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HELP!!! Dual boot install failed, can't get into computer



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 24th 04, 10:44 PM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default HELP!!! Dual boot install failed, can't get into computer

Hi:

Please help me if you can.

I had win98se on my computer. I tried to install winxp on an
empty hard drive, but the install failed. When I turned the computer
on, i would get a dual-boot screen screen letting me choose winxp or
win98.
If I chose winxp, a message comes up saying the system was halted
due to an error.

So I tried going into win98se. I was able to do it.
I noticed that a bunch of new files were on my C drive, including
boot.ini, ntldr, and some others.

I decided I wanted to get rid of this whole failed XP dual boot
setup, so I went through and renamed all the new files, putting an
"xxx" in front of their names. For instance, boot.ini now became
xxxboot.ini.

I did this to all the new files. I thought that would get rid
of the dual-boot screen that didn't work.

Well, I really screwed things up.

Now the computer won't boot at all. I even put in a win98se
boot floppy that has always worked in the past.

I am able to get the black dos-like screen that shaows c:\, but
I can't get any further.

Can someone please help me. I know I screwed up big-time, but
is there a way out of this.

If I can get back to win98se, I'll never touch that damned xp
again!!

Thank you.

dave
  #2  
Old June 24th 04, 11:36 PM
hawk
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default HELP!!! Dual boot install failed, can't get into computer

You will have to rename the files back to what they were. If you can
get to DOS, you should be able to do that. Then the question is why
did your XP installation fail?

hawk

wrote:
Hi:

Please help me if you can.

I had win98se on my computer. I tried to install winxp on an
empty hard drive, but the install failed. When I turned the computer
on, i would get a dual-boot screen screen letting me choose winxp or
win98.
If I chose winxp, a message comes up saying the system was halted
due to an error.

So I tried going into win98se. I was able to do it.
I noticed that a bunch of new files were on my C drive, including
boot.ini, ntldr, and some others.

I decided I wanted to get rid of this whole failed XP dual boot
setup, so I went through and renamed all the new files, putting an
"xxx" in front of their names. For instance, boot.ini now became
xxxboot.ini.

I did this to all the new files. I thought that would get rid
of the dual-boot screen that didn't work.

Well, I really screwed things up.

Now the computer won't boot at all. I even put in a win98se
boot floppy that has always worked in the past.

I am able to get the black dos-like screen that shaows c:\, but
I can't get any further.

Can someone please help me. I know I screwed up big-time, but
is there a way out of this.

If I can get back to win98se, I'll never touch that damned xp
again!!

Thank you.

dave


  #3  
Old June 24th 04, 11:53 PM
Ben Myers
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default HELP!!! Dual boot install failed, can't get into computer

Go to http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm and create a new
boot floppy. Use it to start the computer, type "sys c:" and press
"Enter". Then remove the floppy and restart.

Ben

wrote in message =
...
Hi:
=20
Please help me if you can.
=20
I had win98se on my computer. I tried to install winxp on an
empty hard drive, but the install failed. When I turned the computer
on, i would get a dual-boot screen screen letting me choose winxp or
win98.
If I chose winxp, a message comes up saying the system was halted
due to an error.
=20
So I tried going into win98se. I was able to do it.=20
I noticed that a bunch of new files were on my C drive, including
boot.ini, ntldr, and some others.
=20
I decided I wanted to get rid of this whole failed XP dual boot
setup, so I went through and renamed all the new files, putting an
"xxx" in front of their names. For instance, boot.ini now became
xxxboot.ini.
=20
I did this to all the new files. I thought that would get rid
of the dual-boot screen that didn't work.
=20
Well, I really screwed things up.
=20
Now the computer won't boot at all. I even put in a win98se
boot floppy that has always worked in the past.
=20
I am able to get the black dos-like screen that shaows c:\, but
I can't get any further.
=20
Can someone please help me. I know I screwed up big-time, but
is there a way out of this.
=20
If I can get back to win98se, I'll never touch that damned xp
again!!
=20
Thank you.
=20
dave

  #4  
Old June 25th 04, 12:04 AM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default HELP!!! Dual boot install failed, can't get into computer

On Thu, 24 Jun 2004 15:36:22 -0700, hawk wrote:

You will have to rename the files back to what they were. If you can
get to DOS, you should be able to do that. Then the question is why
did your XP installation fail?

hawk

(snip)

Unfortunately, I never wrote down the original names of the files, and
some of them were over 8 letters, so they don't show up properly in
dos. (Damn, I was in too much of a hurry. Normally I would have
written them down, and even backed them up, like I usually do. But I
assumed that the dual-boot xp process would go smoothly.)

Also, one file, named boot.ini (that I changed to xxxboot.ini)
has completely disappeared.

If you, or anyone else reading this, has used the XP dual-boot
method, could you please let me know what the original files names in
the win98 "c" drive are.
Also, does anyone know what the contents of the "boot.ini" file
are?
(I'm hoping thatit is a standard file that is always used in
this winxp dual-boot process. If it is, and I can recreate it, that
might help.)

_____Any_______ help/info you, or anyone else, could give me will
be tremendously appreciated.

I had a huge, 4 hard-drive setup, with over 35 games, and dozens
and dozens of other programs.
Looking through dos, everything still appears to be there, but I
just can't access it.
I think I'd rather die than have to rebuild my entire setup.

dave

ps: as far as why it failed, I don't know, and at this point I don't
care. Damned xp; I'll never touch it again!!
  #5  
Old June 25th 04, 12:11 AM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default HELP!!! Dual boot install failed, can't get into computer

On Thu, 24 Jun 2004 18:53:09 -0400, "Ben Myers"
wrote:

Go to http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm and create a new
boot floppy. Use it to start the computer, type "sys c:" and press
"Enter". Then remove the floppy and restart.

