MBR Problem Prevents Boot Device From Loading

[essexboy]

The first one indicates a non-standard MBR - probably as it is a raid configuration

So having fixed the MBR you then set it to a standard XP non raid MBR

Was it booting normally prior to the first aswMBR run

[westes]

The first one indicates a non-standard MBR - probably as it is a raid configuration

So having fixed the MBR you then set it to a standard XP non raid MBR

Was it booting normally prior to the first aswMBR run

Oh great  

It was NOT booting prior to the first run of aswMBR.   I ran aswMBR in an attempt to reset the MBR.

So it looks like one strategy here might be to reset from RAID to non RAID and to then reset to RAID again, hoping that the utilities built into the system will rewrite the MBR at the time that conversion is done?

I predict a non booting system by end of day.    But I can try after making backups.

[westes]

The first one indicates a non-standard MBR - probably as it is a raid configuration

So having fixed the MBR you then set it to a standard XP non raid MBR

Was it booting normally prior to the first aswMBR run

Is there some tool I can buy that lives on its own boot CD that can be used to make backup copies of the MBR on any disk attached to the system?   Sounds like I should start maintaing those backups periodically to recover from such cases.

[DavidR]

The idea is not to work alone here, post the single analysis log, don't do anything that could impact on your system, such as run the fix mbr unless specifically asked to, that is why we have malware removal specialists helping.

There are many reasons why an unknown MBR isn't wrong, that is something the specialists can determine. I'm not a malware removal specialist, but I didn't see anything obvious in the first aswmbr scan log.

It is now almost midnight in the UK so essexboy is likely to be in bed now, but he should be back on-line tomorrow (time unknown).

[westes]

The idea is not to work alone here, post the single analysis log, don't do anything that could impact on your system, such as run the fix mbr unless specifically asked to, that is why we have malware removal specialists helping.

There are many reasons why an unknown MBR isn't wrong, that is something the specialists can determine. I'm not a malware removal specialist, but I didn't see anything obvious in the first aswmbr scan log.

It is now almost midnight in the UK so essexboy is likely to be in bed now, but he should be back on-line tomorrow (time unknown).

Hi David.   Remember that before I ever loaded aswMBR, I already had a non bootable drive.   So I had very little to lose at that point from a FixMBR because the MBR I had did not work.

Point still taken and I will try to slow down.

[westes]

The idea is not to work alone here, post the single analysis log, don't do anything that could impact on your system, such as run the fix mbr unless specifically asked to, that is why we have malware removal specialists helping.

There are many reasons why an unknown MBR isn't wrong, that is something the specialists can determine. I'm not a malware removal specialist, but I didn't see anything obvious in the first aswmbr scan log.

It is now almost midnight in the UK so essexboy is likely to be in bed now, but he should be back on-line tomorrow (time unknown).

I was able to resolve this problem by:

1) Making mirror of boot partition on a different drive

2) Converting the RAID 1 to a non RAID drive

3) Converting the non RAID drive back to RAID 1

Something about rebuilding the RAID apparently reconstructed the MBR correctly, and from that point on the system could reboot.

Thanks for your help here.   Your thinking around this helped me to see the solution path.

[DavidR]

Good that you have found a solution.

Sorry about the earlier confusion, when I posted my last reply I hadn't seen the other one posted by essexboy (on the next page and where my reply ended up too) and why I thought he would be in bed.

Well having a Raid enabled system as essexboy confirmed is one of the instances where you would have non-standard MBR.

[essexboy]

I am glad that worked I will keep your solution in case this comes up again