"Operating System not found" message on 2000 Professional

[MiketheBook]

While installing the software for a Logitech webcam on my wife's computer ( a Sony Vaio with Windows 2000 Professional) a blue screen flashed on and then reverted to a black screen with "Sony" on it which then went to "Operating System not found." Re booting the computer makes no difference. Help please. What do I do?

[Bob_180_Bob]

First, try booting wqith last working boot. (Press F8 as the PC starts to boot, select, boot with last known working boot.) If wont work try booting in safe mode.
If you can get into safe mode or are asked earlier, do a system restore to an earlier time when all worked well.
If all that fails try to repair windows.
To Repair Windows XP from your XP CD…..

1. Re-start PC with XP CD in drive (Have your serial number handy)
2. As pc starts press “F12” for boot options (Or what your PC may ask for)
3. Select CD when prompted.
4. Press “Enter” to set up windows XP, Do not press “R”
5. Press “F8” to accept license agreement
6. Wait until windows displays your current version of XP and asks “To repair the selected windows XP installation press R”
7. Press “R”
8. Enter serial number when prompted.
9. Wait for files to be copied
10. When asked to adjust Regional language etc, click “Next” as it is still set.
11. When asked if you want to register this version of windows, Click “No, Not at this time” as it is still registered. And press “Next”
12. Re-boot your PC
13. When “Welcome to Microsoft Windows” comes up press “Next”

[MiketheBook]

Hi,

Thanks for that! But it's not XP but 2000 professional and I assume that doesn't work the same . . . does it?

[sparkax]

You can run the Win 2000 recovery console on your system if you can boot from the setup CD,or from the setup floppies.Either way choose repair and run the recovery console.

[gerbil]

Because of the particular msg you receive you should use the 2000 Recovery Console to run...
fixmbr
If that does not solve the issue then use ..
fixboot

[MiketheBook]

Thanks for the messages. Can you explian fixboot for me please? Is this something to be typed into DOS?

Mike

[gerbil]

Sure fixmr and fixboot are two Recovery Console commands, and you enter them on the command line, just as in DOS you enter DOS commands.
All they do is rewrite the MBR and boot sector code respectively - they do not rewrite ALL the MBR or ALL the boot sector, just the code segments which are passed to BIOS to program it to run that segment of the boot process. I really doubt that i would be necessary to run Fixboot, though.
Does BIOS show your hdd as detected?
It may be that your hdd has mech problems.
If the MBR is incorrect then fixmbr will hopefully correct it.
It may also be that you do not have your System partition marked as Active, and strangely enough, there is no simple M$ solution to that on an unbootable machine - it is not possible to do it via Recovery Console, which i find a bit staggering. You must do it via another OS or a third party tool. I can give you a good one if it comes to that.

[MiketheBook]

Thanks for all your help.!!

Mike

[kirill1996]

Insert the Windows 2000 CD and click "R" for Repair. Hope it would work!