Why won't Windows xp load? Restoring the Windows XP bootloader

Greetings everyone. Typically, if you have problems starting the operating system or the lights turn off during operation, a list of possible startups appears when you next boot the system.

In order not to mislead you and teach you some nuances, I will share some very useful tips. So, if the system did not boot but provided a boot choice, then I recommend selecting the following option - Last Known Good Configuration or loading the last good configuration.

This start option cancels any changes made to the registry key CurrentControlSet which directly caused the problem.

This registry key determines the values of hardware parameters and all drivers installed on the system. Function loading last known known configuration will replace the contents of the above registry key with the data stored in the backup copy that was used during the last successful startup of Windows.

Reboot the computer. After the sound signal, press the F8 key and hold it until the operating system start selection menu appears. From the list of launch options that appears, select and activate it by pressing the key "Enter".

Remember, you are given one single attempt to restore the system's last known known configuration.

In general, if you were unable to restore the system after starting the OS from the mode, then this means only one thing - the backup copy is damaged. In this case, this recovery method will not help us.

1 Recovery Console

This method involves using the utility "recovery console". How more difficult problem loading the operating system, the more serious the approach to solving it should be. The boot CD with the installation system usually contains very useful utility - "Recovery Console"

To autorun boot CD with Windows OS, place in DVD-CD drive and restart your computer. As soon as the computer restarts and the drive begins to read data from the disk, you will see the Setup and Installation Wizard dialog box.

This will happen if you are in BIOS settings in download priority "Boot first device" put up "DVD/CD-ROM". I wrote about this in more detail in the article -. Once the download begins, follow all instructions that appear on the screen.

The program will provide you with a selection of basic files to launch the installation program. The installation wizard greets you with the phrase "Welcome To Setup". Now all you have to do is press the key "R" which facilitates the opening of the recovery console.

Now the Recovery Console dialog box has opened in front of you. Here we will see a folder with files and also a request to select the operating system with which you plan to start working.

Next, you have to press the key with the number corresponding to the operating system number, then the program will ask for the administrator password, if any. Well, now you have it full access to the command line.

I wrote more about how to work with the recovery console in the article -

3 Fixing damage to the Boot.ini boot file

On initial stage Windows OS starts, the Ntldr program accesses the boot file Boot.ini. As a result, the program determines the location of system files and available options to continue downloading.

This is precisely why, in case of damage to the boot file Boot.ini, operating system cannot continue or even start downloading correctly.

In the event that Windows OS does not boot and the reason for this is a damaged file Boot.ini then the recovery console toolkit will help you - Bootcfg.

To run Bootcfg you will of course need to start the system from boot Windows disk HR. To run the command Bootcfg, must be entered in command line management consoles: Bootcfg /parameter

Where /parameter- this is one of the functions that I will tell you about now.

Add– performs scanning hard drive for the presence of all installed operating systems. In addition, it adds the identifiers of new operating systems to the boot file Boot.ini.

Scan- scans the hard drive for all installed operating systems.

List– displays a list of records in the file Boot.ini.

Default– displays the identifier of the operating system that is being run during startup

Rebuild– completely restores the Boot.ini boot file. The user is given the opportunity to control every step.

Redirect– in administration mode this function allows you to redirect download operations to another designated port. It has several subparameters, or rather two: | ./Disableredirect – Disables redirection.

It is worth noting that in Windows Xp and Windows 7 boot.ini is formed differently. I have written several articles on the topic of boot.ini for XP and 7:

4 Repairing a defective Master Boot Record

The master boot record uses the first sector of the hard drive and carries out the boot procedure for Windows XP. The entry contains a table of all available hard disk partitions and small program "primary loader" The primary bootloader, in turn, is responsible for placing the active or boot sectors in the partition table.

Once placed in the table, the boot sector begins to start the operating system. If suddenly the boot record is damaged, the active sector will not be able to start the system.

In order to eliminate this problem The recovery console includes the Fixmbr program. Booting from installation disk and activate the recovery console.

