[wcstorm11]

Yesterday I cleaned out my computer, deleting some what I thought were unneeded help files, putting a 2nd pagefile on an external hard drive, and letting my comp defrag overnight. When I came to it today, it was a black screen stating drive 0 cant be found. I rebooted and it wont load past the xp loader. I also cannot access my hard drive through a dos prompt. My neighbor is baffled, and shes an expert. The bios detects a hard drive, the xp loader comes up, but i cant access it through dos cmd prompt? Someone help. I have unbacked up files I cant lose! I need a solution.

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Hi there, and welcome.

If your BIOS is detecting a hard drive, then where do you get the idea the hard drive isn't detected?

How are you attempting to access XP through a DOS CMD prompt?

Further, you say your computer won't load past the XP loader... Does this mean you see it begin to load?

Troy

[Troy]

Hi there, and welcome.

If your BIOS is detecting a hard drive, then where do you get the idea the hard drive isn't detected?

How are you attempting to access XP through a DOS CMD prompt?

Further, you say your computer won't load past the XP loader... Does this mean you see it begin to load?

Troy

[Topaz]

wcstorm11:

" ...Yesterday I cleaned out my computer, deleting some what I thought were unneeded help files,putting a 2nd pagefile on an external hard drive, and letting my comp defrag overnight."

Please reply to Troy first , I have some additional Q's ?

1. Don't now what you mean by "2nd pagefile on an external hard drive" ?
2. If you can just configure you Primary Hard Drive in Bios to default settings , try booting , leave this "External HDD" out of the picture for the moment , ( disconnect it if it is ) and see if it will boot . If not turn comp off , unplug from wall i.e. the mains power supply , leave it for awhile 10 to 30 Mins , then try the procedure of detecting your Hard Drive in Bios again .
let us know how your getting on

[Troy]

Hi again,

If the external hard drive is eSATA it would be okay, but if it's USB I wouldn't bother with it.

Troy

[wcstorm11]

Hi there, and welcome.

If your BIOS is detecting a hard drive, then where do you get the idea the hard drive isn't detected?

How are you attempting to access XP through a DOS CMD prompt?

Further, you say your computer won't load past the XP loader... Does this mean you see it begin to load?

Troy

1) cmd prompt, accessed from a floppy, is umable to access my hard drive. Yes xp begins to load but it just stays there.
2) by 2nd pagefile i mean i, umder memory settings, tried to create a paging file on my external hard drive. What's wierd is, windows is trying to boot from my (internal) hard drive, but dos cant see it. My external hd is usb and currently unplugged.

[Troy]

Hi again,

Are you able to boot into safe mode?

Troy

[wcstorm11]

No, the process/text stops at agp.... Something driver.

[Troy]

Hi again,

I refer you to the Repair Windows XP instructions.

This should help you get a bootable computer back.

Troy