Computer help. What to do with error loading operating system How to use a special disk to restore the system

What can I say, many computer system users are so accustomed to working in Windows XP that they never want to change it to more recent systems. However, the “Express” itself, as well as subsequent versions of Windows OS, is subject to errors such as: “Cannot start HAL.dll”, “File not found”, “File is damaged or missing”, etc. Let's see what we can do to restore the system boot without drastic measures such as a complete reinstallation.

What is this file?

If we talk about the file itself, understanding its functioning will be quite difficult for the average user.

In general terms: in Windows XP, HAL.dll is responsible for the interaction of software and hardware components and represents a so-called layer of program code at the level of hardware abstractions, that is, it hides some aspects of the hardware implementation at all levels - from hardware to application programs. This applies to all components present in the system.

So why do errors that many people do not understand occur when loading the system, when the message “HAL.dll is missing or damaged” appears on the monitor screen? Windows XP, as one of the aging systems, is most susceptible to such failures.

Basic functions of the library

As for the functionality, we can say that this library is a kind of layer that allows not only the user, but also any software developer to use application commands to directly access, say, some kind of “hardware” component, even without taking into account its brand , name, manufacturer, etc.

In general, this is a universal bridge that allows the program to run on any hardware in a universal mode. To make it clearer: in some ways, the functionality of the HAL.dll library can be compared to the same DirectX in terms of its operating principle.

Why does the "HAL.dll is missing or corrupt" error occur (Windows XP)?

In general, there can be a lot of reasons for such errors to appear. The most common situations are damage to the hard drive or RAM sticks. In this case, you just need to diagnose them.

It goes without saying that we cannot exclude the harmful effects of viruses, which can not only change the structure of a file, but even completely delete it from the hard drive.

However, we will not take such situations into account now. We assume that the hard drive is in order, there are no viruses, and the error “HAL.dll is missing or damaged” (Windows XP) is caused solely by software failures.

System Restore

First, let's consider the situation when the system can still be loaded. Naturally, at the beginning of the system boot, a line may appear indicating that the Windows component root\System32\HAL.dll was not found (missing or damaged).

The simplest solution may be to boot Windows XP in safe mode, but only with the command line (at the beginning of the boot process, use the F8 key, after which the appropriate partition is selected).

After the command line appears, you just need to enter the combination c:\windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe (system restore) in it, and then just follow the instructions on the screen. In many cases this helps. But what should you do if the message with the line missing Windows boot element root\System32\HAL.dll l appears again and the system does not boot at all?

Fixing incorrect entries in the boot.ini file

Few users know that the loading error is not always associated specifically with the library in question. Sometimes this is only a consequence, and the cause lies in incorrect (incorrect) entries in the boot.ini file, pointing to the volume partition where the operating system is located. You can, of course, use some programs for Windows XP (we will list them a little later), but now let's see what you can do yourself without their help.

So, to begin with, we boot from any Windows XP installation disk, having previously set the CD/DVD-ROM as the priority boot device in the BIOS, after which we press the “R” key and go to the recovery console.

Now select the required build of Windows XP, if necessary, enter the admin password, and then use the bootcfg/rebuild command and press “Enter”. After detecting a copy of Windows and receiving a request, add it to the download list (press “Y” and enter the identifier in the form of a modification of Windows XP (Home Edition or Professional), in general, what is installed on the computer).

After that, we reboot and select the download option with a new source. Only after this will it be possible to find the boot.ini file in the system, open it using regular Notepad and delete the incorrect boot path.

HAL.dll error: troubleshooting using the console

The above recovery options do not always work. The reason may indeed be the damage or absence of the required file, which by default is located on the system drive (most often drive “C”) at the address Windows\System32\HAL.dll.

Here we will again need the installation disk and login as described above. Now our task comes down to finding the original file on the disk and copying it to the system partition of the hard drive. Let’s make a reservation right away: such actions are applicable exclusively to the Windows XP system; such things do not work with the “seven” and “eight”.

