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can't boot from CD

5K views 19 replies 4 participants last post by  spunk.funk 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello,
I have successfully used MiniTool Drivewipe to wipe my hard drive on my Dell Dimension 4600 (7 passes). Upon completion of the wipe, I received the message: The registry cannot load hive file... It is corrupt, absent, or not writeable.
Note: Before I did the wipe, I tried reinstalling the XP operating system from the original installation CD, but could not boot from the CD. (I have changed the boot order to boot from the CD). I know the XP CD is good because I just used it on my old laptop before selling it. I know the CD drive is working because it was able to read other CDs.
I am now trying again to reload Windows XP from the original installation CD, but cannot boot from the CD. (I have changed the boot order to boot from the CD). When I attempt to boot from the CD I get “Strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility”. I intended to sell this PC for not much money, but would need to get it running again. Could you advise me as to what it might need? Would a new hard drive fix it?
Thanks for any advise.
 
#2 ·
sounds like the CD drive isn't working properly. If you hit F12 I think that will get you the boot selection menu to allow you to manually select the CD once it starts to boot from the CD you get a message on the screen that indicates press any key to boot from CD this is from the WinXP CD. If you don't see that then its either the CD drive or the media. If you have an external USB CD drive you could try using that as well I have had to do that many times myself.
 
#4 ·
I have successfully used MiniTool Drivewipe to wipe my hard drive
Upon completion of the wipe, I received the message: The registry cannot load hive file... It is corrupt, absent, or not writeable.
Did you use a boot disc of MiniTool? Did it boot in this computer?
Press F2 and enter Setup (Bios) Go to Boot Sequence and change the Boot order to CD rom drive First (sometimes F12 doesn't work) And Save and Exit.
If MiniTool Wipe did not completely wipe the drive, download the DOS Boot disk ISO image for Active@KillDisk and burn the image with their Image burner or burn the image to CD using IMGBurn in my signature. Boot off of the KillDisk CD and do a low level format on the HDD (this will take a very long time, be patient) When it is done then boot off of the XP CD and install Windows.
 
#5 ·
Hi spunk.funk, thanks for the post. I do need to make a couple clarifications:

Before using MiniTool I tried to used Darik's Boot and Nuke. I burned the dban ISO file to a CD-R on another computer, then put the CD in my Dell 4600, but could not get the computer to boot from the CD (in either the CD-ROM or the regular CD drive). I did change the boot order by pressing F2 to enter setup. Then I tried just installing the Windows XP from the original XP CD, and again could not boot from the CD (in either optical drive).
So - would it seem that there may have been something wrong with the CD-ROM functionality from the beginning?
FYI - MiniTool DriveWipe is run by downloading an executable file and running it on the computer containing the drive you want to wipe. I chose it because it didn't require booting from a CD drive. Yes it is bazaar to have gotten a message about the registry after I did the wipe. I wrote to MiniTool but they said my problem was beyond their scope. I guess I am going to ignore the registry error message and just try to get windows reloaded.
 
#6 · (Edited)
MiniTool DriveWipe is run by downloading an executable file and running it on the computer containing the drive you want to wipe
This makes no sense? If you are wiping the drive, the application that you are using to wipe the drive is going to be wiped? Making the application unable to complete the wipe? That is why you need a boot disc to complete. Unless you are running the application from another drive other then the one you are wiping.
could not get the computer to boot from the CD (in either the CD-ROM or the regular CD drive)
A CD rom IS a regular CD drive? Or do you mean a CD-RW?
Try your CD's in another computer, if they boot, then fault lies with the CD drives in the computer. You also can create a bootable USB Flash Drive to install Windows if the Bios under Boot Priority you have the option to Boot From USB.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Yes, you can Download Bootable Disk Creator and then add the Download Bootable ISO Image To the flash drive of Active@KillDisk to make a bootable Flash Drive. But you still need the option to boot from USB in Setup (Bios) under Boot Priority to use the Flash Drive, or the USB CD rom drive for that matter.
 
#9 ·
Thanks spunk.funk - you are awesome! I have created a bootable USB Flash Drive and am now running Active@ KillDisk on the problem computer. I can readily boot from the USB Flash Drive but apparently not from the installed CD-ROM Drive. Will post more when KillDisk finishes.
 
