[Techtalk] RE: MBR & XP

Robyn Manning rmanning at adam.com.au
Mon Aug 18 04:08:20 EST 2003 

Hi

Fat16 can't handle long filenames and it doesn't understand NTFS unless
you can get your filesystem back to NTFS and do the repairs from there
you have no files ie no c:\windows no c:\Program Files and so on you
just have a few unreadable file names with ridiculous sizes. This is the
best guess that fat16 can make of your NTFS.

In getting the filesystem back to NTFS you've probably lost everything.

Robyn

On Thu, 2003-08-14 at 22:18, - - wrote:
> 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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-- 
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