[neiltsm]

Oh dear. This is getting worse! Here's what happened since we last spoke / typed!

I downloaded the recovery disks from windows but they didn't work so I borrowed a copy of XP Professional from work. I got into the recovery console but when I did a chkdsk I got the message

the volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems

so, as per the windows website, I ran fixboot

then when I access C:\ (and here's the scary part) it can't find anything...the only thing that reads is:

Bootex.log
1 file (s) 2154 Bytes
7487488 bytes free
the volume serial number is 0000-0000

Oh no! But nowhere have I formatted my harddrive etc. So, I've then tried to install windows again, but this time, when I get to the final install section it asks about partitions etc. showing only one (FAT32) available but saying there are only 7mb free and the rest of my HDD is full!!!!

So, one thing tells me the exact opposite of the other. And If I proceed in installing XP it says it will have to reformat the HDD to create enough space.

Just to recap, on C:\ i try the likes of cd windows but it can\t find it and finally, when I reboot the PC i get a message that says:

NTLDR is missing

Not good!!!!

Neiltsm

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...........  So, I've then tried to install windows again....

and you tried that, how?

with your friend's XP disk?

[gerryf]

...........  So, I've then tried to install windows again....

and you tried that, how?

with your friend's XP disk?

[neiltsm]

That's correct, yes. XP Pro, fully legit with the license key etc. but I don't get that far. I needed to borrow it to get to the recovery console because it was impossible beforehand as I have an OEM pre-installed copy of XP which has no accompanying disk etc.

[gerryf]

the failure is because you need more space than that to install windows....the 7mb is what is left of the disk--it would seem the first partition is destroyed, the 7mb partition is what remains of the two installed by acer.

at this point, you might be able to recover the damaged partition/data using a program like

http://ubcd.sourceforge.net/

and use testdisk to retrieve it (maybe).

Using the system recovery cds supplied by acer will restore your computer to factory condition regardless...i fear your data is already gone.

the windows xp disk cannot account for the situation created by the problem you had