Windows 2000 Boot Problem

[Opto]

Bone Head of the month? That would be me. For reasons too embarrassing to mention I had to do a format and reinstall of my OS (W2KPro). My 6 gig HD was originally partitioned 50/50 for C & D drives.

I’m a little hazy as to what I did exactly but here’s an approximation: I tried to by pass using the 4 floppies by loading the CD and running W2KPro setup. I wound up with 2 OSs at start up, and when I tried to install I.E. updates and SP4 I got error messages and a brief BSOD on startup, and no net connection. So I started over again using the floppies. Unfortunately it was getting late, I was tired (and not paying attention), and I formatted and installed the OS on my D partition. Started over again; used the floppies, changed the size of the partitions, formatted C, installed the OS. Then did a full format of D from within windows.

I still have two OSs on startup. The first one starts normally, but the second gives the following message:

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:

<windows 2000 root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe

I would like to clean this up and remove the second dysfunctional OS.

When loading the MS updates I got error messages re: svchost.exe. Out of idle curiosity I took a look at the Device Manager and found the following:

svchost.exe PID 372 Mem Usage 3,052

svchost.exe PID 420 Mem Usage 5,760

svchost.exe PID 748 Mem Usage 1,948

I am obviously not the sharpest tack in the box. Is it normal to have three of these?

When you stop laughing could you please give me a little guidance?

Thanks,

Cliff

(ps. when I signed up there was no option for selecting W2K as an OS. Oversight?)

[mark2]

Hi Opto,

Not being a 2k user, so you can tell me to push off if you like, I'm assuming you don't have anything of importance on those 2 partitions yet,

Would it be simpler to wipe the drive and start again ? (paying attention this time perhaps :D :D )

regarding the svchost.exe's I'm not sure how many you should have with 2k, but with XP I can find 5 running quite often.

Either Mr Mouse or Spikeychris could enlighten you more, and offer you possibly simpler/better fixes or instructions.

[Agent Smith]

Hello Opto, and welcome to the Forum.

Don't worry, there are plenty of people here who have done much worse than this :o :P :D

Right, lets start with the svchost question. The svchost, is a generic name for any service loaded from dll's. It is quite normal to have three running at once, and as mark2 states, it can go quite a lot higher.

Next, I have to agree with mark here, if you have literally just done the install, and do not have any work on your drives yet, then I really would recommend starting again. I appreciate that it may take another few hours to get to this position, but in the long run it will almost certainly result in a far stabler install.

You should not need the floppy disc's at all. Boot the pc with the 2k disc in (having set your pc to boot from the cd) and use the install program to erase your current partitions. You can then format a new one, selecting the size you wish. Leave the blank space unformatted for now. Once windows is installed and running properly, then you can use disc manager to format the blank space as a second partition.

If you really need to try and solve your current install, then let me know and we shall try and talk you through it.

Regards. Mr. Mouse.

[Opto]

Greeting Mr(s). Mark and Mouse,

Thanks for the replys.

You know I could swear that what Mouse suggests is what I did the last time. Starting with the floppies, then the CD, I deleted both partitions then created new C & D partitions; formatted C and installed the OS. Then in My Computer I right clicked the D drive and did a complete NTFS format. And you're right, there is nothing on my system so a reformat won't kill me. And just so you know, I'm not doing a dual boot; D drive is my storage for backups and files.

(I think I created this problem by running the OS install from within W2K. I just opened the Pro folder on the CD and hit the .exe file. Won't be doing that again no matter how lazy I feel.)

My pc isn't configured to boot from the CD and I would need a step by step procedure to do that, starting with "Turn on your computer"

Thanks,

Cliff

(P.S. can anybody splain me why W2K starts with 4 frickin floppies?)

[Chris]

How to boot from the CD

[Opto]

Powerless: nope, that didn't work. First, remember I'm using w2k and to enter BIOS on startup you hit Esc.

I changed the BIOS to boot from the CD but I still go the same choice of OSs and a normal start.

[nellie2]

It isn't your os that determines how you get into your bios... it is the bios type. some you have to press the Del key and I suppose with yours it is escape.

Please forgive me for this really daft question but I do have to check. You do have your W2k CD in the drive when you are booting don't you?? :huh: Do you get the option to 'press any key to boot from CD'... you have to watch closely because the message doesn't stay there long.

[trackrat]

Welcome to the Forum

Another daft question when you came out of the BIOS did you exit and save the changes ?.

[Opto]

No question is too daft considering the nincompooperie I am capable of.

LOL. Yes, the w2k CD was in the 'puter. There was no option to "Press any key to boot from CD. On startup I see "In Touch With Toshiba" (I have a laptop), and the next screen is asking me to select an OS.

And I did save changes to BIOS. Doing that automatically gave me a reboot. Then I shut it down and did a cold boot. Then I went back into BIOS just to make sure the changes were still there: there were.

It seems the simplest thing to do now is use the floppies.

