Stuck and can't even access BIOS after trying to install 2nd OS

[solomonsdream]

I had Disk Director Suite and OS Selector installed on a WD SATA drive with XP Pro, on the 1st of 2 partitions. I hid that partition, selected my XP Pro install CD from the OS Selector, and began the 2nd OS install of XP pro. It worked as far as formatting the second partition on the drive, but on reboot there's some HD and CD activity and *only* a blank screen.

The OS Selector no longer shows up. Pressing 'esc' on boot will only give me the Windows startup option of the 2 XP Pro installations. If I select my original installation, is says that hal.dll is missing and I need to reinstall. If I select the 2nd new installation, there is quite a bit of CD and HD activity, but only a blank screen, and eventually all activity just stops.

Selecting Safe Mode, Last Known Good Config, Safe Mode With Command Prompt, and Enable VGA Mode does not help in either XP partition.

I made a mistake in forgetting to create a bootable disk from Disk Director before I started. Even so, I can't even boot to my XP install CD to start over, and can't get to BIOS to make sure my CD is set as the first boot device. I'm seem to be *completely stuck*. :'(

Can anyone please help?

MB = Intel D865PERLX
Processor = Pentium 4 2.8 GHz
Ram = 2 GB
Operator = freakin' out

[solomonsdream]

A follow up to my post below:

It was a very hot day when I encountered the problem I described in my other post. I was having occasional, slight overheating problems on one corner of my MB, near the RAM but nowhere else. I'm also contacting my MB manufacturer, but I can still get a successful POST beep on startup, though little else, which is why I still think Disk Director may be involved.

I know this is a tough one, but please help if you can. I'm a student and need to get up and running ASAP. Thanks!

[bodgy]

I can't see how DD can affect the BIOS. The only thing that could effect the bootup - is if the bootstrap code that is hard coded in the BIOS is living somewhere else - and DD has moved the bootsector code to where the BIOS isn't expecting it.

Do you get to the DOS style BIOS info screen that appears at boot time and can you still get into BIOS.

If you have verbose mode set in BIOS you should as you know see the RAM count, Harddrive info etc - if you can get this far then the BIOS is unlikely to be the problem.

It is possible if you have a heat problem, that the IDE/SATA 'glue' chip has gone west - it may be part of the MB's chipset - and if that is not well then that is a new motherboard.

Colin

[Acronis Support]

Hello solomonsdream,

Thank you for using Acronis Disk Managing Software (http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/products/diskdirectorsuite/).

Could you boot from Acronis Disc Director Bootable Rescue Media (I have sent the download link of ISO image to you via private message) and reactivate Acronis OS Selector. After that you can un-hide your first partition and try to boot your previous installation of Windows XP. If your attempt is successful, you could begin the installation of second copy of your Windows XP and after that hide first copy of Windows XP using Acronis OS Selector.

If you have encounter any problems please feel free to contact us again via e-mail support@acronis.com. We will certainly try to help you.

Thank you.
--
Oleg Churkin

[Detox]

I've merged solomonsdream's two threads together since they are on the same subject.