What to do when "Windows did not start successfully" (XP)

[Dunedin]

The procedure below will repair several errors including the following:

• Windows did not start successfully
• Missing or corrupt HAL.DLL
• Invalid Boot.Ini
  

Configure your PC to boot from CD if it isn't already set up that way. You may need to enter the BIOS to configure the PC to boot from the CD.
Set the boot order to:

1. Floppy (if present)
   
2. CDROM
   
3. Hard Disk

SAVE and EXIT.




Screen 1. Boot menu.





Screen 2. Start your PC with the XP Setup CD in the drive.
When you see the Press any key to boot from CD... prompt, do so and let the CD-based boot process begin.





Screen 3.





Screen 4.





Screen 5.
When the Recovery Console option (Press R to start the Recovery Console) is offered, do so.





Screen 6. The recovery console. Explanation below.

• A. You may be asked which Windows installation to enter.
  Type the number of the Windows installation you wish to work on. Usually this will be item 1.
  Then press Enter.
  .
• B. When prompted, enter the administrator's password for that Windows installation. If you did not set a password just press ENTER.
  .
• C. The command prompt should now appear.
  C:\Windows followed by a flashing cursor.
  At the command prompt, type
  bootcfg /rebuild (note the space after bootcfg).
  Press ENTER.
  .
• D. The exact wording will depend on your setup, but after a few moments you'll see a prompt that says something like:
  Total Identified Windows Installs: 1
  [1] C:\Windows
  Add Installation To Boot List?
  Assuming the information you see is correct, type Y - then press Enter.
  
  Bootcfg will start the process of rebuilding the boot list to include the indicated Windows installation.
  .
• E. After a moment, you'll be asked to Enter Load Identifier.
  This is the name of the operating system that will appear in boot menus.
  Type:
  Microsoft Windows XP Professional
  or
  Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
  (whichever your system is).
  Then press ENTER.
  .
• F. Next you'll be asked to Enter OS Load Options.
  For normal installations, type:
  /fastdetect
  , then press ENTER.
  .
• G. Type:
  Exit and press Enter to leave the Recovery Console and reboot the PC, which should then start normally.

If you need additional help - please start a new topic/thread in the Windows NT, 2000 & XP support forum.

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