Cannot boot or install XP

[CocoRustyPat]

Overview

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Approx. 3 weeks ago my Toshiba A60 failed to boot. I have used several tools to try to recover the drive but it currently fails to boot or reinstall XP and I would appreciate your advice as to next steps.

Start of problem

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The problem started after the computer failed to boot one day. I had not noticed any particularly odd noises etc from the HD although it had always been a noisy PC (suspect the fan - it always felt a bit hot). On trying to boot into XP it simply hung. On trying to boot into the DOS prompt it would list the drivers, stop at atisgkaf.sys and then hang. (I understand that atisgkaf.sys may not be driver causing the problem.) I tried reinstalling XP to the C: drive but same result. (Programs are on C:. Data is on D:.)

Tried XP Recovery and reinstalling XP

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I have run the Toshiba Recovery Disk - hangs. Have tried to reinstall XP via the Windows disk Console but the Windows Installer hangs at the Starting Windows message.

Checked state of partitions

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I used a boot disk containing scandisk to check the hard drive. All good except that I could only access my data drive (normally D as the C: drive. That is, the data was OK but it was now shown as being on the C: drive and my programs drive (normall C: drive) was unaccessible.

I used BootMaster and Active@PartitionRecovery to check the status of the partitions and data. All good in that both partitions for C: and D: were shown to exist and the data is generally good. The C: partition is NTFS and the D: is FAT 32.

So I know that the NTFS partition exists and is structurally sound but Windows doesn't boot to it. (When using the Testdisk.exe utility I can access and navigate the NTFS partition though it assigns it to D

Checked state of drive

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I ran scandisk - no problems report. Have just run chkdsk (autochk.exe) which did find and correct errors but system still hangs on startup. (This also correctly reported the NTFS drive as C: and the Fat 32 data drive as D:.)

Get me a rubber room

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Am out of ideas and just about insane. Any constructive suggestions gratefully received.

[jaclaz]

Some ideas:

Did you use the the /F or the /R option of chkdsk?:

http://www.ss64.com/nt/chkdsk.html

Try the /R one.

Check that the NTFS Partition is Primary and Active.

Access the Registry (from a PE) and delete (after having made a backup of the key) the contents of:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices

Try (having a SLIPSTREAMED install CD) to use the ® repair option:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

jaclaz

[Ponch]

On trying to boot into XP it simply hung.

What is the last thing you see befort it hangs ?

+Your C drive being skipped when booting in DOS is normal as it is formatted NTFS.

[CocoRustyPat]

Hi. Thanks for your suggestions.

1. The last thing that I see before it hangs is:

a. when trying bootup into the DOS prompt, a list of drivers, stopping at atisgkaf.sys

b. when trying to boot using the Toshiba recovery disk, it installs the Toshiba ghost files then states "Recovery of pre-installed software is completed...". However, on trying to start Windows normally it hung and on trying to start Windows

using the last known good configuration it reported that "Windows could not start normally because the following file is

missing or corrupt: "\windows\system32\config\system" and that I can attempt to repair the file by starting the Windows Setup using the original CD ROM and select R to Repair.

c. when trying to reinstall XP, it loads drivers etc then hangs with "Windows Setup" displayed in the top left hand corner of the screen and the message "Setup is starting Windows" is displayed at the bottom left of the screen and the system hangs.

2. Re. chkdsk, I ran it without parameters but this version (provided with NTFS4DOS) reported that it was using \windows\system32\autochk.exe. The log file left behind indicates that fixes were written to the disk:

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Cleaning up minor inconsistencies on the drive.

Cleaning up 59 unused index entries from index $SII of file 0x9.

Cleaning up 59 unused index entries from index $SDH of file 0x9.

Cleaning up 59 unused security descriptors.

...

A disk check has been scheduled.

Windows will now check the disk.

Index entry ntbtlog.txt of index $I30 in file 0x2f70 points to unused file 0x1723.

Deleting index entry ntbtlog.txt in index $I30 of file 12144.

Cleaning up minor inconsistencies on the drive.

CHKDSK is recovering lost files.

Recovering orphaned file pagefile.sys (5890) into directory file 5.

The security data stream entry at offset 0x8c20 does not fit into the

remaining length, 0x80, of a page. The minimum value is 0x310.

Repairing the security file record segment.

Replacing invalid security id with default security id for file 5890.

Correcting errors in the master file table's (MFT) BITMAP attribute.

Correcting errors in the Volume Bitmap.

Windows has made corrections to the file system.

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3. I have confirmed that the NTFS Partition is Primary and Active.

4. I downloaded Registry Viewer to check the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices entry in the registry but it responded that it could not open file. I then found that system.dat and data.dat are missing and that there is a folder in C: called SYSPREP. Maybe the registry has been nuked at some stage of the process.

I wonder if the system is in limbo after a failed Recovery from the Toshiba disk and my attempt to reinstall the XP Pro OS. (I am aware that there can be issues if you mix a standard Windows install with an OEM one but I had previously upgraded the Toshiba version to XP Pro without problems.)

[submix8c]

nnnggg!

XP Pro Upgrade or Full (Retail)? HDD going bad? Check Toshiba website for this kind of problem? ("heard" toshiba may have "issues"...)

If XP Pro Full, learn how to use DiskPart (info at MS maybe) and just "blow away" the primary and install XP Pro directly (if "Full", should be bootable; diskpart available at "recovery console").

File/Hive "SYSTEM" is the most important piece of the opsys... the "chkdsk" may have crapped it... yeah, the failure of "recovery disk" could have hosed you too (retry it?)...

Using "ntfs4dos" implies that you may have a "floppy drive". Also, any other options on that "recovery disk"?

[CocoRustyPat]

Thanks for that. To your "nnnggg!" I can add much gnashing of teeth and angry primal groans.

Have been using XP Pro Full but it doesn't boot up. I access it after having booted from a DOS CD but setup wont run because it wants a DOS environment. I will have a look at DiskPart.

Someone else pointed out that, with Smartdrv missing, the recover disk can take up to 4 hours to finish (advice from MSoft website) so I might let it try that overnight.

The recovery disk has no other options. Also, I don't have a floppy drive and the USB is unbootable. (BIOS doesnt seem to cater for it.)

Hoping you have some more ideas. Rgds.

[submix8c]

Quick check on Toshiba A60 (Satellite - several variations, fairly new kinda). Restore CD should work. And don't understand why can't boot from XP Pro Full; should be bootable. BIOS set correctly (boots from Recovery???)? Try booting that XP Pro from someone else' PC (but don't run it)...

from one of the BIOS installation/update files -

To boot from CD, you can either hold down the "C" key while you turn your

computer on, or you can use HWSetup to change the boot priority so the CD

drive boots before the HDD.

"HWSetup" must be some kind of BIOS(?) thing. Just try the first method for the XP Pro... (Toshiba site doesn't say too much about BIOS)

go to here at the bottom of post to find a link to creating a Bootable Recovery Console CD (provided that you can boot to it; probably useless for your particular problem).

Edited January 2, 2008 by submix8c