Plz help Windows Xp Gone after installing Ubuntu 7.10

[saurabh kakkar]

Hi
I Have just installed Ubuntu 7.10 on my pata Hdd which already contained windows Xp and Windows 98 i.e I tried to tipple boot My sys I had successfully Done this earlies But Now My Windows Xp is not Working though my windows 98 and ubuntu is working perfectly .
My windows Xp is Giving this error :

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
<Windows root>\system32\hal.dll.
Please re-install a copy of the above file.

I know this can be rectified by this method :

Booingt using Windows Setup CD and enter into "Recovery Console" by pressing "R". Now Log into windows installation and enter admin password. Now give following commands at prompt:

Attrib -H -R -S C:\Boot.ini
Del C:\Boot.ini
BootCfg /Rebuild
Fixboot

But the problem is that whenever i try to boot the sys using windows Xp Cd
After showing the folloing msg black screens apperars :

Windows is scanning ur sys hardware configuration

Can someone suggest me How can i recover my windows Xp ?

[techtronic]

Go to cd /boot/grub/menu.lst and check whether there is an entry for Windows XP SP 2.If its not available add it

[amitava82]

There might me some problem with ur XP CD. Try other CD.

[Faun]

Originally Posted by saurabh kakkar

But the problem is that whenever i try to boot the sys using windows Xp Cd
After showing the folloing msg black screens apperars :

u messed up with system volume (where boot.ini and other system files were installed)

[saurabh kakkar]

^^ Oks if My system volume is messed plz help me to rectify this

[shady_inc]

This is a common error if you installed ubuntu on a primary partition.Fortunately the solution is very easy.Just need to edit your boot.iniwhich you can find in C:\.Can you post it's contents here.?

[MetalheadGautham]

or just try repairing the MBR using win xp cd, then fix the OS, then reinstall grub to detect all three OSes.

[praka123]

in xp,start menu>run :run "cmd" inside.once dos CLI is available run below command.

notepad C:\boot.ini

post the o/p here.

[Faun]

Originally Posted by MetalheadGautham

or just try repairing the MBR using win xp cd, then fix the OS, then reinstall grub to detect all three OSes.

yup

Originally Posted by praka123

in xp,start menu>run :run "cmd" inside.once dos CLI is available run below command.

notepad C:\boot.ini

post the o/p here.

most probably he's missing one

[shady_inc]

Originally Posted by T159

most probably he's missing one

Even I had faced the same error after installing Ubuntu.But changing the partition no. of XP in boot.ini from 0 to 1 worked for me.

@ saurabh kakkar: Here's a great solution to your problem:

[boot loader] 
timeout=30 

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS 

[operating systems] 

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP" /fastdetect 

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP" /fastdetect 

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP" /fastdetect 

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP" /fastdetect 

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(5)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP" /fastdetect

Just paste this code in your boot.ini replacing the old content.At start-up you will see 5 instences of WinXP.One of them will certainly work.After you get to boot in XP, clear out the invalid boot paths from msconfig.

[praka123]

^very logical one!

[Faun]

yep, nifty soultion

[saurabh kakkar]

Originally Posted by shady_inc

Even I had faced the same error after installing Ubuntu.But changing the partition no. of XP in boot.ini from 0 to 1 worked for me.

@ saurabh kakkar: Here's a great solution to your problem:

[boot loader] 
timeout=30 

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS 

[operating systems] 

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP" /fastdetect 

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP" /fastdetect 

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP" /fastdetect 

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP" /fastdetect 

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(5)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP" /fastdetect

Just paste this code in your boot.ini replacing the old content.At start-up you will see 5 instences of WinXP.One of them will certainly work.After you get to boot in XP, clear out the invalid boot paths from msconfig.

thanks man this method has rectified my problem

regards
saurabh kakkar

[Ross]

Originally Posted by saurabh kakkar

......But the problem is that whenever i try to boot the sys using windows Xp Cd After showing the folloing msg black screens apperars......

Hi, i had the same problem. what to do when this happens..(i mean then how can we reach 'Recovery Console'..??)??? does anybody know why this happens???