windows startup problem

Discussion in 'Windows - General discussion' started by SILONER, Mar 12, 2008.

  1. SILONER

    SILONER Member

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    everytime i turn on my computer i get a message that says windows could not be installed, so i press f3 to cancel and after that a black screen comes up and tells me to chose which program to run. windows xp home or windows setup... this started to happen after i tried to reinstall xp home but i wasnt able to because it couldnt detect my hdd... i got an hp ppavillion dv1000
     
  2. vcbc

    vcbc Regular member

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    does it still boot up to windows, but that black screen is just really annoying? If thats what u are talking about then you can change the boot.ini file. If u need help with that then tell me which one is on top on the multiboot screen the setup or xp.
    If windows cant boot than i donno, cause its mostly really complicated to explain.
     
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2008
  3. SILONER

    SILONER Member

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    the black screen comes up first and thats when i choose xp to boot up instead of the set up but the xp is on top and not the setup
     
  4. ncasx

    ncasx Regular member

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    Go to my computer and type in C:\boot.ini in the address bar, notepad should popup aand the botom 2 lines under operating system should be changed. one should be deleted, If the defult is the install then then copy the second one from the operating system and paste it in defult and delete the other one from the list.
    If xp is default just simply look at the default n look down on the operating system and delete the line that is not the same as default.
     
  5. i_am_alex

    i_am_alex Regular member

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    Lol. That might work if he could actually boot Windows lol. Can you specify the question a bit more? What are you trying to do? Reinstall Windows?
     
  6. nickberry

    nickberry Regular member

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    You cheezed the windows install process - i take you were not using the HP restore CD (if you even had one!). There is an option at the start of the Windows Setup that advises 'PRESS F6 TO INSTALL ALTERNATIVE DISK DRIVERS' or similar - This may be some help to you if you can locate a driver disk for your hard disk.

    However I suspect that tracking down a restore CD from HP or ISOHUNT (as it would inlude all the right drivers) would be a more productive way to spend your time....

    Another option would be to do a fresh install having formatted the Hard Disk - this would however mean losing all data on the disk... and may not get any further...
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2008
  7. SILONER

    SILONER Member

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    im trying to boot my computer normaly... it does boot, but before i boot the black screen comes up an asks me to either run xp or the setup... this is what it says on the notepad...

    [Boot Loader]
    Timeout=5
    Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
    [Operating Systems]
    multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
    C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows XP Setup
     
  8. nickberry

    nickberry Regular member

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    Some info about the boot loader (C:\BOOT.INI)

    When Windows loads the first thing it does is read the boot loader to tell it what operating system to load. Your boot loader lists the following operating systems:
    Code:
    multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect 
    
       and
    
    C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows XP Setup
    When windows is installed it adds an entry to your boot loader to initiate the next step of the install process after rebooting for the first time:
    Code:
    C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows XP Setup
    It sets this item as the default item in the boot loader list (so that unless otherwise told by the user) it will continue the install automatically:
    Code:
    Default=C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\BOOTSECT.DAT
    The problem with yours is that the install is cheesed and wont continue for some reason. Are you trying to install XP Pro over XP Home I wonder?

    You could edit your bootloader and change the default to the other operating system in the list but I suspect that it would be pointless as you have probly overwritten most of the system files for it with your cheesed reinstall, but try it anyway.

    From what you describe the reason for the cheesed install may be due to a damaged hard disk.

    As this obviously wasnt a fresh install, what install method were you using and at what step of it did it first fail?
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2008
  9. SILONER

    SILONER Member

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    I put the cd in the drive and restarted my pc... I only to the part where it starts checking my hdd but it tells me it couldnt detect it... now im not trying to install it anymore, i dont really need to but since then. thats when my problem started to happen with the black screen and thats the only way i can use my laptop.
     
  10. nickberry

    nickberry Regular member

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    First I'd better start by saying get someone to look at it as I may be wrong.

    The black screen with text you describe is only there because the boot loader has been advised of 2 operating systems it can load: the orignal installation of windows xp home that you had on the computer and a new half installed windows xp to carry on installing.

    You say it appears to be having problems seeing the hard disk, but for that menu to come up it must be able to see the hard disk as the file it gets that information from is on the hard disk (C:\BOOT.INI). As such I would say it sounds like the hard disk is about to break, or areas of it already have.

    At this point I would suggest if you want to reinstall windows on it to do a fresh install having formatted (delete all the data on) the hard disk. If that is not possible then take it to a repair man who *may* be able to help in repairing any bad sectors on the hard disk, else buy a new hard disk and replace it.

    Regardless, get someone to look at it as I may be wrong.
     
  11. SILONER

    SILONER Member

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    yeah i think im gonna have to do that since i cant find an answer to my problem... thanks guys, for the help and if there are any answers out there im would still like to hear therm
     

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