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
    2014-03-09T03:53:31+00:00

    Hi Elizabeth23,

    Obviously the above stuff will take a while to get through, but I'll keep apraising you of my progress and any new questions that may crop up.  In that vein, I've got a few for you to chew on.

    The error message that pops up whenever I try to install either the downloaded Family Tree Maker 2005 SE (Starter Edition) or the 'regular' Family Tree Maker 2005 version (from CD) is the following:

    "An installation support file 'C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Temp{B136E4A4-7660-4f15-9752-EF8E6BA7866D}\_IsUser.dll' could not be installed.  Access is denied".

    You said: Second B. , have you right clicked on the file, security tab, and given yourself permission to have all rights to this file??

    How do you do that, exactly?  I right clicked on the {B136E4A4-7660-4f15-9752-EF8E6BA7866D} folder and noticed that it was set for Read-only.  There was no security tab to select for setting permissions.  Then I right clicked the _IsUser.dll file in the folder, but there was not a security tab to select there either.

    You said:  Is the issue that you are trying to fix with the recovery console the same Family Tree problem??

    Well, yes, if it is applicable to use the recovery console for that.  I'll take (or try) any fix possible. 

    Just note that the Family Tree problem is only one of many other weird problems I've been having.

    And, interestingly, one of the other problems I have is with using this editor for my replies.  Sometimes the editor double prints entire sentences after I hit the period key.  Then I have to go back and delete the extra wording.  Really annoying.  And it just happened, again.  Oh well.

    You said: Fifth, do you have this installed = Winternals Administrator's Pak 4.2

    I doubt it, since I do not recognize the name, but I'll double check and download it if I don't have it.

    [Edit] I don't have it and a search for it found no downloadable sites.  Do you have a link for it?

    I do have "Hirens BootCD 15.2" (recommended by a website) downloaded to a folder on my desktop, but not yet installed onto a CD.  I have glanced at the contents, which is a whole bunch, but have not had time to study what's on it.  Perhaps you could instruct me on some of it's goodies for a start.

    You also had asked:  are you fully patched and updated at Microsoft updates??

    Yes, I am up to date with patches and updates for Windows, Java and Adobe.  I am set for automatic updates but still check for Internet Explorer 8 security updates which sometimes don't automatically load.

    One last thing, just what the heck is Jose talking about in the statement from above: 

    "None of this will help the OP (use Hiren's or theTech-Geek method), so it is just FYE!"?? I'm not sure what the tech jargon means.  Thanks.

    OK, now I'm going back to try some of the things that you have suggested here and on your previous posts.  There is a lot to do and I really appreciate your assistance.

    And like I had said previously, once I get WinXP working decently again, I wanted to consider the possibility of multibooting my harddrive with Windows 7 (not interested in Win 8) which I will still have to find and purchase via Amazon or eBay.  Which 'type' of Win 7 should I be looking for, anyway? 

    Full retail??  I would be moving the Win 7 that I buy now to a new computer as a multiboot with another preinstalled windows version in the future.

    Thanks

    Vernon

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-03-08T06:47:13+00:00

    First, it is okay to check this, what it means is that if for some reason you had to uninstall an update, the uninstallers would be gone and you would have to uninstall manually.

    Second, sometimes if you have revo uninstall the registry items, it MIGHT get a little carried away, and may delete something important, when you do this always be sure of what you are deleting, you can check each line thru your search engine if you are not sure what that line pertains to.

    Second A. ,  what is the .dll that is missing??

    Second B. , have you right clicked on the file, security tab, and given yourself permission to have all rights to this file??

    Third: the recovery console can do quite a bit here is a link on the recovery console commands, and also setting up the SET command to use the recovery console to it's fullest:

    Jose on SET commands

    Sure you can copy files to a USB drive from the Recovery Console using the SET command, but you have to set your system up beforehand while it is still functional to enable the SET command in the RC.

    Also, you can't navigate to personal folders like My Documents from RC - unless you set your system up to allow the SET command in advance too, then you can navigate all over the place.

    None of this will help the OP (use Hiren's or the Tech-Geek method), so it is just FYE!

    If you have your system configured to allow the SET command, then from the RC, you would then issue these commands:

    set AllowRemovableMedia = TRUE

    set allowallpaths = TRUE

    If you do not have the security policy set up to allow the SET command you will see a message like this:

    The SET command is currently disabled. The SET command is only an option Recovery Console command that can only be enabled by using the the Security Configuration and Analysis snap-in...

    Here  are some links that tell you more about these variables and the SET command:

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/235364

    http://winhlp.com/node/78

    There are two RC security options I like to always enable through a normal boot by adjusting the registry (default is DISabled):

    From the security policy (or registry), you can also tell XP not to require a password for the RC.  This is handy for when people can't get past that part when entering RC - you can make the registry adjustment using something like Hiren's, then they won't get asked for a password.

    Recovery console: Allow automatic administrative logon  (don't prompt me for a password):                 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/312149

    http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/tp/recovery_console_commands.02.htm

    recovery console commands.

    Is the issue that you are trying to fix with the recovery console the same Family Tree problem??

    Fourth, that is a normal message, and if NTLDR was missing you would not be able to boot into Windows. AND you will only get that message if you have the recovery console installed as a boot option.

    Fifth, do you have this installed = Winternals Administrator's Pak 4.2

    there is a microsoft knowledge base on the Install Shield getting corrupted:

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935081

    also this one may help also, troubleshooting the InstallShield

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888019

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

    http://consumerdocs.installshield.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=Q108322&sliceId=1

    the above link has info and instructions on determining which version of InstallShield is needed to run this program and how to get the one necessary.

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

    This is a lot of info, take your time and read carefully, if you have questions, I will help you to understand. :)

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  3. 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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  4. 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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