Unable to load into Windows 2000

[bubbenhall]

I'm having problems loading my Windows 2000 and hope someone can ofer some advice.

On switching the machine on, it boots as usual from the IDE.

Then it starts DOS.

Then HIMEN is testing - done

Then C:\>C:\DOS\smartdrive.exe.x

mode prepare code function completed

mode select code function completed

c:\>

At the C: pronpt it goes no further whereas it will usualy load up Windows 2000 and go the desktop.

Can anyone suggest what I need to do to load windows - I don't mind re-loading Win2000 onto the system (if I can do this from the C:) again but I would prefer not to wipe the hard drive clean.

Can anyone help?

[ski]

Add the following lines to the autoexec.bat file, and see if that helps:

cd\
cd windows
win

[bubbenhall]

Thanks-I understand what you say but how do I add lines to autoexec.bat file. I've found it in the directory but not sure how to proceed

[pentachris]

On a Win 9x machine (or an XP machine using FAT32), you would type

EDIT AUTOEXEC.BAT

from a c: prompt.

I'm not sure how you would do it on a 2000 machine.

[bubbenhall]

I've added the 3 lines of code to the autoexec.bat file (at the end of the existing code)

On booting now the final line of the script reads ...

Mode select code page function complete

Bad Command or file name

C:\windows>

[pentachris]

I've never used it before, but I know that if you've got the Windows 2000 disc, you can boot to it and use a recovery console that may help you. I found an article about it here (http://networking.earthweb.com/netsysm/article.php/623601).

[ski]

Go to Start/Run, type msconfig in the box, click OK, click the Autoexec.bat tab, and uncheck the box that contains the line C:\DOS\smartdrive.exe.x
If no luck, then uncheck all items in Autoexec.bat

If there is no msconfig feature in Win 2000, then go to Start/Run, type sysedit in the box, click OK, go to the autoexec.bat window, and type REM before the line that contains C:\DOS\smartdrive.exe.x

[bubbenhall]

Ski

Can I do this through DOS as I can't get to the Start/Run function at the moment. If so how do I do it?

[ski]

Yes, you did say that Windows is not loading.
What a dummy I am!

See if you can get Windows to load by typing WIN at the C:\> prompt, and pressing Enter.

[bubbenhall]

Ski

Since doing the additional lines in autoexec.bat that pentachris suggested I now have a prompt - C:\WINDOWS

I can't get to just the C: prompt even by restarting the machine. I also has another look in autoexec.bat and there appear no files in it now!

Inputing 'win' at the C:WINDOWS achieves nothing except going back to that prompt

[ski]

See if you can get back to a C:\> prompt by typing the same EDIT AUTOEXEC.BAT command at the C:\Windows> prompt, and then either delete the 3 added lines or type REM before each one.
If that works, then try the WIN command at the C:\> prompt.

[pentachris]

If you're at c:\windows and you're trying to get back to c:\, you just need to type

CD ..

at the c:\windows prompt. That's a "c", a "d", and then two periods.

I'm still amazed that you're able to manipulate files on a ntfs partition from dos. Can someone explain to me how that's possible without spending a few hundred dollars on NTFSDOS Professional?

[bubbenhall]

Got back to C:prompt. Edited Autoexec.bat and took out the 3 lines that were added earlier.

Autoexec.bat looks like this now:



C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE /X
@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $P$G
PATH C:\DOS
SET TEMP=C:\DOS
MODE CON CODEPAGE PREPARE =((437)C:\DOS\EGA.CPI
MODE CON CODEPAGE SELECT=437
KEYB UK,,C:\DOS\KEYBOARD.SYS


Once I'd edited this file I returned to the C: prompt, input WIN and the message came up as 'Bad command or file name'

[Paul Komski]

Is this a dual boot system or has Win9x/ME been installed over Win2K? With a straight Win2K installation autoexec.bat, config.sys, io.sys, etc. do exist but are all empty files.

I would suggest you boot to the Win2K installation CD - choose new installation - ignore the press R for Recovery using Recovery Console - let the install continue loading; it should then find the original installation and give you the option of repairing it. Repair it.

There are commands like fixboot that you can run from the recovery console but I would suggest you first try to repair the old installation. This should leave all your data and programs intact.

[ErnieK]

At the C:\prompt try typing EXIT.
I have seen this (somewhere - though never tried it myself) closing down the dos prompt and booting into windows

[sleddog]

There is something deeply strange here. A Windows 2000 machine that boots to DOS... but in Windows 2000 there is no DOS!

Either it is a multiboot (Windows 2000 and some form of Windows 95/98/ME) or someone has been monkeying around.

Takes Paul's advice. Boot to the Windows 2000 CD and select the repair option.

