Windows 200 Pro fails to boot ...

[ackee]

Hi,

I recently loaded Windows 2000 Pro on my computer and it will not boot after what appears to be a successful installation. (I have loaded the OS three tiimes)

On powering up the PC, it boots and passes the POST. It also gets past the screen where I am allowed to press F8 to boot up in safe mode.

I then proceed to the splash screen where is hangs. Pressing F8 and selecting any of the options prior to the splash screen does not help me to get past the splash screen at which the blue progress bar is displayed before one is able to log in.

At the splash screen, there is no activity (blue dashed bar) reported on the progress bar, (it is blank). There also is no disk asctivity at this point.

I have used many disk utilities to diagnose any disk related problems, but they all report that I have no problems on my hard disk, nor the NTFS "bootable" file system. I have also disabled caching on my CPU and for video from my BIOS.

What could be the problem?

ackee.

 

[xkjdhdg]

I would put my Windows 2000 cd in and boot for it. Then go to the recovery console and set if you can recover it.

 

[wolluf]

It could be any hardware. If 2k has never booted after install, you have a hardware issue of some kind. I'd disconnect as much as I can. As its actually installed, that would include CD/DVD drives, sound, network, modem cards (or turn them off in bios if onboard). If > 1 stick RAM, try each on its own. Try underclocking cpu if mobo will allow this. Try another graphics card if you've one handy.

 

[ackee]

Hello mrfixit,

my CDROM is not bootable, so I am not even certain if I can even get to the recovery console ...

How do I get there?

ackee

 

[ackee]

Hello wolluf,

my computer really has nothing other than a mouse, keyboard and a monitor connected to it.

I have disabled every option that the computer will not require to boot in the BIOS, (I think).

I also am wondering if I have a hardware issue of some kind or if it is a driver related issue.

If I cannot get to the logon screen, how can I access the NTFS alternately?

ackee

 

[xkjdhdg]

Do you have the four floppy disk that came with the software? If you have those you can get to the recovery console. If not go to

http://www.bootdisk.com

and you can make the four disk your require for booting up.

 

[ackee]

Yes,

I have four boot floppy disks that when first loaded, allows me to load the OS from the CDROM.

At which point do I access the recovery console?

Thanks,

 

[xkjdhdg]

You will get choices one to reinstall and the other to recovery. You will take the recover. Do not do the quick fix. Do the long repair.

 

[ackee]

Thanks, I wiil try this and let you know how I fared.

Alistair

 

[wolluf]

Alistair - good luck - but I can't see how repairing a new installation is going to help (the long repair is actually a reinstall on top). The most common cause of new installations not working is hardware. If your mobo has everything onboard (which you seem to be saying) and you've turned off what you can in the bios, have you considered my other suggestions about RAM and underclocking? (and disconnecting CD/DVD drives? (you say your CD ROM is not bootable - is that the drive or the disk at fault - 2k install CD's ARE bootable).

btw - couple of links (for repair reinstall Mr Fixit suggested) and recovery console (you can access most of the filestore from there - and run chkdsk - often a useful thing to do).

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;292175&Product=win2000

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;292175&Product=win2000

 

[ackee]

Wolluf,

you were right! The repair did not work. I ended up reinstalling the OS after reformatting the hard disk.

This time I formatted the hard disk as a primary DOS partition that could read the entire 10 Gigs, (instead of NTFS).

Now, when I boot the computer, I have two OSes to laod - Windows 98 DOS and Windows 2000 Pro. I had two FSes on the computer initially, (NTFS & Extended DOS partitions). I can load DOS fine and now I can navigate the Win 2000 installation directories to read the .ini and .txt files.

I still cannot get any blue squares registered on the progress bar once the splash screen comes up but the blue shaded bar atop the progress bar continues to scroll across the screen. As is before, the keyboard remains non-responsive. The numlock light will not toggle when I press the button and caps and scroll lock do not respond either!

I ran a diagnostics utility to check out the hardware and it report that all of the components on the board are fine.

I have not disconnected the CDROM or floppy drives. I'll try this, even though I think that this might not be the problem because I used them install the OS in the first place - but it is worth a try ....

I have turned off as much as I can in the BIOS and then tried enabling one at a time to see if it affects loading W2K but nothing.

I also removed the memory, troubleshooting the slots and the cards - no difference.

I do not know how to "underclock" the cpu I am willing to try anything - do you have a link?

I am in search of another graphics card because I am beginning to feel that this is the problem. The only change in the behaviour of the machine has been an occasional flicker on the screen.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will try them and get back to you.