Let's say our drive is marked with the letter “E”. The file itself on the disk is located in the i386 folder. To make sure that it really exists, use the command E:\I386>dir. Found it? Wonderful! But why then does the file name not correspond to the original, but is designated as HAL.dl_? Only because this is a packed CAB archive that we need to unpack.

To do this, use the command expand e:i386hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32 (with a space before the drive letter “C”). You can, of course, unpack the file and simply put it on the system drive, and then copy it to the desired location. But why, if you can copy and replace directly? After this, the system should boot normally without any problems.

The best programs to correct the situation

However, if such methods for fixing the “HAL.dll is missing or damaged” error (Windows XP) may seem too abstruse to some users, you can use many specialized applications such as Acronis Disk Director, Acronis Recovery Expert, Bootice and others.

Such programs for Windows XP, in principle, do not differ much from each other, since they need to be loaded directly from optical media or a flash drive, and they use similar methods in their work. Another thing is that the user does not have to enter specific commands, since the menu in them is completely specific, and basically they are designed to restore lost or damaged data or even entire logical partitions of the hard drive.

If you have already noticed, all these applications are general programs, so to speak, for all occasions. Naturally, they will be able to help, for example, an inexperienced user in some ways. Although there are legitimate doubts about the fact that an ordinary user, not having the necessary knowledge, will use them. Unfortunately, most of them, without delving into the essence of the issue, quickly start reinstalling the system. But in vain.

It may also happen that when re-installing Windows, such errors will arise that the installation will not be completed, and as a result the user will receive a completely inoperable system.

Conclusion

Of course, using data recovery programs is good. But still, no one can give a firm guarantee that the required dynamic library file will be completely restored. Therefore, despite the apparent simplicity of working with such applications and their almost complete automation, it is better not to be lazy and use standard methods for restoring system boot. They may be more complicated or take longer, but in this case you can be one hundred percent sure that the functionality of Windows XP will be restored completely.

True, in some cases, when errors in a given dynamic library are not a cause, but a consequence of other software failures, the use of such utilities may be justified. However, if the problem is in the hard drive or in a malfunction of the RAM, nothing can be done about it. First, you will have to conduct a full test, and in the most unpleasant case, replace the hardware and install the system, as they say, from scratch. We'll have to come to terms with this.

Error loading operating system Windows 7 occurs when you directly turn on the operating system, so the user simply does not have a seemingly huge set of tools to fix this error - the error does not make it possible to turn on the OS even in safe mode in order to gain access to various built-in debugging elements .

Considering the situation described above, some users, when asked what to do - error loading operating system, confidently answer that only reinstalling the OS will help. But for many people this is not always the optimal solution to the problem, so they begin to search for alternative methods.

They really do exist and can help even if the message “error loading operating system” appears when installing Windows 7 from a flash drive.

Methodology for restoring system functionality

How to fix loading operating system error? The fact is that there are two main root causes, the consequence of which is this situation:

• Conflicts with the hard drive being used.
• The OS itself has crashed.

Based on these data, the further stages of human actions are built.

The first stage is an attempt to solve the situation with error loading operating system Windows 10 or 7 by bringing the hard drive to the desired functional state:

1. Initiate turning off/on the computer.
2. Enter the BIOS settings menu.
3. Travel to the section where the installed hard drive and other devices are displayed.
4. Click on the name of the hard drive to bring up an additional menu.
5. Go to “Access Mode” and set the value to “Large”.

Save all changes just made and try to turn on the system again. If the problem remains the same, then move on to the second step:

1. It is necessary to have a bootable drive on hand. You should start the startup from there - to do this, you almost always need to first go into the BIOS again and set the desired boot priority.
2. After several automatic processes, the launched program will provide the user with access to a menu where it is possible to select an operating system recovery tool.
3. Go to the command line. Select the OS version that should be restored. Most often, the answer to the question posed will be the number “1” - if the equipment uses one operating system.
4. The next step is to use the command “chkdsk /P/R”. After the automatic process is completed, you need to wait until the PC restarts and make sure that the problem is completely resolved.

