Microsoft KB Archive/315396

= How To Troubleshoot Startup Problems in Windows 2000 =

Article ID: 315396

Article Last Modified on 5/7/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition

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This article was previously published under Q315396



IN THIS TASK
SUMMARY How to Start the Computer Using the Last Known Good Configuration How to Start the Computer in Safe Mode
 * How to Use Event Viewer to Identify the Cause of the Startup Problem
 * How to Use System Information to Identify the Cause of the Startup Problem
 * How to View the Safe Mode Boot Log File
 * How to Use Device Manager to Identify the Cause of the Startup Problem

How to Confirm that the Computer's CMOS/BIOS Settings Are Correct The Recovery Console The Emergency Repair Process How to Use the Microsoft Product Support Services Web Site to Find a Solution REFERENCES



SUMMARY
This article describes general procedures that you can use to troubleshoot startup problems in Windows 2000.

A successful Windows 2000 startup consists of the following four phases:
 * Initial phase
 * Boot loader phase
 * Kernel phase
 * Logon phase

If a problem occurs during one of these phases, Windows may not start correctly and you may experience one of the following issues:
 * The computer stops responding (hangs).
 * You receive an error message.

If a startup problem occurs after you click Microsoft Windows 2000 on either the boot loader menu or when you receive the &quot;Please select the operating system to start&quot; message, files that are required by the operating system may be missing or damaged. Windows 2000 provides a variety of options that you can use to troubleshoot this issue, including safe mode, Recovery Console, and an Emergency Repair disk.

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How to Start the Computer Using the Last Known Good Configuration
If the startup problem occurs immediately after you make a change to the computer (for example, if you install a new driver), try to start the computer by using the Last Known Good Configuration feature.

When you use the Last Known Good Configuration feature, you start your computer by using the most recent settings that worked. This feature restores registry information and driver settings that were in effect the last time the computer started successfully. Use this feature when you are unable to start Windows after you make a change to the computer (for example, if you install or upgrade a device driver).

To start the computer by using last known good configuration, follow these steps:  Restart the computer. Press F8 when you receive the following message:

Please select the operating system to start

 In Windows Advanced Option Menu, use the arrow keys to select Last Known Good Configuration, and then press ENTER. If you are running other operating systems on the computer, click Microsoft Windows 2000 from the list that is displayed, and then press ENTER.

WARNING: After you start your computer by using the last known good configuration, changes that you made since the last successful startup are lost.

If you can start your computer by using the last known good configuration, the last change that you made to the computer (for example, the installation of a driver) may be the cause of the incorrect startup behavior. It is recommended that you either remove or update the driver or program, and then test Windows for proper startup.

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How to Start the Computer in Safe Mode
When you start the computer in safe mode, only essential drivers and computer services are loaded. You can use safe mode when you need to identify and resolve problems that are caused by either faulty drivers, programs, or services that start automatically.

If the computer starts in safe mode but it does not start in normal mode, the computer may have a conflict with either the hardware settings or the resources. There may be incompatibilities with either programs, services, or drivers, or there may be registry damage. In safe mode, you can disable or remove a program, service, or device driver that may be preventing the computer from starting normally.

To troubleshoot startup problems in safe mode, follow these steps:  Restart the computer. Press F8 when you receive the following message:

Please select the operating system to start

</li> In Windows Advanced Option Menu, use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode, and then press ENTER.</li> If you are running other operating systems on the computer, click Microsoft Windows 2000 on the list that is displayed, and then press ENTER.</li> Do one of the following steps: <ul> If the computer does not start in safe mode, check for possible hardware problems such as defective devices, installation problems, cabling problems, or connector problems. Remove any newly added hardware, and then restart the computer to see if the problem is resolved.</li> If the computer starts in safe mode, proceed to the next section to continue to troubleshoot the startup issue.</li></ul> </li></ol>

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How to Use Event Viewer to Identify the Cause of the Startup Problem
View the event logs in Event Viewer for additional information that may help you to identify and diagnose the cause of the startup problem. To view events recorded to the event logs, follow these steps:
 * 1) Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
 * 2) Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Event Viewer.