In order to run the Fixmbr command, you need to enter the following into the command line of the management console: Fixmbr

Where - the compound name of the disk for which there is a need to create a new primary boot entry. The qualified name for the main boot drive C:\ will look like this: \Device\HardDisk0

5 Restoring a damaged HDD boot sector

The boot sector is a small section of the hard drive dedicated to storing data in the operating system, having an NTFS or FAT32 file system, and it is also a fairly small program that helps in the process of loading the operating system.

If the system refuses to start precisely because the boot sector is inoperative, the recovery console tool can help you FixBoot. To do this, you need to load the installation disk and go to the recovery console menu.

In general, I have already indicated above how to do this. In order to launch this program you will need to enter the following in the command line of the management console: Fixboot:

Where- the drive letter that requires creating a new boot partition.

6 Quick reinstallation of Windows

In the event that the system cannot be started and you do not have a backup copy, you can perform Quick reinstallation Windows.

This procedure involves reinstalling the operating system in the same directory (similar to updating old version system to a newer one) and can fix almost any problem Windows boot.

Place boot disk into the DVD/CD drive, then restart the computer. Once the disk is recognized and reading begins, you can begin the installation procedure. During installation, a license agreement will appear.

In order to agree to the terms of the agreement, press the F8 key. Next, the program will scan all installed Windows versions. As soon as at least one of the versions is found, the installation screen will appear.

In order to start restoring the version of the system you need, you need to click "R", and to start the installation "Esc". The system recovery procedures will start. The installation wizard will now begin checking the disks for functionality, and then begin a quick reinstallation.

Remember, after reinstalling or recovering a damaged installation, all updates will have to be reinstalled again.

7 How to cancel automatic reboot

Typically, if an error occurs during stable operation The system automatically reboots the operating system.

When an error occurs directly at system startup, a cycle of endless reboots occurs. In this case, you need to disable the function of automatically rebooting the system upon failure.

At the beginning of the operating system startup or after POST, press the F8 key, which will open a menu in front of you "Advanced options".

Next you need to select the item "Turn off automatic reboot in case of system failure" and activate it by pressing the key "Enter". Now, when Windows XP starts up, it will display an error message, the essence of which will tell us about the malfunction.

Restoring the Windows operating system from a backup copy.
If one of the system recovery methods did not help you, then there is a chance to restore the operating system using backup copy(if you have one).

The recovery algorithm completely depends on the program you are using. backup, which provides you with all the necessary instructions.

Conclusion

There can be many recovery methods and reasons why Windows does not boot. The main thing is that the system is mostly recoverable and you don’t have to perform. That's all. I wish you success in dealing with the problem.

In this article we will look at all the popular reasons why Windows 7 or xp does not load on a laptop or computer and a black screen with inscriptions appears. Those. possible software problems and ways to eliminate them. This will be a continuation of the first part of our review, in which we looked at possible options, why the computer won’t boot, and hardware problems (with hardware). So, if you haven’t found the answer to your question here, be sure to read the first part - maybe it’s there.

If your PC shows absolutely no signs of life and does not react in any way to pressing the power button, then we recommend that you read the article why your computer won’t start. It discusses the main causes and ways to eliminate this breakdown. But don’t forget that if you don’t want to deal with the problem yourself, you can always contact our service and order computer repair at home.

We tried to this review was as complete as possible, and collected all the most popular reasons why Windows 7 or xp does not start on a computer or laptop. Each case has been encountered many times in our practice. But it is also possible that you will not find a solution to your problem. In this case, write in the comments and we will try to help you.

On a black screen there is an inscription: NTLDR is missing and Windows does not boot

This is one of the most common reasons why Windows xp or 7 does not start. The message "NTLDR is missing" is translated as "NTLDR is missing." NTLDR is the boot file of the operating system, which requires three files (NTLDR, boot.ini and ntdetect.com) to be present in the active hard section the disk from which booting is configured. If at least one of the files is missing or there is no access to it, then Windows 7 or xp will not boot and will give an error.