And thanks for the tip on entering BIOS. I remember pressing different keys but I always associated it with the OS.

Cliff

(Why isn't W2KPro listed as one of the OSs on the Profile???? I feel like an orphan)

[Agent Smith]

Opto, just quickly before you get the floppies out again, what exactly did you change in your BIOS?

In order for you to be able to boot from a CD (assuming your pc supports this, but given your specs it should), you need to move the cd drive ahead of the hard disc in the boot order.

Normally you would leave the A drive as the first option, then the CD drive and finally the Hard Disc.

Mr. M.

[Opto]

Boot Priority = CD-ROM>FDD>HDD

When I change it back it should read = FDD>HDD>CD-ROM? Right?

DOH! Mr Mouse: I just read all of your post above and will configure FDD>CD-ROM>HDD

[Agent Smith]

Try adding it round the way I suggested.

It has been known for the boot sequence to miss a CD drive if it has not spun up fast enough. Whilst on that subject, does the CD drive attempt to read during the boot sequence, or just skip straight through to the Hard Disc?

Mr. M.

[Opto]

attempts to read

[Agent Smith]

One other thing that may be worth checking, assuming you only have one hard drive, and one cd drive, are they set up on seperate IDE channels, both as masters?

Your BIOS should tell you if this is the case.

Mr. M.

[Opto]

Not sure if this will answer your question but...

DRIVES I/O

HDD = PRIMARY IDE (1F0H/IRQ14)

CD-ROM = SECONDARY IDE (170H/IRQ15)

I've just been crusin the net, readin stuff; is it possible that w2k came in bootable and non-bootable CDs?

[Agent Smith]

I've just been crusin the net, readin stuff; is it possible that w2k came in bootable and non-bootable CDs?

That I cannot answer at the moment. I have only ever had the bootable variety.

I will check up though.

Mr. M.

[Opto]

So the BIOS Drive I/O, is that what you were expecting to see?

It's funny that I can't get into that field to make changes if I wanted to. Think I'll flash my BIOS before I start this mess over again.

I'm off to work. Will check back this afternoon.

Thanks for the help. It's been fun.

Cliff

[Agent Smith]

Just to add to the confusion, as far as I can tell from a quick trawl around, all the 2k cd's should be bootable.

Not too sure, at the moment, why yours won't boot.

Mr. M.

PS You're off to work, and I am just about to finish and go home :P

If I'm not about later, it's because we have a long holiday weekend here in England, so I will be in the pub tonight. I hope!!

[nellie2]

Me too...... the pub that is!!! :D Opto... do be careful if you are considering flashing your bios. I have seen a motherboard rendered useless by someone who was impatient and didn't research what he was supposed to do and didn't listen to advice he was given at the time.

[Besty]

Sorry

[Opto]

Well, this is getting interesting/frustrating. I just loaded the 4 floppies, deleted all partitions, formatted, then installed w2k and I still get two OSs on startup. What the fliberty-jibbit????? :wacko: :confused: 1zhelp

[mark2]

Can you load either of the 2 OS's ?

Is the 2K cd still in the drive ?

I've had a look http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...kb;EN-US;304868

after step 5 on the page,

Important Do not press a key to boot from your CD-ROM drive when your computer restarts.

you didn't inadvertently hit a key did you?

otherwise I wonder if powerless's suggestion here http://www.windowsforum.org/forum/index.ph...pic=9307&st=105 for rebuilding the boot config would sort this out, but deleting the extra line if it's in there.

Mr M is our resident 2K specialist, I'm just trying (very). :D

[Agent Smith]

Opto, can you please, for my benefit, tell me exactly what process (as far as you can remember) you went through, up to the point at which windows starts to install. I am not being funny, but I would like you to try and tell me what keys etc. were pressed, rather than just "I deleted this partition" etc.

Also, can you post the exact message you get when you boot please.

Thanks. Mr. M.

[Opto]

START UP MESSAGE:

Please select the operating system to start:

Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

The first one starts normally.

The second produces the error message:

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:

<windows 2000 root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe

On my last install: When I reached the point that I was shown my two partitions I first highlighted "D" and (I believe) hit the "d" key. I was then asked to confirm the deletion by pressing "L". I then returned to the partition screen and did the same thing with the C partition. The system then said I had 6 gigs unpartitioned. And I formatted that sucker, and installed w2k.

The only other "weird" thing I do is on startup with the first floppy, I hit F5, and enter ACPI (which is the recommended procedure for my Toshiba Laptop).

[Agent Smith]

Hi again Opto, I think this is a corrupt boot.ini problem

Can you find the file boot.ini, which should be located in the root of your C: drive (couple of things though, first you will need to change your settings to view hidden and system files, and second please search your entire pc for the file, as I would like to check that you only have the one version).

When you have found it, it should open in notepad by double clicking on it. Please copy the entire contents to a post so that I can have a look at it.

Thanks. Mr. M.