Impossible XP Install? - unmountable_boot_volume

[DragCity]

I am attempting a new XP install and running into the infamous unmountable_boot_volume error. I am aware that it has been addressed in a recent critical update, but of course that doesn't help much with a clean install. System in question is:

Athlon XP 1600+
Epox 8KHA+, 3/4/02 BIOS
256 Crucial PC2100
Seagate Barracuda 40GB
Sony 52X CD
GeForce2 Ti

Everything else being left out until some progress is made. The HDD has been fdisk'ed and formatted 30/10, FAT32 file system (optimistically I envision sharing files with a win98 machine). Booting from the XP Pro OEM CD eventually leads to the stop screen, unmountable_boot_volume. Details of the first two sections are 0x81B84A58, 0xC00000032.

The MS knowledge base article about this problem (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q297185) suggests that an inadequate cable or forced UDMA modes may be at fault. I have tried two different 80-wire, 40-pin cables, as well as setting UDMA 33 for everything in the BIOS. No joy. The KB article also says, "If the second parameter (0x bbbbbbbb ) of the Stop error is 0xC0000032, then the file system is damaged. " This indeed matches, but as I said it is a newly fdisk'ed and formatted drive. Plenty of posts about this problem involve running chkdsk to fix and then rebooting, however I can't use the recovery console feature without first completing an install due to the fact that I have an OEM XP Pro disk. It will not start the console when booting from CD. Running a lengthy scandisk with full surface scan from a 98 boot disk shows no problems.

Naturally I could try just throwing on a 98 installation and then starting the XP setup from windows, but plenty of people mention getting this error during upgrades as well so I don't quite see the point in that. The 3/4 BIOS is the latest for the 8KHA+ so I don't see any more help in that direction. If anyone has any creative ideas or happens to know exactly what would be causing the error I would appreciate some assistance.

 

[zigCorsair]

Glad you checked out the MS article. Don't know about the file sharing thing. You sound like you might know the answer to this already, but does FAT32 actually affect file sharing capabilities? Assuming your situation has happenned more than once, try it the the NTFS way. I am pretty sure I have shared files with 98 machines, but I can't remember the exact details as I usually just play until figuring it out.

I just had this problem yesterday but fixed it the way you can't - via boot dsk recovery console "chkdsk /r".

 

[bacillus]

is this of any help??

 

[DragCity]

Thanks for your replies and suggestions. I am replying from the machine in question, XP Pro running.

After some coffee and more searching this morning, I completely disabled UDMA in the BIOS instead of choosing 33. Lo and behold I see the setup screen. Went ahead and installed with PIO only, then downloaded the critical updates and installed them. Rebooted normally, so then I went back into the BIOS and enabled UDMA. Rebooted without a hitch, device manager showing UDMA mode 5 for the HDD and UDMA mode 2 for the CD-ROM.

Time to try adding everything else, I'm sure I'm missing some delightful sounds that should be accompanying these cartoons.