Alistair

 

[wolluf]

Underclocking options depend on your motherboard (essentially you run the cpu slower than intended. In the same way that overclocking - running faster - can cause the sort of problems you're seeing, so can running at normal speed if there is something slightly wrong with for example a motherboard component. My motherboard is in this category! I have an AMD XP1700+ cpu but windows won't boot if I run at intended speed - but its absolutely rock solid as an XP1600+ (and I don't miss the small drop). I've done this by adjusting the FSB to run at 129 rather than 133 (there are switches on my board to set various base FSB and then there's a bios setting to fine tune it - so mine's set to 125 + 4 fine tune. Look at your mobo/bios documentation (download from the web if you haven't got this).

PS Mine's a Soltek SL75KAV motherboard.

 

[ackee]

You might have pointed me in the right direction!

I will try this and see what results. Thanks fr hanging in there with me.

I'll be in touch.

Alistair

 

[ackee]

more info ...

I am using an AMD 800 MHz CPU. I do not know if it is a 100 or 133 FSB. I tried tweeking the clock speed of the RAM to be slower than the designated 133, through the BIOS down to 100Mhz and I got even further on the progress bar - now 5 blue squares.

BTW ... what do you mean by "133FSB Athlons XP upto 2000+"?

I also am finally getting and error message... It's about possibly corrupt drivers. Since the machine is dual boot, (W2K and DOS), I reboot in DOS and relocated the "offending driver", (MUP.SYS) from the c:/winnt/system32/drivers directory to c:/winnt/system32/drivers/temp. On rebooting, I get the same response, with a report this time pointing to the ACPI.SYS driver.

Well, I relocated that one too and rebooted. The next message pointed to either the RAM being faulty or the hard disk and that I should run a "chkdsk /f". Well, I did a scandisk and no errors, hardware or otherwise was found.

I do not know what mup.sys and acpi.sys are for - but I am pretty sure that my installation is not at fault. Maybe it is the memory ...

I also have a few "buldging capacitors" on the board and a few earlier postings say that this is a problem for any mobo. Somehow, I don't buy this because I have no problems booting or running DOS. But at this stage, I am willing to trying anything - with this as a last option. Anyone ever replaced capacitors on a mobo before? Any pointers?

 

[wolluf]

symptoms like you're having all point to a hardware error (although they sound like driver or software). Dos is a lot more fault tolerant than 2k! Previous comments apply - could be any piece of hardware.

As to 'bulging capacitors' - well there have been a number of posts where damaged capacitors were the problem - but I've never had one/tried to replace one, so can't advise there (suspect you might be better off taking it to local repair shop, just to let them look if you suspect damage here).

AMD 800 should have 200 FSB (ie, 2x100) I think (that's what I had in this machine previously - don't know if they produced a 266 (2x133) version. Does it appear as 800 mhz on the POST screen? If really running at 133 (266), I'd try it at 100 (200)!

 

[ackee]

Hi again,

I want to thank you again for hanging in there with me. Your advice and opinions have been very helpful and I want you to know that I appreciate the help.

I found a website with a lot of postings regarding the very problems I have been explaining here. The URL is:

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/1077087409.

This problem is manifested with the Win XP OS as well.

Lots of folks have been having problems hanging while/after loading MUP.SYS and indications point that it could be a power problem.

The messages are numerous and the permutations of the problems are many. I plan to comb through the postings to map out a strategy for myself.

I will let you know if/when I get some sucess.

Alistair

 

[wolluf]

good luck - but I'll bet your problem has got nothing to do with MUP.sys (as I said before, that's just a driver/software symptom of a hardware problem). You'll find references to mup.sys (and various other system files/drivers) causing problems on forums and newsgroups all over the web (and on this site too). If these problems have occurred to a working installation after some time, there's a reasonable chance that there really is a corrupt system file/driver & often just running chkdsk from recovery console will fix it. But you've never had 2k boot, despite installing it on a number of occasions.

Good luck again - you can spend a lot of time chasing hardware induced symptoms.

 

[ackee]

Yep!

I agree with you that the issue is likely to be hardware related. I never said that the issue is related to the MUP.SYS driver.

I did note that the machine hangs after loading the driver, and after removing it it then hangs at APCI.SYS. Hence, the issue is not MUP.SYS.

What I am pointing out is that I got progress up to a point where several others have encountered similar problems/symptoms.

This provides me with some comfort that there might be hope without effecting extensive, (and possibly unneccesary) "repairs" to an otherwise fucntional system.

I'll let you know what I've ended up doing. Again, I am grateful for your comments.