Possible reasons and what to do:

The NTLDR, ntdetect.com, and boot.ini files have been moved or completely removed from the disk containing the operating system. In this case you need to copy missing files computer with a working OS.
Severe virus infection - a deep scan of your PC for viruses is necessary. You may also need to restore damaged system files.
In the root directory system disk Too many files have accumulated.

Unfortunately, due to the nature file system NTFS, which is used on most modern computers, easy removal extra files from the root directory system partition It’s unlikely to help fix the problem - Windows won’t start anyway. Additional copying may be required boot files from a work PC.

If several operating systems are installed on the hard drive at once, then a conflict may have occurred between them.

You can fix this problem by booting the computer using the operating system recovery disk and manually editing the boot.ini file, which is responsible for the OS boot order.

Windows XP won't boot due to registry problems

As a rule, this problem is specific to this version of the operating system. In the newer ones (seven, eight, ten) we did not encounter such a problem.

Before loading begins, one of the following messages appears on a black screen:

Windows cannot start because the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM file is corrupted or missing;
Windows cannot start because the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE file is corrupted or missing.

These messages mean that your operating system registry is faulty. There may be several reasons why this could happen and now Windows XP does not start:

Your PC has been affected viral infection.
You incorrectly shut down your computer by forcibly turning it off using a button or unplugging the cord from the outlet.
Yours is failing (or has already failed) hard drive.

There are several ways in which you can restore functionality to your operating system. If everything goes well, this can be done even without reinstalling the entire system. But all these methods require deep knowledge of PC software.

A beginner, having made even a small mistake or inaccuracy, risks losing the opportunity for subsequent successful recovery. In addition, you may need to restore personal information located on your hard drive. Therefore, we recommend contacting specialists for this problem.

The following message appears on the black screen: BOOTMGR is missing

"BOOTMGR is missing" is translated as "BOOTMGR is missing." If Windows 7 or XP does not boot and appears this message, this means that the boot sector is missing or damaged.

This could happen due to incorrect installation programs, due to a failure in the operating system, careless user actions, or problems with hard drive. Before attempting to resolve the error, you must diagnosis of hard disk for availability bad sectors.

In order to fix this problem, you will need the boot disk from which you installed Windows. You need to boot your computer from the disk and select “Startup Repair” in “System Recovery Options.”

In this case, the boot sector will be restored to automatic mode. If after this Windows 7 still won’t start, and you don’t know what to do, then it’s better to contact the service. Because recovery of the boot sector in manual mode a very difficult operation. Careless actions can lead to the loss of all information stored on the computer.

Why Windows won't boot and freezes during boot

Many have encountered a problem when, when starting the operating system, a logo with a creeping line appears and the computer freezes. There is no point in waiting an hour, two or a day - Windows will not start.

Here are the main reasons why this can happen:

The operating system has been heavily infected with a virus - in this case it can help full check system disk for viruses. You can do this by booting your computer from rescue disk recovery or by connecting the hard drive to another computer.
The operating system has crashed

You can try booting into safe mode and performing a system restore, or try performing a “Last Known Known Configuration” boot. Very often this helps solve the problem. To do this, immediately after turning on the PC, start pressing the “F8” key. A menu should appear where you can select this option downloads.

Computer hard drive failure.

Due to improper use or simply over time, bad sectors may appear on the hard drive. The information that was written to them becomes inaccessible and, as a result, Windows 7 or XP may stop loading and freeze during the boot process. You can restore and replace bad sectors, but it would be best to replace the hard drive itself. You can read it.

Also, if such a malfunction occurs, you can try “Load last known known configuration”. If this still does not bring results, then in the same menu try the item “ Safe Mode"(on English it could be " Safe mode"). When it turns on, try to roll back to the previous state. To do this, in “Start”, find and run “System Restore”.

" blue screen death"

Another popular problem is when Windows 7 does not load beyond the logo, but a “blue screen of death” appears. In this case, you will also need to bring up the boot menu using the "F8" key.