The final stage - if the first two methods did not help achieve a positive result:

1. Repeat the launch from a bootable CD or flash drive using the method described above.
2. Another transition to the command line and selection of the damaged OS.
3. Alternately entering two commands: “fixmbr” and “Fixboot”. Each time you will need to confirm the planned actions.

In the end, all that remains is to initiate a restart of the equipment again, go into the BIOS again and return the priority to using the operating system from the stationary screw.

A number of users of the Windows operating system (especially for users of the rather archaic Windows XP) may encounter a situation where, when trying to load the operating system, an error message “Error loading operating system” appears. Restarting the computer in such a situation usually does not give anything, and the person does not know or imagine what to do next in this situation. In this material, I will tell you what to do with the Error loading operating system error, introduce the reader to a list of reasons that cause this problem, and also explain how to fix it.

Error loading operating system - symptoms and causes

Typically, the Error loading operating system error occurs when you turn on the computer, when it tries to load the operating system (most often Windows XP). The user is presented with a black screen with one line “Error loading operating system” (translated as “error loading operating system”), and then simply nothing happens. Restarting the computer usually only leads to a repetition of this situation.

The causes of the Error loading operating system error may be as follows:

When you turn on the PC, other texts with errors may also appear, I have already described several of them on MakeComp.ru:

How to fix operating system boot error

and press enter. Wait for the process to finish, type exit to exit, and restart your computer. This often helps with the question of how to fix the Error loading operating system error;

Run the command chkdsk /P/R

• We fix the OS boot option. As in the previous case, we enter the recovery console using the “R” key, enter the number of the OS we need (usually it is 1). Then enter the following lines one by one, remembering to press Enter after each command:

After that, type exit again to exit and restart our computer.

In operating systems more modern than Windows XP (for example, Windows 7), another similar command operates - Bootrec. Type the following commands into the command line, remembering to press “Enter”:

bootrec /FixBoot

bootrec /rebuildBcd

then restart your PC.

• You can also try updating your BIOS, this may be quite effective in solving the problem in question.

How to use a special system recovery disk

Special disks for emergency recovery of your operating system can also help us solve the problem of Error loading operating system. For example, I would recommend Easy Recovery Essentials - a universal, powerful and automated product for restoring the operation of Windows OS from XP to Windows 10. The program itself is distributed in the image of a boot disk, which must be burned to a blank and used when boot problems appear on your computer.

When booting from such a disk, just select the “Automated Repair” option, then select the disk you need to restore, and click on “Automated Repair” again at the bottom. The program will do everything else itself, and the user usually gets a stable working system as a result. And although this product has a paid basis, it is worth it.

Select Automated Repair

Conclusion

If you are thinking about what to do with Error loading operating system, then I recommend following the tips I described above to correct the situation. I recommend starting by changing the BIOS settings, then using the capabilities of the CHKDSK command, and if all else fails, then you should consider using special disks for emergency system recovery; they usually give a very effective result.

Fix error loading operating systems in windows

Error loading operating system windows 7 occurs when the operating system is turned on directly, so the user simply does not have a seemingly huge set of tools to correct this error - the error does not make it possible to turn on the OS even in safe mode in order to gain access to various built-in debugging elements .

Considering the situation described above, some users, when asked what to do - error loading operating system, confidently answer that only reinstalling the OS will help. But for many people this is not always the optimal solution to the problem, so they begin to search for alternative methods.

They really do exist and can help even if the message “error loading operating system” appears when installing Windows 7 from a flash drive.

How to fix loading operating system error? The fact is that there are two main root causes, the consequence of which is this situation:

• Conflicts with the hard drive being used.
• The OS itself has crashed.

Based on these data, the further stages of human actions are built.

