DOS ain't dead - Can't directly boot XP with BTTR BootMgr

eln

13.02.2009, 22:52

Can't directly boot XP with BTTR BootMgr (Users)

The partition layout as shown by BootMgr is as follows:

Hard disk 1 (of 2), Size = 465G C:H:S = 1024,255,63 1 0C FAT32X 15570M LBA 0:1:1 1023:254:63 <- 2 07 HPFS,NTFS, 39G LBA 1023:1:1 1023:254:63 3 07 HPFS,NTFS, 39G LBA 1023:1:1 1023:254:63 4 05 Extended 372G LBA 1023:1:1 1023:254:63

I installed Windows XP Pro to partition #2 (E:). Thus, according to MS boot layout, the boot files (boot.ini, ntldr etc.) went to partition #1 (C:), the system itself to #2. If I leave this as it is, and just put BootMgr into the MBR, XP boots correctly:

Menu Assoc. XP Main #1 <- <Floppy> A:

But when I move the boot files to partition #2, set #2 as active partition, and associate "#2 <-" to "XP Main", then I just get a blinking cursor when I select "XP Main" in the boot menu.

I put a 2nd operating system line into boot.ini, so those two lines should be presented during the boot, but that doesn't happen. boot.ini doesn't seem to be found during the boot process. The original boot.ini entry looks as follows:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional Main System" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

which looks OK to me. I really have no idea what I'm doing wrong here. Any help highly appreciated.

Many thanks

Berlin, Germany,
13.02.2009, 23:20

@ eln

Can't directly boot XP with BTTR BootMgr

Post reply

> The partition layout as shown by BootMgr is as follows:
>
> Hard disk 1 (of 2), Size = 465G C:H:S = 1024,255,63> > 1 0C FAT32X 15570M LBA 0:1:1 1023:254:63 <- > 2 07 HPFS,NTFS, 39G LBA 1023:1:1 1023:254:63 > 3 07 HPFS,NTFS, 39G LBA 1023:1:1 1023:254:63 > 4 05 Extended 372G LBA 1023:1:1 1023:254:63

465G is quite large, but all primary partitions start below 128G. So this is not your problem. Please post the "Start-LBA" values for each partition!

> But when I move the boot files to partition #2, set #2 as active
> partition, and associate "#2 <-" to "XP Main", then I just get a blinking
> cursor when I select "XP Main" in the boot menu.

So no boot.ini configuration lines are displayed?

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eln

14.02.2009, 01:00
(edited by eln, 14.02.2009, 02:26)

@ rr

Can't directly boot XP with BTTR BootMgr

Post reply

Thanks @rr for trying to help.

The starting sectors are as follows:

#1 63
#2 31889025
#3 113820525
#4 1955752025

No, no boot.ini configuration lines are displayed. This is OK if there is only one line (you have no choice). Therefore I added a second line, so both lines should be displayed, but no avail. I believe that (obviously?) boot.ini of partition #2 isn't executed for what reason ever.

eln

EDIT: When I try to boot to partition #2 (which fails), and then switch back to boot partition #1 XP comes up with that additional screen where you can select boot options (normal boot, safe boot, last known good etc.). So XP behaves as if it has shut down improperly. It seems to me as if the boot attempt has somehow changed the system state. I don't know if this hint helps, but I want to mention it at least.

mht

Wroclaw, Poland,
14.02.2009, 07:19

@ eln

Can't directly boot XP with BTTR BootMgr

Post reply

The empty screen with blinking cursor suggests that NTLDR does not start correctly (this is NTLDR who is responsible for interpreting BOOT.INI). However, when the bootstrap code (which, on an NTFS partition, resides in the boot sector and a few following sectors) cannot find and/or load NTLDR, you should see an error message about missing NTLDR... Maybe your bootstrap code is broken and just hangs? What tool did you use to format your partition #2?

Just to make sure: you should have NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM, BOOTFONT.BIN and BOOT.INI on your partition #2.

Michal

eln

14.02.2009, 11:42

@ mht

Can't directly boot XP with BTTR BootMgr

Post reply

@mht

I used Parition Magic 8.05 to format all partitions.

I checked all 4 boot files: they are on partition #2 and have same md5-sums as those files on partition #1.

When I remove NTLDR from partition #2 I get the 'missing NTLDR' message, so that seems to prove that NTLDR is found at least. But then the configuration lines of boot.ini aren't presented which indicates (to me) that the input to NTLDR from the bootstrap code is corrupt or incorrect. Is anybody able to "read" the MBR and check its correctness? In that case I would post it here, perhaps together with the MBR when booting to partition #1 (whichs works OK).

eln

mht

Wroclaw, Poland,
14.02.2009, 17:56

@ eln

Can't directly boot XP with BTTR BootMgr

Post reply

> When I remove NTLDR from partition #2 I get the 'missing NTLDR' message,

This means that the boot sector of the NTFS partition is loaded by BootMgr and control is passed to it.