There should be an item in the menu called “Troubleshoot your computer.” Click it and the “Recovery Options” window should appear on your screen.

Let us briefly examine the points that are contained in it.

Startup Repair - automatically analyzes problems that prevent Windows 7 from starting and attempts to fix them. It doesn't always help, but it's definitely worth a try.
System Restore - from here you can also “roll back” the system, just like from safe mode.
Restoring a system image - if you have a saved system image on your hard drive, you can restore using it.
Diagnostics Windows memory- examination system memory for mistakes.
The command line is for “advanced users”. Using it you can delete, copy or move files manually.

So, first of all, try using the “Startup Repair” item, if that doesn’t help, then “System Restore”.

In this article we examined the main reasons caused by software malfunction computers, due to which Windows very often does not boot. We hope that we were able to answer all the questions and clearly explain what to do in this case.

If you still haven’t been able to figure out on your own the reason why Windows 7 or XP won’t start on your computer or laptop, and you don’t know what to do next, then you can always turn to us for help - the center computer help website. Our service technicians will quickly and accurately determine the cause of the breakdown and eliminate all faults. In addition, they will give valuable advice on how to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Also write your questions in the comments. And you will definitely get an answer to them.

I decided to write an article on restoration Windows XP downloads. In practice, I have often encountered a situation where Windows simply does not boot, and what comes to mind is “reinstall again.” But sometimes there is a need to simply restore the system without reinstalling. And this, I’ll tell you, is possible. In 80% of cases, the system can be restored without reinstalling Windows.

I will write a lot, so right off the bat!

To get started, get a disk with a LiveCD or LiveDVD. You can download it here: LiveCD. Also, LiveCD is available in some program assemblies, for example, in ZverDVD. Be sure to burn this disc. Record on DVD-R or CD-R, as they produce deeper and higher-quality tracks. Do not use RW discs under any circumstances. You will have problems with them.

Now let's get to the bottom of the problem. We are considering the issue of Windows XP not loading. That is, the computer turned on, the disks were initialized, but Windows boot didn't happen. The options described below are possible.

The computer goes into reboot

This means that when Windows loading failed, and in the boot settings it is stated that in case of a failure, the computer must be restarted. In order to understand where the failure is, you need to disable automatic restart of the computer in case of failures. This is done as follows.

While the system boots, hold down the F8 key. The method selection menu will open Windows boot. Select "Disable automatic reboot when system failure".

Blue screen of death opens

Blue Screen of Death is another name for BSOD. Its purpose is to show the user what happened to the system.

The picture shows three parts of the BSOD text that are meaningful to us. It is possible that some of the items may be missing. So what do these points mean:

1. The name of the file that caused the system crash.
2. Description of the error.
3. Stop code. It can be used to search for a solution on the Internet.

Your task is to study this data and find a solution. Alternatively, you can replace the faulty file with a file from the distribution. The second option is to boot from LiveCD, download CureIt and scan the file for viruses.

Computer is locked

Sometimes it happens that computer won't boot, and on the screen there is a white inscription on a black background indicating that the computer is blocked for one reason or another. It looks something like this:

No matter what is written on the screen, the main task is not to send SMS, not to pay bills and not to spend money on this beggar. We just boot from the LiveCD and scan the disk with the system for viruses. CureIt is ideal for scanning. Usually, after treating the system, the computer boots smoothly.

White cursor on black screen

If, while the computer is loading, a white cursor blinks on a black background, but loading does not occur, then the reason is one of the drivers or a program that hangs in startup.

In order to understand which file failed, you need to enable the system to display running processes at boot. It's done like this.

Booting from LiveCD. Open the disk with the system in TotalCommander, and find in the root a file called “boot.ini”. Open it with notepad. We find a line like this: " multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional RU" /execute /fastdetect". You need to enter the parameter " /sos". The result should look something like this: " multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional RU" /execute /fastdetect /sos". Save the file and reboot. Now when the system boots you will see what is being loaded. If loading a file takes a long time, then this file will fail. The solution is to replace the file or update required driver. It might make sense to run the files through an antivirus.

