Bootsect.dat file is corrupted, NTLDR is missing/compressed on x86 pc with WinXP Home Edition Sp3 and Ie8

Anonymous
2014-02-24T05:47:39+00:00

I have a x86 pc with WinXP Home Edition SP3 and IE8. 

While preparing for an eventual upgrade to Win 7, I have been considering repartioning and multibooting my HDD. 

I have been trying to get WinXP operating as best as I can.  I also have been checking out how to use the Windows Recovery Console to reinstall WinXP and transfer files for a clean reinstall.

I discovered while checking "All Boot Paths" at Start\Run\msconfig\BOOT.INI that one Boot Path was highlighted with errors indicating that the "File is Corrupted because a disk read error occured" and that NTLDR is missing or corrupted.  In fact, it is garbled.  It points to "Microsoft Windows Recovery Console/cmdcon".  I have not used the Recovery Console, ever. 

I have a Gateway 5310S desktop (retail) and no original XP disks, apparently. 

I do have, but have never used, a 4ea. set of Recovery CDs dated 5/12/05 that I must have created after purchase.

I also have been having numerous, odd, problems that come and go, including trouble displaying various websites, Yahoo Home Pages, and eMail that keep going into compatibility mode or blanking outright.  The video and audio on Hulu and online video services are always out of sync.  I have problems editing posts on sites like this even though I can edit my profile pages just fine.

This particular set of problems started occurring recently and very suddenly, from one day to the next.  This was after it had actually been working fairly well for a change. 

I have no idea how long the boot.ini file has been corrupted, I actually discovered it by accident.

I also can not reinstall certain programs such as Family Tree Maker 2005 and 2008 after it was suggested to me by ancestry.com to uninstall/reinstall.

I have the latest Java and Adobe Flash Player.  I have defragged and disk checked my drives. 

I have used CCleaner to remove temp and junk files daily.  I have run Hitman Pro, MBAM, MBAR, MSE, and SAS multiple times with no viruses or malware detected. 

And, as I had mentioned above, I am having problems with the editor on this site, right now.  Sometimes it just freezes and I have to exit to clear.  Other times it duplicates entire sentences.  It also flip/flops between a full page editor and, like now, a half page editor window on the left half of the page.

Any suggestions you folks can come up with would be greatly appreciated.  This is getting really annoying.

Thanks

Vernon

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Performance and system failures

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Anonymous
2014-03-05T08:10:47+00:00

when you check out the boot.ini paths, and the recovery console is installed, you will always get an error stating that the boot path is invalid.

if the recovery console is indeed corrupted just uninstall, you can reinstall or burn a cd with the recovery console.

go here for instructions on deleting the recovery console.

===========

Here's how to make a bootable xp recovery console cd

Courtesy of JoseIbarra

You need to start by booting into the XP Recovery Console using a CD you can make (no XP media required) and run a chkdsk with error correction enough times until it runs clean and if that doesn't work, you can create a new boot.ini file (it is usually one of those two things).

Here's how:

Use the XP Recovery Console to verify the file system on your HDD and correct any problems and then try to boot your system - this may be all you need to do.  Or, you are welcome to just start trying things that might work.

Boot into the Windows Recovery Console using a bootable XP installation CD.

If you have no bootable XP media (or are not sure what you have) create a bootable XP Recovery Console CD and be sure what you have (no XP media required).

This is not the same as any recovery disks that might have come with a store bought system.

You can make a bootable Recovery Console CD by downloading an ISO file and burning it to a CD.

The bootable ISO image file you need to download is called:

rc.iso 

Download the ISO file from here:

http://www.thecomputerparamedic.com/?p=8    (courtesy of Daavee)

Use a new CD and this free and easy program to burn your ISO file and create your bootable CD:

http://www.imgburn.com/

When installing ImgBurn, DO NOT install the Ask toolbar.

Here are some instructions for ImgBurn:

http://forum.imgburn.com/index.php?showtopic=61

It would be a good idea to test your bootable CD on a computer that is working.

You may need to adjust the computer BIOS settings to use the CD ROM drive as the first boot device instead of the hard disk.  These adjustments are made before Windows tries to load.  If you miss it, you will have to reboot the system again.

When you boot on the CD, follow the prompts:

Press any key to boot from CD...

The Windows Setup... will proceed.

Press 'R' to enter the Recovery Console.

Select the installation you want to access (usually  1: C:\WINDOWS)

You may be asked to enter the Administrator password (usually empty).

You should be in the C:\WINDOWS folder.  This is the same as the 

C:\WINDOWS folder you see in explorer.

The Recovery Console allows basic file commands like: copy, rename, replace, delete, cd, chkdsk, fixboot, fixmbr, etc.

For a list of Recovery Console commands, enter help at the prompt or read about the XP Recovery Console here:

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/recovery_console_cmds.mspx?mfr=true

A good idea before starting things is to first verify the integrity of your file system using the chkdsk command.

From the command prompt window run the chkdsk command on the drive where Windows is installed to try to repair any problems on the afflicted drive.

Running chkdsk is fine even if it doesn't find any problems.  It will not hurt anything to run it.

Assuming your boot drive is C, run the following command:

chkdsk C: /r

Let chkdsk finish and correct any problems it might find.  

