Ooopsie

BrianR · 08-11-2004, 04:22 PM

I canna get to a command prompt. I can get into the BIOS and that's about it. I can get the Advanced Options menu, but no matter what I choose, I get the same error message. "Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and selected hardware."

Nothing else happens. I can boot from a floppy, if I can get one that is for WinXP Pro, but that's what I don't have.

And my project to install WinXP Pro on another machine has failed, but damn if I know why. I ran the install normally and it went swimmingly, until it booted WinXP for the first time, which is when it goes to a black screen and stops there. No booting, no HD activity, nothing. Frozen. Trying again does the same thing. I wonder if that PC isn't able to handle the OS? I think it's a PII, which is what *I* have, and it worked on mine until I buggered it, so WTF? Where's that number for Dial-A-Geek?

I wonder if a neighbor has a machine that can produce a rescue disk?

Brian

tw · 08-11-2004, 05:33 PM

Numerous ways to fix the Boot.ini file. Queston one - what is the file system. If FAT32, then careful use of DOS can even create a new Boot.ini. If NTFS filesystem, then a program from www.sysinternals.com could help so that DOS can access the NTFS disk.

Then you can boot from the XP CD-Rom to fix the file. Or you can use the same CD-Rom to repair the XP installation. Just a few of the many options that come immediately to mind.

Bitman · 08-11-2004, 05:40 PM

Google is your friend.
Microsoft's XP Pro boot disk
XP bootdisk howto

Also, if you can make another XP machine or borrow a friend's, you can transfer your hard drive over, and copy the boot.ini right there.

xoxoxoBruce · 08-11-2004, 06:00 PM

Doesn't XP shut down if it detects it's on a different machine than it was originally installed on?

BrianR · 08-11-2004, 07:29 PM

I have managed to install WinXP Pro on the other machine. Actually, I had it right the first time, but I didn't know it had an ATI Radeon 9800 card in it and that wasn't installed yet. Switching from the card to the MB fixed things up.

Bitman, I am trying your suggestion next.

Brian

08-11-2004, 04:22 PM	#1
BrianR Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,338	I canna get to a command prompt. I can get into the BIOS and that's about it. I can get the Advanced Options menu, but no matter what I choose, I get the same error message. "Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and selected hardware." Nothing else happens. I can boot from a floppy, if I can get one that is for WinXP Pro, but that's what I don't have. And my project to install WinXP Pro on another machine has failed, but damn if I know why. I ran the install normally and it went swimmingly, until it booted WinXP for the first time, which is when it goes to a black screen and stops there. No booting, no HD activity, nothing. Frozen. Trying again does the same thing. I wonder if that PC isn't able to handle the OS? I think it's a PII, which is what I have, and it worked on mine until I buggered it, so WTF? Where's that number for Dial-A-Geek? I wonder if a neighbor has a machine that can produce a rescue disk? Brian __________________ Never be afraid to tell the world who you are. -- Anonymous

08-11-2004, 06:00 PM	#4
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Doesn't XP shut down if it detects it's on a different machine than it was originally installed on? __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

08-11-2004, 07:29 PM	#5
BrianR Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 3,338	I have managed to install WinXP Pro on the other machine. Actually, I had it right the first time, but I didn't know it had an ATI Radeon 9800 card in it and that wasn't installed yet. Switching from the card to the MB fixed things up. Bitman, I am trying your suggestion next. Brian __________________ Never be afraid to tell the world who you are. -- Anonymous

08-11-2004, 05:33 PM	#2
tw Read? I only know how to write. Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 11,933	Numerous ways to fix the Boot.ini file. Queston one - what is the file system. If FAT32, then careful use of DOS can even create a new Boot.ini. If NTFS filesystem, then a program from www.sysinternals.com could help so that DOS can access the NTFS disk. Then you can boot from the XP CD-Rom to fix the file. Or you can use the same CD-Rom to repair the XP installation. Just a few of the many options that come immediately to mind.

08-11-2004, 05:40 PM	#3
Bitman cellar smellar Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: californy, baby! Posts: 403	Google is your friend. Microsoft's XP Pro boot disk XP bootdisk howto Also, if you can make another XP machine or borrow a friend's, you can transfer your hard drive over, and copy the boot.ini right there.

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