Restored Compaq Ghost Image Won't Boot 2

[goombawaho]

So I took an image of the whole hard of a Compaq Presario SR1211NX. That has a recovery partition on it as well as an XP partition.

When I went to restore the image, it wouldn't boot. It gave me a "missing HAL.dll" error.

I can't boot to the system recovery partition either. Is there some reason that Ghost didn't put things back the way they were?? Even if XP would NOT boot, it would have been nice if I could have used F10 to invoke the Recovery and then I could have gotten everything back that way.

But nothings works. Any ideas?? Recovery partition changed to improper type or not hidden?? Partitions restored in the wrong order???

Here is the boot.ini file from BEFORE it was broked. It seems to show that XP was the second partition.

[boot loader]
timeout=3
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

 

[linney]

Can you load the Recovery Console, either from the Boot options or from a CD, and run the FixMbr or FixBoot commands, or the BootCfg command?

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

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

A Discussion About the Bootcfg Command and Its Uses

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q291/9/80.asp

For this drive to boot, XP must access the Boot.ini file, NtLdr and NtDetect.com. Are these hidden and system files on the drive partition. Try placing them on both drive partitions, or make sure the Boot.ini is pointing to the correct partition.

BOOT.INI and ARC Path Naming Conventions and Usage

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/102873

Perhaps the Support people at HP will know why the Image of the Compaq Presario SR1211NX is not working? Did you, earlier on in the piece, make any recovery disks of, and from, the recovery partition?

Is F10 the correct Key to start any recovery?

Overview of Recovering the OS or Reinstalling the Operating System

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00006110&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=au

 

[goombawaho]

Let me chew on this for a while.

I will try this:
Can you load the Recovery Console, either from the Boot options or from a CD, and run the FixMbr or FixBoot commands, or the BootCfg command?


I inherited this PC - no recovery CDs were ever made/given. I've got what I've got.


It says F10 for recovery upon booting. It's funny - it just sits there and the hard drive light is cranking away, but I get no video at all. I'll let it sit for an hour and just see, but it appears like rhythmic flashing and not more random flashing that you would expect from reading/writing to a hard drive. In other words, it seems like it's not really doing anything productive.

 

[xwb]

Have a look at the partitions. I've found that it doesn't work unless the recovery partition is 1.

 

[G0AOZ]

Couple of things...

Did you make the image using this actual machine, or did you remove the hard drive and image it on different motherboard. Compaq BIOS issues often preclude it working if imaged elsewhere due to drive geometry.

Can you view this hard drive in Disk Management on another machine? Does it show both partitions, i.e. Recovery and Main, in the correct sequence, and is Main set to 'Active'?

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[goombawaho]

I tried it with the Recovery partition as the first partition and then moved it with Partition Magic with the drive connected as the slave drive on another computer. No difference in behavior. The RP is set as active.


I did the image on a different machine. I can view the hard drive in D.M. It shows both partitions. When I do the restore, the R.P. is first and set to active, but as I said, it didn't make a difference when it was put second and set to active.

One thing I found. If I press F8 while the hard drive is churning away after pressing F10 during boot, it will give me the operating system choices screen. So, I'm guessing that it's stuck in some kind of continuous loop.

I wonder if there is a way to restore the Ghost image, and delete the XP partition and get the R.P. to work. What should it be - the very first partition and set to active. That didn't work for me so far. Any way to run the recovery off the partition by booting up to something else.

I guess I screwed up by taking the image on another PC.

 

[G0AOZ]

Sorry if I've missed it, but have you tried setting the MAIN partition as active, NOT the RP? One often sees the RP as the second partition, but I assume that since your BOOT.INI shows partition(2) for the main operating system, this suggests the partitions are in the right order, i.e. RP then MAIN.

If the main operating system won't boot and can't be repaired and the RP won't play, looks like you're down to a fresh install of XP Home. What's the constraint here... Time, money, no COA?

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[goombawaho]

Yes, I did try with the O.S. partition as the active partition (with the Restore partition first on disk - that's the way it restores via Ghost), but I'll verify that again.

The O.S. partition was damaged beyond being bootable and windows folder was deleted, so repairing it is not an option.

We've got a COA, and no time or money constraints.

My constraint is that I'm a stubborn S.O.B. AND I wanted to get all the applications back that came with the PC vs. a fresh XP install which would be NAKED of any of the included Compaq apps.

So, if I'm reading you correctly, it should be R.P. first followed by XP partition and XP partition marked as ACTIVE.

 

[G0AOZ]

Ok, understood about the situation re original OS, and the reason for wanting to restore.

Some systems actually have THREE partitions, but I'll assume that no one has previously mucked about with the BOOT.INI so in the case of this Compaq it indicates RP first partition, Main OS second and (Active) partition.