The first stage is an attempt to solve the situation with error loading operating system windows 10 or 7 by bringing the hard drive to the desired functional state:

1. Initiate turning off/on the computer.
2. Enter the BIOS settings menu.
3. Travel to the section where the installed hard drive and other devices are displayed.
4. Click on the name of the hard drive to bring up an additional menu.
5. Go to “Access Mode” and set the value to “Large”.

Save all changes just made and try to turn on the system again. If the problem remains the same, then move on to the second step:

1. It is necessary to have a bootable drive on hand. You should start the startup from there - to do this, you almost always need to first go into the BIOS again and set the desired boot priority.
2. After several automatic processes, the launched program will provide the user with access to a menu where it is possible to select an operating system recovery tool.
3. Go to the command line. Select the OS version that should be restored. Most often, the answer to this question will be the number “1” - if the equipment uses one operating system.
4. The next step is to use the command "chkdsk /P/R". After the automatic process is completed, you need to wait until the PC restarts and make sure that the problem is completely resolved.

The final stage - if the first two methods did not help achieve a positive result:

1. Repeat the launch from a bootable CD or flash drive using the method described above.
2. Another transition to the command line and selection of the damaged OS.
3. Alternately entering two commands: “fixmbr” and “Fixboot”. Each time you will need to confirm the planned actions.

In the end, all that remains is to initiate a restart of the equipment again, go into the BIOS again and return the priority to using the operating system from the stationary screw.

Error loading operating system, what should I do?

Hello everyone, “Error loading operating system” is another error due to which the computer sometimes stops working. A little background. Before the weekend, they brought me a computer and asked me to see what was wrong with it, as the user said: “Windows won’t load and an error appears.”

Well, of course, to start diagnosing the problem, I connected it to myself. The computer turned on, seemingly normally, even the BIOS made one short sound, which indicated that the system was ready for operation. But, as soon as it was time to load the operating system, the same error that the user mentioned was immediately displayed in front of me: “Error loading operating system.”

You can immediately draw certain conclusions that the problem is a malfunction of the hard drive or operating system. What could have caused this error? There is no exact answer, since there could be many reasons for the error, starting from an incorrect shutdown of the computer, ending with the installation of some program that could damage system files.

As it turned out, a very large number of different tips and recommendations (such as flashing the BIOS, reinstalling the system or formatting the disk) for eliminating the text message with the error “Error loading operating system” are described on the Internet. But, as it turned out, most of them were simply ineffective and did not bring any benefit. So I had to look for ways to restore the system to a working state on my own. Looking ahead, I’ll say that I succeeded, so read on and you will find out a hundred percent option that will help you cope with the operating system loading error

I want to immediately note that this message appears mainly only on Windows XP. Therefore, all further actions that I will describe below will be shown using this particular operating system as an example. But, if you have this error on Windows 7, then write to me in the comments and I will definitely try to help you.

Getting rid of the “Error loading operating system” error

As I mentioned earlier, I found a lot of advice on the Internet, but for me they were useless. But, I still want to share the topics with you in ways that, in my opinion, are the most appropriate and can really help.

The first of the simplest solutions is to change some settings in the BIOS settings. My examples will be on Pheonix - AwardBIOS, but if you have a different version it's okay, just look for similar names and items. As always, if you have any questions, please leave comments.

Having entered the BIOS, go down one line and select “Standard CMOS Features”.

Additional hard drive settings will open. This is where we click on the “Access Mode” item and select the “Large” value. After that, save the changes and exit the BIOS by pressing the F10 key. We check the result, if it does not help, move on to the next method.

Fixing the error using Check Disk

In this option, to get rid of the “Error loading operating system” error, we need an installation disk with Windows XP (Example of writing windows to disk). Which we insert into the drive and use the BIOS to boot from the disk. The selection and installation of the necessary drivers will begin, so you will have to wait a few seconds. Then, a menu should appear where you need to press the “R” key for the recovery line.

A black screen will appear in the form of a command line; a message should appear on the screen stating that first you need to select the operating system with which we will work. In my screenshot there is only one, so I put the number 1 accordingly, most likely you will have the same.

