Computer Related > Error loading operating system Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Focusless Replies: 17
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New Fri 7 May 10 23:31 
 Error loading operating system - Focusless
...that's the message the home desktop (XP Pro) is displaying shortly after startup. Can't use F8 to go into safe mode. BIOS can see disk.

Earlier stepson was on the PC and called me in because something called Antispyware Soft kept popping up,. Google shows this to be a hoax thing, so rebooted to go into safe mode and download a removal tool, and that's when this started happening.

I've got a Ubuntu live CD which hopefully I can use to boot up from and copy any data/photo files (used this on SWMBO's broken Vista laptop the other week), but last time I looked for our Windows XP CD I couldn't find it, so it's a bit of a pain. Perhaps time to invest in Windows 7 (can't afford a new PC at the moment).

Unless anyone has any other ideas?
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New Fri 7 May 10 23:41 
 Error loading operating system - Focusless
>> so rebooted to go
>> into safe mode and download a removal tool, and that's when this started happening.

That is, the message came up before I got chance to go into safe mode or download anything.
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New Fri 7 May 10 23:59 
 Error loading operating system - John H

ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=622828

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New Sat 8 May 10 00:04 
 Error loading operating system - Focusless
>> ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=622828

(describes using Ubuntu Live CD to restore Windows MBR)

Thanks John - I'll give that a go tomorrow.
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New Sat 8 May 10 09:54 
 Error loading operating system - Victorbox
It's a shame you can't borrow an XP CD of the same flavour as your poorly PC as you could possibly do a repair install over your existing installation. michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

If you can first save any needed files to a large capacity external USB or hard disk using Ubuntu and you still want to reinstall XP without a CD you may be able to try this. You will need your XP product key - hopefully on a sticker on the PC. Hopefully you still have a floppy drive on the PC?
Copy the i386 folder from the Windows folder on your PC to the external device. More about it here: tinyurl.com/2vrflt

The way to install from i386 folder is explained here: michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
Messing about with boot disks, formatting hard disks and a few DOS commands isn't difficult once you've done it a few times but as a one-off can be a little daunting.
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New Sat 8 May 10 09:58 
 Error loading operating system - Zero
I would go the xprepair from an XP cd first. This way you can frequently save your data.
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New Sat 8 May 10 14:29 
 Error loading operating system - Focusless
Tried the MBR repair - now I'm getting "Invalid partition table" (which I'm about to Google).

Worryingly when I boot off the Ubuntu Live CD and look at the drives, it only shows "SWAP" with very little on it - I assume this is the small (<10Gb) partition I created just to hold the Windows swap file. There's no sign of the main partition with the remainder of the 250Gb.

Fortunately there's no valuable data on the drive that I'm aware of apart from photos, which I periodically back up to a DVD (and I'm copying now on to the laptop now for an additional backup).

I haven't yet managed to find the original XP CD, which didn't come with the PC; I have previously made a note of the product key. I've also got a Dell XP CD which I got off ebay in order to install XP under Sun's Virtualbox on my work Dell linux laptop - not sure whether that would be any good even if I could find it. They must be somewhere...
Last edited by: Focus on Sat 8 May 10 at 14:29
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New Sat 8 May 10 15:53 
 Error loading operating system - Focusless
Currently trying SystemRescueCD, whose tools at least show the missing main partition, albeit with (partition) errors which TestDisk is currently analysing.

Something to do on a cold grey Saturday afternoon...
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New Sat 8 May 10 16:59 
 Error loading operating system - Focusless
Some progress - with the help of TestDisk, in Ubuntu I can now see the main Windows partition and the files within it (WINDOWS, Documents & Settings, Program Files etc.). The partition is bootable, but if I try to boot the PC off the hard disk, it just sits there; some initial disk activity, but even that just stops after a bit.