Ben

Hi Ben:

I tried that. It doesn't work. I get a message saying that my
vfat info is missing or corrupted or unavailable.

However, looking through my dos screen, all my files & folders
appear to be intact.

Something is just misplaced, or set wrong, or something.

Damn! I've got over 500GB on 4 large hard drives. And right
now I can't reach any of it, and I'm terrified of screwing up even
more and losing it completely.

That damned xp dual-boot process did something to my setup, and I
don't know what.

If you, or anyone who reads this, is an expert with how this xp
dual-boot process works, PLEASE help me.

ron




  #6  
Old June 25th 04, 01:19 AM
Ben Myers
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default HELP!!! Dual boot install failed, can't get into computer

Make sure the computer has a valid "c:\msdos.sys" file,
something like this:

[Paths]
WinDir=3DC:\WINDOWS
WinBootDir=3DC:\WINDOWS
HostWinBootDrv=3DC
[Options]
BootGUI=3D1
;end

Ben

wrote in message =
...
On Thu, 24 Jun 2004 18:53:09 -0400, "Ben Myers"
wrote:
=20
Go to http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm and create a new
boot floppy. Use it to start the computer, type "sys c:" and press
"Enter". Then remove the floppy and restart.

Ben

Hi Ben:
=20
I tried that. It doesn't work. I get a message saying that my
vfat info is missing or corrupted or unavailable.
=20
However, looking through my dos screen, all my files & folders
appear to be intact.
=20
Something is just misplaced, or set wrong, or something.
=20
Damn! I've got over 500GB on 4 large hard drives. And right
now I can't reach any of it, and I'm terrified of screwing up even
more and losing it completely.
=20
That damned xp dual-boot process did something to my setup, and I
don't know what.
=20
If you, or anyone who reads this, is an expert with how this xp
dual-boot process works, PLEASE help me.
=20
ron
=20
=20
=20

  #7  
Old June 25th 04, 02:06 AM
hawk
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default HELP!!! Dual boot install failed, can't get into computer

If you had bothered to read one of my replies to your original post on
this subject, you would have had all of the file names that you
needed. Go pound sand.

hawk

wrote:
On Thu, 24 Jun 2004 15:36:22 -0700, hawk wrote:


You will have to rename the files back to what they were. If you can
get to DOS, you should be able to do that. Then the question is why
did your XP installation fail?

hawk


(snip)

Unfortunately, I never wrote down the original names of the files, and
some of them were over 8 letters, so they don't show up properly in
dos. (Damn, I was in too much of a hurry. Normally I would have
written them down, and even backed them up, like I usually do. But I
assumed that the dual-boot xp process would go smoothly.)

Also, one file, named boot.ini (that I changed to xxxboot.ini)
has completely disappeared.

If you, or anyone else reading this, has used the XP dual-boot
method, could you please let me know what the original files names in
the win98 "c" drive are.
Also, does anyone know what the contents of the "boot.ini" file
are?
(I'm hoping thatit is a standard file that is always used in
this winxp dual-boot process. If it is, and I can recreate it, that
might help.)

_____Any_______ help/info you, or anyone else, could give me will
be tremendously appreciated.

I had a huge, 4 hard-drive setup, with over 35 games, and dozens
and dozens of other programs.
Looking through dos, everything still appears to be there, but I
just can't access it.
I think I'd rather die than have to rebuild my entire setup.

dave

ps: as far as why it failed, I don't know, and at this point I don't
care. Damned xp; I'll never touch it again!!


  #8  
Old June 25th 04, 07:14 PM
Hugh Candlin
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default HELP!!! Dual boot install failed, can't get into computer


wrote in message ...
Hi:

Please help me if you can.

I had win98se on my computer. I tried to install winxp on an
empty hard drive, but the install failed. When I turned the computer
on, i would get a dual-boot screen screen letting me choose winxp or
win98.
If I chose winxp, a message comes up saying the system was halted
due to an error.

So I tried going into win98se. I was able to do it.
I noticed that a bunch of new files were on my C drive, including
boot.ini, ntldr, and some others.

I decided I wanted to get rid of this whole failed XP dual boot
setup, so I went through and renamed all the new files, putting an
"xxx" in front of their names. For instance, boot.ini now became
xxxboot.ini.

I did this to all the new files. I thought that would get rid
of the dual-boot screen that didn't work.

Well, I really screwed things up.

Now the computer won't boot at all. I even put in a win98se
boot floppy that has always worked in the past.

I am able to get the black dos-like screen that shaows c:\, but
I can't get any further.


Type dir XXX*.*

Rename each file back to what it was, removing the XXX, then reboot



Can someone please help me. I know I screwed up big-time, but
is there a way out of this.

If I can get back to win98se, I'll never touch that damned xp
again!!

Thank you.

dave



  #9  
Old June 25th 04, 10:22 PM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default HELP!!! Dual boot install failed, can't get into computer

On Thu, 24 Jun 2004 21:44:23 GMT, wrote:

Hi:

Please help me if you can.



Problem solved, thanks to "Fanman_UK"

: ) : ) dave
 




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