The original disk from which you took the Ghost Image is obviously no more, otherwise you'd have mentioned it. I'm afraid I'm coming back to my original suggestion that the Image being made on another machine irrepairably altered the drive geometry, which is why it won't play now.

Attaching the Imaged drive to another machine, can you see partition type of the RP? Can you see files on it? How about trying to partition and format a new drive on the Compaq, mimicing the previous partition sizes and types. Then try copying the RP files over.

I doubt this would work, but try restoring the Ghost Image actually onto the Compaq, rather than with the drive on another machine. You may have already tried that of course.

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[goombawaho]

The original disk from which you took the Ghost Image is obviously no more, otherwise you'd have mentioned it."
Actually, it is the same drive as was originally in the Compaq - why?? I wanted to wipe the drive of user data and then put the Ghost image back on it in order to run the R.P.

After Ghosting it, I can see the partitions on another machine using Partition Magic. I can see the files in explorer on both partitions. The R.P. is first and is NOT hidden. It is FAT32 type 0b. The O.S. partition is second and is active. Tye 07, NTFS.


I have not tried this yet. I have always done the ghosting on a 2nd machine with the Compaq hard drive in the 2nd machine as slave and the image on the 2nd machine's drive.
"I doubt this would work, but try restoring the Ghost Image actually onto the Compaq, rather than with the drive on another machine. You may have already tried that of course."

^^^^^Probably my last gasp is to do the above before I do a reload.

What about getting the APPS back from the R.P. by manually installing them? I see a folder with subfolders and each has a name like APP12345.exe (self-extracting zip file). Wondering if I could manually copy these to an external drive and try to install them manually after loading XP from XP CD.

Thanks for all the help!!!

 

[linney]

Are the Bios settings on the machine that you are restoring any image to suitable for the XP operating system. XP doesn't play well with AHCI settings?

Vista laptop with same drive cannot install XP
thread779-1428969

 

[goombawaho]

Ok, to answer Linney's question. The compaq is a non-sata machine. The one I ghosted it on has both sata & ide controllers.

Right now I am using the compaq as the machine to which all the hard drives are connected and doing the Ghost restore on it. (I have the Ghost image copied to an external USB drive and the original compaq hard drive in the machine just as it was when I got it.)

This should rule out AHCI issues (unless the image got screwed up during creation because it wasn't on its home machine) AND any BIOS issues (again because of not using the Compaq to restore the Ghost)

Unless I'm missing anything, after this attempt, I will report bacl and then give up if it doesn't work.

 

[G0AOZ]

I only asked about the original disk in case it could still be obtained and another image tried, this time made on the Compaq. You've just explained why that now can't happen...

That's cetainly worth a try re the APPS in the RP - never tried it myself. Give it a go, you've got nothing to lose.

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[goombawaho]

Okay - I figured it out. I was booted the Ghosted machine via a BartPE CD because I was going to give up on it. I was going to copy the APPS folders off to an external hard drive.

But then I was browsing the Restore Partition and was trying to run SETUP.EXE from a couple of folders. That would not run. But, when I clicked on RESTORE.exe or RECOVER.exe (can't remember which), it started the Restore process.

It went through the whole process - asking what kind of restore you wanted to do (destructive or non-destructive) and then copying files, followed by rebooting and installing all the apps.

So, I sort of fixed it by accident. I still don't know why the "link" between the F10 button and the recovery process is broken, but obviously the pieces are still there. Thanks for all the help.

 

[goombawaho]

I wish I could find some documentation about what hitting F10 does when the PC is booting and the mechanism behind the whole process. I'm guessing the OEMs don't like to give out that information in case somebody tries to use it to install something for free.

 

[G0AOZ]

Glad you've fixed it, that's great! Yes, would be interesting to know how the <F10> function starts a restore.

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[BadBigBen]

Hmm... Goom possibly you where hitting the wrong key there... instead of F10 it could have been F11...

see:

How to Use Compaq Recovery Partition Without Windows Installed

http://www.ehow.com/how_6018950_use-recovery-partition-windows-installed.html

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[goombawaho]

Don't make me post a picture of the POST screen where it says "F10 for Recovery".

No such incompetence on my part. Tried F11 - it took me to BIOS (same as hitting F1 key) interesting. I tried all the keys F9, F10, F11, F12.

Even after restoring successfully, it still doesn't work now (F10), but it boots.

I'd still like to keep this open to suggestions about fixing the link between the function key and the recovery process, but I fixed the actual problem.

 

[linney]

Perhaps a Bios Flash and update? A faulty Keyboard? Are some things to worry about later. At least you've got it going again.

 

[BadBigBen]

Goom, wasn't suggesting any incompetence on your part... but oversights do happen...

glad to hear though, that the initial problem is fixed, and if I run over any information concerning the BOOT sequence of the Recovery Partition, will post it here...


Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"