#11 ·
I used the WinToFlash software to create the XP Boot Install USB Flash Drive. I put the Flash Drive in the computer and selected F12 at boot-up to access the Boot Device Menu. I then selected Choice# 5 - USB Flash Drive. But nothing happens. The cursor just sits and flashes. No message or error. This is the same SanDisc USB Flash Drive that I used to run Active@ KillDisc (reformatted of course by WinToFlash). Any ideas?
 
#12 ·
If you have acess to another computer able to support a slave drive you could follow this:

1) install the hard drive as a slave in a working desktop system with a cd/dvd drive. Attach it to an available ide channel. If the hard drive comes from a laptop, you'll need a 44-pin female to 40-pin male laptop to ide adapter.

2) Format the drive. Quick or full NTSF format.

3) insert your windows XP install cd in the cd/dvd drive. When the initial install window pops up, exit.

4) Go to "My Computer" and look up and write down the drive letters of the CD/DVD containing the XP install disc and the drive letter of the hard drive you are installing to.

5) Assuming the hard destination drive is "D" and the XP install disc is in "E:", go to the run command and type (or cut and paste) the following line:

E:\I386\winnt32.exe /syspart:D: /tempdrive:D: /makelocalsource /noreboot

6) setup will begin and ask you if you want to upgrade or full install, make sure it is FULL INSTALL. It will then ask you for a few more things including the product key. Enter the product key.

7) When it's done installing all of the required files to the destination drive, the command window will exit and your back to your desktop. Turn off your Desktop and remove the slave/destination hard drive. The drive is now ready for install on the new system. Install the drive back into the laptop or desktop you wanted to install XP on and boot. It will simply continue to install windows from this point without requiring any diskette or cd/dvd drive.

I have used this method in work many times with notebook with no cd drive. Only have to do it once before i can use GHOST to make an image though :).

Thanks,
Altie
 
#14 ·
I am now officially stumped. I tried several times creating the USB Flash Drive to boot Windows, with no success. (I did not try it out on my good computer for fear I would screw something up on it). But I just tried the brand new USB-CD-ROM Drive connnected to the problem computer - 2 USB connections - one for power, one for communication. I powered on the computer and it immediately recognized the device, and I am able to select it to boot from. I inserted the Windows CD. When it boots I get the “Strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility” message. I powered the computer off and back on with the CD in the drive, getting same message. The CD-ROM definitely powers on and is making noise like it is running. I also tried an older Windows XP Disc but got the same message. Is there something wrong about the hard drive, like does it need formatting or something? Can I format it with my 2011 Dell Studio XPS 8100 as a possible solution suggested by A1tecice in this thread?
 
#16 · (Edited)
In Setup (Bios) Under Boot Sequence/Priority You have to Select USB as First Boot Device. Then either the Flash Drive or the CD rom drive should boot. You should see the message Press Any Key to Boot From CD/DVD. Since you have already ran KillDisk, the drive is all 000's and is a low level format. Once the Window Setup starts you will have to create a Partition and Format it NTFS. You could take your Windows CD and make an ISO file out of it using IMGBurn in my signature, and then save that to your USB Flash Drive using WinToFlash.
 
#17 ·
Hi - me again. I bought another hard drive for cheap on Amazon (used, wiped and supposedly formatted) - Western Digital WD800BB - just to rule out the hard drive. The computer recognized the new drive and so that is good. It still does not boot the Windows CD from the CD-ROM Drive. When I plug the USB flash drive in and go to the BIOS screen, it sees it in the "Hard-Disk Drive Sequence" as USB Device, but when I select the "Boot Sequence" from the BIOS screen it only lists the Hard Disk Drive C and the IDE CD-ROM Device. But, when I press F2 at boot up and access the Boot Device Menu, the USB Flash Device is listed there as choice #4. Unfortunately it is not booting Windows from the USB Flash Drive. I'm trying one more time to create the USB Flash Drive to boot windows. From IMGBurn menu I need detailed steps - I think I must not be doing it right.
 
#19 ·
I can create an ISO from the Windows CD using IMGBurn (saved to My Documents). But I can't create the bootable USB Flash Drive from the ISO file using WintoFlash - it requires me to use the CD in the CD-ROM drive to create the bootable USB Flash drive. So that's what I did - but when i select boot from USB Flash Device the cursor just sits and flashes.
 
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