Other Norton Products

[Brian_K]

Stand by.

[Brian_K]

Try this.

Download BootIt BM. There is a 30 day trial usage. Unzip the file and make a boot CD.

 
 double click makedisk.exe, next
 dot in BootIt Bare Metal, next
 dot in I accept the agreement, next
 don't select Image for DOS (GUI), next
 dot in Mouse Support Enabled, next
 dot in VESA Video, next
 dot in Video Mode 800*600 - 64K Colors, next
 dot in Partition Work (Don't put a dot in Normal), next
 don't choose any Device Options, next
 tick in Enable USB 1.1 (UHCI), next
  ignore Additional bootitbm.ini Options, next
 select your CD burner drive letter (you can use a CD-RW or a CD-R disc)
 Finish

Boot from the CD. The trial CD boots to "Work with Partitions"

Let  me know what you see in the large white space called MBR partitions

[sfalco1957]

DELLUTILITY    Partition 48MB Dell Utility

MBR 1                Partition 305196MB HPFS/NTFS

[Brian_K]

Great. From that screen do this...

Click View MBR

Std MBR

OK

Apply

Close the Work with Partitions screen

Click Reboot and remove the CD

Hopefully WinXP will boot

[sfalco1957]

Well, it boots XP, and comes to the login screen (2 users).. I enter my password, it says Loading yout personal settings..., and just stops there. I tried the other user (my wife's) with no password, same thing....

[Brian_K]

Wow. Try this. Boot into BootIt BM again.

Click View MBR

Clear Sig

OK

Apply

Close

Reboot

Fingers crossed again.

[sfalco1957]

Same thing.. Maybe I should boot in safe mode, could there be something it is trying to do with this Media Direct thing that it can't, and something has to be disabled?

[Brian_K]

Yes, try Safe Mode. It's bed time for you but work through this later...

http://forums.techarena.in/windows-xp-support/778269.htm

I don't know why your new HD is behaving differently from your old HD.

[sfalco1957 · Accepted solution]

Thanks a bunch.. I can get it to boot in safe mode, just have to figure out what is hanging up on normal boot.. I do see that all the files and apps I have seem to be there...

Update (as I was typing) - I did msconfig and unchecked some thing with the name Dell media experience in it, now it boots up ok in normal mode...  Again I thank you kindly for all your help and patience... I assume I had better not hit that Media Direct button either, I may place some tape over it so I won't forget...  

[Brian_K]

Excellent again. It was a great learning experience but I'm pleased it is over. I'm sure you are too.

You old HD may be on its last legs but if you would like to make it "safe" and remove the HPA you can do this..

Boot from the Ghost 15 CD and click..

Utilities
Run Support Tool
First Track Operations
Save the First track to a USB flash drive. Call it embr.bin. This is just in case something goes wrong. It won't.
click Wipe, etc

Wipe zeroes LBA-1 to LBA-62 so your boot code and partition table in LBA-0 remain intact. Because LBA-3 has been zeroed the HPA won't be recreated at the next boot.

Now boot into HDAT2 and remove the HPA.

WinXP will still boot.