Cannot boot, critical problem

[baap108]

Hello,
the problem started when the vga cable conected to the monitor become loose after that i fixed it but the problem sill persists
i tried advanced startup options nothing worked only blank screen, even in safe mode

immediate help would be appreciated.

 

[Mark56]

Try another cable that is known to be good, then try another monitor. If you still cannot get anything on screen your graphics may have failed. If the PC has onboard graphics try using that or borrow a graphics card and try that.

 

[baap108]

thanks for the reply,:wave:

i had not mentioned earlier but i can boot through kubuntu and it is perfect.
so is there any chance of driver failure in xp?

 

[Mark56]

That information would have helped but I need more. Are you booting Ubuntu from a live CD?

When you boot without the Ubuntu do you get anything on screen, if so what and when does it go blank.

 

[baap108]

thanks for your patience on this subject.well

well i am booting through kubuntu, as the normal mode is not working(installer crash) so i had to start it through demo mode (in advanced startup options) then only it starts

even through having two os my pc starts with xp, and then a blank screen.

 

[Mark56]

OK, did you install Kubuntu after XP, it may have overwritten the MBR or, if you have not installed it in a seperate partition you may have overwritten most of XP. Follow this to repair the XP MBR.

1.Boot from the XP disc and select "R" when asked to go into the Recovery Console.

2.When you reach the command prompt, type the following and then press Enter.

fixmbr

3.The fixmbr utility will write a master boot record to the hard drive that you're currently using to boot into Windows XP. This will repair any corruption or damage that the master boot record may have.

4.Take out the Windows XP CD, type exit and then press Enter to restart your PC.

Assuming that a corrupt master boot record was your only issue, Windows XP should now start normally.

You can then use this software to get the dual boot working if there is still a problem.

http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1

Scroll to the bottom of the page for the Download button. Install this on XP and go from there.

This guide explains how to install Kubuntu and XP as a dual boot starting from scratch.

http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/articles/dual_boot_kubuntu

 

[baap108]

sorry, but what is MBR and what is its role.would it affect my boot, if yes then how did i managed to boot xp without any problem for 6 months why now?

and yea the links you provided are absolutely amazing especially the EASY BCD very useful software but how could i use it in kubuntu it is an .EXE file

and if i do all the steps been suggested by you,and if my master boot record is normal then would it do any harm(like cannot boot other os etc.)

 

[Mark56]

You did not tell me that this dual boot had been working successfully for 6 months, if there is anything else that I should know then please say so.

Something has messed up the MBR which can just happen due to minor clashes in the systems operation. But often it is caused by Malware. Try and repair the MBR as previously explained to get XP to boot again. Then before going any further download this software. Select the free version, download it and install it, then let it update before doing a full system scan. It will show a report at the end of the scan, make sure it has deleted any infections it finds, it may show some Malware like rootkits as detected but not removed. Make sure you disable any active anti virus software before using Malwarebytes.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php


The MBR is the Master Boot Record, if it is damaged in any way that would explain why XP will not fully boot up. This was explained:

3.The fixmbr utility will write a master boot record to the hard drive that you're currently using to boot into Windows XP. This will repair any corruption or damage that the master boot record may have.

You need to use EasyBCD in XP which was also explained:

Scroll to the bottom of the page for the Download button. Install this on XP and go from there

It is difficult for me to guide you if you do not follow what I have written.

The sole purpose of EasyBCD is to make a dual boot work properly but you first need to fix the XP MBR. Then if the Kubuntu does not dual boot you can fix it with the EasyBCD software by using "Add A New Entry" on the user interface.

 

[baap108]

You did not tell me that this dual boot had been working successfully for 6 months, if there is anything else that I should know then please say so.

actually i installed some theme patching software in xp to make it look like win. 7,that's why i am afraid to perform the repair install.even i used to keep some software in my pc knowing that had some virus and malware.besides that some stupid virus corrupted my explorer.exe. i had downloaded about 230-240gb movies which make it hard to backup now if i perform any repair wrongly would it result in loss of all the data ,oh i forget i have no xp cd. These were the things you didn't know.

and without repair disk I could not perform any operation, please if you want to know any other thing i would frankly tell, but just get me out of this hell

 

[Mark56]

The picture is unfolding:approve:

To get to the Command Promt (without the XP disc) to enter the fixmbr command follow this:

To get to command prompt without the XP disc.