Bottom line

I described the most common mistakes and their solutions if Windows XP won't load. But each case requires its own solution, so you will need to use your brain.

Scanning the system disk almost always helps. antivirus program. My recommendation is CureIt.

That's all. Good luck in your achievements!

You can join my microblog on Twitter

If Windows won't boot, there is one simple way that can help us restore the operating system without getting into its "internals" :)

The reasons that Windows does not boot can be very diverse, for example, -, and in each specific case you need your own individual approach. But, knowing the basic set of faults (“classics of the genre”), we can independently fix most Windows boot problems.

Let's digress a little and I'll tell you a little story from my practice, how I got into a situation where Windows won't boot and what did I do? I once worked in one of the geographically remote departments of our institution. In addition to all other tasks, it was necessary to install the fourth service pack (OS update) for Windows 2000 on one of the computers there.

Note: The method described below is absolutely identical for the Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems.

So, I finished all my current affairs and thought: now I’ll quickly install the service pack and - for lunch. I'm launching, it means installation file, the installer unpacks the two-hundred-megabyte archive, then its installation begins.

During such a procedure, there is a massive update and an increase in the total number of system files and components of the OS itself, so it is strictly not recommended to turn off or restart the computer before it is completed!

What do you think happened at the moment when the installation progress indicator reached exactly the middle? The lights in the room have turned off! The electricians needed to re-route some cables and they decided to cut off the power to several rooms “for five minutes” :)

It is clear that a few seconds were enough for the computer (to my involuntary and not entirely literary exclamation) to turn off. It is clear that after turning on the electricity, I saw that Windows did not boot, but went into permanent cyclic reboot(at the stage of the appearance of his logo).

“Lunch is served and the planned quiet surfing on the Internet is over,” I thought. Windows will not boot, you need to take everything to yourself and “raise” the system (restore the OS boot).

How are we going to do this? IN in this case The method on top of an existing one helped us. Let's figure out how to do this correctly?

A small note: With this method of recovery, Windows downloads that are missing or damaged system files and OS libraries are replaced with original ones, which allows (in many cases) to obtain a working system. Moreover very important that all user data, installed programs and the registry settings are saved. The changes affect only service files and libraries.

So, Windows won't boot - let's start repairing it! We take the installation disk with Windows, insert it into , set the BIOS to boot from it and reboot.

Perhaps, to boot from a CD, we will be asked to press any key on the keyboard - press it. As a result, we should see a window like this:

Press the “Enter” key, as shown in the photo above. We discussed what it is and how to work with it in one of the previous articles and we will not dwell on this.

And let's look at another very important point, requiring separate explanation. To be able to use this recovery method, we (ideally) should have on hand the disk from which the particular copy of Windows that we are going to “repair” was installed.

Why is this so? I don’t know exactly the answer to this question, perhaps this is related to the OS serial numbers from Microsoft? Let me explain my point: if you often had to install them, you probably noticed that sometimes the serial numbers from one installation disk miraculously match another (naturally, within the same product line).

Apparently, Microsoft produces original disks with copies of Windows in batches. And so, within one such “party”, serial number from one disk can be successfully applied to all others. This is precisely the nuance of successfully using the installation disk in a situation where Windows does not boot.

We need (ideally) the same disk from which initial installation system, or - a disc from the same batch!

At one time (even before the crisis), our organization purchased quite a lot of licensed products from Microsoft. Therefore, it is almost always possible to find a distribution kit in disk debris that will behave “correctly” during the installation process :)

What do I mean? But let's see what the screenshots of this process look like next:

Standard window with license agreement. We need to accept it by pressing the “F8” key.

After this, we can see a very interesting inscription at the bottom of the screen:

It is at this stage that the OS from the distribution kit on the disk determines whether it can be used to restore the installed copy Windows? Those. - Are these two systems from the same series/batch?

