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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  2. Anonymous
    2014-03-15T22:18:43+00:00

    http://en.allexperts.com/q/Windows-XP-3282/2009/8/1-D-minint.htm

    read above, evidently you can enter the recovery console through here, and also change the drive to c as shown in the link, read and ask any questions if you need clarification.

    This is the first I have heard of a MiniNT way to enter the recovery console. :)

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

    you can make sure that hidden files/folders are unhidden in Folder options

    the look on the root of C: drive and find the boot.ini file

    open and under edit select all, then under edit select copy, then on your reply select paste and this will show us what is on the boot.ini file for your pc.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-03-16T03:56:26+00:00

    Hi, Elizabeth23,

    C:\boot.ini

    [boot loader]

    timeout=3

    default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

    [operating systems]

    C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

    UnsupportedDebug="do not select this" /debug

    multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /noexecute=AlwaysOn /fastdetect

    [spybotsd]

    timeout.old=2

    This looks pretty good to me. 

    Note, I do not have spybot anymore. 

    At one point in the recent past an error message had popped up showing a supposedly bad" C:\boot.ini file and pointed out several problems, particularly on the Windows Recovery line. 

    It looked different (then) than this is now, perhaps it was somehow "fixed" at some point while I was trying out things? 

    I don't have a copy of that message either, unfortunately.

    Also, do you (or ElderL) have a response to my #5) and #6) questions on my previous post? 

    Any help or suggestion there would be really appreciated.  Thanks

    Note that I have run chkdsk a couple of times again and each time it ends by saying that it found "1 or more" problems and had fixed them.  It has not said "No problems found" yet, so I'll keep running it again until it does.

    Vernon

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-03-16T19:19:14+00:00

    [spybotsd]

    timeout.old=2

    edit out these lines

    Examples of Boot.ini

    A typical simple example [boot loader] <br><br>timeout=30 <br><br>default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS <br><br>[operating systems] <br><br>multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
    Example with Recovery Console as an option [boot loader] <br><br>timeout=30 <br><br>default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS <br><br>[operating systems] <br><br>multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect <br><br>C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

    above are sample boot.ini's.

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

    for 5, It would seem since you have 4 disks that you have the destructive recovery disks

    for 6, you cannot use recovery cds to slipstream sp3 onto, you have to have an original installation cd.

    I had an sp2 oem install cd that came with my dell and I slipstreamed sp3 onto it.

    I am not sure but I am pretty sure you cannot use recovery cds, I will check on this.

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