It will take several minutes to check for errors and correct them, if any were found on the hard drive. At the end of the check, we finish the work in the recovery line with the “Exit” command, after which the computer will begin to reboot, and you just have to check the result of the work done. Again, in case of failure and when the “Error loading operating system” error appears again, we try to get rid of it using the following method.

Getting rid of the “Error loading operating system” error using the Fixmbr command

For this option, as for the previous one, you will need to boot from the installation disk and go to the system restore line. Just like in the previous method using the number 1, select the windows that we will restore and press the “Enter” key.

Now enter the command: fixmbr. A text message will appear on the screen warning you that the existing partition table may be damaged. But, since our windows does not load at all, you can safely press the “Y” (YES) key, which will confirm the start of the process.

Below, we will write the Fixboot command. Once again, a message will appear asking: “Do you want to write a new boot sector to the C: partition?” As in the previous option, click on “Y” and confirm the choice.

Now, having entered “Exit”, go back to the BIOS and change the boot priority from the drive to the hard drive. After the next startup of the computer, its performance should be restored to its previous state.

What to do if an error occurs: Error loading operating system

Surely most of us have encountered a problem that at first glance is quite difficult to solve. It occurs when installing the operating systems Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows XP. In fact, solving the problem that has arisen is not so difficult. In this article, you can find a suitable way to fix the Error loading operating system error.

What does this error mean?

First, you need to understand a little about the essence of the error itself and what it is. Typically, this problem occurs during the process of turning on and loading the operating system of a personal computer. In this case, the following is observed: a black screen and only one inscription in English “Error loading operating system”, which, in fact, means “error loading operating system”.

There may be several reasons for this:

• Old version of BIOS on PC. In this case, the BIOS does not support hard drives with a large amount of memory;
• Incorrect BIOS settings for a given drive;
• The boot partition of the hard drive is not functioning properly. Most often this happens due to surges in voltage supply in the networks.

How to fix error loading operating system code

If you still encounter such a problem when turning on your personal computer, then there is a way to try to fix the problem yourself.

1). First of all, check the BIOS boot order, make sure that the hard drive you currently need is the boot priority. If this is not the case, then change the order yourself.

2). The second thing you can do is edit the BIOS settings. Log into the BIOS itself and go to the settings of the hard drive that did not boot. Adjust the “Access mode” parameter to the “Large” state.

3). If you are the owner of Windows XP (by the way, it is with this version of Windows that such an unpleasant but completely solvable problem most often occurs), then you will need to use the installation disk of your operating system (Windows XP OS) to log into the system. To do this, you must first go into the BIOS, insert the disk into the drive and try to boot from this installation disk. In the menu you need to press “R” in order to call the command to restore the Windows XP operating system. Next, select the desired OS and enter the command to check the disk chkdsk /P/R, then press the “Enter” key. A little patience and time to complete the process, after which you can exit the program.

The Windows XP recovery console should appear like this:

4). Also, if you encounter such a problem, you can generally update the BIOS version. This method is effective.

5). Edit the boot option of the operating system. Everything must be done in the same way as in the third case. After you have entered the menu and using the “R” key to restore the functioning of the OS, you need to enter the number of the desired operating system (this is usually one), and then begin entering through the following:

After this, you need to exit again and your PC will boot again. Starting with Windows 7 and other recent operating systems, you can enter the Bootrec value. And for Windows XP the order of commands will be as follows:

bootrec /FixMbr bootrec /FixBoot bootrec /ScanOs

bootrec /rebuildBcd

How to cure - Error Loading Operating System (replacing HDD with SSD) - 140200.pro

When installing windows or when copying from an old HDD to a new one. After rebooting, the system displays the error “Error Loading Operating System”.

The problem here is in the boot area of ​​the disk. There are two options for solving the problem. More precisely, if the first option does not help, then we also do the second.