What happens if the check is successful? A window exactly like the one in the photo below appears:

After this, press the “ R", confirming our desire.

Attention! if you don't you see the inscription "To try to restore the selected copy of Windows press R" - don't continue installation, otherwise you will irrevocably overwrite the already installed copy.

Then the screen changes and we see the following window:

After a few seconds, this is the picture:

In appearance, it looks very similar to installing from scratch, but we remember that we have Windows won't boot and we are doing exactly that recovery !

After the installation is complete, we reboot the computer and - Windows boots!

As you remember, in my case it was Windows 2000, but the result and the process itself looked exactly the same for XP.

Now I want to show you how the screenshots of the installation process differ if the distribution disk is not suitable for recovery using the method described above.

So, the initial situation is that Windows does not boot, we take (as it seems to us) the “correct” distribution kit (from the same batch) and try to boot from it. At first, everything is exactly the same as in the previous case, but only up to this point:

All! This is the last Redmond Windows warning :) If we go further, we will lose all the data, programs and settings that were made in previous system, and no emergency will help us.

Use the first option described at the beginning of this article!

If you encounter the problem that the operating room Windows system XP does not boot, then first of all you need to find out the nature of the failure.

There are two possible problems:

Software error due to malfunction software.
A hardware error caused by the failure of a specific part.

1. The computer responds but does not boot

You pressed the Power button, but absolutely nothing is displayed on the monitor, but the cooler started working and the lights came on? Most likely the monitor is connected incorrectly or a hardware error has occurred. What to do if the problem is still in the hardware?

Alternatively, your PC has lost contact somewhere due to dust contamination. Then you should do the following:

Unscrew the cover from system unit and remove the video adapter and RAM.
Carefully remove dust from parts and the system unit itself.
Carefully wipe the contacts of the video adapter and RAM.
Reinstall all the parts and check if the computer works.

If after these steps the computer does not turn on and Windows XP does not boot, you will need to find the part that has failed. This can be easily done with BIOS help (basic system input/output). The main thing is to know which version is installed on your computer.

Every time you boot your PC, it is checked using the BIOS. If any failure occurs during the test, the computer makes a sound, by the type of which you can find out the cause of the failure. Find out what kind of breakdown a certain one is talking about beep can be found in the BIOS signal table.

In case you don't know what your BIOS version, then you will have to suffer. You will need to exchange your parts one by one for others (borrowed from someone) until it becomes clear which of them is not working. Is this option not feasible for you? Then all that remains is to turn to specialists.

2. The computer does not respond at all

If you press the Power button, but the computer does not respond (the cooler does not make noise, the lights do not light), you should immediately check whether the computer is connected correctly. To do this, make sure that the switch on the back of the system unit is turned on and carefully inspect the power cables.

If everything is connected correctly, then the power supply is most likely broken. If you have never dealt with electrical appliances, it will be quite difficult to eliminate such a breakdown yourself. But it would still be a good idea to borrow a power supply from someone, connect it to your PC and see if it turns on. Don't know how to connect? Then it’s worth turning to specialists.

3. The computer turns on, but Windows XP does not boot

There are times when the PC turns on, the monitor works, but Windows XP does not load (black screen). A window is displayed on the screen, as in (Figure 1).

Figure 1 - DISK BOOT FAILURE – INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER

If you see a message like this, it means that the computer cannot detect the storage device on which the OS is stored. Simply put, the computer does not see the HDD, which is why Windows XP does not boot.

First of all, find out whether the hard drive is connected correctly. If everything is fine with the hard drive, then the operating system has become unusable and you will have to reinstall Windows.

You can also see text like in (Figure 2) when you start your computer.

Figure 2 – Message

This means that system files are lost or damaged. In this case you need:

Load the last successful configuration. To do this, you need to turn on the computer and press F8 on the keyboard. Next, select the desired item from the menu that appears.
Follow the steps above, but click on "Safe Mode". Do a system restore if the OS boots.

If the operating system does not boot at all, then the smartest thing to do is to reinstall Windows XP.