Windows boot, partition and mbr related issues.

[Uni...@gmail.com]

When you have multiple primary partitions you may need to change the
active partition(when you have different operating systems in each
primary partition). How will you do this? This is simple.

Windows XP
=============
Enter into disk management (click run from start menu and type
diskmgmt.msc). Right click the primary partition you want to mark as
active. Click Mark Partition as Active and it's done. Changes will
take effect after reboot.

Windows Vista
=============
Click Start Menu> Programs> Accessories. Right click Command Prompt
and rus as administrator. Now type
c:> diskpart
diskpart> select disk 0 // list command will list
available disks
diskpart> select partition 1 // list partition will list
partitions
diskpart> active // mark selected object as
active
diskpart> exit

And it's done.

[Uni...@gmail.com]

Windows Vista Boot Manager has a serious bug. When you change the
active boot flag using any other OS or tools it messes up. The Vista
Boot Loader shows the following error:

"Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might
be the
cause. . .

File: \Windows\system32\winload.exe
Status:0xc000000f
Info: The selected entry could not be loaded because the application
is
missing or corrupt."

It happens because Windows Vista Boot entries get automatically
changed after detection of change in MBR (Master boot record, MS gives
lame excuses about OEM_Vista). It's bad because you can just edit
commands like grub and boot into your system. But it's worse because
it does not fix up when you change your active partiton flag back. It
goes on showing the same error.

Solution is here,
* boot using Vista DVD.
* Select English
* Select Repair your computer
* When a dialog box comes to confirm if you want to repair or not
select no. But dialbox comes saying that no repair canot be made click
ok.
* Click next
* Click command prompt
* Use the previous thread to mark your Windows Primary partition
active
* then type these commands
c:> bcdedit /set {bootmgr} device partition=C:
c:> bcdedit /set {default} device partition=C: // type
bcdedit to see current status of boot manager and see the identifier
below windows vista boot loader, if it's not default use the keywork
which is there
c:> bcdedit /set {default} osdevice partition=C: // same thing
applies to this command too
c:> exit

Then click restart.
No more losing, reinstalling of Vista.. Cheers..

[Atiqur Rahman]

Windows XP installation issue: "Setup is inspecting your hardware
configuration" and hangs
===========================================================================­====

For you are not up-to-date with viruses' you PC is affected with viruses or
let's assume any other reasons for which you decide to re-install Windows
XP. You bring a windows XP CD, boot from it and it only says you: "Setup is
inspecting your hardware configuration" and nothing..

This is a most common trouble for computers users who have linux at their
systems. Did it notice anyone before?

I don't know why in my PATA hard-disk it never occurred! So it might be a
SATA issue. And I didn't care because it never happened to me still now. And
then people comes to me for solution. I hear the problem and tell to have
another windows XP CD which is fresh and bootable. Before today I was very
wrong about this. Someone (my junior) comes to me with the same problem. And
I thought I should give it a try.

I decided to wipe out the MBR of his disk as Windows XP might be in trouble
with the partition table and boot information when it sees Linux. As I got
to know he has a Linux (Fedora Core) in his PC so there is linux boot
information in the Master Boot Record. I wiped out the records using Fedora
Core:
     dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda bs=446 count=1

So the grub and MBR is gone! That's the fun Windows XP CD still hangs...
Strange?

So I erased all the Linux partitons installing Vista. And think what! It's
like a magic! It worked..

(MS is very disturbing and disappointing in these issues. They goes to court
for advertise in every PC by showing their Windows Logo. They tries to halt
the adventure of open-source Linux! It's a monopoly and unfair!)
Though Vista has fixed this problem. Why didn't they understand it first!

Remeber to backup your data before erasing Linux partitions.
A controversial problem is solved. Let's now relax!

[Atiqur Rahman]

On Jan 26, 3:13 pm, Atiqur Rahman <uni...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Windows XP installation issue: "Setup is inspecting your hardware
> configuration" and hangs
> ===========================================================================­­====

This problem is embarrassing. However, I've found out multiple
solutions for this problem.

Alt Solution 1:
Disconnect the data cable of your hard-disk from motherboard during
booting from Windows XP CD. When Boot passes the phrase "Setup is
inspecting your hardware configuration" and a blue screen with loading
files comes. Then reconnect the cable carefully with the PC running.
And you'll be able to install normally again.

Alt Solution 2:
If you can connect your hard-disk with another computer then goto
command prompt with administrative previlege.

# type 'diskpart' without quotations.
# select disk yourDiskNumber

for example, select disk 1
You can see disk informations typing 'list disk' and see partitions
using 'list partition'

And then select your active partition.
# select partition 1

And mark the partition as inactive:
# inactive

Now try to install. You'll not have any problem