Windows XP won't finish booting after successful CHKDSK

xengen

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Aug 19, 2013
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10,510
Hoping for a fix but not the end of the world if this is not possible.

Laptop is: Dell XPS M1730

Cannot boot to Windows XP Pro (SP3) from any Windows CD, cannot access recovery console (from DOS), CHKDSK on Windows CD(s) complete and (supposedly) repair problems but cannot finish booting to XP. Ran CHKDSK and virus scan on hard drive on another laptop and both complete without problems. I can see and access all files on the drive when it is connected as an external on a second laptop.

Cannot boot in any mode, or choose repair option on any Windows XP installation CD.

Currently Windows XP Pro "hangs" on the "Windows is starting up..." screen. While I have backed up my data on a regular basis, this just doesn't make sense. Thanks!
 
Solution


CHKDSK will find and attempt to fix errors with the NTFS file system as well as find and attempt to fix bad sectors on the hard disk itself. Nothing that CHKDSK does precludes other misconfigurations or malicious damage from rendering the system unbootable.

For example, installing buggy drivers can often render a system unbootable. If there is no flaw in the way the files are stored on the files system, and no bad sectors on the hard disk, then CHKDSK will find nothing wrong.
 
Solution

xengen

Honorable
Aug 19, 2013
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10,510
OK...so how can I get Windows to boot on this HDD? Can I repair the MBR when the hard drive is attached to another machine? Or, can I restore the drive from a recent backup file while it is attached to another machine?
 


I suggest that you completely reinstall it.
 

xengen

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Aug 19, 2013
6
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10,510
Sorry, already tried that. Windows XP Pro CD loads everything, runs a CHKDSK, fixes errors (supposedly) then freezes on the "Windows is starting up...." screen. Freezes completely, even after 30 minutes.
 


If you can't use a windows install CD something else is horribly wrong. That is not impacted by hard disk health.
 

xengen

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Aug 19, 2013
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Ya think? Am re-formatting an identical HD to the one that will not boot windows on the XPS machine on another laptop. Going to see if the Windows installation CD will see the drive and ask for partitioning. Then Windows install, then recover my three day old backup. Then I'm still going to try and figure out what is wrong with the original drive. Btw...definitely not the 3.5 year old m/b, and not the RAM....my best guess is a bad MBR, arising from either bad sectors on the HD or a really bad virus....which is why I was asking about any other available method other than a Windows installation/recovery CD for repairing the MBR
 

xengen

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Aug 19, 2013
6
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10,510
Update - Boot.ini file was corrupted on HD. Backing up drive, replacing boot.ini, putting HD back into laptop, booting with Windows CD, FIXMBR in Recovery Console, hopefully boot into Windows, then back up the "good" system and move it to an identical drive...hopefully this will work. What a PITA