Removed secret partition, Windows won't boot!

Hello!

My laptop computer is Acer 5100.

I removed Acer "secret" partition. (I know it's probably not the smartest thing I have done in my life, but I had to do it) Now my original Windows XP Media Center OS installation won't boot (Bluescreen after Windows startup logo). I have installed another Windows XP in newly created, fresh partition and it works perfectly - so there are no hardware issues with the computer.

All my programs and stuff are on previous installation and I wonder if there is any way I could bring back that good old OS back to life.

 

Insert your XP cd and go to the recovery console and type 'fixmbr'

This will fix the master boot record which should allow you to enter the os again

 

flipfire, I doubt that the problem is the MBR if he can boot to the windows startup logo.

I would try a repair install of windows.

 

It does sounds like MBR issue to me..The 'secret' partition -D2D- has it's part in MBR..

 

Can u access the old partition via the fresh XP u installed..??

 

Thats why i said insert the XP cd. Thats how you get to the recovery console.

No need to do a repair install just yet.

 

add to your boot.ini:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="XP_D" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

See if when you select it, you can boot old OS. You may have to start in safe mode.

James

 

Thank's for response, but no luck so far. Entered "fixmbr" in recovery console, the console did it's thing with success but nothing changed when I attempted to boot the original OS. The same bluescreen right after "Windows XP" startup logo.

Added "multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="XP_D" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect" to boot.ini but that just gave me another boot-up option "XP_D" for the same OS but no matter which one I chose the original Windows XP Media Center did not boot. The same bluescreen.

And, yes angad1608, I can access files in original "C:" partition.

 

Nothing left but a repair install.

When you get to the XP installation screen, press R for a repair install

 

Lesson - do not play with or erase the Acer hidden partition.

There for a reason. Look before you leap.

Cheers and learn

Theo

 

Did you try a safe boot ? If you have enough free harddrive space backup
your mediacenter install. One day your run into the solution to fix it. I
backup XP by zipping all folders and also zip up the files on partition not
in folders, excluding page file and hibernation file. Fixboot:c from repair might
help. Seems to me you have something not finding it's path and killing boot.
You might also try hidding partition and see if mediacenter boots. Do not
do a fixboot:c if your going to try that.

For Vista I used DriveImage XML.

http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm

James

 

nice little software find there JC55,,, i added that to my bookmarks

 

Hi. I have a 2 year and one month old laptop aspire 5100.
Since things weren't going to well, I decided to reformat and install xp.
After enabling the bios/boot menu, and placing the DVD drive first, I put in the bootable disk that comes with the laptop, and selected reconstruct C and D drives to their original condition. The computer asks for xp disks 1/2 and 2/2 and then the bootable again. So everything should work fine, except it doesn't. The last message says: press any key to reboot. The computer doesn't reboot, the screen goes black except for the little dash on the upper left, and the HDD seems to sort of cycle in a circle. If I reboot by shutting down the computer manually, the same thing happens. I've tried 3 x with the same result. Any ideas? suggestions? what's happening?

Thanks.