sp3 recovery console issues 1

[lancstech]

have 2 xp sp3 pc, one an old p3 i dual booted with linux,
used recovey console to remove linux grub - no problem.

the other pc which would originally not upgrade to sp3 eventually upgraded thru the std update. this pc dual boots xp and w7. the old grub boot loader still hangs around so i attempted to use the disk loaded recovery console to remove it. system crashes on use, on using the system sp2 dvd recovery console it also failed and reports old os.

google/ms pages discuss this issue as an sp2 problem but does not refer to sp3. have created an sp3 slipstreamed dvd and re created the disk recovery console. it loads but fails at the scanning for os stage.

i tried the w7 recovery tool, and ironically it removed the grub boot, but still leaving me without a working recovery console.

any ideas? i have chkdsked the boot drive - no errors.

 

[telcorookie]

Is the BIOS showing your hard drive? If its a sata drive, 1 you may need to load drivers 2 you can switch it out of raid mode in the bios. This is only if your hard drive is not being detected.

From what i am reading, it seems like you could have just edited the boot.ini file.

Or am i not understanding what your saying?

 

[lancstech]

my post wasn't the clearest. system operates ok. the original rc was a sp2 version, which i think is the root cause, i can operate the rc from the sp3 dvd, but the newly created sp3 disk version fails. i created the rc from the slipstreamed dir will try a version from the dvd.

 

[linney]

For what it is worth I have just recently installed Recovery Console from a Slipstreamed SP2 (two) CD, into a installation running SP3. There were some warning messages about Recovery Console being the wrong version or the installed operating system being a later version. I just clicked through those messages and Windows back downed and installed the SP2 Recovery Console. From my subsequent use of it, it seems to be functioning correctly and is an installed Booting choice.

You don't say what error messages you are getting or seeing, and at what point the crash is occurring.

I have found that sometimes when installing Recovery Console with XP in a dual booted Vista or Windows 7, the entry for the Recovery Console will appear on the the first booting screen, and again on the "Earlier Windows Operating System" if you select that choice. So you end up with two entries for the Recovery Console. In this scenario, the first option for Recovery Console works normally, but the second entry is a dead end and only gives you a flashing "-".

 

[lancstech]

hi linney, yep i get the 2 entries, i am currently trying to flush out all rc entries and and start again. i have learnt that xp rebooting is way faster than w7 (see w7 post).
when i am confident i have removed grub, dual boot remains will report back. nb i have never found a good boot mgr.

 

[linney]

I never worry about boot managers I'm happy to leave it to Windows. Many machines have a "F" key option that loads a screen with options to boot from any bootable media on your machine.

I do use VistaBootPro to manage the booting entries of dual/Triple boot machines. It doesn't matter whether Windows 7 or Vista or XP, it handles them all and it is free.

VistaBootPRO

http://www.vistabootpro.org/

The Recovery Console is removed by deleting the Cmdcons folder and the Cmldr file, and removing the appropriate entry from the boot.ini file.

315224 - How to Remove the Linux LILO Boot Manager

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315224&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

 

[lancstech]

hi linney, thanks for links.

i have used vpb before (its no longer free), now use easybcd
for vista/w7. i have flushed out (hopefully) all the linux, old recovery console leftovers.

using a recently created nlite sp3 boot, in rc mode it does not recognize any hard disks.

i have created a disk rc from sp3 /i386 above, this fails with a system crash. might try recreating an sp3 boot disk the ms way.

 

[linney]

If you have a Floppy drive, or something like Nero which can convert a Floppy into a bootable CD, this might give you a bootable version of the Recovery Console?

How to obtain Windows XP Setup disks for a floppy boot installation

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310994&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

 

[BadBigBen]

using a recently created nlite sp3 boot, in rc mode it does not recognize any hard disks.

Sounds like you forgot to add the SATA drivers...

This may be of interest to you:

Booting Linux from Windows' Boot Manager

http://www.tprthai.net/bootmgr.htm

Using Vista's Boot Manager to Boot Linux and Dual Booting with BitLocker Protection with TPM Support

http://port25.technet.com/archive/2...th-BitLocker-Protection-with-TPM-Support.aspx

How to Install Recovery Console as NTLDR Boot Startup Option on Windows XP/2003/2000

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/...dr-boot-startup-option-on-windows-xp20032000/

(now if you can't install from CD, then copy the i386 folder to the HDD and start it from there)

if that still does not work, then do it as follows:

overwrite the MBR on the DUAL BOOT XP/W7 machine... by using a Live Distro (Linux) or by REPAIR installing XP...

this will remove the W7 MBR and should allow the install/usage of the Recovery Console...


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"

 

[lancstech]

hi linney, bbb, telcorookie the light bulb is finally on.

the slipstreamed cd (& rc) i created lacked essential drivers. this dell 8400 xp setup is pretty old and surprisingly i have not had to reinstall the os.

the key word was dell, the os is on a "xp sp2 reinstallation disk" and device drivers on a separate cd. my dell 8400 does not have a floppy drive.

i will attempt to rebuild the slipstreamed cd with the necessary sata driver. as my obviously failing memory serves other drivers e.g. a network controller might also be useful.

 

[lancstech]

mmm, if in a hole stop digging.

have created a sp3 boot cd loaded with sata, network controller etc drivers. cd boot still returns no drives.

searches reveal not an uncommon problem and bios change from raid/ahci to raid/ide or to sata/ide might enable boot cd to see drives but .....

since i have a fully working system i am not keen to screw up mbr etc by running boot cd/rc & bios change - i suspect it shouldn't be destructive, but then again sp3 should work(thanks ms!).

maybe i missing some mass storage driver in sp3 creation?, will look some more.

 

[linney]

I don't think that XP works with AHCI settings, it is for Vista only.

Vista laptop with same drive cannot install XP
thread779-1428969

 

[lancstech]

hi linney, my current dell non raid default bios setting (unchanged) is raid/ahci other options are raid/ide or sata/ide. i have 2 sata drives using a dual boot setup of xp/w7. restating that the problem has only arisen since update to sp3, and is that i cannot generate a sp3 boot disk that recognizes my hard drives.

lacking a floppy drive i am considering using the usb to boot from with sata drivers via f6 on cd, haven't come across links for this.

 

[linney]

What about a USB Floppy drive, would that work?

It must be hard to get around your main problem, this link goes on for some 11+ pages which I haven't read myself, you can if you want.

HOWTO: enable AHCI mode after installing Windows

http://forums.pcper.com/showthread.php?t=444831

This one goes on for a bit too.

How to enable AHCI : Windows XP

http://expertester.wordpress.com/2008/07/27/how-to-enable-ahci-windows-xp/

 

[lancstech]

hi linney my brain hurts after reading those links.

i think my options are
(1) do nothing and wait till a reinstall of xp is required, first removing/hiding w7
(2) try adding in ahci driver/s into sp3 slipstream
(3) risk bios change to sata/ide to run rc(cd) when required, remembering to switch back.

think i'll try 2 and report back