Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed

zekepeverell · 05-29-2007, 08:52 AM

I have an Inspiron 1000. I accidentally left a disk in my external 3.5 floppy drive when I started up my computer. I got the message "Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed" and it stopped. I tried removing the disk, and even the drive, but that did no good. I tried going with F2 (setup) and setting it back to previous settings, and even factory settings, but none of that is helping. What can I do to fix it? I'm using my desktop to ask this question, but I can copy a file onto a floppy if I need to. (I don't have a CD/RW on this computer, so I can't copy really large files.) I would be grateful for any help I can get.

Houndog777 · 05-29-2007, 01:51 PM

Hi,
I take it you cannot get into windows? If that's the case....
Set your bios to boot from cd.
Boot-up using your XP disk, you will see an option to enter Recovery Console, log-in to windows and run chkdsk r/f/p.
Post back if this helps or not.

zekepeverell · 05-30-2007, 06:37 AM

Thanks, I'll try that.

zekepeverell · 05-31-2007, 07:46 AM

I tried what you suggested. I tried to restore it and that got rid of the message, but then when it tried to reboot, it would turn on, try to start windows, and then reboot and try again over and over again. I could use F2 and get to the setup screen, but every time it tries to load windows it shuts down and starts over. I had to unplug it and remove the battery to get it to stop. I tried the restore disk again to reformat from the beginning, but that did no good either. Is this a hardware problem? Or am I doing something wrong?

Houndog777 · 05-31-2007, 08:29 AM

Hi,
Please try pressing ctrl & F11 during boot.

I do not think it's hardware problems; the PBR is the partition boot record.
That has been corrupted, so windows doesn't have a starting place on the disk. You may not be able to recover your files.
It's further compplicated by Dell having a partition on the drive for restoring the system.
If ctrl & F11 does not work, then we cannot access that either.

Houndog777 · 05-31-2007, 03:16 PM

Are you still with us?
When you try ctrl & F11 on your keyboard, release both together, or it doesn't work properly.
I forgot to mention, remove any peripheral connections you may have before doing this.
If you'd like to check what I'm instructing you to do and just go ahead and do it yourself, the step-by-step instructions from Dell, can be found here.
http://support.dell.com/support/topi...71438DA0E20ADD

zekepeverell · 06-01-2007, 06:47 AM

Thanks, I'll try that, too.

zekepeverell · 06-01-2007, 06:37 PM

Thanks for trying. I tried what you suggested. I went step by step with Dell support, and it's still not working. I give up. Thanks for trying, but I think it's just time for a new computer. I'm too frustrated to keep hassling with this one. But I do appreciate you trying to help.

Houndog777 · 06-01-2007, 06:49 PM

Hi,
If you can afford to lose the data already on the hard disk, Set your bios to boot from cd.
Boot-up using your XP disk, you will see an option to enter Recovery Console, log-in to windows and run fixmbr.
That's fix master boot record.
Then reinstall windows!

zekepeverell · 06-02-2007, 02:17 PM

I have backups of everything I need. So I'll try. Thanks.

zekepeverell · 06-04-2007, 07:47 AM

I tried your suggestion. Now when I turn on the computer it says "invalid partition table". I think it's beyond hope. This is not the first trouble I've had with this computer. I'm tired of hassling with it. I'm just getting a new one. But thanks for trying.

Houndog777 · 06-05-2007, 01:39 AM

Hi,
Don't give up yet!
Insert your Windows XP CD in the CD Drive and reboot your computer.
Boot from the CD and follow the instructions.
The setup menu will appear and you should elect to delete all the existing partitions, then create a new primary partition, then format to NTFS and proceed to install Windows XP.

zekepeverell · 06-05-2007, 08:12 AM

Ok. Thanks, I'll give it a try.

zekepeverell · 06-07-2007, 08:47 AM

Well, I finally got Windows up and running. Thank you very much for your help. Only for some reason it didn't load the sound card driver, so now I have to figure out how to load that. The computer has all the same equipment it did when I bought it from Dell, so I figured the sound card driver should have loaded with everything else. But it didn't. Any ideas? (I think I need computer repair lessons.)

Houndog777 · 06-07-2007, 09:02 AM

Hi, glad to hear you're winning.
Download the sound drivers from here.....
http://support.dell.com/support/down...&catid=&impid=

zekepeverell · 06-08-2007, 04:23 PM

Well, it looks like everything is working again - finally. I am so grateful for your help in getting me through it. I was getting so frustrated and would have given up completely without your help. Thank you VERY much.

05-29-2007, 08:52 AM	#1 (permalink)
zekepeverell Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 10 OS: XP	Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed I have an Inspiron 1000. I accidentally left a disk in my external 3.5 floppy drive when I started up my computer. I got the message "Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed" and it stopped. I tried removing the disk, and even the drive, but that did no good. I tried going with F2 (setup) and setting it back to previous settings, and even factory settings, but none of that is helping. What can I do to fix it? I'm using my desktop to ask this question, but I can copy a file onto a floppy if I need to. (I don't have a CD/RW on this computer, so I can't copy really large files.) I would be grateful for any help I can get.