1) Boot from the Windows XP or Windows 7 installation disk and launch the command line (aka the recovery console). If you already have Windows XP on your disk, then the recovery console will ask for the administrator password, which is not very convenient. So a Win 7 console is better.

windows xp recovery console

windows 7 recovery console

Type commands in the Win XP console

FIXBOOT then Enter and

FIXMBR then Enter

In seven it is a little more difficult - the teams look like this:

BOOTREC.EXE /FixBoot

BOOTREC.EXE /FixMbr

2) If after a reboot the message “Error Loading Operating System” appears again, then most likely this is a problem with connecting the new large hard drive to the old motherboard.

Go to Bios and go to the hard drive management section:

In the Access mode line set Large

Save (F10), exit and reboot.

If, after all of the above, the system does not try to start, then the problem may be in the HDD; you can try checking it for bad sectors using Victoria.

Surely most of us have encountered a problem that at first glance is quite difficult to solve. It occurs when installing the operating systems Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows XP. In fact, solving the problem that has arisen is not so difficult. In this article, you can find a suitable way to fix the Error loading operating system error.

What does this error mean?

First, you need to understand a little about the essence of the error itself and what it is. Typically, this problem occurs during the process of turning on and loading the operating system of a personal computer. In this case, the following is observed: a black screen and only one inscription in English “Error loading operating system”, which, in fact, means “error loading operating system”.

There may be several reasons for this:

• Old version of BIOS on PC. In this case, the BIOS does not support hard drives with a large amount of memory;
• Incorrect BIOS settings for a given drive;
• The boot partition of the hard drive is not functioning properly. Most often this happens due to surges in voltage supply in the networks.

How to fix error loading operating system code

If you still encounter such a problem when turning on your personal computer, then there is a way to try to fix the problem yourself.

1). First of all, check the BIOS boot order, make sure that the hard drive you currently need is the boot priority. If this is not the case, then change the order yourself.

2). The second thing you can do is edit the BIOS settings. Log into the BIOS itself and go to the settings of the hard drive that did not boot. Adjust the “Access mode” parameter to the “Large” state.

3). If you are the owner of Windows XP (by the way, it is with this version of Windows that such an unpleasant but completely solvable problem most often occurs), then you will need to use the installation disk of your operating system (Windows XP OS) to log into the system. To do this, you must first go into the BIOS, insert the disk into the drive and try to boot from this installation disk. In the menu you need to press “R” in order to call the command to restore the Windows XP operating system. Next, select the desired OS and enter the command to check the disk chkdsk /P/R, then you need to press the “Enter” key. A little patience and time to complete the process, after which you can exit the program.

The Windows XP Recovery Console should appear like this:

4). Also, if you encounter such a problem, you can generally update the BIOS version. This method is effective.

5). Edit the boot option of the operating system. Everything must be done in the same way as in the third case. After you have entered the menu and using the “R” key to restore the functioning of the OS, you need to enter the number of the desired operating system (this is usually one), and then start entering through following:

Fixmbr
Fixboot

After this, you need to exit again and your PC will boot again. Starting with Windows 7 and other recent operating systems, you can enter the value Bootrec. And for Windows XP the order of commands will be as follows.

Booting Windows XP is a complex and multi-step process that begins from the moment the computer is turned on and ends after the desktop appears on the screen. During these few minutes, many operations are performed hidden from the user’s eyes, each of which lasts from a fraction of a second to several seconds. The process of starting the system itself can be compared to a relay race, where each participant goes through his part of the path and solves his own, strictly defined tasks, after which he passes the “baton” on. If at least one participating component falls out of this chain, the boot process stops and an error message is usually displayed on the screen.