> Is anybody able to "read" the MBR and check its correctness? In that case
> I would post it here, perhaps together with the MBR when booting to
> partition #1 (whichs works OK).

I can do it, of course. But I doubt if the problem is in the MBR: it seems that the MBR does what it should. I think you should also dump a few initial sectors of the NTFS partition to a file -- say, 32 sectors starting from the boot sector. Instead of posting the files, you can send them directly to me.

Michal

Berlin, Germany,
14.02.2009, 19:02

@ eln

Can't directly boot XP with BTTR BootMgr

Post reply

> I used Parition Magic 8.05 to format all partitions.

Partition Magic has caused a lot of problems to many users. Please avoid it! You can create partitions using your Windows XP setup CD, Free FDISK, GParted, ...

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eln 15.02.2009, 14:29 @ rr	Can't directly boot XP with BTTR BootMgr Post reply
	> Partition Magic has caused a lot of problems to many users. Please avoid > it! You can create partitions using your Windows XP setup CD, Free FDISK, > GParted, ... I never had any problem with Partition Magic I started using with version 5. And keep in mind that booting via partition #1 functions perfectly, so formatting problems seem to be rather unlikely. eln

Berlin, Germany,
15.02.2009, 14:50

@ eln

Can't directly boot XP with BTTR BootMgr

Post reply

> I never had any problem with Partition Magic I started using with version
> 5. And keep in mind that booting via partition #1 functions perfectly, so
> formatting problems seem to be rather unlikely.

It's your decision, but do you also use stupid or snake-oil software like Norton Antivirus, TuneUp, xp-AntiSpy, personal firewalls...? ;-) All cause problems as PMagic does, but people still use it, because they don't want to hear the thruth.

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RayeR

CZ,
16.02.2009, 12:12

@ rr

Can't directly boot XP with BTTR BootMgr

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> It's your decision, but do you also use stupid or snake-oil software like
> Norton Antivirus, TuneUp, xp-AntiSpy, personal firewalls...? ;-) All cause
> problems as PMagic does, but people still use it, because they don't want
> to hear the thruth.

Hm, I don't remember any problems with new PQM (using v8.05). I used it sometimes to resize and move partitions with data and never lost them. So I like PQM :)

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RayeR

CZ,
27.02.2009, 02:14

@ RayeR

Can't directly boot XP with BTTR BootMgr

Post reply

> Hm, I don't remember any problems with new PQM (using v8.05). I used it
> sometimes to resize and move partitions with data and never lost them. So
> I like PQM :)

Hm it seems that I should correct my belive in PQM, collegue did resizing of cluster size on big FAT32 partition and the PQM ended with some errors that caused data loss. I don't know if he checked drive with some scandisk tool before this but I think PQM should check FS before it start some operation.

I use PQM only for resizing, moving, creation, delete, setting active partition and neved had a problem.

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Berlin, Germany,
28.02.2009, 00:15

@ RayeR

Can't directly boot XP with BTTR BootMgr

Post reply

> Hm it seems that I should correct my belive in PQM, collegue did resizing
> of cluster size on big FAT32 partition and the PQM ended with some errors
> that caused data loss.

Yes, changing cluster size often results in data loss.
But wait, you've made a backup before, right?! So there's no problem. :-D

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mht Wroclaw, Poland, 28.02.2009, 18:28 @ RayeR	Can't directly boot XP with BTTR BootMgr Post reply
	Was it PQM's NTFS formatting the culprit or not -- anyway, on eln's faulty partition, the sectors 1..15 contained just zeroes, instead of the remainder of the NTLDR bootstrap code. The loader from sector 0 was loading and running these zeroes with a known effect. The problem has been finally solved by copying these 15 sectors from a correct bootable NTFS partition.

Berlin, Germany,
28.02.2009, 20:25

@ mht

Can't directly boot XP with BTTR BootMgr

Post reply

> Was it PQM's NTFS formatting the culprit or not -- anyway, on eln's
> faulty partition, the sectors 1..15 contained just zeroes, instead of the
> remainder of the NTLDR bootstrap code. The loader from sector 0 was
> loading and running these zeroes with a known effect. The problem has been
> finally solved by copying these 15 sectors from a correct bootable NTFS
> partition.

Thanks for the final feedback! :-)

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