WinXP BlackScreen

B

bloodninja

hey y0,
i have this box with WinXP installed on it, which i use every day..
today i got on it n i get a Black Screen instead of WinXP loading up :mad:

does anyone know how to fix this?

i've tried the 'fixboot' n 'fixmbr' after using install CD n goin' into the 'Repair' option..
didnt seem to change anything..

i've also used that one command which allows to edit the boot.ini, so now just before the Black Screen i get a boot option (which is just a duplicate i made, since this is the only OS installation on this box).. still get Black Screen regardless of the option i choose :(

i noticed that there was a C:\Temp folder created, which contains: bcdinfo.txt, bootfailure.txt, disklayout.txt, SrtTrail.log, SrtTrail.txt, uploadrecord.txt..

relevant information found on these:

"The boot configuration data store could not be opened.
The system cannot find the file specified."

"Root cause found:
---------------------------
Boot manager is missing or corrupt.

Repair action: File repair
Result: Failed. Error code = 0x15
Time taken = 0 ms"

has this happened to anyone? :confused:
 
do you have backups of all your data?

because you might have to install a fresh copy of your os

for the error missing boot manager in xp read below

Do the following steps to Fix Boot Manager -:

1.Insert Windows installation CD in to CD-ROM and Start your Computer with CD-ROM.
2.Choose Repair Option.
3.Do the Start up Recovery.
4.Click on Command Prompt.
5.type "BOOTSEC /FIXBOOT"

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I know that you have tried this already, but you might try the recovery console and not the repair.

but if your cd is at sp2 or less, you should burn a copy of the recovery console to a cd following the instructions below and run fixmbr from there. You can burn the cd from a working pc and then boot on the afflicted pc after changing boot sequence to cd first:

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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/...ocs/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.

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if you cannot boot to the recovery console after burning, then we can try Hiren's boot cd, and do check disk there or at least get your data off so you can do a clean install
 
hi,
thx a lot for replying :D

yes, i cloned the entire Drive, so all my stuff's backed up..
oh, n my WinXP CD has SP3 slipstreamed..

obviously the fresh install option would be the easy way out, which is not what im looking for :cool:

is "bootsec" even a WinXP command? :3o

when u say "you might try the recovery console and not the repair" do u mean the Automated Recovery something? (option right at the beginning when they ask for 3rd party drivers etc).. cuz it asks me for a floppy disk there, which i dont have..

i think i know y the "fixboot" n "fixmbr" didnt work.. its because thats not the problem :p

there is a certain file (or files) within C:\Windows that is causing this..
i did a clean install which obviously worked fine, but when i did a file overwrite straight out of my backup (without any MBR info) the BlackScreen was back :mad:

i just wish i knew where these files r at, when they say:
"The boot configuration data store could not be opened. The system cannot find the file specified."
that way i would only attempt to overwrite those n hopefully get all my stuff back..

really wanna avoid installing all my crap all over again, including Windows updates n Security updates.. those always take forever..
 
yes, thats exactly how i've been accessing the Recovery Console, where i ran chkdsk, fixboot n fixmbr from..

yes, this is my XP box.. thats y i've disregarded any bootsec information i found.. first cuz it doesnt seem to be a recognizable command, second cuz it seems to look up information on C:\boot, which doesnt exist on my XP system..
:(

i'll try some more workaround attempts tomorrow :cool:
 
have you set folder options to show hidden files and show system files?

because there should be a boot.ini file on c drive
 
lol, of course.. its the first thing i do when i install WinXP..
switch to Classic Mode > unhide everything > show file extensions > disable pagefiling/hybernation > etc etc..

i wasnt refering to boot.ini anyways, but the folder where bootsec goes to look for BCD..
 
ugh! what the hell..
i never get this Repair option.. i only get the Repair one that goes into the command prompt :confused:

pcsupport.about.com/od/operatingsystems/ss/instxprepair1_6.htm
 
you will not press R at the screen with 3 options you will press enter, just like you were going to do a clean install, F8 to agree and when you get to the screen with your OS highlighted then you will press R

if you are not getting to this point what screens are you getting?
 
right after the F8 thing, instead of the "R" option i get a list of my partitions with the options to create or delete partitions :(
i've tried goin' back n forth on these options but i never get the "R" option :confused:

ima try n find someone with an XP CD.. see if i get that "R" :rolleyes:
 
instxprepair1_6.htm


here on page 6, you should be able to use the arrows to highlight your os, this is the page directly after F8, after highlighting xp you should be able to then press R.

you do not want to repair with a cd that only has sp2 or less, this will set the os back to sp2 and really mess up currently installed applications, updates, etc. you should be able to use your slipstreamed cd, I have a slipstreamed cd also and have no problem reaching this screen.

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/operatingsystems/ss/instxprepair1_6.htm

the picture did not insert itself but go to the above link.
 
lol i know, i linked that screenshot earlier..

lol this is so stupid.. turns out there's nothing wrong with my CD cuz i can reach that Repair screen when i mount the Fresh install image.. but the image of the Old install skips that step right into the Partition manager.. :rolleyes:

FML.
 
hey hey!

looks like i was finally able to pin-point the problem :D

1 file!

the "system" file in C:\WINDOWS\system32\config

i replaced it with the one from C:\WINDOWS\repair. thats it. :rolleyes:

this single change allowed for WinXP to boot again! :cool:

so now everything is back to the way it was, except for some configuration issues here n there..

everything is where its supposed to be but, because of the replacement of the "system" file, WinXP just isnt being told where to look for certain things..

so now i will continue to dig further.. i need to find a way to import/export/whatever information out of this "system" file..
hopefully i will run into someone who knows more about this..
 
the system file is complete unto itself, why do you need to get into it?

do you want to change a file within the config folder?
 
ehh, i just thought that maybe there could be a way to edit that file so that i could steal the missing strings from it.. but maybe im begining to stretch it now.. :cool:

anyway, by replacing this single file i was able to restore like 95% of my original configuration.. i guess i can just do the rest manually from now.. :rolleyes:

i was able to get rid of all the errors on the Device Manager by simply clicking "Update" since all the stuff was already there anyway..

everything else seemed to keep falling into place with every reboot, changing partition letters, etc.. only thing thats missing is the security software + a remote access program that i use..

really glad i did this instead of the clean install :D

thx for all ur help anyway :cool:
 
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