can't open boot partition to check for signiture

win 2k pro after reformat and running setup and rebooting for the first time

any Ideas on how to fix this? Ive tried repair console fixmbr and fixboot.

thanx
jpgoodman@comcast.net

This can happen when you have third party partitioning software being used
(such as partition magic) or bad jumper settings on your drive. Is it
giving a 55AA error or just the error listed above?

I am using Adaptec's ATA 1200a RAID controller. And the drives are mirrored.
After trying to boot and giving the error it asks you to place in a bootable
system disk or something of that nature. I found the error on Adaptec site
and this lead me to upgrade my system bios (Intel desktop

motherboard) I also updated the ATA raid controller firmware to v 1.3
Adaptec informed me that the drives must be pristine! As new from
manufacturer before introduction to the raid array. The problem started when
I got the stop error cx00000218 hive file error on boot I tried all the
steps MS recommended but I had no backup of the system. Since the drives are
not new and part of the original array that since I have blown out, I'm
assume I must replace the drives or zero them out in order to get this to
work. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for you quick
response

If one of the drive's data is still intact, you should be able to enter
controller bios and choose the other drive and rebuild. Else you may need to
low level the drives (if required) and rebuild the mirror (raid1)

If the system hive, and assuming you already tried LKG, It may be possible
to rename the system hive found in
%windir%\system32\config\system
to system.old
then rename
%windir%\system32\config\system.alt
to
%windir%\system32\config\system

You can also try using the most recent backup found in
%windir%\repair\regback

If that fails you haven't much choice but to copy/ use the
original-as-installed system hive from
%windir%\repair\system
to
%windir%\system32\config\system
You'll need to reinstall the device drivers for any hardware added since the
original OS install.

To start the Recovery Console, start the computer from the Windows 2000
Setup CD or the Windows 2000 Setup floppy disks. If you do not have Setup
floppy disks and your computer cannot start from the Windows 2000 Setup CD,
use another Windows 2000-based computer to create the Setup floppy disks.
Press ENTER at the "Setup Notification" screen. Press R to repair a Windows
2000 installation, and then press C to use the Recovery Console. The
Recovery Console then prompts you for the administrator password. If you do
not have the correct password, Recovery Console does not allow access to the
computer. If an incorrect password is entered three times, the Recovery
Console quits and restarts the computer. Once the password has been
validated, you have full access to the Recovery Console, but limited access
to the hard disk. You can only access the following folders on your
computer: %systemroot% and %windir%

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft MVP [Windows NT/2000 Operating Systems]

"John Goodman CT @ Princeton" wrote:
> well I tried but the corrupted Hive file was duplicated on the
mirror.......
> low level it is!or as western digital says "zero out the the drive"
> arrgg what a nightmare

Note:
You'll need to do the F6 trick and supply the ATA raid controller driver in
order to start the recovery console.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft MVP [Windows NT/2000 Operating Systems]

never had a backup!
Dave,

I've zeroed the drives and still get the error
Can't open boot partition to check for signature!
I am replacing the drives this is sooo strange
you have never heard of this error?

yes I know but I blew errased the drive
anyway it still cannot open boot partition to check for a signature. I
guess it is a raid controller issue. Ive ordered new hard drives and await
them now

Great assumption.. I had the same!
But.. it doesnt work! get this however without the raid controller I can
format and boot this system with no problem.. Adaptec says it's the Intel
Mobo compatibility with their controller... Funny it workrd for a year
well I may have to change the controller to a promise raid
but the new drives are expected today
thanks for your help
hopefully if anyone else runs into this error the can read through our posts
and avoid this nightmare
Thanks Dave

[mshanahan]

I was reading this thread because I was getting this error from a new install of Windows-2000-pro. The solution to my issue first, then the details: I solved this by putting the 19gig IDE drive on the first connector on the ribbon cable -- it had been connected to the second (middle) connector. The details:

1-a customer brought a compaq model-5wv232 system to me. He stated someone gave it to him, but he couldn't get it running (it is a PIII@~600mhz with 380meg of memory, 2 cd drives, floppy. The case has the number 5000 on the bottom front.) Customer had tried to install w98. It would boot but drivers were missing (lots.)

2-first thing I did was try to boot the system. Had funny errors and inconsistent problems [boot would hang, wouldn't boot at all, ...] I finally just reloaded w98, but still had boot hangs, and trouble getting video/network/ modem/sound drivers (system originally had ME.)

3-I finally gave up on w98 and put w2k on it. However when the initial system load completed and it tried to reboot I ran into the error message "can't open the boot partition to check for a signature". I now had about 3 hours wall time into this 1 hour project.

4-I tried looking at the bios and after having it rescan the hard drives I noticed during one of the boots that it was drive 2 that was 19gig. By the way thanks to compaq, that message flew by. I then looked at the ribbon cable and saw the middle connector was on the disk. I took that off and put the end connector on and problem is gone. I suspect in this case it was looking for the boot block on the first disk (disk 0) but there wasn't any disk-1.

Mike Shanahan,
Microsoft Partner,
MS Consulting

PS: Thanks to everyone else that contributed to this thread. It got me pointed in the right direction.