Topic: Get your Brain Cells Working (problem with windows - not boot)

[havocknox]

Sorry didn't know how to label this problem.  It is a weird one at that.  Let me give you the background information then the problem.  I have a gentleman bring me his laptop, push the power button and windows would not boot.  So I first tested the hard drive, no problems found.  So I boot up a Hirem's Boot CD 10.1 and run a chkdsk and find the indexes of windows messed up badly, chkdsk fixes the problems so I move on to booting windows.  Get to the point of booting windows and a file is missing.  So I go and do a repair from the Window's XP disk.  Finally after all this is done, I get into Windows, update all the software, run spybot, malwarebytes, and the virus scanner to make sure it is clean. Now I also reboot the computer several time to make sure it will boot again.  No problems.  Computer is now fixes right?  Give client laptop, they go to turn it on....Again it will not boot.  So I follow first step and run a chkdsk, no problems.  Now you have all the information.  I am up for more ideas.  Have fun with this one, and no idea is out of the ball park here.

[Samker]

Hi Jeremy, just few questions and ideas. Maybe something will help you?

Windows may fail to start for a variety of reasons: hardware failure, bad driver, corrupt file or volume, system misconfiguration, virus infection...

Did you ask that guy did he install or change something recently before that error?

I suspect on that, maybe some driver make all this trouble. Simple when He run some Program everything block as I remember we have some similar problem with Kaspersky: http://scforum.info/index.php/topic,1338.0.html
Investigate recently installed programs and that possibility.

Did you receive any error during booting or after start up?

Since that is laptop (we "shake" them on the way to home, job...) I'll also think about possibility that some hardware element "lose" connection to Motherboard etc.


Few additional things to check:

1. Fix a corrupt Boot.ini

As the Windows XP operating system begins to load, the Ntldr program refers to the Boot.ini file to determine where the operating system files reside and which options to enable as the operating system continues to load. So if there's a problem rooted in the Boot.ini file, it can render Windows XP incapable of booting correctly.

If you suspect that Windows XP won't boot because Boot.ini has been corrupted, you can use the special Recovery Console version of the Bootcfg tool to fix it. Of course, you must first boot the system with the Windows XP CD and access the Recovery Console as described in #4.

To use the Bootcfg tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type

Bootcfg /parameter

Where /parameter is one of these required parameters:

    * /Add--Scans the disk for all Windows installations and allows you to add any new ones to the Boot.ini file.
    * /Scan--Scans the disk for all Windows installations.
    * /List--Lists each entry in the Boot.ini file.
    * /Default--Sets the default operating system as the main boot entry.
    * /Rebuild--Completely re-creates the Boot.ini file. The user must confirm each step.
    * /Redirect--Allows the boot operation to be redirected to a specific port when using the Headless Administration feature. The Redirect parameter takes two parameters of its own, [Port Baudrate ] | [UseBiosSettings].
    * /Disableredirect--Disables the redirection.

2. Fix a corrupt partition boot sector

The partition boot sector is a small section of the hard disk partition that contains information about the operating system's file system (NTFS or FAT32), as well as a very small machine language program that is crucial in assisting the operating system as it loads.

If you suspect that Windows XP won't boot because the partition boot sector has been corrupted, you can use a special Recovery Console tool called Fixboot to fix it. Start by booting the system with the Windows XP CD and accessing the Recovery Console as described in #4.

To use the Fixboot tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type

Fixboot [drive]:

Where [drive] is the letter of the drive to which you want to write a new partition boot sector.


3. Fix a corrupt master boot record

The master boot record occupies the first sector on the hard disk and is responsible for initiating the Windows boot procedure. The master boot record contains the partition table for the disk as well as a small program called the master boot code, which is responsible for locating the active, or bootable, partition, in the partition table. Once this occurs, the partition boot sector takes over and begins loading Windows. If the master boot record is corrupt, the partition boot sector can't do its job and Windows won't boot.

If you suspect Windows XP won't boot because the master boot record has been corrupted, you can use the Recovery Console tool Fixmbr to fix it. First, boot the system with the Windows XP CD and access the Recovery Console as described in #4.

To use the Fixmbr tool, from the Recovery Console command prompt, type

Fixmbr [device_name]

Where [device_name] is the device pathname of the drive to which you want to write a new master boot record. For example, the device pathname format for a standard bootable drive C configuration would look like this:

\Device\HardDisk0

Check this page also "Advanced troubleshooting for general startup problems in Windows XP" http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308041


My recommendation is also SUPERAntiSpyware: http://scforum.info/index.php/topic,116.0.html and CCleaner for registers and cleaning: http://scforum.info/index.php/topic,1133.0.html


I'll continue to watch this Topic for news from you.

Best Regards My Friend,

S.

[havocknox]

OK he had not actually done anything with the laptop when he got it back but try and turn it on. Problem occurs during booting, once you get past the laptop makers screen it goes to a black screen with a flashing cursor.  The shaking theory is something I thought of to, but again all things test just fine so hard to say it is hardware.  I also checked all boot.ini, master boot record, and partition boot sectors.  Also letting you know no error messages occur.  I see where you are coming from though, and I have already looked at those issues.

[Samker]

OK he had not actually done anything with the laptop when he got it back but try and turn it on.

I don't think about that time, check on Add-Remove Programs did he install something before, when problem occur first time?

[hazedaze]

Im with Samker, It appears that it was probably caused by a windows update/Driver update as I have had this befor,

I agree with you on the Hardware side If it was Hardware you get the Usual No Boot problems but it would NOT sit on that blank screen with the flashing cursor, Unless of course it was a duff sector on the Boot Sector but you said you rulled that out so Im guessing it's not that..

Out of interest what Software did you use for the Sector Test??

Also Do you use the System Restore on your Corporate Machines? If so have you tried a Good restore Point to get passed any possible Win Update/Driver Update issues....

If you can use the restore point then do this, then pull down any updates available and see if the Prob re-occurs if so then you can start nailing down which Update/Driver it might have been.

If your in a Corp enviroment then I guess you dont allow Driver updates or software loads by the End Users, so we could rule this out too?

[net]

what is the use of disk sanitizer,can it help me to formate the laptop because many a time it can happen that sytem does not get booted from cd