[oreofudge]

I have a puter that when powered-on it ends up on a screen that tells me that there is a missing or corrupt file and points to the following...

\windows\system32\confi\system

What I first tried was to back-up the data to another place by removing the troubled HD and slaving it to another puter, but while starting-up the other puter, CHKDSK started to run on the troubled HD. After a while the puter started-up but was a bit sluggish. When I finally was able to try to access the troubled HD, it displayed a message saying that it couldn't be read and had to be reformated. So I cancelled everything, shut-down the puter and returned the troubled HD to its place.

I tried to do a system repair, but since the XP version that I have is an OEM, it does not give me the option to repair the Windows installation, in fact, it takes me to the point that I have to choose to do a quick or full format of the drive in order to install, so I backed-up.

Since I have an OEM version, I cannot run the recovery methods suggested in most places since in those instructions they do not recommend to follow them if running an OEM version.

The latest thing that I did was to run another CHKDSK on the troubled HD while in its place, after a while, and having finished just 25% of the process, it displayed a message that says "the volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems"...

So I turn to any of you guys so you could shed some light...

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Have you gone to the RECOVERY CONSOLE and typed in 'chkdsk /p /r' at the command prompt and let it scan the drive for problems?

[Fenor]

Have you gone to the RECOVERY CONSOLE and typed in 'chkdsk /p /r' at the command prompt and let it scan the drive for problems?

[Fenor]

Sorry forgot you had an OEM version and that wouldn't work so I deleted my comment posted here.

Fenor

Edited by Fenor, 01 October 2005 - 07:11 PM.

[Retired Tech]

Download Everest Home Edition here

Everest Home Edition

Run the programme, click + next to operating system then click operating system then look at OS Version

[oreofudge]

The idea is to find out what is the OS version in the troubled HD?, if yes I think it will be impossible since when I slave-it to another puter it asks to format it, so I guess it thinks thatn is a blank or new HD...

[Retired Tech]

I would go with this

http://support.micro...kb;en-us;307545

Because, Everest shows both my OEM XP CD's as retail, even if it is not the best way, it is a way, one which will probably let you recover your data and then move on to a clean install

[oreofudge]

I also tried to run MS solution to it but when I type "md tmp" it asnwers with an "acces denied message", so I feel like I am at a dead-end now.

[oreofudge]

To see if I understood, I should slave the trobled HD to my working puter, download Everest and run-it to see if I am able to access the info?...

[Retired Tech]

Also look at this

actually just solved my problem.. the microsoft guide fixed it.

heres what i had to do. i couldnt get the harddrive working on my good puter so i went back to the bad one. harddrive plugged back in and got back to the error msg.

go to recovery console and follow that first microsoft guide keith gives. now where i had the problem with the system file not existing, it doesn't exist because it had a special extension because when i specified its extention in the copy command, it copied properly and i got into windows... enabling me to continue the guide.


From here

http://www.geekstogo...opic=67689&st=0

[oreofudge]

Keith I tried the following...

I tried again to follow MS guide that you last suggested, but as soon as I type "md tmp" it answers back "access is denied" and can't go further...

So I removed the troubled HD from the puter again and installed it on my working puter. Again it takes longer for my puter to start-up and after it does it acts a bit slow. When I am able to see the drive and double-click on it to access it, I get a window that tells me "disk is not formatted", so I cancel the operation...

I also downloaded Everest as you suggested but it only finds the OS installed on my working puter, nothing on the troubled HD...

I downloaded an utility from Western Digital, the manufacturer of the troubled HD, and ran it, but while running a recommended test it stopped and showed me a "too many bad sectors detected" message and had to cancel the test...

It all seems that the HD just died on me and it also seems that there might be no way to recover any of the valuable data that is or was in there...

Any last minute suggestions before playing "TAPS" on it...

[Retired Tech]

There are programmes like file inspector but i assume they rely on you being able to access at least some of the drive

Post a new topic to say you cannot access the hard drive.

This post will likely be overlooked due to the number of replies