[compu_dude]

The hits just keep on coming . . .

When I tried bootcfg, I got the message:

"There are currently no boot entries available to display."

When I tried chkdsk, I got the message:

"The volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable errors."

I am no expert, but that does not sound good.

[Advertisements]

Read about adding an installation to the list HERE. It may be that you are missing the boot.ini file. Not a common problem, but I've seen it happen.

You'll need to use the rebuild command switch.

If you need help, let me know and I'll be happy to walk you through it.

[wannabe1]

Read about adding an installation to the list HERE. It may be that you are missing the boot.ini file. Not a common problem, but I've seen it happen.

You'll need to use the rebuild command switch.

If you need help, let me know and I'll be happy to walk you through it.

[compu_dude]

If you could walk me through it, that would be great. If I could print off instructions, that would be easier, if possible, as I am not at the dead computer. Whatever you list I will give a shot.

[wannabe1]

Without being able to find a Windows installation, none of what we've suggested will prove to be successful. Give this Repair Install a try. It should set things right again...providing it can find the old installation.

If that doesn't do the trick, we'll see if we can manage a parallel install and get your data that way.

[Ztruker]

"The volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable errors."

That is not good. I think before you do anything else, you should download the diagnostic utility from the hard drive manufacturers web site and run it, see what it says about the health of the drive.

Since the machine won't boot, you'll have to remove the drive (probably) to look at it and see who the manufacturer is.

[compu_dude]

I tried Repair first, and because it can't find my Windows installation, Repair is not an option. Where you should have the list of items you want to repair, it just says <There is no disk in this drive> and there is no Repair option in the list.

For the brand of the drive, I know it is a Maxtor because I built the computer. I think I still have the Maxblast software disk that came with it. Would the diagnostic tool you are talking about be on there?

[Ztruker]

I don't know, but you can download the DOS version here: http://www.seagate.c...loads/seatools/

There is a diskette and CD iso version you can download.

[compu_dude]

Once I have it on diskette, what do I do next?

[Ztruker]

You boot the diskette and run the diagnostic against your hard drive.

[compu_dude]

I tried to make the diagnostic floppy, but the file from Seagate is too big. It is 1.45 MB and a disk holds 1.44 MB. WHY ON EARTH would they make their "floppy" diagnostic file 0.01 MB too big???

Since I had no other option, I started over. I physically removed the drive, unplugged it from the board and power, and plugged it back into my mobo on a different bootable channel. I also plugged it in with a different power connector.

When I fired it up and went into BIOS, my HD showed up! I was able to change my boot order and now when I went into Windows Repair, my windows installation was in the list. I ran Repair successfully! I have never been so happy to see the desktop.

Only problem is I couldn't find my disk for Nero, so I couldn't burn any of the data I was worried about last night. I will buy new software today and get that backed up before I try fixing the rest of my software or updating XP.

All I can figure is:
1. I damaged my mobo and changing channels helped.
2. The power connector was damaged.
3. When I thought I had reseated the connections, I had not.
4. Some combination?

My first concern is getting my data backed up, then I will experiment and try to figure out what was wrong. I will pass that info on to you guys for future reference for other people.

THANKS FOR YOUR FAST RESPONSES AND ALL THE HELP! I will let you know what I find out.

I run Norton Systemworks 2008. Is is better to get that running before I update XP, or is it better to update XP first?

[Ztruker]

For future reference, you copy the exe to a diskette, you run it (double click on it). That will walk you through the creation of a 1.44MB bootable diskette.

[compu_dude]

I got my files backup up (WHEW), but I am not out of the woods yet.

When I unplugged my HD and repaired windows, it renamed my drive F:. Now my basic files are all pointing to shortcuts in C:.

I tried unplugging the drive and putting it back in the original channel on the mobo. It fired up, but still shows up as F: (so I guess the mobo was not at fault).

How do I get it back as C:??

[compu_dude]

Is it possible to rename a drive?

[Ztruker]

No, you cannot change the drive letter of the drive/partition XP is booted from. That's like standing on a tree limb and cutting it off near the trunk

You said plugged it back into my mobo on a different bootable channel.. WHat exactly does that mean?

A mother board has two IDE connectors on it, IDE0 and IDE1. IDE0 normally hooks to hard drives and IDE1 hooks to optical (CD/DVD) drives.

What exactly did you do? What connected to what?

How are things connected now?

I think you are going to have to do another Repair Install with the drive connected as it was originally but need answers to my questions first to make sure it will work.

[compu_dude]

OK, on my original build, I used IDE 3 for my HD and IDE 2 for my DVD drives. I chose IDE 3 because I was having problems with the #1 & #2 connectors on the mobo being so close (and I didn't know what I was doing).

When I unplugged my drive last night, I unplugged the drive from #3, moved it to #1, and it worked. However, after I successfully ran Repair, my HD now shows up as F:.

Thinking there might be a simple fix (ha ha) I now have it plugged back into IDE 3, the original connection, but it still shows up as F:.

So, are you suggesting that now that I have it back in the original connector I run Repair again? I am more than willing to do that if it gets me back to C:. I am all the way back to SP1 now, so I would rather Repair again now before I get any updates.

Also, if it makes any difference, my mobo has four IDE channels, IDE 1 and 3 are primary, IDE 2 & 4 are secondary.

Edited by compu_dude, 06 February 2008 - 10:13 PM.