, I got the
> > > > > message:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > NTLDR is missing.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I copied the NTLDR and NTDETECT on the c:\
> > from
> > > > > the XP
> > > > > > > boot CD, still got the same message saying
> > > > > 'NTLDR is
> > > > > > > missing'.
> > 
> === message truncated ===
> 
> 
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