Going to pop round to a neighbour to see if he has a spare XP Pro installation disk lying around which I could borrow (to repair, not install).
Last edited by: Focus on Sat 8 May 10 at 16:59
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New Sat 8 May 10 18:12 
 Error loading operating system - smokie
"no valuable data on the drive"

in which case I'd simply format it and re-install. I've faffed around for many hours trying to recover disks in similar states, with only mixed success, and I like to think I know what I'm doing. Even if you can recover it, it is likely to be in something of a mess.

So long as your data is safe just head straight for tyhe restore option. As above, you need a matching version of XP to your product key - do you have any idea which version your product key relates to?
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New Sat 8 May 10 18:24 
 Error loading operating system - Focusless
Sorry Smokie - long delay between starting to write my post (before you replied) and actually posting it.

Having another look for the installation disk now while downloading latest Ubuntu .iso onto the laptop to burn a CD.
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New Sat 8 May 10 18:22 
 Error loading operating system - Focusless
>> Going to pop round to a neighbour to see if he has a spare XP
>> Pro installation disk lying around which I could borrow (to repair, not install).

He had, but chkdsk just reports that the disk appears to have an unrecoverable problem, and that's it. Fixmbr doesn't help. The Ubuntu disk checker reports no errors, so presumably it's a problem in the Windows partition/boot sector/whatever rather than anything physically wrong with the disk.

So I think that's it - the XP is unreceoverable. I'm checking whether anyone has anything worth saving, then it's Ubuntu until I can either find the XP installation disk, or I can persuade SWMBO that we need Windows 7.
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New Sat 8 May 10 18:36 
 Error loading operating system - car4play
I am no PC expert but isn't it easier to take the disk out, put it in another PC and take whatever files you want off it. Then put back in the old machine, wipe and start again?

And just hope it isn't some nasty virus causing the problem that you are about to give to the other PC.
Last edited by: car4play on Sat 8 May 10 at 18:36
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New Sat 8 May 10 18:43 
 Error loading operating system - Focusless
>> I am no PC expert but isn't it easier to take the disk out, put
>> it in another PC and take whatever files you want off it. Then put back
>> in the old machine, wipe and start again?

There isn't another PC in the house, and anyway I've already got the files off it that people want to keep - that's not a problem. Installing Ubuntu or Windows wipes it, so I think I am effectively doing what you suggest.

Just burning Ubuntu 10.04 now.
Last edited by: Focus on Sat 8 May 10 at 18:44
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New Sat 8 May 10 20:20 
 Error loading operating system - John H
>>
>> There isn't another PC in the house, and anyway I've already got the files off
>> it that people want to keep - that's not a problem. Installing Ubuntu or Windows
>> wipes it, so I think I am effectively doing what you suggest.
>>
>> Just burning Ubuntu 10.04 now.
>>

As one last attempt, try resetting the partition table and try resetting your windows partition as the active priamry one. That normally fixes the problems you encountered after the MBR fix. GParted LiveCD should do it.
Last edited by: John H on Sat 8 May 10 at 20:21
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New Sat 8 May 10 21:32 
 Error loading operating system - Focusless
>> As one last attempt...

Too late! Sounds like it would have been worth a go, but never mind - no great loss. Well not to me anyway as I hardly ever use it...
Last edited by: Focus on Sat 8 May 10 at 21:32
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New Sat 8 May 10 19:47 
 Error loading operating system - Victorbox
>> or I can persuade SWMBO that we need Windows 7.
>>

I assume you mean on a new PC? Unless your XP PC has 2GB RAM, a beefy P4 (or better) processor plus a quality 256 MB graphics card, Windows 7 will be a disappointment.
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New Sat 8 May 10 20:02 
 Error loading operating system - Focusless
>> I assume you mean on a new PC? Unless your XP PC has 2GB RAM

Thanks for the warning, but - yep...

>> a beefy P4 (or better)

It's an E1400 which is near the bottom of the dual core range, but I think it would be ok.

>> a quality 256 MB graphics card

nVidia 7900GS 512Mb, which although not that powerful relative to current games cards, I suspect it's in a different league compared to the chipsets used in most laptops running Windows 7.

>> a disappointment.

It's all academic if SWMBO puts her foot down...
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