[Broni]

System restore deals only with Windows system files, so it won't touch your data, if this is what you're afraid of.

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yes that is. if i run system restore onmy c drive will it affect the system files on my e drive too?

[ripslymemc]

yes that is. if i run system restore onmy c drive will it affect the system files on my e drive too?

[Broni]

System files are present only on a drive, where Windows is installed, and they have nothing to do with your personal files.

[ripslymemc]

the problem is, i have windows installed on both drives. the nonworking drive was the main drive on another computer, but i can't even start windows and it is installed as a slave drive on another working computer, which i am using now. so I was wondering if running windows recovery on this working drive affect my system files on the other unbootable drive, because those files on the nonworking drive are the ones i need to replace.

[Broni]

I'm little bit confused, as for what you want to achieve...

[ripslymemc]

ok, so.

my first drive, that has the hal.dll error, is slaved into another computer that is working. both drives have windows installed on them, so they both have windows system files.

now, if i run system restore on the working drive ©, will it also restore the windows system files on my second, the one with the hal.dll (e) drive?

[Broni]

No.
If you backed up your data from slaved drive, I'd move it back to the original computer, and reinstall Windows from the scratch.

[ripslymemc]

I was considering that last night too. I did not backup my files, but I have access to the HDD. I just need everything in my documents.

i just went to documents and settings, and tried to access my old files but my access was denied. I have administrative rights on this computer, why am i not able to access those files?

edit: i'd also like to keep my favorites from IE/FF and chrome. where would i find those?

Edited by ripslymemc, 26 April 2009 - 02:22 PM.

[Broni]

Is the working computer with XP, too?

[ripslymemc]

yes, same version and same service pack.

[Broni]

Take the ownership of those not accessible folders/files: http://www.winxptuto...m/ownership.htm

[ripslymemc]

okay, I've finally moved all the files i needed onto a working drive. now here comes the problem. when I try to boot from the windows xp restore disc, it gives the same old pci.sys error. I don't even know what's wrong with my drive. I can do everything but boot or restore with it. is there some way to reinstall windows thru the master drive? (the unworking drive is still my slave drive).

[Broni]

Now this is confusing.
What is that XP restore CD?
You're talking about working computer, right? If so, why are you trying to boot from some restore CD?

[ripslymemc]

sorry, I probably phrased it wrong.

I have a working master hdd and a weird slave hdd.

the slave will not boot, and every time i try to install a new version of windows, I get a pci.sys error.

the recovery disc is the windows xp recovery disc came with the computer when I got it.

I was wondering if it was possible to install a brand new version of windows on my slave drive through my master drive, because my slave drive gets an error message every time i try to reboot windows and it is unbootable. however, i can freely access files on my slave drive as though nothing was malfunctioning.

so, what can/should I do?

[Broni]

Slave drive will never boot unless it has some OS installed on it. In your case, that OS, or maybe even hard drive is corrupted.
How are you trying to boot to the slave drive?
How are you trying to install Windows? On a slave drive? It won't work.
Recovery CD is tied up to all hardware from the computer, the CD was designed for.
The hard drive must reside in original computer for the recovery CD to work.
That drive may be simply dying.
Move it back to the original computer (assuming, you backed up all data to the other drive), and try to use recovery CD, then.
You must boot from that CD.
If it doesn't work...
Run hard drive diagnostics: http://www.tacktech....ay.cfm?ttid=287