Problem with Boot.ini

[zakalwe]

Hi,

I´ve just installed Windows XP NLite on my EEE PC 901 from my USB using WinSetupFromUSB.

But when I try to boot without my USB, I´m getting the following error message:

Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem.

...

I edited the boot.ini drive in all the possible ways, but it is still not working.

At the end, checking with the Check All Boot Paths option of msconfig, it told me that the only correct option was this one:

[boot loader]

timeout=10

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

But still no success. I looked at the command of Grub4dos and it said the following:

grub>root (

Possible disks are: hd0 hd1 hd2 rd

grub>find /windows/system32/$winnt$.inf

(hd2,0)

Could you please help me. I don´t know what to do now to make it works.

Thanks.

Guillaume.

[jaclaz]

Add to your boot.ini on the hard disk:

[boot loader]

timeout=10

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

these lines:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional 0" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional 1" /fastdetect

And see which one works, but the error you are getting seems NOT like coming from an incorrect disk in BOOT.INI, such a thing should result in a HAL.DLL or NTOSKRNL.EXE not found kind of error.

See FAQ #4:

http://www.msfn.org/board/faqs-t116766.html

The one you report seems more likely to have another source, compare with this:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314477/en-us

But, wait a minute, are you using rdisk(2) without the USB stick or with it?

If I recall correctly, the EEEPC has an internal SSD and a socket for a removable SD card, those would count for rdisk(0) and (possibly) for rdisk(1), i.e. without the USB stick inserted there is no way you can have a rdisk(2), so pointing to rdisk(2) should mean pointing to a non-existing drive and then it could really give you that error.

However on grub4dos command line:

root (hd0,0)

[ENTER]

ls

[ENTER]

can you see the WINDOWS directory?

Repeat for (hd1,0) and for (hd2,0)

jaclaz

Edited January 21, 2010 by jaclaz

[zakalwe]

- I added the 2 lines to the boot.ini file but it didn't change anything because it is directly showing me the message. I don't get to see the bootable options.

- In the first link, I didn't understand what to do. It said to modify the boot.ini file of the USB, but this one works fine already. I don't have the HAL.DLL or NTOSKRNL.EXE not found errors.

- In the second link, my problem corresponds to the first error message. But the first solution is to edit the boot.ini file which I did. And the other one is to launch the recovery console, but I don't know if it works from a USB drive. If it is, I would need another one, as the one I have doesn't have anymore the Windows files on it and I need it to currently boot to Windows.

- For your last point, I'm using rdisk(2) without the stick, but even with it, it doesn't work.

In the EEE PC 901, there are a 4Go (C:) and a 16 SSD (D:) drives as well as a removable SD card.

- On the command line, it gives me:

root (hd0,0)

Filesystem type is fat, partition type 0x06

ls

grldr menu.lst defaut winsetup.lst windefault boot.ini ntldr ntdetect.com $win_nt$.ls win51 win51ip win51ip.

Looks like it is the USB drive.

When I try root (hd1,0), I got access to my personal files on the 16Go SSD drive (D:).

And this one is the C: drive where Windows is installed. We can see the Windows directory:

root (hd2,0)

Filesystem type is fat, partition type 0x0B

ls

pagefile.sys windows Documents\ and Settings boot.ini ntldr ntdetect.com boot.001 Progam\ Files config.sys autoexec.bat io.sys msdos.sys Recycled

- I would sometimes get the following message, I suppose when I choose to boot on the wrong (right?) SSD drive.

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:

<Windows root>\system32\hal.dll

Please re-install a copy of the above file.

- When I start from the USB, I have to choose this option to launch Windows:

Second part of XP Professional setup from hd 2 part 1

So normally it should be hd 1 part 1 when we remove the USB.

But I tried all the possible configuration in the boot.ini ((0,1),(1,1),(2,1)) and none of them worked.

[jaclaz]

I don't get it.

From what you report:

hd0 is the USB stick (and effectively shifts all internal disks by one)

hd1 is "DATA"

hd2 is "System"

If you remove the USB stick, the situation should become :

hd0 "DATA"

hd1 "System"

So the "right rdisk is rdisk(1) when the USB is NOT connected.

It seems like the boot drive (C:) is not first hard disk. (when not booted from USB).

Is it possible that somehow this "tricked" WinsetupfromUSB?

However, do the following:

Add an entry:

C:\grldr="grub4dos"

to the BOOT.INI on your INTERNAL disk partition (the "System" one, where also NTLDR and BOOT.INI are).

Copy grldr from the USB stick to the same partition.

Remove the stick and try booting.

What happens?

Does it boot to BOOT.INI choices?

You should see these choices:

Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Microsoft Windows XP Professional 0

Microsoft Windows XP Professional 1

grub4dos

Can you see these?

If yes, choose the "grub4dos" entry, then in grub4dos command mode issue:

find --set-root /grldr

[ENTER]

root

[ENTER]

It should give as a result EITHER (hd0,0) or (hd1,0).

Now:

chainloader /ntldr

[ENTER]

boot

[ENTER]

It should get you back to the BOOT.INI choices.

