PC Boots, OS Doesn't Load. Help Required (Update: FIXED)

NiftyDigits

PasturesNew wrote: »

I just booted the broken PC with the newly burnt boot-disk CD in the drive and it loaded some files, then asked me if I wanted to install Windows, or Repair. So I chose Repair.

It's now on a black screen with white text saying it is in Recovery Console and asking me which Windows to log onto.

But I've no idea what to type there.... and it's not giving me clues.

Instructions are in post #48....for the PC.

PasturesNew

How do I do chkdsk?

Do I just type it at the command prompt in Rescue Monitor, where it's asking me which Windows to load? And, if so, what's the full path to the CD drive as I can't just type chkdsk, or can I?

e.g. do I type C:\Windows at the command prompt, to get to the C: drive of the PC? Then do chkdisk?

PC owner has just returned home and confirmed that they have no idea where the original installation disk is, they lost it years ago - and had in the past looked for it. They are chaotic and careless, with a lot of cr4p/stuff and have moved house twice since they bought the PC in about 2000-2002.
Which I suspected, which is why I went down the route of burning a disk and not looking for one

NiftyDigits

Post #48....just follow the instruction.

PasturesNew

NiftyDigits wrote: »

Post #48....just follow the instruction.

#48 says:
First thing to try is ChkDsk. Follow instructions from 1.

=====
And I am confused/unsure how to proceed....

Try chkidsk by typing what at the command prompt in Rescue Monitor on the broken PC?

The instruction is not specific enough for me to have confidence in proceeding.

In the meantime I will just go and type chkdsk at the command prompt, cross my fingers that's right ..... and see what happens/breaks?

NiftyDigits

Type what is written in red

PasturesNew

There is nothing written in red.... (Edit: Oh, red on the link..... ). As I knew what chkdsk is, I hadn't clicked the link before, I'd assumed it was a link to explain in 12 words what chkdsk is (if you see what I mean).... oops.

I did chkdsk and it said it's fine. It offered me /p so I did that and it was mostly fine, nothing significant, but it did report "chkdsk found some errors on the volume", but didn't say what.

The process completed fine.

Command prompt is now sitting at C:\Windows

(sorry for delay, house owner returned and it's like a whirlwind .... and I had to take them to Asda....)

It's now running chkdsk /r .... so fingers crossed.

NiftyDigits

If it still doesn't boot in Normal Mode after restarting from chkdsk, you can attempt a System Restore via the Recovery Console Begin from I. Boot to Recovery Console as described above.

PasturesNew

When I rebooted, it was behaving exactly the same as before. It wouldn't start in any mode.... I tried Start Normally, Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Command Prompt - and all options gave the same result as the initial problem: it didn't load but ended up asking me the question again,

I will now do the thing that's on your link to do a system restore via the recovery console.

PasturesNew

It seems to work..... System Restore from Recovery Console did the job.

What can I say: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for having patience with me.

I'll now shut the PC down and hopefully it'lll all be OK in the morning when I check it out

ALL the best ..... you stars

closed

http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx