Windows 2000 Overwrites or Damages an OS/2 Boot Manager Partition (265003)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
This article was previously published under Q265003

SYMPTOMS

You can create an OS/2 Boot Manager partition by using IBM OS/2 or Partition Magic from PowerQuest to establish a multi-boot environment. This OS/2 Boot Manager partition can become damaged because of a Windows 2000 shutdown. This damage can occur even as early as the initial shutdown during the Windows 2000 installation when the OS/2 Boot Manager partition is pre-existing.

If Windows 2000 shuts down when an OS/2 Boot Manager partition has been previously created, it considers the boot manager partition as a FAT partition and tries to mark the partition as clean. Because of this, it overwrites an important part of the code in the boot manager partition, which can prevent you from starting your computer. For example, with Partition Magic version 3.0, the boot manager menu frame is displayed but does not include the menus, so you may receive an empty blue screen and cannot restart the computer.

CAUSE

This problem can occur when the Windows 2000 FAT file system shutdown tries to mark the partition FAT structures as "clean" for subsequent boots. This is because the OS/2 Boot Manager partition boot sector mimics a FAT12 partition boot sector. Because of this, the OS/2 Boot Manager partition indicates that it contains 2 FATs (the primary and the mirror), but actually only has one FAT. The area typically used for the mirror FAT contains the Boot Manager executable code. When Windows 2000 attempts to mark the FAT at clean, a sector in the mirror FAT and the boot manager code is overwritten.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows 2000. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

260910 How to Obtain the Latest Windows 2000 Service Pack

The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later: 
   Date        Time    Version       Size    File name
   --------------------------------------------------
   06/08/2000  12:38p  5.0.2195.2096 559,376 Autochk.exe
   06/08/2000  12:38p  5.0.2195.2096 571,664 Autoconv.exe
   06/08/2000  12:38p  5.0.2195.2096 552,208 Autofmt.exe
   06/08/2000  12:38p  5.0.2195.2096  13,072 Chkdsk.exe
   06/08/2000  12:38p  5.0.2195.2096  13,072 Chkntfs.exe
   06/08/2000  12:38p  5.0.2195.2096  26,384 Cnvfat.dll
   06/08/2000  12:38p  5.0.2195.2096  14,096 Convert.exe
   06/08/2000  12:35p  5.0.2195.2096 140,336 Fastfat.sys
   06/08/2000  12:38p  5.0.2195.2096  17,680 Fmifs.dll
   06/08/2000  12:38p  5.0.2195.2096  34,064 Format.com
   06/08/2000  12:36p  5.0.2195.2096  66,832 Ifsutil.dll
   06/08/2000  12:38p  5.0.2195.2096   8,464 Recover.exe
   06/08/2000  12:38p  5.0.2195.2096  83,216 Ufat.dll
   06/08/2000  12:38p  5.0.2195.2096 304,400 Untfs.dll

NOTE: It may be too late to install the preceding hotfix after you have damaged the Boot Manager partition. To install Windows 2000 safely on a computer with Boot Manager:
  1. Copy all of the I386 Windows 2000 distribution files to a folder on a network share. As an option, you can copy all of the Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 files over the base distribution files.
  2. Copy the preceding hotfix files to the same network share. Note that this overwrites the default files.
  3. Install Windows 2000 from this network share.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem when it occurs, you must remove and reinstall the boot manager. Note that the next time Windows 2000 shuts down, it again damages the boot manager partition. To prevent this, do not shut down Window 2000 normally, instead, turn the power off or press the Reset button on your computer.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Microsoft Windows 2000. This problem was first corrected in Windows 2000 Service Pack 2.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about how to install Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 hotfixes at the same time, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

249149 Installing Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 Hotfixes



After you apply this fix, when you install Windows 2000 over an existing OS/2 computer with Boot Manager, the OS/2 Boot Manager partition is ignored. Because of this, the Boot.ini file for the new Windows 2000 installation is established relative to partition 1 (not counting the OS/2 Boot Manager partition). Following the installation, the active partition is set to the Windows 2000 partition and Windows 2000 boots directly. After this, if the OS/2 boot manager partition is ever set as the active partition, the Windows 2000 Boot.ini file must be updated to include the OS/2 Boot Manager partition in the relative partition count. Otherwise, Windows 2000 does not start because it is unable to find the OS Loader file.

The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:9/26/2005
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kb3rdparty kbbug kbenv kbfix kbWin2000PreSP2Fix KB265003
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