[Padriko]

Alrighty. I have a corrupted Windows XP on one hard drive. I want to save the files from this hard drive which are important to me (pictures, stories, drawings, etc), put them onto a blank hard drive with Windows XP on it, and then format the hard drive I just took them off of. Then, I want to reverse it, and put them BACK onto the same hard drive after I install Windows XP onto it again.

Now, there's a small problem here. On the hard drive I'm taking them off of, I can not get into Windows. Not normally or in safe mode. This is a reason (along with viruses and a few registry errors) that I want to do this. How do I get them from this corrupt hard drive to the empty one?

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This can be done with a Linux Live CD.

Here is a tutorial using a specific distro called Suse:

http://www.itsyourpc...1564/33301.html

[mpfeif101]

This can be done with a Linux Live CD.

Here is a tutorial using a specific distro called Suse:

http://www.itsyourpc...1564/33301.html

[Padriko]

Off of that site:

Things you will need: A computer with internet broadband connection, a DVD burner and CD/DVD burning software, and an understanding of that software.

I do not have a CD/DVD burner.

[mpfeif101]

Do you have the XP disc?

You can try making a boot disc -> http://ubcd.sourceforge.net/

[Padriko]

I have the XP disc, yes.

All I'm trying to do is avoid losing a varying amount of personal files on this hard drive. If there's just a way to drag these files (Most of which are in My Documents in various subfolders) onto the hard drive I just formatted, then back on, this would work just fine. I do have the two hard drives to work with, afterall.

[mpfeif101]

You could try doing a repair install -> http://www.geekstogo...ws_XP-t138.html

Unfortunatley, you won't be able to transfer files if you can't boot into an OS. Using Linux to transfer or at least save files to a floppy is what I recommend, but as you don't have a burner, that isn't possible

[Padriko]

I've already attempted a Repair Install. The C:\Windows\system32\Hal.dll remains corrupt even after successfully completing a repair install.

[Padriko]

Any other ideas? Hopefully that don't force me to lose all my files?

[bazcor]

You could do it like this if I understand your problem:

1. Put the new hard drive into the computer and install XP on it.
2. Put the old hard drive into the machine as slave.
3. Copy over all the files onto the new drive.
4. Ghost the new drive to the old one using software from one of the drive manufacturers.

would that do it? ... Barry

[Padriko]

I'm uncertain... I'm not a big techie, so I'd have to be run by on how to slave one to another.

[mpfeif101]

Open up your case and on the back of the harddrive you should be able to change the jumper to slave according to what the jumper settings are for your harddrive (see computer manual).

[Padriko]

I don't have a computer manual (bought it second hand. =/ ) What's a jumper?

[Padriko]

Bumping to top. Anyone on how to make a Master/Slave?

[blsimpson]

Take the drives out and look at them. On the top, there should be a diagram that tells you where to putt he jumper (the little black thingy that connects to copper thingys in between the power and cable thingys )

Then, remove the black thingy and put it where it says to go...

[Tyger]

You should be able to just make the old drive a slave and directly copy any files you want over. But you can't copy any programs over that way because they have registry enties with them.

Edited by Tyger, 13 June 2005 - 06:19 PM.