Alternatively, start Microsoft Management Console (MMC) that contains the Event Viewer snap-in.
 * 1) In the console tree, click to expand Event Viewer, and then click the log that you want to view, for example, System log or Application log.
 * 2) In the details pane, double-click the event that you want to view.

To copy the details of the event, click Copy, open a new document in the program in which you want to paste the event (for example, Microsoft Word), and then click Paste on the Edit menu.
 * 1) To view the description of the previous event or the next event, press either the UP ARROW key or the DOWN ARROW key.

For additional information about how to diagnose system problems with Event Viewer, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

302542 How To Diagnose System Problems with Event Viewer in Microsoft Windows 2000

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How to Use System Information to Identify the Cause of the Startup Problem
The System Information tool displays a comprehensive view of the computer's hardware, the system components, and the software environment. Use this tool to help you identify possible problem devices and device conflicts. To do so, follow these steps:  Click Start, and then click Run.</li> In the Open box, type msinfo32, and then click OK.</li> Check for problem devices or device conflicts. To do so:  In the console tree, click to expand Components, and then click Problem Devices.

Note any devices that are listed in the right pane.</li> In the console tree, click to expand Hardware Resources, and then click Conflicts/Sharing.

Note any resource conflicts that are listed in the right pane.</li> If you identify a problem device, perform the appropriate action (for example, either remove, disable, or reconfigure the device, or update the driver), and then restart the computer in normal mode.

You can use Device Manager to remove or disable devices and their drivers. For more information about Device Manager, see the Use Device Manager to Identify the Cause of the Startup Problem section of this article.

If the computer starts correctly, that particular device may be the cause of the startup problem.

If you disabled a device to resolve the problem, check that the device is listed on the Windows 2000 Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), and that it is installed correctly. Additionally, contact the manufacturer to report the behavior and to obtain information about possible updates that can resolve the startup problem.For information about how to contact computer hardware manufacturers, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

65416 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, A-K

60781 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, L-P

60782 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, Q-Z

Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

</li></ol> </li> If no device conflicts or problem devices are reported by the System Information tool, check for programs that start automatically when Windows starts. To do so, follow these steps:  <li>In the console tree, click to expand Software Environment, and then click Startup Programs.

Programs that start automatically when Windows starts are listed in the right pane.</li> <li>Disable the programs, and then restart the computer.

For more information about how to disable the program, refer to the program documentation or contact the manufacturer.</li> <li>If you disable the startup programs, and the startup problem is resolved, enable the programs again, one at a time.

Shut down and restart the computer each time you enable a program, and note if the incorrect startup behavior occurs. If the behavior occurs, the last program that you enabled may be causing the incorrect startup behavior.</li></ol> </li></ol>

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How to View the Safe Mode Boot Log File
To troubleshoot startup issues, view the boot log file, Ntbtlog.txt, and then make a note of the drivers and services that did not load when you started your computer in safe mode. This log file is located in the in the %SystemRoot% folder (by default, this is the Winnt folder). The log file lists devices and services that load (and do not load) when you start the computer in safe mode. You can use Microsoft Notepad to open and view the log file.

Use the list of drivers and services that failed to load at startup to help you identify the possible cause of the startup problem.

NOTE: Some startup problems may occur early in the startup process. In this scenario, Windows may not save the boot log file to the hard disk drive.

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How to Use Device Manager to Identify the Cause of the Startup Problem
Device Manager displays a graphical view of the hardware that is installed on your computer. Use this tool to either resolve any possible device conflicts or to identify incompatible devices that may be the cause of the startup problem.

To start Device Manager, follow these steps:
 * 1) On the desktop, right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
 * 2) Click to expand System Tools, and then click Device Manager.

