Pc Won't Boot

J

Joost Hofstede

Geek Trainee
I have a dual boot system (Win XP and Linux Mint).
Booting into both Win XP and Linux Mint does not work any more.
Only booting into Win XP with safe mode works.

I have tried several USB bootable disks and they won't boot either (kernel panic).
When booting a different system with this USB disk, it works fine.

I have installed a USB disk with Ultimate Boot CD.
That disk I can boot up. I have ran several tests but no errors yet.
Memory seems fine (Memtest86 is running for an hour with no errors), graphic memory is ok.
Hard disks are hard to check ( I don't know how to access them). But as both Linux and Windows both have issues and booting from USB disk does not work, I cannot imagine the hard disk to be the problem.

I have also executed a CPU test (Prime95). I tried several options. The lightest option went fine. But the blended option resulted in an error (Rounding was 0.5, expected less than 0.4) . In the menu option is explained that in the blended option also a lot of RAM is being tested.
But as the memory tests are ok, should I assume that the problem is with the CPU?
And does it make sense that booting Win XP in safe mode does work?

Many thanks for any help!
 
What are the specs including the power supply?

Safe mode uses generic drivers, I believe, to keep issues to a minimum.

Could be a storage controller issue as well.
 
Sounds like the Linux boot manager got messed up, You will probable have to remove Linux and its boot manager to get XP working again, Or you will have to remove both OS.s and start from scratch..
 
Hi Ghostman, thanks for the reply.
Would that also explain why I cannot boot from USB disk? As far as I know, by booting from USB disk, you use a different boot manager.
Besides: I wouldn't know how to remove one or more OS's as I cannot boot.
 
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If the Linux boot manager is Screwed Up, then You are lucky you can do Anything, Usually It won't even let boot into nothing..I am surprise it lets you into safemode.. You will have to remove Linux Boot manager, and try to fix Windows
boot manager, Or Remove Both.. I have found it easier just to remove booth and start fresh.. Less Problems that way..
 
Hi Ghostman,
Thanks for the info.
It seems that the boot manager is on the hard disk and that removing it is quite final (cannot be undone).

When I boot from USB disk, the hard disk is not being used.
I also get a different boot menu.
Still booting will not work.
How would removing the Linux boot manager from the hard disk change that?

What I find remarkable is that the System Stability Tester (http://systester.sourceforge.net) does not finish.
This test calculates 131072 digits of pi and as I understand it, this is a CPU test.
On my PC (that does not boot) the test stops at different points. Sometimes after 4 digits, sometimes aftes 512 digits.
I just executed the same test on a different system and it goes on till the end (128K) and says: Borwein passed.

Is it safe to assume that it is my CPU that is damaged based on these test results?
 
It seems that the boot manager is on the hard disk and that removing it is quite final (cannot be undone).
Click to expand...
Sure it can..
How did you JUMP from boot problem to CPU problem ????Lets NOT get ahead of our self here.. Did you even watch the video ? Google and YouTube can Be your Friend....
 
Thanks again for your help.
Sure I have watched the video. If I would follow the video (assuming I can, as I cannot boot), my Linux partitions would be removed and formatted.

How I jumped from boot problem to CPU problem?
Well, I am not able to boot from HDD , but I am also not able to boot from USB disk (into Linux Mint, FreeDos and Ubuntu).
Only the Ultimate Boot CD (on USB disk) works (and WinXP in Safe mode from HDD).

And as booting from HD with various OS's and booting from USB Disk does not work, I assume my problem is hardware related.
The results from the System Stability Tester (http://systester.sourceforge.net) seem to suggest that it is the CPU that has issues.

Could you explain how removing the Linux Boot manager and the Linux partitions and fixing Windows will fix the problem with booting from USB Disk?
 
Why are you booting from USB anyway, Should be booting from DVD/CD-rom drive ..Sometimes your USB will go out from driver problems..You need to boot from DVD to fix your problem..
Are you trying to boot from safe mode by using USB ? In safe mode you are limited on what you can do.. Do you have anything you want to Save on Windows XP, Important files or Photo's ?
You can also remove the hard drive and piggy back it from another computer to try and Fix it.. My suggestion would just to back up your important Files and photo's and then WIPE both Partitions and Start Fresh..
But This is What I would do, Just My Opinion..
 
Thanks again.
There are files on the HDD that I want to save (both Windows and Linux partitions).
Good suggestion to connect the HDD to another PC to get the files off.

Why am I booting from USB?
It is easier and I did not know it was less "reliable" than booting from DVD,
I just tried to boot from a DVD with Ubuntu on it.
Unfortunately no success again. All kinds of error messages (see attached), like "error_code+0x67/0x6c". I have seen that same error before.
I have searched the internet for the meaning of that error message, but apart from finding a lot of options and people giving up, I haven't found out how to fix it yet.

So I keep coming back to the "CPU test" (System stability tester) that does not finish.
I have sent an email to the developer of that software.
Thanks again for all the help sofar!
 

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Do you have the bio's set to boot from dvd/cd to boot First ? your file is too hard to read.. I cannot see you file close enough to read the errors.
 
Do you think it makes a different when you let it boot by changing the Bios boot order?
Click to expand...
Ah Yea !! To me is looks like you have Mixed errors on your screen some Linux and some Windows.. At this Point, I would just Wipe the entire hard drive and install Windows back... What are the specks of this computer ?
 
I just removed the power supply from the HDD.
I also changed the BIOS so that the PC cannot boot from HDD and that the first Boot option is the DVD player.
In the DVD is the Ubuntu live CD.
First time I booted, I saw the Ubuntu splash screen and after a few seconds I got all kinds of error messages.
I booted again, again the splash screen. And after looking at the splash screen for half an hour I switched off the PC.

Conclusion: Even without a HDD present, the PC won't boot from DVD.
How could this be anything else than a HW-issue?
 
You mean power connection to the hard drive, OF course it is going to boot to DVD, Error messages, Didn't you disconnect the hard drive.. Dude, Why are you making everything so hard On yourself..
If you are not going to take my Advise, and keep jumping around from problem to problem then I can't HELP you...
 
Ghostman, I am extremely grateful for all your help and effort.
Still, I won't follow an advice if I am not convinced that it will solve my problem, especially if it makes me lose data (I don't have another system available where I can copy the data to).
If you feel you can't or don't want to help me any more, I understand.

If you read my last comment carefully, you'll notice that the problem is booting (at all). Not just from a HDD.
The PC won't boot from Hard Disk, not from DVD and not from USB stick.

If I were to follow your advice, I would be changing the boot menu which is on the Hard Disk.
As I have tried to boot from DVD with no Hard Disk present, changing the contents of the Hard Disk will never result into the PC to be able to boot from DVD.
Therefore I have serious doubts that I will be able to boot from HDD after following your advice.
It seems that it will not take away the real problem.

I hope you understand that I am not very keen in formatting my disks as I am not convinced it will solve the boot problem.
If you can convince me that removing the Linux Boot manager (from the HDD) will make the PC boot from DVD, then I am happy to go for it.

Otherwise I am afraid that we must agree that you indeed cannot help me any more.
Anyhow: thanks a lot for the help so far!
 
OK, Give me the specks of your computer ... CPU/Ram/Hard drive? Desktop/Laptop ? IDE or Sata ... How many Hard drives.. Number of Partitions.. And what do you want to do FIRST...
 
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