It may take a long time for chkdsk to complete or it may appear to be 'stuck'.  Be patient. If the HDD light is still flashing, chkdsk is doing something.  Keep an eye on the percentage amount to be sure it is still making progress.  It may even appear to go backwards sometimes.

You should run chkdsk /r again until it finds no errors to correct.

Remove the CD and type 'exit' to leave the RC and restart the computer.

You do not have to adjust the BIOS again to boot on the HDD since the CD will not be present.

===============

as for the other problems:

have you used any registry cleaners??

these can harm your system

since you appear to be infection free, it would seem that some part of your cleaning process has deleted a necessary file.

===============

checkdisk with the /r parameter should be run. and run again until no errors are found.

==========

are you fully updated and patched at Microsoft updates??

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-03-08T05:37:33+00:00

    OK, Elizabeth23, I have to admit that I am getting a bit confused.

    I'll have to take this one step at a time.

    Using CCleaner:

    you said "ccleaner will delete all hotfix uninstallers if you have this button clicked."

    I do have this selected (it was automatically selected already).  Is this a good thing or not a good thing to have checkmarked?  It has been this way for quite awhile.

    Using Revo Uninstaller:

    I do already have Revo Uninstaller and use it all the time, in fact, I did use Revo to uninstall Family Tree Maker 2005.

    My problem is that I cannot reinstall the program as was suggested by the folks at Ancestry.com.  I keep geting an error message about a .dll file not being installed because "access is denied" and it crashes. 

    Note that I previously had version 2005 installed but had not used it for 6 years and only recently discovered that it would not work.  I also have version 2008 installed, but my data files will not load on it as they originally did 6 years ago right after I bought the newer program.  I just have not used it either for 6 years.

    Recovery Console:

    I do not know if the Recovery Console is actually corrupted or not since I have never actually tried using it.  I was simply trying to find out if it might be something that could correct or fix some of the problems I'm having on my system. 

    It seems that no one else seems to have a clue, or a suggestion as to what I might try.  I have a couple other requests for help open at the same time as this one.

    Boot.ini file:

    As I had indicated in my original post, whenever I went to Start\Run\msconfig\BOOT.INI, that one Boot Path was highlighted with errors indicating that the "File is Corrupted because a disk read error occured" and that NTLDR is "missing or corrupted".

    NOW, when I do the same thing, I get a completely different message: "It appears that the following line in the BOOT.INI file does not refer to a valid operating system: "C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT= "Microsift Windows Recovery Console"/cmdcons"   Would you like to remove it from the BOOT.INI file?" 

    InstallShield files:

    At the beginning I was referring to the fact that the InstallShield folders and files were totally missing.

    The weird thing is that I have now FOUND them again in their proper place on the C:\ drive under Program Files\Commom Files\InstallShield.

    I have absolutely NO IDEA how this happened.  They were definately missing before, I am NOT making this up.

    However my programs that require the InstallShield Wizard to run still will not install, noteably the Family Tree Maker programs.  I just do not know what to make of all this.

    Now, in the mean time I am running chkdsk as suggested until all errors are cleared.

    I will get back to you with an update as soon as I can.

    Please don't give up on me.

    Vernon

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-03-06T18:27:53+00:00

    o For Windows XP; a 333 MHz Pentium, or compatible processor, and 128 MB of memory (RAM)

    • Super VGA (800 x 600) video adapter (1024x768 recommended) with 16-bit or better color quality

    • A CD-ROM drive (for installation only; to use the CD back up features, a CDR/CDRW is required.)

    • 150 MB disk space

    • Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later. (A full install package for IE 6 is provided if your system does not already have it.)

    above is quote from here for requirements for Family tree maker 2005

    go to the following link: and download Revo uninstaller to uninstall this program completely

    http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo\_uninstaller\_free\_download.html

    make sure you click the button for the FREE version, read each page carefully to insure you do not add any unwanted toolbars or other programs, except Revo.

    =========

    I am not sure what programs you are talking about, give me a path and I can look on my pc, running xp pro, to see what files you are missing.

    ccleaner will delete all hotfix uninstallers if you have this button clicked.

    path = (for example) C:\WINDOWS\system32, just click on the address bar of the folder you are missing the files from to highlight and then right click choose copy, and then paste into your reply.

    another note, are you fully patched and updated at Microsoft updates??

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-03-06T04:57:24+00:00

    Thanks, Elizabeth23, for responding.

    You have helped me before on previous problems.

    I will work my way down the list provided above and I will respond with any updates as it progresses.

    You asked whether I had ever used a registry cleaner.  The answer is no, at least not intentionally, as far as I know.  I do use CCleaner to clean out temp files and such fairly often, but I definately do not run the registry cleaner section of it.

    I will print out all of the instructions above before starting.

    Question: 

    I have discovered that the InstallShield program files that were supplied with WinXP are totally missing from my C: drive.  I have no idea how or when that may have occurred.  I have not deleted these files intentionally.  But, I believe that this may be the problem with being unable to install Family Tree Maker 2005 from CD since it tries to run the InstallShield Wizzard and crashes.

    Would I be able to restore this program with the steps taken above or is it even possible to restore it?

    Thanks for your assistance.  I will respond with progress notes.

    Vernon

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-03-04T05:34:55+00:00

    Hi,

    I still have this problem.

    Can anyone offer a suggestion on how to approach and to fix this problem?

    Thanks

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