[txngyrrl]

I'm hoping this doesn't become an "insurmountable boot problem" - sorry couldn't resist.

I've done the Windows XP repair attempt with chkdsk /r through the Recovery Console. When I select "R", it tells me there is no hard drive. No repair attempts for me.

My big question is can I repair my hard drive to get to data? I've done backup for files that are priority, but I am sentimental about some other files on it.

I have a Dell Latitude D600, 60G Harddrive (apparently failing), 1.8G Processing speed. Dell Tech Support advised me that my hard drive is slowing dying.

For some strange reason, WinXP let me boot yesterday, and instead of trying to throw files off of it, I wanted to tempt fate and reboot. Unmountable_boot_volume.

Am I doomed?

btw, Dell is sending me a new hard drive and I'm going to have to send mine back within the week. I'm hoping that I can salvage what I can before it gets sent back home.

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for Unmountable_boot_volume the solution is chkdsk /r in the recovery console. That should have worked, why not give it a try again.
Else after you get the new hdd, try connecting old hdd as secondary and try if you can access the drives. I know its laptop and doing these things are difficult but not impossible.

[dagger]

for Unmountable_boot_volume the solution is chkdsk /r in the recovery console. That should have worked, why not give it a try again.
Else after you get the new hdd, try connecting old hdd as secondary and try if you can access the drives. I know its laptop and doing these things are difficult but not impossible.

[txngyrrl]

Thank you for the response. I'm going to give chkdsk /r another attempt this evening. And once I get the new drive I'll try to put the other one was secondary. Not sure if I know how to do that, so that may be another post.

[dsenette]

Thank you for the response. I'm going to give chkdsk /r another attempt this evening. And once I get the new drive I'll try to put the other one was secondary. Not sure if I know how to do that, so that may be another post.

that's your best bet for the data recovery...
once you get the new HD install it as master (make sure the jumper is set to master and is on the end of the ide cable) then install windows on it...then slap the old drive in as slave (jumpered as slave and connected in the middle of the ide cable) then boot to windows which should now see the second drive as a secondary drive...copy your files over to the new drive...then you will need to take owner ship of the files (instructions below) and you should be able to surmount the insurmountable unmountable boot drive issue...


How to take ownership of a folder

Note You must be logged on to the computer with an account that has administrative credentials. If you are running Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, you must start the computer in safe mode, and then log on with an account that has Administrative rights to have access to the Security tab.
If you are using Windows XP Professional, you must disable Simple File Sharing. By default, Windows XP Professional uses Simple File sharing when it is not joined to a domain.
For additional information about how to do this, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
307874 How to disable simplified sharing and set permissions on a shared folder in Windows XP


To take ownership of a folder, follow these steps:

• Right-click the folder that you want to take ownership of, and then click Properties.
• Click the Security tab, and then click OK on the Security message (if one appears).
• Click Advanced, and then click the Owner tab.
• In the Name list, click your user name, or click Administrator if you are logged in as Administrator, or click the Administrators group. If you want to take ownership of the contents of that folder, select the Replace owner on subcontainers and objects check box.
• Click OK, and then click Yes when you receive the following message:
  
  

  You do not have permission to read the contents of directory <folder name>. Do you want to replace the directory permissions with permissions granting you Full Control?
  
  All permissions will be replaced if you press Yes.

  Note <folder name> is the name of the folder that you want to take ownership of.
  
  
• Click OK, and then reapply the permissions and security settings that you want for the folder and its contents.

How to take ownership of a file

Note You must be logged on to the computer with an account that has administrative credentials.

To take ownership of a file, follow these steps:

• Right-click the file that you want to take ownership of, and then click Properties.
• Click the Security tab, and then click OK on the Security message (if one appears).
• Click Advanced, and then click the Owner tab.
• In the Name list, click Administrator, or click the Administrators group, and then click OK.
  
  The administrator or the Administrators group now owns the file. To change the permissions on the files and folders under this folder, go to step 5.
  
  
• Click Add.
• In the Enter the object names to select (examples) list, type the user or group account that you want to give access to the file. For example, type Administrator.
• Click OK.
• In the Group or user names list, click the account that you want, and then select the check boxes of the permissions that you want to assign that user.
• When you are finished assigning permissions, click OK.

[txngyrrl]

Thanks for all the info. I'm hoping (fingers crossed) that Dell has shipped my new hard drive yesterday for me to receive today and I can go home and try to surmount the insurmountable. Hopefully, I can update with results if not this evening, then tomorrow.

[gerryf]

to surmount the insurmountable...

or mount the unmountable?

Good luck. Odds are you will be able to recover your files from this old drive, but dsenette read your post a little too quickly and did not notice you have a laptop

You will not be able to mount it as a slave.

Any computer shops near you, or a radio shack?

What you need is a way to add the drive to your system and probably the best way is a harddisk enclosure for a 2.5 inch drive.

They look like this:

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16827199008

They come in two types--powered and unpowered

If you can, get the powered version--the unpowered version draws power from the usb port (you plug this in to the usb port)...I find that not all notebook harddrives can powerup on the meager 5volts kicked out by the usb port.

Some can, but some cannot.

[txngyrrl]

Here's hoping for good odds...

I've bribed/begged my tech support guys at work to help me slave (enslave?) the bad drive. I'm just an accountant by day, wannabe techie geek the rest of the time. They are taking pity on me and letting me use an implement that should help recover files.

Thanks for the reply. My drive comes in tomorrow and hopefully I can load the new one and recover from the old one.

[dsenette]

Good luck. Odds are you will be able to recover your files from this old drive, but dsenette read your post a little too quickly and did not notice you have a laptop

awoops.....thanks for the catch gerry....

[txngyrrl]

Update -

I was able to get a harddrive enclosure as gerryf suggested. It is USB powered, and my computer doesn't even recognize that it's connected.

Any other suggestions for getting info off this old hdd? Or is it completely dead?