Invalid Boot.ini File 1

[Nunina]

Hi!

My father's Windows XP Pro has been showing the following error every time you turn on the computer:

Invalid BOOT.INI
Booting from C:\windows

I tried to do the Windows XP CD to start the Recovery Console. Once I run the part, and the C prompt appears, I do a chkdsk and it runs for a very short time and shows a message that the hard disk is damaged, but then it reboots again, and again, and again, still showing the same error over and over again, without even letting me into the Recovery Console or the screen that allows you to select the last good known configuration.

I have copied the boot.ini file from another XP Pro computer. The thing is that I have no idea how to copy this boot.ini file into the computer since the C prompt that it shows only allows me to type certain commands.

Any idea how to solve this? I have followed the instructions found in the Microsoft page (

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;330184)

with no results.

Any help will be greatly appreciated!



Issys Pouerie
Systems Support Analyst
San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

[ktmrandy]

Can you paste your Boot .ini here so we can see it?

 

[Nunina]

The boot.ini that is on my dad's PC I have no idea what it looks like since I can't even get to the part where I can look at it. The one I have at home looks 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 /KERNEL=LOGOOS.EXE

I just have no idea how to copy it into my dad's since the C prompt that I get, only allows me certain commands to be typed, and when I type a wrong command I get an error ("Invalid Command. Type HELP...").

BTW, I'm at work. Just trying to have some insight for when I tackle this tonigt.

Thanks you!!!






Issys Pouerie
Systems Support Analyst
San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

[wagnj1]

you mean you just want the DOS command to copy your new boot.ini file over the other one?? assuming you know the location of both, type:

copy [path and filename of new boot.ini][path of target folder]

eg.
copy a:\boot.ini c:\windows

 

[TheLumberingAdmin]

The Recovery Console actually does not allow you to copy from a disk to the harddrive or vice versa (I think they call that a "safety feature"). If, however, the file system on your dad's XP computer is still FAT32 (which is somewhat common when a computer is upgraded from Win 98/ME), rather than NTFS, you can just boot up from a Windows 98 boot disk (search on Google; there are dozen of free disk images of it out there), and copy the file from there.

Unfortunately, I don't think the boot.ini file will solve your problems. You say you followed the directions in that KB article on how to create a new boot.ini? And it didn't work? And you also said that chkdsk is returning harddrive problems? When the computer starts rebooting over and over again, does it flash a blue screen very quickly, just before it resets, with a error at the top, like a memory dump or something else?

You may want to check out this thread:

thread779-810008

It covers a lot of issues with XP caught in a reboot loop like that. Unfortunately, many times the only way to "fix" it is to do another install of XP on top of that one (a "recovery reinstall"), or to wipe out everything and start fresh.

 

[wolluf]

LateGreatSysAd - Recovery console DOES let you copy to and from disk - but without amending registry entries, only items in the root and under \windows folder. So, boot.ini would be ok (as its in the root), if Nunina had proper Recovery console access.

Nunina - have you got hold of drive manufacturer's diagnostic utility (usually available on their website) to check out your dad's drive (it sounds like it might be damaged). Also, you could try connecting his drive as slave in another (XP/2k if NTFS) machine. You could then recover/backup data if necessary, see what the boot.ini looks like, replace it if necessary, run chkdsk.

 

[linney]

It may be too late for you to use this but you can note it for future use.

310497 - HOW TO: Add More Power to Recovery Console By Using Group Policy in Windows XP Professional

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310497&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

If you have not installed the Recovery Console beforehand the only way to access it is via booting from the XP CD every time you wish to load and run from it.

HOW TO: Install and Use the Recovery Console for Windows XP (Q307654)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q307/6/54.asp

The hard drive manufacturer will have free diagnostic software (bootable from a floppy) where you can check out the condition of your hard drive and see if it is need of replacement.



You could try repairing windows itself by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates but your files will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp

 

[Nunina]

Thanks for all your responses, guys.

I've been working on this (it's 10:02 pm here in PR), and now the PC is asking for a Boot Diskette. I couldn't find a way to create one, so I went back to the net. Microsoft does have a utility to help create a Boot Diskette in order to startup the computer.

The link is

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?releaseid=33291

for Windows XP Pro without the SP1, and

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?releaseid=42819

for XP Pro with SP1 installed.

I can't seem to be able to run the CD, since I don't even think that at this point it's recognizing it. So, I'll let you know how it goes. The thing is I know a LOT about programming languages, and a little bit about hardware and operating system...

If you guys have any other suggestions, I'll appreciate it. Like I said, I'll let you know how (and if) I fixed it.

Thanks again, guys!






Issys Pouerie
Systems Support Analyst
San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

[linney]

You may have venture into the Bios and check the order of booting. Make it floppy first, CD second and hard drive last.

Sounds like you talking about the 6 floppy set which would enable access to the Recovery Console.

You can make a single boot floppy and see if you can get into XP via that. But nothing much is going to help you if the hard drive is damaged.

How to Use System Files to Create a Boot Disk to Guard Against Being Unable to Start Windows XP (Q314079)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q314/0/79.asp

Q305595 - HOW TO: Create a Boot Disk for an NTFS or FAT Partition in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q305/5/95.asp

 

[Nunina]

Guys!

Thanks for all your help. But my father, desperate as he is, went and bought a new HDD... Now all we have to do is try to rescue the data in the old one.

I will keep all your postings for future references, since mhe might mess something up again someday...

Thanks again.

Issys Pouerie
Systems Support Analyst
San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

[newphpbie]

I think we all missed the point here. I have the same problem as Nunina but I think I can be a little more specific about the problem.

I've played with the boot.ini file and now it's saying it's invalid. I've tried boot disks and the XP CD to start but the closest I can get to editing the boot.ini back to how it was is through the XP recovery console (just like Nunina).

The problem is that the recovery console only allows you to use certain commands, not EDIT & COPY among many others.

What I would like to hear are suggestions as to how I might get around this problem (other than the other options above which all seem to be avoiding the simple problem).

Anyone with some new ideas?

 

[bcastner]

Use the bootcfg command in Recovery Console:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;330184

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/q291/9/80.asp&NoWebContent=1

 

[newphpbie]

Thank you!! That's a proper solution.

 

[Nunina]

Hi!

Newphpbie, did that work? I tried that before (as you can see on my first post), and didn't work. Please let us know if that helped solve your problem.

Thanks!



Issys Pouerie
Systems Support Analyst
San Juan, Puerto Rico