Start tapping the F8 key immediately after starting the PC. This will take you to the "Advanced Boot Options".

Select "Safe Mode with Command Prompt" Select the operating system to start, use the up and down arrow keys to make your selection and hit Enter.

Enter your password if asked and hit Enter. Wait a minute or two and the cmd.exe box will appear. At the prompt type fixmbr and hit Enter, type Exit and hit Enter.

Then hold down these three keys keys Ctrl, Alt, Del, Task Manager will open, click on Shut Down on the top of the box and select Restart from the drop down menu.

As Long as a damaged MBR was the only problem Windows XP should now boot normally

You will not cause any damage or any deletions to your data by using this routine it is perfectly safe.

If successfull, once back into XP back up all your important data.

Then run Malwarebytes before you do anything else (from the link in post 8), then copy and paste the report at the end of the scan into your next post. Then get EasyBCD installed on XP and we will go from there.

 

[baap108]

Select "Safe Mode with Command Prompt" Select the operating system to start, use the up and down arrow keys to make your selection and hit Enter.

buddy.. i already told that none of the advanced startup options are working,so how would safe mode with networking work

if you would not believe i am ready to post a video link, just in case

 

[Mark56]

Sorry, my turn to apologise.

This would be a lot easier with an XP disc, see if you can borrow or buy a copy. To use your existing licence key you need to use a copy of XP that is the same version and at the same or higher service pack level. It is possible to make a copy of a disc and integrate the service packs.

Do you have a floppy drive on the problem PC and do you have access to another XP PC which has a floppy drive. This would allow you to make a boot floppy to get access to your XP installation.

Using another PC you could also make a diagnostics disk to test the hard drive as there is a possibility that the hard drive is failing. Although, I suspect this problem is mainly due to Malware corruption.

 

[baap108]

1. if the hard drive is failing how could i boot in kubuntu,
2. no i have no access to any friend's computer

i had a doubt that the image of xp sp2 in my pc is of .iso format, if i burn it through kubuntu can i boot through it or the windows disk is of other format.

 

[Mark56]

1. There may be damaged sectors in the area where XP is installed, but that is only a "may be".

2. That's a shame. What about a copy of XP to borrow?

If you have a saved complete image or XP SP2 you can burn that to a CD but it must be with ISO burning software like http://www.imgburn.com/ simply burning the ISO file to a disk will not work.

 

[baap108]

can you please suggest me such a software in kubuntu.

would it not work if i boot through cd/dvd option

 

[Mark56]

I am not too familiar with linux and Kubuntu OS's. Look under Tools and see if there is an option like....Burn CD image.

 

[baap108]

yes yes :grinthumb there is k3b but you did said that it require some special soft. like imgburn.

 

[Mark56]

Special software would be needed in windows, as Kubuntu has the facility to burn ISO image files, that will do the job.

 

[baap108]

o.k i need to just burn and then follow the procedure you told(fixmbr)

 

[Mark56]

Yes, but remember what I said in the guide.

As Long as a damaged MBR was the only problem Windows XP should now boot normally.

I hope that the MBR is the only problem, if it works, then just follow the rest of the instructions in post 10 and run Malwarebytes and don't forget to post the report at the end of the scan so I can see what it finds.

 

[baap108]

o.k it would take some days as now i am thinking to backup all the data

 

[Mark56]

That is a wise move and once you have everything saved and have a working copy of XP you can repair or reinstall XP without any problem.

I'll be waiting to see the Malwarebytes report when you are ready.

 

[baap108]

o.k now i am thinking if i have the whole backup,then why xp why not have vista or 7:haha: lol

 

[Mark56]

Windows 7 would be your best choice, Vista is similar but nowhere near as good.

First though you should check that your PC is compatible with Windows 7. Got to this link and download the compatability tool, it gives you results for both 32 and 64bit installations and will tell you if you need to upgrade any of your hardware.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...90-7659-4bd9-9e51-2497c146af15&displaylang=en

 

[baap108]

oh friend how can i run that tool in linux:suspiciou

anyway is it easy to install windows 7 or not ?