The devices that are installed on your computer are listed in the right pane. If a symbol is displayed next to a device, there may be a problem with the device. For example, a black exclamation point (!) on a yellow field indicates the device is in a problem state.

NOTE: To disable a device in Device Manager, right-click the device, and then click Disable.
 * 1) Investigate possible device conflicts. To do so, double-click the device in the right pane, and then click the Resources tab.

If a device conflict exists, it is listed under Conflicting device list.

Note the Use automatic settings check box. If Windows successfully detects a device, this check box is selected, and the device functions correctly. However, if the resource settings are based on Basic Configuration  (where   is any number from 0 to 9), you may have to change the configuration. To do so, either click a different basic configuration from the list or manually change the resource settings. WARNING: This procedure may require you to change the computer's complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) settings and the basic input/output system (BIOS) settings. Incorrect changes to the BIOS of the computer can result in serious problems. Change the computer's CMOS settings at your own risk.

If Windows is unable to resolve a resource conflict, verify that the computer is configured to allow Windows to enumerate the devices in the computer. To do so, enable the Plus and Play OS setting in the Setup tool of the computer's BIOS. To change the computer's BIOS settings, either refer to the computer documentation or contact your computer manufacturer.
 * 1) If you identify a problem device, disable it, and then restart the computer in normal mode.

If the computer starts correctly, the device that you disabled may be the cause of the startup problem.

Ensure that the device is listed on the Windows 2000 Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) and that it is installed correctly. Additionally, contact the manufacturer to report the behavior and to obtain information about possible updates that can resolve the startup problem.

For additional information about how to use Device Manager, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

199276 How to manage devices in Windows

244601 How to troubleshoot unknown devices listed in Device Manager

125174 Explanation of error codes generated by Device Manager

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How to Confirm that the Computer's CMOS/BIOS Settings Are Correct
WARNING: This procedure may require you to change the computer's CMOS settings and the BIOS settings. Incorrect changes to the BIOS of the computer can result in serious problems. Change the computer's CMOS settings at your own risk.

Incorrect or damaged CMOS and BIOS settings can cause startup problems. For information about the correct CMOS and BIOS settings for the computer, and for information about how to check and change these settings, either refer to the computer documentation or contact the manufacturer of your computer.

To make sure that the computer's BIOS is current, contact the computer manufacturer to inquire about the latest BIOS update available for the computer.

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The Recovery Console Tool
The Recovery Console tool is a command-line tool that you can use to repair Windows if the computer does not start properly. You can start Recovery Console from either the Windows 2000 Setup disks, the Windows 2000 compact disc (CD), or at startup if Recovery Console was previously installed to your computer.

For additional information about how to use Recovery Console, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

301645 How To Recover a Windows 2000 Server that Does Not Start

229716 Description of the Windows 2000 Recovery Console

216417 How to Install the Windows Recovery Console

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The Emergency Repair Process
If you have created an Emergency Repair Disk (ERD), use it to troubleshoot and resolve the startup problem. Note that the emergency repair process is limited to repairing the system files, the partition boot sector, and the startup environment. For additional information about the emergency repair feature, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

231777 How to Create an Emergency Repair Disk in Windows 2000

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How to Use the Microsoft Product Support Services Web Site to Find a Solution
If you cannot resolve the problem by following the steps in this article or by viewing the Knowledge Base articles in the References section of this article, you can use the Microsoft Product Support Services Web site to find a solution to your problem. The following list describes some of the services that the Microsoft Product Support Services Web site provides:
 * Searchable Knowledge Base - Search technical support information and self-help tools for Microsoft products.
 * Frequently Asked Questions - View product-specific frequently asked questions and support highlights.
 * Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups - Consult with your counterparts, peers, and Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs).
 * Software and Updates - Find software and updates on the Download Center.
 * Other Support Options - Ask a support question using the Web or call Microsoft Product Support Services.

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