My Laptop Won't Boot

[DrSeussFreak]

I was running Windows XP on 1 partition and Red Hat Enterprise on a separate partition. A co-worker blew away my red hat partition for some reason and now whenever I try to boot up (which only windows exists) I get

GNU GRUB version .95 (639k lower / 1039168k upper memory)

[Minimal BASH-like editing is supported. For the first word, TAB lists possible command completions. Anywhere else TAB list possible completions of a device/filename.]

Any thoughts how to get it to boot? I already tried running Windows XP recovery.

 

[dseaver]

You have no boot loader, either reinstall grub or grab a copy of the windows install cd

 

[DrSeussFreak]

ok, I have a copy of the windows CD, what next? I already tried to do a Windows Restore, I need to preserve the data on my laptop

 

[dseaver]

i havent had to do this before, but i know there are threads out there on this, im searching now

 

[DrSeussFreak]

thanks

 

[DrSeussFreak]

It seems that the boot partition is corrupt

 

[dseaver]

exactly, try doing repair with the windows cd. Im still searching. When red hat was nuked, so was your boot partition. the windows cd can do it, i just never have

 

[DrSeussFreak]

windows cd can not seem to do it

 

[dseaver]

you can install grub then as your boot loader. Windows does have a boot loader, I just cant seem to find the relevent thread right now, and I'm going to be busy for awhile. You need a boot loader to get windows to run, you dont need to reinstall windows. Good luck

 

[DrSeussFreak]

How can I fix windows do it boots up, i know their is a way

 

[DrSeussFreak]

Ok, I can not boot. I have a windows xp disk, but no linux disks. How can I restore this so I can boot up again, there has to be a way......... PLEASE

 

[Freestone]

Try creating an XP boot disk:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/305595

you may have to adjust the partition(1) depending on what partition your XP actually install actually resides on.

 

[DrSeussFreak]

when I boot with XP and go to recovery console, it asks for a password. One which I do no have, and I swear I never added one. I tried all of the passwords I know, but to no avail.

 

[DrSeussFreak]

I have no access to a floppy disk

 

[Freestone]

I assume you tried just hitting enter at the Recovery console password prompt.

You have a few alternatives.:

Purchase or borrow a USB floppy and try booting with an XP startup disk.

Remove the laptop hard drive and either place it in a USB enclosure, or buy a laptop to IDE adapter and place it into a desktop, so access to data can be had.

Try to replace the missing boot loader as was suggested before

 

[DrSeussFreak]

I ran a program called Active@ Partition Recovery Professional 5.0 and I

A disk read error occurred
NTLDR is missing
NTLDR is compressed

 

[NARSBARS]

Try some of the advice here before giving up. Many motherboards actually have a floppy header that you can connect to. Open it up and look after borrowing a floppy and a ribbon cable. See if someone can make you even a 98 boot disk and boot to a command line and run FDISK/MBR
remove floppy and reboot.
No good? Still need the data? Buy or borrow a HD and do a fresh install of XP, install the second drive as slave on IDE or just connect to SATA. You can reinstall your programs on your new drive and just drag the data files over.
No new HD available? Pray and boot with the XP CD if it is bootable. If XP sees the old XP installation you can install over and only lose the updates. If it does not see the OS you can still install and your old data folders will be there to recover. Don't just reinstall your programs as they will create new folders and you will lose your data.

If you need the data any worse than that and absolutely have to get it back then leave the HD alone and buy a good data recovery package $$$ and follow the directions.

Good Luck.


NARSBARS

 

[NARSBARS]

Sorry, thinking desktop. Just follow the directions of the other posters and grab a USB floppy.

NARSBARS