[HLUG] Broken Boots

[Tony Sales]

Sounds to me like the laptop was in hibernate or suspend mode and the battery ran out - this may have caused file corruption on the Windows partition or bootsector explaining why Windows won't boot but Ubuntu will. However this doesn't explain why the Windows recovery CD won't boot. Another possibility is that somehow the grub bootloader is pointing to the wrong partition for Windows - possibly trying to boot from the recovery partition? Either way if you have the Windows recovery disk it might be best just to wipe the partitions and start again - after backing up any files from the windows partition using Ubuntu.
________________________________________
From: herefordshire-bounces at mailman.lug.org.uk [herefordshire-bounces at mailman.lug.org.uk] on behalf of Chris Owens [cowens at clara.co.uk]
Sent: 21 September 2011 14:18
To: info at lifespacedesign.co.uk; Herefordshire Linux Users Group.
Subject: Re: [HLUG] Broken Boots

  Hi Pete

     Thanks for such a quick reply. I think you are at least partly on
the right lines. Great man.

     Powered down and took out the battery for couple of minutes. Result
the machine now recognises and boots from the live Ubuntu 10.04 CD but
still no luck with the Windows CD, when it just asks 'Press any key to
load CD' and then goes straight through to the Grub Menu. Trying to
start Windows from there ends up with the Blue Screen we all know so
well. So still a bit stuck but thanks all the same.

     BTW it is a lap-top so am a bit reluctant to change the Hard Drive
even if I had one spare.

Chris

On 21/09/11 12:54, Pete Linnell wrote:
> Chris,
> Looks at first blush that the machine is in hibernate or standby. Have
> you tried/done any of the following;
>
> Insert a different HDD
> Power down/remove battery
>
> I am not suggesting you should do either of these, but if you have it
> would tell us a little more, including locating the issue between BIOS
> and boot sector.
>
> Maybe you could bring it along next week ? there is bound to be
> someone that knows what they're doing about ;)
>
> Pete
>
> On 21/09/11 12:37, Chris Owens wrote:
>>  Hi Folks
>>
>>     Sorry to trouble you with a tricky one.
>>
>> Have been running Windows XP and Ubuntu 10.04 on an IBM T40 no probs
>> for over a year - in fact almost forgot about Windows. Then fiddled
>> with Power Management to try and optimise Energy use in downtimes
>> with little success. Re-boots and/or Wake ups completely shambolic,
>> anything from completely successful restart with open programmes etc
>> to several kernel panics. Gave up but then noticed Windows no longer
>> accessible and I cannot re-load it.
>>
>>     Present situation
>>         1. On Power Up T40 boots straight to Grub Menu in say 20 secs
>> no sign of usual Hard Drive/Memory start up messages.
>>         2. Pressing Access IBM to enter BIOS no longer works but BIOS
>> can still be entered using F2. (BIOS Version 2.12 (1RET85WW) Device
>> Boot Order: Floppy>
>>             CD-ROM> HD  confirmed
>>         3. Selecting Ubuntu 10.04 from Grub Menu boots normally to a
>> fully functional system.
>>                     os-prober confirms /dev/sda1:MS Windows XP
>> Prof:Windows:chain
>>                     GParted partitions look OK
>>                     Windows partition accessible quite normally from
>> Ubuntu
>> BUT  4. Selecting Windows XP from Grub Menu boots to a Windows B&W
>> Screen requesting type of Windows Start up Safe Mode, Normal Boot etc
>> all of which
>>             lead to Blue Screen of death with insufficient time to
>> note down 'problem' hex-dec addresses but the first is STOP: 0x0000007B.
>>
>>         5. Interrupting Windows XP boot from Grub Menu (pressing
>> Access IBM button) returns: Authentication of System Services failed.
>> <ESC> to Resume. Press
>> <ESC> and you get back to Grub Menu
>>
>>         6. Starting up with either Windows XP or Ubuntu Live CD has
>> no effect. T40 ignores content of the CD-ROM Drive and goes straight
>> to Grub Menu.
>>
>> I am sorry this is a bit of a rambling post but I haven't a clue what
>> the problem is or how to fix it but would very much appreciate any help
>>
>> Thanks everybody
>>
>> Chris
>>
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>
>

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