Boot failure: System Halted

I am receiving a "Boot failure: System halted" message immediately upon start up. My understanding is this usually happens when no operating system can be found. However, I can go into the BIOS set-up, exit set-up without saving changes, and then Windows will boot.

I have done checkdisk. I have scanned for virus. I have reseated the ribbon cable at the disk and motherboard. Device manager tells me all the disks and CDs are working properly. Yet everytime I boot I have to go through set-up.

Sometimes the system goes to the BIOS screen rather than give me the boot failure message. Sometimes I have to go into set-up two or three times before Windows boots.

I would appreciate knowing how to restore the system so that Windows will boot normally upon start-up. Any advice?

Chip Walsh,
Gambrills, MD

 

I am sure you checked the the boot sequence in the Bios ??
Normally A: then C: ..Did you also check the contents of msdos.sys ?
Have you run a new "over-install" of Windows recently ?
Does the PC boot OK from a floppy and in also Safe Mode ?
regards

 

If done properly that should have nothing to do with the problem. I have done an " over-install " of all versions of Windows from 3.1 on up to fix a boot problem several times.

What I mean by properly is;

The machine cold booted DIRECTLY to the Startup disk and the over install run directly from the Win98 files folder.

Booting to the HD first or just running setup from the CD may/can cause problems for an " Over-install "

The better way to do an over top re-install is to have the Win98 files folder on the HD on a partition other than C:\ and run setup from there after doing a cold boot to the floppy.

BillyBob

 

More info.

Since this problem started I played around with a few different boot sequences and it is currently set to C:, A: CD-ROM. Changes in boot sequence have had no affect.

I do have a msdos.sys file? What would I be checking in msdos.sys?

I made a win98 rescue disk which will get the computer to boot in dos. Great, then what? Have not tried booting to safe mode. What will that tell?

I have not done a windows over install and am not familiar with the purpose or process for so doing. The closest thing I have to a win98 folder is a folder called win98.se, but it contains files that do not appear to be install related. Could I write the requiired files to a cd and run them from there after cold booting to dos?

~~Chip

 

Hi Chip

Here is a suggestion.....boot to msdos from that floppy...you should see an
"A:\" prompt

type in "C:\windows\command\fdisk /mbr" without the quotes ...if that works without error, try rebooting ...let us know

Cheers
Jake

 

I did some reading on the master boot record and the fdisk /mbr solution sounds promising. I get the feeling there may be no magic bullet here, I may have to work a number of solutions until something works.

The thing I can't understand is why the boot works when coming out of set-up. Is not the BIOS still looking at the MBR to start the loading of the OS?

It seems I can't do any damage by overwriting the MBR, so I'll try that next time I reboot, which I am trying to avoid since this problem has arisen.

Thanks for the suggestion and I'll post a result soon.

~~Chip

 

If i read you correctly : BIOS cannot remember ....
i would suspect .... lithium battery bad.

Best

 

Chicken or egg ? I do not know if the MBR is read before the BIOS or
vice versa. I suspect before. So the above MBR repairs would make sense.
Anyone ?
regards

 

I believe the BIOS is done before the MBR, as the BIOS reads the MBR which then takes control.
I agree with the battery suggestion, as when you Save and Exit the BIOS, the CMOs is refreshed or recharged.