After using the Norton Removal Tool, my computer rebooted and froze at a black screen with the white progress at the bottom (it hangs once the white bar reaches the right side of the screen). This occurs when trying to start Windows normally.
If I select "Last Known Good Configuration" or "Recovery Console", the computer hangs at a black screen with a flashing cursor in the upper left corner.
Starting in Safe Mode hangs up at BtHidBus.sys.
If I boot from a Windows CD and access the Recovery Console/Repair, typing "DIR" at the C prompt gives me "An error occurred during directory enumeration."
I can access files on the drive when connected to another computer as an external USB drive.
Thanks for any help in getting this drive to boot to Windows again!
What version of Windows is on your system, and the service pack level? Also what version of Norton was on the system, and what was happening to cause the removal? If you can access the files through another computer, you should save them, in case of disaster. Once saved, are you able to do a repair installation of Windows from the CD? I think you could also, from the repair console type "sfc /scannow" and it should allow the machine to repair any needed files from the operating system disk.
I was uninstalling Norton Utility Suite (provided via Comcast) because SONAR Advance protection was not loading for me. Clicking "FIX" or trying the other offered solutions did not solve the problem, and reinstalling the software was the next option.
I assume a repair install is possible. I'll look into sfc/scannow.
That's good. You mentioned chkdsk /r was OK so I guess you have a badly corrupted OS but I'd check HD integrity with the manufacturers diagnostic CD. Sorry, no bright ideas.
I don't know if this will help but that incorrect partition size has me intrigued. We know your OS boots OK but freezes during loading. Could you try this? Download BootIt NG (30 day trial) and make a CD..
double click makedisk.exe, next dot in I accept the agreement, next dot in Mouse Support Enabled, next dot in VESA Video, next dot in Partition Work (Don't put a dot in Normal), next don't choose any Default Device Options, next leave Registration strings blank, next select your CD burner drive letter (you can use a CD-RW or a CD-R disc) Finish
your BING CD boots to the Work with Partitions window using the radio buttons on the left side of the Work with Partitions window, select the appropriate hard drive. (It should be HD 0 if you are booting from a CD)
In the Partitions section, what is the partition size? select your WinXP partition and click Properties
This won't be much help, but system file checker is not availible from the recovery console. Thats why that command didn't work. It's not availible because it needs to be run inside windows so windows can compare the system files with the ones in the dll cache.
The replacement for sfc outside of windows is the repair install but don't even try running it unless the system is correctly identifying the hard drive. It concerns me that you couldn't get a directory listing from the recovery disk but your able to access everything when it's slaved to another system.
If you try the recovery console again you may want to do a "fixmbr" floowed by a "fixboot" and then reboot back into the recovery console and either try a directory listing again or run diskpart just to view the size of the partition.
I didn't see Brians suggestion when I was posting the above, but that is exactly what I was thinking as well. I was ready to suggest a partition recovery program to check the disk since it can be accessed as a slave and shows the correct size, there are not too many differences involved between a slaved drive and a booted drive.
I ran fixmbr and fixboot the other day. Fixboot made my stomach sink, because it changed the file system to FAT! Partition Table Doctor (or a similar program... can't remember) recivered my NTFS partition and gave me my files back.
Thats interesting how it tried to change it to FAT.
I just noticed, when you say the problem system sees the drive as 131072 MB, that looks like it around 128GB and that happens to be a drive size limitation for some older systems.
It's like the system is trying to access the drive using the wrong disk translation.
Did you install that drive or did it come with the system?
If you installed it, do you recall having a size problem and needing to use some kind of tool from the hard drive manufactor?
Ah, the partition ends inside the file system. I've just created this situation. Windows boots and gets as far as the WinXP spash screen then a BSOD.
OK. In BING select your WinXP partition, hold down left Shift on the keyboard and click Properties. In the LBA Information, End field, change it to 625137343. OK, etc