boot.ini missing after bootcfg /rebuild

[peter gray]

I think I may have found a lot of the cause of this.

I have three clients systems all of which are exhibiting this problem. I've
checked to see what's happening and find that the boot.ini is being deleted
as part of the start up.

Next all three have recently had IE8 installed. One is a MEdia Center, One
an XP Jome and one an XP Pro. I've removed IE8 from two of them and the
problem has disappeared!!

I'm keeping the third machine for a sort while to see if I can find out if
it's a fault in the IE8 installation or a hijack which is using IE8 to
deliver.

The machines have been removed from the internet and still showed this
symptom - so if it is an exploit it's embedded and using the presence of IE8.

Hope this helps

I'm still checking

--
Peter Gray


"pinnum" wrote:

> I have a Dell PC running Windows XP Home Edition. Recently I started getting
> the "Windows could not start because hal.dll is missing or corrupt" message.
> I used my Windows CD and performed the bootcfg /rebuild procedure as per
> instructions. This enabled me to boot Windows XP and access all my files. I
> was even able to Restart and have it work properly. However, when I turned
> my computer off and tried to boot up again, I got the "hal.dll missing etc."
> message again. When I booted Windows using the CD again, I found that there
> was no boot.ini file, only a boot.ini.backup in the C:\Windows\pss folder. I
> tried creating boot.ini manually with Notepad, but the file was deleted again
> the next time I tried to reboot. Can anybody tell me what to do? I feel
> like I'm back in the '70s, using a disk to boot my computer each time.

[jose]

On Jul 8, 3:52

[gom]

I saw this exact same scenario yesterday.
Created a boot.ini to fix the missing hal.dll error and it is deleted
upon reboot.
Replace boot.ini and reboot into safe mode..no problem.
Narrowed it down to ASKupgrade service.
Removed Ask toolbar and anything related to Ask and the machine is 99%
back to normal.
The only problem I have now is that there are no options available in
the boot.ini tab in Msconfig. Strangely enough I can still edit via
System Properties.
Futhermore, it seems the problem is a combination of Ask toolbar and
IE8 but I can't be specific about the nature of that combination.


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[almac]

The day after loading Serif Photoplus software i suffered the missing boot.ini file. This software also loads Ask so I suspected this to be the problem after reading the above posts. Removed Ask but still same problem. Took advice from post by Jose and loaded free Malwarebytes and superantispyware software. Over 800 files removed. AVG would not complete installation due to detection of other spyware software. However, the good news is, it worked and now no problem rebooting. After a couple of days reading many forums, and trying each bit of advice without success, it has finally been sorted. Big thankyou to Jose.

IE8 was loaded a couple of weeks ago and Ask the day before the problem occured. Perhaps a coincidence and unfortunately I have not been able to prove one way or the other, however, whatever the problem the spyware software has sorted it.

Allan

[k4lr5m1th]

i'm 99.9% sure its ask toolbar, added u torrent to two of my xp pro
laptops on 19th july, 2nd reboot on both caused hl.dll error / boot.ini
to dissapear. Subsequent bootcfg / rebuild 's and boot.ini disspaeared
again upon reboot. Removed ask toolbar including c:\prog_files\AskBarDis
directory and alls well again
cheers Karl


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[jimbo1199]

Yes is is ASK toolbar over IE8, how can that be a bug... ASK should now
be rated as Malware..
also a factor is presence of a recovery partition so default partition
cannot be booted.

boot recovery console off instal DISK (R option)
enter administrator password (or enter)
BOOTCFG /REBUILD
use ID as "Windows XP", no options
copy c:\boot.ini goodboot.ini
exit

bOOT xp, use control panel to remove all ASK software toolbars etc
AT DOS PROMPT
copy c:\goodboot.ini c:\boot.ini
attrib +s +h c:\boot.ini
exit

If you have dual boot, be aware of complexities..
you cannot necessarily copy a boot.ini from one machine to another
And no, installing Firefox will not fix this.. although removing IE8
may, the bug is NOT in IE8, but is very bad software in the ASK
toolbar/updater, what were they thinking..

Jim


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[rayrod58]

Jim, you're my hero. I've spent the better part of three days and long nights trying to fix this f@%*( problem with boot.ini disappearing, including about 5 hours on the phone with Dell (return to depot we can't guarantee your files, we'll get in back to you in 6-8 weeks... yeah right). I followed your instructions and am now back to sanity with my Dell Inspiron Mini 10. It has the recovery partition, IE 8, and a gaping hole where Ask toolbar used to live.

Thanks bud!

Ray Rod