Win2000 Win2K Win 2000 NO BOOT after Defrag....

gmcjetpilot

Baseband Member
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I first tried a spybot scan and got an error, one I never saw before, something about can't read some files (dang did not note them or write them down) ... It suggested defrag or CHKDSK.

I tried defrag first (300 GB drive about 20% full). Defrag also crap'ed out. Something about these same files. (again I don't remember, non labeled "yourcomputerisdoomed.exe")....

I did chkdsk /F. Seems it fixed something. Tried degrag and left. Not sure if it shut down or was locked up, some odd looking low resolution WIN flag screen saver greeted me, but IT WILL NOT BOOT.

I get the intial DELL BIOS screen with F2 and F12 and the bar... which goes all the way and then it just recycles.... if I have a Win2K disk in I get the "Hit any key for CD..."

I don't have emergency repair Floppy.

I have the Win2k disk. I gave that a try.. R for repair and the L just loops.

I tried C console and ran CHKDSK /R and got some repaired info... I DO NOT want to try the FIXboot or the other FIX command.

I have another computer with a spare hard drive slot (XP machine). I was thinking of putting in the slot (NOT BOOTED) and look at it... see if I somehow can repair it that way? If I do see files I can at least save all my data (although I have another drive in the misbehaving computer that does backups).

ANY IDEAS?


PS I will be on the road for a bit so I will not be able to rely right away but IDEAS welcomed... I am hoping for some FREE WARE down load I can get to fix it.... I really don't want to lose my registry and all my settings and worse programs... the data is pretty secure.
 
fixboot and fixmbr are actually pretty safe in general, and you're at the point now where they will need to be tried, otherwise you're going to be reloading the system anyway. Win2K, much like XP, once it's hosed, it's hosed. If the fixboot and fixmbr can't fix whatever happened there, then it's time to reload the system anyway.

The fact that a defrag crapped out, and that other issues seem to be occuring as they have, you may want to run a disk check tool. I've had a number of years (10+) of success with gwscan, and it's included on http://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/- burn it to CD or copy to a flash drive (there's a good deal of tutorials out there on how to make a flash drive bootable, Hirens includes a guide if I remember correctly) and then run the extended test on your drive. The utility barks about having your data backed up first, but again, in 10 years of using the app, I've never lost any data to date after using the program.

If it can't find anything wrong with your drive, then proceed with the fixdisk and fixmbr. If those can't solve it, then it might be time to retire that install and reinstall the OS.
 
fixboot and fixmbr are actually pretty safe in general, and you're at the point now where they will need to be tried, otherwise you're going to be reloading the system anyway. Win2K, much like XP, once it's hosed, it's hosed. If the fixboot and fixmbr can't fix whatever happened there, then it's time to reload the system anyway.

HAVE YOU EVER DONE IT? What was the out come. Every time I read about it the results are BAD BAD and BAD. IF I TRY IT WHICH ONE TO TRY FIRST? It is not making it to the boot at all... it's just going to the BIOS and then going back to the bios in an endless loop.

The WARNING and caviate on the microsoft repair console is enough make me (with no disprespect) ignore your advice at least for now.... Here is the link that makes me think this the FIXBOOT is bad... (I could be wrong).

Never ever, EVER use fixboot! (VERY INTERESTING)
Never ever, EVER use fixboot!

Never use Windows FixBoot! - Random thoughts and bits of Software ...
gkindel.blogspot.com/2010/04/never-use-windows-fixboot.html

FixBoot changed my file system from NTFS to FAT . . .is there any ...
FixBoot changed my file system from NTFS to FAT . . .is there any hope? - TechSpot OpenBoards

Never ever, EVER use fixboot!


FIXMBR might be the way to go?

From microsoft this is what it says... either way it looks like I might lose some info... as everyone does.... it is now to access and recover the old info that is the PIA from what I am reading. You may be correct I have no choice... OR DO IT. I thought putting the drive into another computer to run second party software might make the recovery less painful.
Damaged MBRs and Boot Sectors
 
fixboot and fixmbr are very safe. I've used them millions of times in the field and never once had a bad outcome. Microsoft (and other companies) need to put those disclaimers in there to protect themselves from frivolous lawsuits.

The first link,to be blunt, that guy is simply a moron and writes like a 13 year old who messed up and is trying to blame something else. The second link is plainly impossible. There is no way to convert NTFS to FAT through microsoft. The only way is to delete the partition and reformat it which is byond the scope of what fixboot and fixmbr do.

Why did you post the first link twice?

The blogspot link... Again, the guy is a moron. If a partition is being detected as raw everything is pretty much already gone. The partition that fixboot creates is very small, typically less than 100MB which most operating system allow for anyways and leave room for when installing. It doesn't, however make a RAW partition show up as whatever it used to.

Fixboot and fixmbr are your best bets for getting the system booting again. My experience with third party utilities has been horrendous and typically didn't work.
 
fixboot and fixmbr are very safe. I've used them millions of times in the field and never once had a bad outcome. Microsoft (and other companies) need to put those disclaimers in there to protect themselves from frivolous lawsuits.

The first link,to be blunt, that guy is simply a moron and writes like a 13 year old who messed up and is trying to blame something else. The second link is plainly impossible. There is no way to convert NTFS to FAT through microsoft. The only way is to delete the partition and reformat it which is byond the scope of what fixboot and fixmbr do.

Why did you post the first link twice?
An accident, I am not perfect.... I'll do better in the future. I am only 50 with two master's degrees and not as smart as you are? Ha ha! Why ask why?

The blogspot link... Again, the guy is a moron. If a partition is being detected as raw everything is pretty much already gone. The partition that fixboot creates is very small, typically less than 100MB which most operating system allow for anyways and leave room for when installing. It doesn't, however make a RAW partition show up as whatever it used to.

Fixboot and fixmbr are your best bets for getting the system booting again. My experience with third party utilities has been horrendous and typically didn't work.

So every one is a moron or lying and you know..... OK! HAVE YOU EVER USED FIXMBR or FIXBOOT for a problem like this? How did it go for you, details? The fact is I don't want to guess, do needless operations which might put me 10 steps back.

I DID ran FIXMBR. It said it was successfully, rewrote the master boot record... STILL NO JOY, goes into the BIOS LOOP. I put the master drive in another computer, made it slave, now drive E:, all the files are there... everything is in tact.

So I'm going to back up my data (which is pretty much backed up on another drive, but I'll save everything again now to this master drive which has plenty of space).

I have to leave the project for now, BUT I NEED my OUTLOOK contacts. I am loading MS Office right now... is there a way to access the contacts and saved EMAILS? (Different topic but if you know let me know).

So every one says try FIXBOOT? I might do that, but for now all is safe on one computer. I have three like Dells (all boring P4's 1.8-2.8 Ghz but it comes in handy to swap parts).

Cheers....
 
You could have a bad hard drive as well. I'd recommend downloading a testing tool. What is the brand of the hard drive?
 
You could have a bad hard drive as well. I'd recommend downloading a testing tool. What is the brand of the hard drive?

It's a Western Digital WDC WD2500JB... Yea I have a diagnostics disk (or you can down load it). As I said did CHKDISK.... something was curropted with a file or two... /R and /F were successful... The drive is woking fine in the slave slot in another computer. May be the WD diognostics will find something?

It is kind of a Daaa there is a problem with the drive but it's not fatal.... yet. No big anxisoity, I have most of the data backed up, but can't access my archived OUTLOOK email.... I at least got my contacts. The data is there, it's just MICROSOFT makes it a PIA to get at the data.

Any way I don't have time right now.... Cheers
 
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