Then choose the same number as the feedback you had, i.e. if you got (hd0,0) choose "Microsoft Windows XP Professional 0", if you got (hd1,0) choose "Microsoft Windows XP Professional 1".

The above is the "right" partition/disk, see if it works, if it doesn't there is some other problem.

jaclaz

[zakalwe]

Well, the first time I tried to install Windows XP, I deleted the partition on the original C: drive (4Go) and install Windows on it. In someway, it changed the original D: drive (16Go) to the C: drive, and the 4Go to the D: drive.

It was quite odd having Windows on the D: drive so I installed Windows again, this time deleting both partitions and creating them again, so that the 4Go would again become the C: drive. I don't know if in some way this has affected something.

I added the line to the boot.ini file, but it looks like it doesn't even access to this file...

I got the error message straight away:

Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem...

[jaclaz]

Well, definitely it did affect something, since it doesn't work :whistling:.

Try copying to the "D:" from "C:" the files:

NTLDR

NTDETECT.COM

BOOT.INI

grldr

and report what happens.

jaclaz

[zakalwe]

I moved all those files to the D: drive.

And now I have the boot menu showing up!

The first two options (hd2,0) and (hd1,0) give errors.

But when I choose the last one (hd1,0), it works fine and I can boot on Windows!

So what does it mean? That it is not possible to boot from the C: drive?

[jaclaz]

I moved all those files to the D: drive.

And now I have the boot menu showing up!

The first two options (hd2,0) and (hd1,0) give errors.

But when I choose the last one (hd1,0), it works fine and I can boot on Windows!

So what does it mean? That it is not possible to boot from the C: drive?

No.

It means that your PC (cannot say if "by design" or due to a BIOS setting) sees the 4 Gb thingy as second disk and the 16 Gb as first disk.

Thus when YOU re-formatted the 16Gb thingy, you probably created a Primary Active partition.

The BIOS looks for the MBR on first disk, and the latter looks for first Active Primary partition on it's partition table, and thus boots from the 16 Gb thingy "D:".

I am not familiar with the BIOS settings of the EEEPC, so cannot say if you can alter the booting order (it is usually possible) and/or if it's enough to set the partition on the 16 Gb as NOT Active to make it scan subsequent drive.

http://www.eeeuser.com/2007/10/27/lets-tal...he-eee-pc-bios/

Check in the BIOS the drive booting order/settings.

jaclaz

[zakalwe]

Thanks anyway !

I've just seen that when I update the boot.ini from the System Properties->Advanced->Startup and Recovery, I actually update the boot.ini file in the D: drive !!

If I modify the Bios and I forced it to boot on the C: drive by disabling the D: drive, I get the following error message:

Reboot and Select proper Boot device

or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press key

I previously had a Windows XP installation on my EEE PC that was working fine, so I suppose I just messed it up when I deleted the partitions !

Is it worth going again through this process to fix it or do you think it can just keep living like that ?

Guillaume.

[jaclaz]

I previously had a Windows XP installation on my EEE PC that was working fine, so I suppose I just messed it up when I deleted the partitions !

Is it worth going again through this process to fix it or do you think it can just keep living like that ?

Well, I would check what the problem is, so that in the future you either:

• don't mess up
  
• know how to fix IF you mess up
  

This:

Reboot and Select proper Boot device

or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press key

should mean that you either have not a proper MBR or you have no active partition.

Get Beeblebrox:

(via Wayback Machine):

http://www.msfn.org/board/removing-grub4do...e-5.html&s=

A screenshot of it's view of a MBR is here:

The above has NO active partition, whilst the following has one:

Your view will be much simpler as you have only one partition (entry #0) on each disk.

All you have to do is to select PhysicalDrive1 (which should be your C: partition) and verify it has NOT an 80 in the "Boot" field, then try changing the 00 in it to 80.

Then, try selecting the PhuysicalDrive0 (which should be your D: partition) and veify that it HAS an 80 in the "Boot" field, then try changing it from 80 to 00.

Don't worry if you mess up (again), you can always boot through the grub4dos on the USB stick.

BTW you can do the same from your Windows Disk Management checking if the C: partition is active.

jaclaz

[zakalwe]

It worked!!

I can now boot from the boot.ini of the C: drive which is now the hd0

FYI the C: drive was the PhysicalDrive0 and the D: drive the PhysicalDrive1.

And both screenshots were the same, but I managed to understand thanks to your detailed instructions

I messed it up quite nice this time

Thanks a lot for your help !!

[jaclaz]

It worked!!

I can now boot from the boot.ini of the C: drive which is now the hd0

...

Thanks a lot for your help !!

Good, happy bunnies are better :

http://www.msfn.org/board/cant-access-repa...27-page-10.html

FYI the C: drive was the PhysicalDrive0 and the D: drive the PhysicalDrive1.

Hmm, maybe the BIOS looks for an active partition and exchanges hd order?

And both screenshots were the same, but I managed to understand thanks to your detailed instructions

Well, no, they are actually different, if you check first one it's Entry #1 has "00" and the second one has "80"

I messed it up quite nice this time

Life is "trying things to see if they work"

jaclaz