To have an idea of ​​how Windows XP boots, let's briefly look at its sequence. We will not consider the pre-system stages of turning on the computer (self-testing, initialization and the start of BIOS code execution, etc.), and we will conditionally take the moment the BIOS program reads the first sector of the hard drive, where the master boot record (MBR), containing the boot code, is located. and a partition table (logical disks). So:

• The BIOS reads the MBR (Master Boot Code) and transfers control to it.
• The MBR boot code checks the partition table and finds a partition marked as active, reads its first (boot) sector (Boot Sector), and passes control to the code written there.
• The boot sector code transfers control to the Windows NT bootloader - the NTLDR (NT Loader) file, which is located in the root directory of the disk where the operating system is installed.
• The Windows boot loader puts the processor into 32-bit safe mode, checks for the presence of the hiberfil.sys file (the hibernation image), and if it finds it, loads it. If there is no such image, NTLDR reads the Boot.INI boot configuration file. If more than one operating system is listed in this file, a menu is displayed for the user to choose which system to boot.

• When the user presses the F8 key before starting the system, NTLDR opens a menu of additional boot options:

• Next, the ntdetect.com program is loaded to determine the configuration of the computer’s hardware devices.
• Following this, the Windows XP kernel (ntoskrnl.exe file) and the Hal.dll (Hardware Abstraction Layer) library are loaded, the task of which is to hide differences in computer hardware from the kernel code.
• The NTLDR loader then loads the drivers marked as bootable and passes control to the kernel (ntoskrnl.exe).
• HAL initializes the hardware and prepares the interrupt controller.
• Next, the input/output system is turned on and the remaining drivers are loaded, which are assigned the “auto” startup type.
• The kernel loads the Windows session management subsystem - the Smss.exe file, which creates the user environment and continues loading - starts the graphics subsystem (win32k.sys driver), the client-server subsystem (Csrss.exe) and the user logon program (Winlogon.exe and Lsass.exe) .
• After the user logs in, Userinit.exe is launched, which launches the system shell (Explorer.exe) and network connections. Meanwhile, the desktop appears on the screen.

Why won't Windows XP boot?

The reason why Windows XP won't boot could be any failure in the boot process, such as one or more components being missing or damaged. This can be the boot code in the first partition of the hard drive or active partition, the NTLDR bootloader itself, files responsible for starting Windows, as well as the system registry, which contains information about what to run and in what order.

Loading problems most often result from:

• unqualified installation of several operating systems on a hard drive, when instead of creating a dual-boot configuration, the boot code of a later installed system overwrites the code of a previously installed one;
• viral infection, mainly ransomware blockers, which can modify the launch parameters of files important for loading in the system registry, the files themselves and boot sectors on the disk.
• defects in the surface of the hard drive, leading to damage and loss of data on it;
• interruptions in the computer's power supply during read-write operations of files responsible for loading (if an unexpected shutdown occurs during Windows startup or shutdown, the likelihood that the system will no longer boot is quite significant).

Windows XP Boot Recovery

To figure out why the system won't boot, it's important to determine at what point in the boot process it fails. Problems at the very early stages of start-up will differ in appearance from problems with the boot files responsible for logging into the system. Let's figure out how to diagnose typical Windows boot failures and how to deal with them.

MBR (Master Boot Record) corruption

It manifests itself in that the computer boot is interrupted immediately after startup - after information about the computer manufacturer is displayed on the monitor, the screen remains black. Sometimes an error message is displayed, for example:

• Invalid Partition Table – damage to the partition table;
• Missing Operating System – operating system not found;
• Error Loading Operating System – error loading the operating system.

Solution

• Boot from the Windows XP installation disk to the Recovery Console: place the installation disk in the drive, configure the BIOS to boot from the CDDVD, and run the installer.
• When the text “Welcome to the installer” appears on the screen, press the “R” (recovery) key.

• The Recovery Console will launch. The screen will display a list of copies of Windows XP installed on your computer and you will be asked to select which one to sign in to.

• Next, enter the administrator password (if you have one). If it is not there, just press Enter, followed by the command to rewrite the MBR boot code: fixmbr, press Enter and Exit to exit the console and restart the computer.

This command only restores the MBR boot code, but, unfortunately, does not restore the partition table. Restoring the partition table requires the use of third-party utilities, for example, TestDisk - one of the free and easy to understand tools.