05-29-2007, 01:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
Houndog777 Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: Scotland, UK Posts: 2,683 OS: XPpro sp3 My System	Re: Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed Hi, I take it you cannot get into windows? If that's the case.... Set your bios to boot from cd. Boot-up using your XP disk, you will see an option to enter Recovery Console, log-in to windows and run chkdsk r/f/p. Post back if this helps or not.

05-30-2007, 06:37 AM	#3 (permalink)
zekepeverell Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 10 OS: XP	Re: Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed Thanks, I'll try that.

05-31-2007, 07:46 AM	#4 (permalink)
zekepeverell Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 10 OS: XP	Re: Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed I tried what you suggested. I tried to restore it and that got rid of the message, but then when it tried to reboot, it would turn on, try to start windows, and then reboot and try again over and over again. I could use F2 and get to the setup screen, but every time it tries to load windows it shuts down and starts over. I had to unplug it and remove the battery to get it to stop. I tried the restore disk again to reformat from the beginning, but that did no good either. Is this a hardware problem? Or am I doing something wrong?

05-31-2007, 08:29 AM	#5 (permalink)
Houndog777 Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: Scotland, UK Posts: 2,683 OS: XPpro sp3 My System	Re: Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed Hi, Please try pressing ctrl & F11 during boot. I do not think it's hardware problems; the PBR is the partition boot record. That has been corrupted, so windows doesn't have a starting place on the disk. You may not be able to recover your files. It's further compplicated by Dell having a partition on the drive for restoring the system. If ctrl & F11 does not work, then we cannot access that either.

05-31-2007, 03:16 PM	#6 (permalink)
Houndog777 Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: Scotland, UK Posts: 2,683 OS: XPpro sp3 My System	Re: Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed Are you still with us? When you try ctrl & F11 on your keyboard, release both together, or it doesn't work properly. I forgot to mention, remove any peripheral connections you may have before doing this. If you'd like to check what I'm instructing you to do and just go ahead and do it yourself, the step-by-step instructions from Dell, can be found here. http://support.dell.com/support/topi...71438DA0E20ADD

06-01-2007, 06:47 AM	#7 (permalink)
zekepeverell Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 10 OS: XP	Re: Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed Thanks, I'll try that, too.

06-01-2007, 06:37 PM	#8 (permalink)
zekepeverell Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 10 OS: XP	Re: Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed Thanks for trying. I tried what you suggested. I went step by step with Dell support, and it's still not working. I give up. Thanks for trying, but I think it's just time for a new computer. I'm too frustrated to keep hassling with this one. But I do appreciate you trying to help.

06-01-2007, 06:49 PM	#9 (permalink)
Houndog777 Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: Scotland, UK Posts: 2,683 OS: XPpro sp3 My System	Re: Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed Hi, If you can afford to lose the data already on the hard disk, Set your bios to boot from cd. Boot-up using your XP disk, you will see an option to enter Recovery Console, log-in to windows and run fixmbr. That's fix master boot record. Then reinstall windows!

06-02-2007, 02:17 PM	#10 (permalink)
zekepeverell Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 10 OS: XP	Re: Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed I have backups of everything I need. So I'll try. Thanks.

06-04-2007, 07:47 AM	#11 (permalink)
zekepeverell Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 10 OS: XP	Re: Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed I tried your suggestion. Now when I turn on the computer it says "invalid partition table". I think it's beyond hope. This is not the first trouble I've had with this computer. I'm tired of hassling with it. I'm just getting a new one. But thanks for trying.

06-05-2007, 01:39 AM	#12 (permalink)
Houndog777 Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: Scotland, UK Posts: 2,683 OS: XPpro sp3 My System	Re: Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed Hi, Don't give up yet! Insert your Windows XP CD in the CD Drive and reboot your computer. Boot from the CD and follow the instructions. The setup menu will appear and you should elect to delete all the existing partitions, then create a new primary partition, then format to NTFS and proceed to install Windows XP.

06-05-2007, 08:12 AM	#13 (permalink)
zekepeverell Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 10 OS: XP	Re: Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed Ok. Thanks, I'll give it a try.

06-07-2007, 08:47 AM	#14 (permalink)
zekepeverell Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 10 OS: XP	Re: Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed Well, I finally got Windows up and running. Thank you very much for your help. Only for some reason it didn't load the sound card driver, so now I have to figure out how to load that. The computer has all the same equipment it did when I bought it from Dell, so I figured the sound card driver should have loaded with everything else. But it didn't. Any ideas? (I think I need computer repair lessons.)

06-07-2007, 09:02 AM	#15 (permalink)
Houndog777 Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: Scotland, UK Posts: 2,683 OS: XPpro sp3 My System	Re: Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed Hi, glad to hear you're winning. Download the sound drivers from here..... http://support.dell.com/support/down...&catid=&impid=

06-08-2007, 04:23 PM	#16 (permalink)
zekepeverell Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 10 OS: XP	Re: Loading PBR for descriptor 2...failed Well, it looks like everything is working again - finally. I am so grateful for your help in getting me through it. I was getting so frustrated and would have given up completely without your help. Thank you VERY much.