"Sid Elbow" <mevagis***@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:75275$46fbe5ed$4c0a8021$24869@TEKSAVVY.COM...
> My first hard drive looks like this (in sequence):
>
> - Partition-1 ... Primary partition OS Win2K-1
> - Partition-2 ... Primary partition, empty, formatted
> - Partition-3 ... Extended partition containing two data drives
> - partition 4 ... Primary partition OS Win2K-2
>
> All this works fine as a multi-boot.
>
> I'm trying to install XP to the empty partition (Partition-2). The install
> goes fine, the XP partition is added to the boot menu and XP and Win2K-2
> are both bootable.
>
> However, Win2K-1 on Partition-1 fails to boot with the error message:
>
> Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
>
> \WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
>
> Any ideas?

> "Sid Elbow" <mevagis***@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:75275$46fbe5ed$4c0a8021$24869@TEKSAVVY.COM...
>> My first hard drive looks like this (in sequence):
>>
>> - Partition-1 ... Primary partition OS Win2K-1
>> - Partition-2 ... Primary partition, empty, formatted
>> - Partition-3 ... Extended partition containing two data drives
>> - partition 4 ... Primary partition OS Win2K-2
>>
>> All this works fine as a multi-boot.
>>
>> I'm trying to install XP to the empty partition (Partition-2). The install
>> goes fine, the XP partition is added to the boot menu and XP and Win2K-2
>> are both bootable.
>>
>> However, Win2K-1 on Partition-1 fails to boot with the error message:
>>
>> Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
>>
>> \WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
>>
>> Any ideas?
>
> The partition number for the Win2000-1 boot is no longer
> correct. Add a few more lines to boot.ini for this OS, each
> having a different "x" in "partition(x)", until you find the
> correct one.

"Sid Elbow" <mevagis***@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:e1b45$46fd29c2$4c0a8021$15140@TEKSAVVY.COM...
> Pegasus (MVP) wrote:
>> "Sid Elbow" <mevagis***@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:75275$46fbe5ed$4c0a8021$24869@TEKSAVVY.COM...
>>> My first hard drive looks like this (in sequence):
>>>
>>> - Partition-1 ... Primary partition OS Win2K-1
>>> - Partition-2 ... Primary partition, empty, formatted
>>> - Partition-3 ... Extended partition containing two data drives
>>> - partition 4 ... Primary partition OS Win2K-2
>>>
>>> All this works fine as a multi-boot.
>>>
>>> I'm trying to install XP to the empty partition (Partition-2). The
>>> install goes fine, the XP partition is added to the boot menu and XP and
>>> Win2K-2 are both bootable.
>>>
>>> However, Win2K-1 on Partition-1 fails to boot with the error message:
>>>
>>> Windows could not start because the following file is missing or
>>> corrupt:
>>>
>>> \WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
>>>
>>> Any ideas?
>>
>> The partition number for the Win2000-1 boot is no longer
>> correct. Add a few more lines to boot.ini for this OS, each
>> having a different "x" in "partition(x)", until you find the
>> correct one.
>
>
> OK, here's where I'm at. This is the boot.ini before XP installation with
> everything working properly. (There is an empty primary partition between
> partitions 1 & 3):
>
> [boot loader]
> timeout=10
> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
> [operating systems]
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Win2K-Main" /fastdetect
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINNT="TrainSim" /fastdetect
>
>
> I install XP to the second partition and the boot.ini now looks like this:
>
>
> [boot loader]
> timeout=30
> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
> [operating systems]
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
> professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Win2K-Main" /fastdetect
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINNT="TrainSim" /fastdetect
>
>
> Both XP and TrainSim boot normally but Win2K-Main gives me a "missing or
> corrupt \WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM"
>
> Now I add lines to the boot.ini thus:
>
> [boot loader]
> timeout=30
> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
> [operating systems]
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
> Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Win2K-Main" /fastdetect
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINNT="TrainSim" /fastdetect
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINNT="W2K-P4" /fastdetect
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(5)\WINNT="W2K-P5" /fastdetect
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(6)\WINNT="W2K-P6" /fastdetect
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(7)\WINNT="W2K-P7" /fastdetect
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(8)\WINNT="W2K-P8" /fastdetect
>
>
> P4 & P5 give "missing or corrupt <Windows root>\system32\hal.dll"
>
> P6, P7 & P8 give could not read from selected boot disk"
>
> All this suggests to me that:
>
> - the partition for Win2K-Main hasn't changed and is correct (as it should
> be since it is the first partition on the first drive). The loader appears
> to find the partition and the \WINNT directory but cannot use the file it
> needs (\WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM ... which does appear to exist
> incidentally)
>
> - P4 & P5 are found to exist but do not have an OS installed (true)
>
> - P6, P7 & P8 are not found to exist (true)
>
>
> The odd thing is that I have installed this same copy of XP as a Win2K/XP
> multi-boot on this machine before without problems. The only difference is
> that at that time there was only one copy of Win2K involved (in the boot
> partition). The TrainSim Win2K, on the third partition, didn't exist at
> that time. (In fact, that subsequent Win2K installation in the third
> partition killed the XP installation ... not unexpected, I guess since XP
> should be the last install ... what I'm trying to do now is replace that
> installation of XP).
>

"Sid Elbow" <mevagis***@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:714ee$46fd6b94$4c0a8021$32092@TEKSAVVY.COM...
> Pegasus (MVP) wrote:
>
>> You write that the SYSTEM registry file exists, which is fine, but
>> you overlook the second option of the error message, namely that
>> it may be corrupt. To prove it you could rename the file, then
>> replace it temporarily with the SYSTEM file from your TrainSim
>> installation. Do not allow the boot process to go any further than
>> you have to, in order to prevent any damage to the TrainSim
>> installation.
>
> OK, I can try that (I'll need to go through the XP installation again
> though - see below).
>
>> Win2000 installations that are made on a PC with a pre-existing
>> WinXP installation do not "kill" the WinXP installation. They
>> merely prevent it from booting because the boot files are
>> incompatible.The problem is easily fixed by replacing the Win2000
>> version of c:\ntdetect.com and c:\ntldr with their WinXP equivalents.
>
> I wish I'd known that at the time. It could have saved me a lot of
> trouble.
>
> At the moment, I've replace the unbootable win2k-Main partition from my
> (pre-XP) backup since it's my main working partition and I need it for
> email and usenet amongst other things. Of course, this image won't let me
> boot the XP partition that I just installed. Presumably this is at least
> partly due to the c:\ntdetect.com and c:\ntldr problem that you describe.
> If I can find XP copies of those files, would that allow me to boot the XP
> partition? (I just found them on the XP install disc in fact)
>
>> You could avoid all of these problems if you used a proper
>> boot loader instead of the native Windows loader. XOSL is
>> one of them and it's free. It keeps the various OSs completely
>> separate and independent. However, its installation should be
>> the first thing in a multi-boot environment. Retro-fitting it can
>> be risky in when done without experience.
>
> I actually have a licenced copy of BING, although with just two OS's I had
> thought it was simpler to use the Windows loader. I considered using BING
> when I hit this problem but was concerned about drive-letter problems if I
> do it at this stage. I presume that's what you are referring to.
>
> I could perhaps delete the XP installation, install BING, install XP under
> BING. Then use BING to select between XP and the Boot Win2K partition then
> use the windows loader to select between the two Win2K installs.