Compaq Presario boot problem

I have a Compaq Presario,i had to re-install my xp now when the computer boots up it just dits on the red compaq start up screen?any ideas why it wont boot.

 

Hi my friend , you could try to repair xp , you should watch this video :wave

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNOQ0sCYY8s

 

ok what i just did ,was install my windows 7 on this pc .i went to c folder and deleted old windows,know when it boots up i get a screen that says boot from windows 7 or old operating system?i deleted the old windows why am i getting this.

 

also i noticed that when my external hard drive is in the usb it wont boot past the compaq screen but when un pluged it will boot to screen that says boot from windows 7 or old operating system..i just want it to boot straight to windows 7.

 

probably you did not follow the procedure that W7 ask to install it. Before doing that, did you check at the HP site if you can install w7 in that computer? Because some models do not allow to do that, so you have to stick with Xp.

 

no i did not can you give me a link.im not sure where to look.

 

Hi Pongo,

If you go to Start and type in msconfig and hit <enter>; under the boot tab can you highlight the XP/oldOS and delete it ? Or is the button greyed out?

The USB external problem probably has to do with your boot order in BIOS. You wan t to go into BIOS, probably F10 at the Compaq screen, Get to the Boot menu and move HD to a position above/before USB or Removable drives.

 

This is a problem because you try upgrade windows instead of doing a clean installation which is the right way , my thought is either doing a clean installation or you can follow this

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19151-windows-old-folder-delete.html

removing any old file :wave

 

i looked under boot and i see no XP/oldOS only the 7 O.S

 

i deleted the old windows folder after i installed 7 maybe it,s trying to boot from recovery hd...

 

I'm guessing there is an entry in your BCD (boot loader) file for the old OS but it should have shown up in msconfig.

You could install EasyBCD and see if it shows the old OS entry and use its delete button to remove the entry if it exists. http://neosmart.net/gallery/photo/view/neosmart/EasyBCD/EasyBCD+2.0/Edit+Boot+Menu/o/

 

ok heres what it said


There are a total of 2 entries listed in the bootloader.

Default: Windows 7
Timeout: 30 seconds
EasyBCD Boot Device: C:\

Entry #1
Name: Earlier Version of Windows
BCD ID: {ntldr}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \ntldr

Entry #2
Name: Windows 7
BCD ID: {current}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe

 

One thing is if Win7 is on the top of the boot loader list you could go back to msconfig and change the timeout from 30 seconds to say 3 seconds which would have it choose win7 very quickly automatically.

The hang on the Compaq screen means the BIOS is having trouble identifying the external HD. I thought if HD was set first it would eliminate the problem but it may just be some incompatibility issue. I'm not sure how to get around that other than booting with the external disconnected. I seem to remember threads in the Hardware section that were similar but don't remember any particular fix.

 

i will try change the timeout from 30 seconds to say 3 seconds .I would just like to get rid of the boot manger screen.

 

You can go to this screen in EasyBCD by hitting the Edit Boot Menu button. Then highlight "Earlier Version of Windows" and hit the Delete button.

 

i did that but it still goes to the boot manager and i have to pick 7??

 

I'm not sure why you can't delete the entry. There is no simple way to edi the BCD other than an editor.

There is another BCD editor but I am not sure if it will make any difference. Let me see your BCD file. Go to Start and type in cmd but don't hit enter. You will see cmd.exe in the search results, right-click it and select Run As Administrator. Then copy/paste the following command:

bcdedit>%userprofile%\desktop\bcd.txt

That should put a file bcd.txt on your desktop and you can upload attached to one of your posts.

 

Hey pongo, run this command too and please upload both files bcd.txt and bcdall.txt.

bcdedit /enum all>%userprofile%\desktop\bcdall.txt

 

heres what i get went i those commands try either of those commands.This command
bcdedit>%userprofile%\desktop\bcd.txt is the picture.

 

I don't see any reference to the old XP?:confused

You still get the boot screen with the two choices? Just to be sure is your timeout now 3 seconds instead of 30 seconds ( I mean in real time. I want to make sure that you are using that file so with no input from you does it go to the first choice in approximately 3 seconds?)

I guess you could try Visual BCD Editor and see what it lists under Loaders as in the screenshot on this page. To check if somehow it sees the other OS besides win7.

 

when i start the computer up i get red compaq screen,then it goes to this screen(picture)except mine says windows 7 then i need to click it,i think my 7 may be on particion 2 maybe thats the issue?
i will try your below statement.

i already set it to 3 sec..im going to re start the pc and see what it says i dont think it says old operating system i think it says windows 7 and under that it says recovery.

 

ok here,s where im at if i have my external hd pluged into a usb port it boot boot to operating system just sits on red compaq screen...


with it unpluged i boot to manager screen in picture below but mine says windows 7

 

Win7 is usually on partition 2 with the tiny System Reserved partition being partition 1 so that is normal. Having the recovery environment as a boot option is also normal but it doesn't usually show on the boot loader page. I'm not sure why yours would be doing that. Your BCD looks normal. It should be going straight to Win7 as far as I can see.

I'm not sure where to go from here.

Edit: Yours says "Windows Recovery Environment" not Recovery Console, correct? It still shouldn't be showing as far as I know. Just to be sure which entry is on top Win7 or the recovery environment?

I'll have to look at this later. I can only think to delete the current reference to the recovery environment in the BCD and then go into the repair options from the installation CD and let it run Startup Repair and let it add the recovery environment again and see if it does not use the boot loader screen.

 

mine says....

windows 7



microsoft windows recovery Console

 

Hmm, Did you test the 3 second vs. 30 second thing? I'm wondering if you are actually booting from a boot.ini file rather than a BCD file.

Open up the C: drive in Computer and then at the top left of the window hit the Organize link. Choose Folder and Search options and under the View tab, tick the circle for "show hidden files" and also untick the box for "Hide system files (recommended)".


Then right-click the boot.ini file and choose Edit or Open with and then Notepad. See if it has a reference to the Recovery Console and/or Win7.

 

if i go to c drive and check i get this


Warning: Boot.ini is used on Windows XP and earlier operating systems.
;Warning: Use BCDEDIT.exe to modify Windows Vista boot options.
;
[boot loader]
timeout=0
default=c:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT
[operating systems]
c:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /CMDCONS





if i go to D drive i get this..

[boot loader]
timeout=0
default=C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

 

I'm sorry, I am a bit lost for an explanation. Seems to me it has to be using either the BCD which references Win7 and Windows Recovery Environment. Or the boot.ini which references Win XP and Recovery Console. It can't really combine the two.

By rights it should be using the BCD since you installed Win7 after XP and the BCD takes over.

I think it is worth going back to EasyBCD and making sure you deleted the first non-win7 entry. Look at these two screenshots. I have a Win7 and Win7 safemode entry. To delete the safemode entry I highlight it and then hit the delete button. Is this what you did?

 

no i dont see windows safe mode there?its ok the way it is now thanks for your great help as always sach2 ,having the boot manager popup for 3 sec before windows 7 starts is ok.

 

I was using my safemode entry as an example, you would delete the entry for Recovery Console or Environment. That would eliminate the boot loader screen.

Or else you can set your Win7 entry to default by ticking that box and then set the timeout to 1 or 2 seconds which is as small as it can go. Not really enough time to choose (at least for me) but it is possible.

Sorry, I couldn't figure this out. I've never had the recovery environment show up as a choice on the boot loader screen. (It shows in BCD file but not on loader screen for me.)