Boot sector corruption

The symptoms look like MBR corruption, but the system may display the following errors:

• And disk read error occurred – disk read errors;
• NTLDR is compressed – NTLDR loader is archived (compressed);
• NTLDR is missing - the bootloader was not found.

Solution

• Download the Recovery Console and log into the copy of Windows XP you need;
• Enter the command: fixboot– the bootloader (code) of the active partition will be overwritten. Next – Enter and Exit.

Important! If your system's root directory does not have the Windows boot loader file NTLDR, you will have to copy it from the installation disk or another copy of Windows XP and place it on the C: drive (if the system is located on it).

With the advent of Windows Vista, a utility was created Bootsect.exe, designed to rewrite the boot code of disk partitions. It can also be used to repair booting Windows XP.

The Bootsect.exe utility can be used if you have another Windows operating system on your hard drive or if you boot from a Windows LiveCD (“live” disk with an operating system that works when booted from a DVD or flash drive).

Restoring the system boot using Bootsect.exe is performed as follows:

• copy the Bootsect.exe file (can be taken from the distribution of Windows Vista and higher) to the root directory of the system whose boot you want to restore.
• start the command line and run the command: Path_to_bootsect.exe /NT52, For example: D:bootsect.exe /NT52.

Boot configuration errors in the Boot.INI file

If the Windows XP boot configuration file contains errors or is missing, the NTLDR boot loader will not be able to find the system. The following messages indicate problems with Boot.INI:

• Check boot path and disk hardware – a suggestion to check the path to the boot disk and the disk itself;
• Could not read from selected boot disk – data could not be read from the boot disk;
• Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem – due to problems with the disk configuration, Windows could not be loaded.

Solution

• Launch the Recovery Console.
• After logging in, run the command: bootcfg /rebuild – Each disk partition will be scanned for a copy of Windows XP installed on it. When the first system is detected, the user will be prompted to add information about its boot to the configuration file:

The boot configuration will be restored.

Damage to system files

Many files take part in loading Windows - in addition to those we have named, several dozen more. The absence or damage of any of them can lead to the fact that the system will not be able to start, but instead will reboot cyclically or “delight” the user with blue screens of death (BSoD). A screenshot of one of the typical errors associated with system files during boot is shown below:

The entry “STOP C000021a (fatal system error)” indicates a fatal system error associated with problems in the Winlogon.exe or Csrss.exe execution input. This most likely indicates that the files are damaged or missing.

Solution

To perform boot repair, you need to find similar files and return them to their “rightful places” - in the WindowsSystem32 directory. Their copies are located in the Windows storage - the WindowsSystem32DllCach folder or on the installation disk in the i386 folder. On the distribution disk, files are stored in compressed form and must be unpacked before replacing. This can also be done using the Recovery Console:

• Copy the folder from the installation disk to the USB flash drive i386, connect it to your computer.
• Log in to the system whose bootloader you want to restore.
• Enter the command: expand d:i386winlogon.ex_ c:windowssystem32– with its help archive file winlogon.ex_ on the installation disk will be unpacked into a folder system32 under the name winlogon.exe. You can restore other files in a similar way. D: – in this case – the letter of the flash drive.

Damage to the SYSTEM registry hive

This registry hive contains information about the startup type of drivers, without which Windows cannot start, as well as some information about the boot configuration. Therefore, if the partition becomes damaged, the NTLDR bootloader will pause and display an error message.

Registry files are unique for each system, so restoring them by transferring them from another copy of Windows is impossible - you need your own partition. A copy of the registry created at the time of system installation is stored in the WindowsRepair directory

Solution

Restoring a damaged partition is also easy to do via the console.

• Sign in to Windows.
• Enter the command: rename c:windowssystem32configsystem system.old and press Enter. The damaged registry hive will be renamed, and now you can copy a new one in its place.
• Run the second command: copy c:windowsrepairsystem c:windowssystem32configsystem– the partition will be restored. After this you will be able to boot the system.