Can't boot without both hard drives connected

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

Here's the boot.ini


[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut



Now that I think about it I don't think it's a dos promt I'm getting it
just looks like it. It looks like this: black screen and the just a
blinking cursor up in the left coner nothing else meaning no "c:\" etc.
just the cursor and I can't write anything on the screen so maybe it's
more like the process just gets stuck.


--
vikingdude

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

"vikingdude" wrote:
>
> Here's the boot.ini
>
>
> [boot loader]
> timeout=30
> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
> [operating systems]
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
> Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
>
>
>
> Now that I think about it I don't think it's a dos promt I'm getting it
> just looks like it. It looks like this: black screen and the just a
> blinking cursor up in the left coner nothing else meaning no "c:\" etc.
> just the cursor and I can't write anything on the screen so maybe it's
> more like the process just gets stuck.


The boot.ini looks OK. I wonder why you have a timeout value of
30, though. Does the menu appear on the screen for a while, or
or does is just flash on and then immediately go to the default entry?
Have you tried setting the timeout to 0?

*TimDaniels*

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

"vikingdude" <vikingdude.1uxyve@news.xpbanter.com> wrote in message
news:vikingdude.1uxyve@news.xpbanter.com...
>
> Here's the boot.ini
>
>
> [boot loader]
> timeout=30
> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
> [operating systems]
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
> Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptOut
>
>
>
> Now that I think about it I don't think it's a dos promt I'm getting it
> just looks like it. It looks like this: black screen and the just a
> blinking cursor up in the left coner nothing else meaning no "c:\" etc.
> just the cursor and I can't write anything on the screen so maybe it's
> more like the process just gets stuck.
>
>
> --
> vikingdude

YMMV

You are indicating that you have the second drive disconnected.
How?

That is what happened to me when I lost power to one drive due to a bad
power connection.

The ribbon cable was connected and the HD power connection failed so the
BIOS was waiting for the drive to spin up.
No power = no spin up = stall.

As I said. YMMV

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

"TryingToHelp" wrote:
> You are indicating that you have the second drive disconnected.
> How?
>
> That is what happened to me when I lost power to one drive due
> to a bad power connection.
>
> The ribbon cable was connected and the HD power connection
> failed so the BIOS was waiting for the drive to spin up.
> No power = no spin up = stall.


<LOL!> I bet that's it - no power. If you connect the
new HD's power cable to the old HD, will the old HD
boot up?

*TimDaniels*