[ski]

but in Windows 2000 there is no DOS!
According to this MS site, Win 2000 has DOS capability:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/server/help/default.asp?url=/windows2000/en/server/help/ntcmds.htm

[ski]

See if this helps:
http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:GAAS9oJu7dYJ:www.sanx.org/tipShow.asp%3FarticleRef%3D113+%22windows+2000%22+ autoexec.bat&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Never mind the above.
I just remembered that you cannot load Windows, and therefore cannot edit the Registry.

[sleddog]

Originally posted by ski

According to this MS site, Win 2000 has DOS capability:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/server/help/default.asp?url=/windows2000/en/server/help/ntcmds.htm

Windows NT/2000/XP contain a DOS emulator which enables DOS-based software to run, and provides a commandline prompt. NT-based systems do not contain the DOS operating system and therefore cannot "boot to DOS". In other words, it is impossible to boot to a C:\> prompt (a DOS prompt) using a pure NT/2000/XP system. There must be (the remnants of?) a Windows 95/98/ME installation on that machine in order to produce a DOS prompt. The existence of a \DOS\ directory, and the reference to smartdrive, are other clues pointing in this direction.

[bubbenhall]

Thinking back, this probably had Windows ME on the system before I put the 2000 on it.

I tried booting from the CD and the message I received was:

Boot Failure
Reboot - select proper boot device
or insert boot media in selected bad device
Press any key when ready



If I need to format the drive and reinstall the software is it possible to only format, say the 'F' drive and install the software onto that drive.

My disc is split presently....

C:Where most of the files are that I do not want to lose
D:CD
E:CD RE-WRITER
F:SPARE
G:PARTIAL USE
H:PARTIAL USE

If I could format 'F' and put the O/S there would it then run for all other drives?

[Inka]

I think you maybe have an upgrade version of win2k? They arnt bootable (well mine isnt anyway) Do you still have the win2k boot floppies (3 of them)? Use these to boot the pc with & choose the repair option.

Either a repair or a reinstall will allow you to access the files still on the HDD. Only a reformat & clean install will lose your data.

By the sounds of it a reformat & clean install will untimately be the best option as you have all sorts of things hanging around on that PC!! It may be prudent to do 2x installs

1. repair / reinstall just so you can recover the data to CD, floppies or another HDD.

2. Reformat & clean install to get a good working copy of w2k on your system.

[bubbenhall]

I've managed to run the 4 set up discs - tried to repair but get the message

Windows 2000 could not start because
windows\system32\config\systemd

is missing or corrupted
You can attempt to repair this file by starting Win2000 setup using the original CD

select 'r' at the final screen to start repair.

Not sure where to go from here

[ski]

sleddog,
Thanks for the info on Win 2000 and DOS.
That's something I was not aware of.

[Inka]

Oh dear a poorly pc :(

I believe it is possible to replace that missing or corrupt file. Not too sure the procedure tho.
I would do a reinstall of w2k personally. Run those floppy disks again and choose to install 'using existing settings' which is an option you will be given. As I mentioned - so long as you dont format & do a clean install you will get access to all your files again. The format being the relevant bit here... that would be a bad thing at the mo :)


Just another thought - I dont suppose you ever got around to doing a w2k repair disk? That will also get you back into your existing build. If not its maybe a lil something you will want to do next time round! :)

[bubbenhall]

Hey Guys - We're up and running

Thanks to you all for all your help - I've learnt a lot and will continue reading the postings and hopefully pick up some stuff from that.

One final question - I loaded the new version to the 'D' drive - the corrupt version is on the 'C' drive. I'm quite short of disk space on the 'C' - would it be safe to delete some folders and if so which ones.

Again thanks a lot - I really appreciate it

[Inka]

Great news!

Now that you're in the best thing to do would be to back up all your important data to somewhere else. Then start again from scratch & format the hard drive. All those pesky autoexec files etc are still there & will make themselves known again sometime soon..

Oh & you can put w2k back into C then too.

Format & start again! :cool:

[Paul Komski]

I loaded the new version to the 'D' drive
Previously you indicated that the D drive was the CD ROM so the new installation would also appear to have changed the drive letters.

Just to know exactly where everything is and how much space is available on the partitions, RClick MyComputer choose Manage and then choose Disk Management; that should give you a good overview of all the partitions and your HDD structure.

Whether you decide to delete stuff on the C drive or not DO NOT FORAT the C Drive. The bootloaders (boot.ini, ntldr, ntdetect.com, etc) are kept on C (even though your new installation is on D) and formatting it will leave you with an unbootable HDD. It is advisable to copy these three files to a floppy disk, which should allow you to at least reboot your pc from that floppy in the event that anything happens to C or to the boot loaders themselves.

As previously suggested, running a repair installation of the C drive is what I would still recommend to get things straightened out. My best guess as to what has happened is that someone attempted an install of Win9X/ME over your installation of Win2K. This changes the whole MBR and boot partition table to try to load a DOS-based partition; which is how this thread started.