My laptop is apologizing. . .

[DrYattz]

I see several other references to this. After shutting down my eMachines laptop normally (after my daughter was using it to LimeWire a bunch of offensive music), the next morning it booted into a window with:

We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start successfully. A recent hardware or software change might have caused this.

etc.

I've tried all the Safe Modes, Last Known Good Configuration, to no avail.

The last listed program running is agpCPQ.sys.

A blue screen appears and immediately disappears just before it fails and apologizes again, but I can't read it, and the Pause key seems not to work.

My eMachines boot CD is lost, so I created a boot CD from Microsoft: WinXP_EN_HOM_BF.EXE. That just slows the boot process, with the same result.

Suggestions?

 

[frankibo]

Boot your PC while holding f8. You get a screen like with safe mode etc. You can choose there to put off automatic reboot when you get a blue screen. If you get the blue screen write down the code and maybe I can help you.

 

[DrYattz]

It reads:
________________________________________________

A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME

If this is the first time. . .etc.

Technical information:

*** STOP: 0x000000ED (0x82F89928, 0xC0000006, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)
_______________________________________________

btw: I just realized I created a boot disk with Home XP, not Professional, which my laptop uses. Cold that have prevented it from booting from the CD?

Thanks for your help. What now?

 

[seanieb64]

It seems that Windows is not able to mount, or to start your HD. Take the CD out and make sure the error is just from the drive or the CD. IF the drive gives another error, please try to post it here.

 

[DrYattz]

Ok

Rebooting with the CD out gives the same error, although the last line reads:

*** STOP: 0x000000ED (0x82F54430, 0xC0000006, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

When it boots, the harddrive LED lights, btw.

 

[Jesse_hz]

My guess is your boot.ini has become corrupt somehow.

My eMachines boot CD is lost

When you bought the computer, did you get an ordinary XP install cd? If you did, then try putting it in the drive, reboot and see what happens.

 

[DrYattz]

I think I did, but. . .

Lord knows where it might be.

Can't I go to:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...FamilyID=55820EDB-5039-4955-BCB7-4FED408EA73F

and create a CD with that .exe file?

 

[Jesse_hz]

I don't think so, that's for people who can't boot from their install CDs.

The reason I wanted you to find your install CD is because I wanted you to get to the recovery console. If you can't find yours, try borrowing an XP install CD from a friend/colleague/whatever and use it instead, it won't make a difference as far as I know.

The other option is to get a Linux liveCD and boot it. Once you're in Linux, enable write support for NTFS file systems, then attempt to fix your boot.ini manually.

Keep in mind: All of this is assuming your boot.ini is the problem

 

[DrYattz]

I tried a Toshiba Recovery disk, which booted, and offered to wipe my hard drive clean; I declined. Now I've got an A:\> prompt, which won't switch to c:\>.

I'll keep looking for the eMachine boot disk. If not, linux?

 

[Jesse_hz]

No you need a Windows XP install CD! Any will do as long as it's Professional Edition. When you have one, post here for further instructions.

 

[DrYattz]

Linux

I found a Linux Rescue V.0.2.15 CD. Can this be used?

 

[Jesse_hz]

I'm not familiar with that one one, so I really can't say and fixing the boot.ini manually is going to be a wee bit hard, especially if you don't know what you're doing.
What I've already said twice and what I would really want you to do, is to get a hold of an XP Pro Install CD and use that instead.

Kind Regards Jesse

 

[DrYattz]

I agree.

While waiting until I can get home and look for the XP CD, I tried a few other things, including creating a boot disk by these directions:

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

It creates a floppy for the A:\ drive, which I connected via an auxilliary USB drive. Well, the laptop tries to boot off the A:\, but ends up in the apology, "Windows did not start successfully" window. Don't know if that means anything. . .

More after I find the CD.

Thanks much for your help!

 

[Tmagic650]

Yikes! Another Emachines... A generic XP install CD might be used to repair the Windows install. Linux is Linux. Windows is Windows. Remember the apples to oranges thing

 

[Jesse_hz]

I must admit I didn't understand the above post.