HELP needed on harrdrive(S) (Sorry for the length)

[psd99]

Hi, sorry for the length of this.

Right this is quite a long problem I am not normally good at explaining things so I am going to try my best!!!

I have messed up big time this time around!

I have a harrdrive Maxtor 80gb. This is the first computer
Also have a 120gb Western Digital this is the second computer.

I do not want to go into details but both computers have the same motherboard but computer 2 is better than computer 1. If you get my drift, computer 2 has more PCI devices and better RAM and CPU (etc) .

So on each computer I did have Windows XP Pro. Same version of course.
Now I messed something up on computer 2, so that when I started it up I got pass bios, which rightly showed my hardrive to get to a screen which stated ' Missing Operating System.' This made me panic as I had 100Gb of information on there. Of course i have backups. Well so I reset the bios it did not work. I put in the Windows XP CD in. Obviously changing boot up options and it just woulndt boot up.

Panicking again, worried whether my files were on the harddrive in a moment of catasophre I decided to go into computer 1 pull out the 80gb harrdrive and put this into computer 2. As they are the same motherboard I decided to do this. So I put both hardrives into computer 2. The 80gb as master and the 120 as slave. I got past bios everything seemed fine. Got into Windows XP where it just halted did not even get to see the start menu! I waited and waited and it just did not work. So I reset the computer. At the point I felt very upset and worried.

So I decided to do the same thing in computer 1. I put the 80gb hardrive as master and the 120gb as slave. why was I doing this? Just to see if the 120gb hardrive still has data on it. Well I did not even get to Windows XP. It got to bios and the drives were detected, but further to this it did not load pass bios.Just stopped after bios. No message. So worried again. I put the 120gb hardrive as master and see if it works. Same message 'Missing Operating System' Which was rigthly on computer 2 aswell.

This time I put in the XP CD and it worked. I got into the recovery console and typed in fixmbr.I was sure this problem was something to do with this. There was these warning messages but in my despeartion I clicked yes. I rebooted and this this time I got the message of 'Error Finding Operating System'

At this point I gave up put my feet up and watched The Bill!!!!!
Just kidding! I hope you are still reading and thanks for reading too.

I tried putting the 80gb as master into computer one and going into recovery console but it just will not boot up from bios, the CD that is!

So to cut a long story short, not on these harddrives, but on another harddrive put in into computer 2 reinstalled windows xp. Then put the 120gb harddrive as slave. LUCKILY all my information and data was still on it. It then took me hours and hours to copy all of my data, settings and some programs.It is 01:34 am I just finished copying over my music, I started this business at 11:39AM!!! So Computer 2 is sorted for now anyway. Its computer 1 that needs the tender loving care!

So if you are still reading what are the problems?
got two harddrives one is 80gb and the other 120gb and i got computer 1 free for them. I want to somehow repair the 80gb but unsure how to. How can this be done?
And with regards to the 120gb could this be repairable either?what can i do if the 80gb or 120gb is not repairable?

80gb: Will get past bios but halt just after the bios screen. Somehow cant bootup with xp cd!
120gb: giving me a message of 'error finding operating system'

MY last LAST resort it to format one of them and reinstall Windows XP

Thanks for reading this and please can you voice your opinons.

From a rather sad, upset, angry and lonely

psd99

 

[muckshifter]

In the first instance I would NOT have taken the 80 out of system 1 … it was a working system.

The right course of action would have simply been to attach the 120, as slave, to system one … if then the computer did “hang” after the BIOS POST I would know it was a fault with the 120.

I’m afraid you just may have to re-install the OS to system 1 … and I would initially perform a “dirty install”, that is, boot from the CD, skip the first instance of “repair” but at the second instance choose to do so … that will delete the present installation & install a new one. Your data will remain intact and it should “see” any software also, but you will need to re-install any updates.

 

[psd99]

okay installing this is easy. the data will remain there. but im sure with xp that all the program files and settings will not be there.

they will be under my old profile, as a new one would be created!

any way around this?

 

[muckshifter]

You won't have an "old profile" if you do a "dirty install", XP will delete it, however, any "programs" that were previously installed will still be recognised, and, set-up to use under the new profile. There are some exceptions but it’s easy enough to re-install those programs.

The main reason for doing a "dirty install" is to keep your data intact ... if keeping the data intact is not a priority, then I would recommend a Clean install.

 

[psd99]

okay u mean i got an option to 'dirty install?' lol i aint heard of that before. so if my old profile is deleted that means all my documents, my music etc will be deleted?do i get an option of dirty install?

The other thought im having is as this computer 1 is not that fast is putting on windows 2000. god forbid this but what would happen if i installed windows 2000 over this windows xp?

silly i know but i would rather know the negatives now than crying about it later!

 

[muckshifter]

Your not listening to what I'm saying ...

Have you ever loaded XP from the XP CD? It's just like that. Do not pick recovery console, just pick repair. XP will find your installation and ask if that’s the one you want to repair. You say yes and sit back and wait. 39 minutes later it will be done. It will load XP just like a fresh install; only will not touch your personal files.

Here is how to Repair XP Installation without Clean Install:

Configure your computer BIOS to start from the CD-ROM drive at boot up.
Insert your Windows XP compact disc (CD) into your CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive, and then restart your computer.

When the "Press any key to boot from CD" message is displayed on your screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.

When you see the following message displayed on the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER

To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER

At this point an option to press R to enter the Recovery Console is displayed.
Do not select this option.


On the Windows XP Licensing Agreement screen, press F8 to agree to the license agreement.

Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press the R key to repair Windows XP.

Follow the instructions on the screen to complete Setup.

when the computer restarts DO NOT "press any key to boot to CD" ... just sit there

This will repair XP and put everything back to as it first was. You will have to reinstall any Hotfixes and OS updates including SP1 and DX9, plus re-tweak most (but not all) things all over again.

The advantage here is that you will not have to spend hours reinstalling all your programs again, as well as setting them up ...

 

[psd99]

Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press the R key to repair Windows XP.

Follow the instructions on the screen to complete Setup.

when the computer restarts DO NOT "press any key to boot to CD" ... just sit there



thanks for that. Okay when i get to this screen which should allow me to press R for Repair. IT just is not there. I can only setup a new installation or create a new partition. can not select the R option, I tried this for both harddrives and there is no R option on both of them

Am i screwd? is it over? whats next?

thanks

 

[muckshifter]

Am i screwd? is it over? whats next?

Dam ... yep, looks like you'll have to do a clean install.

Sorry, I tried.

 

[psd99]

damn.................im crying now

okay a thought. i got 4gb left on the 120gb harrdrive. with this 4gb want to set up windows 2000. but leave xp on there too, is this a bad idea?

im thinking of setting up windows 2000. why?

computer 1 specs:

256ddr ram pc2100
duron 1600 cpu

when i had xp on this system it was SO VERY SLOW! so do u think windows 2000 is a good bet? whats your thoughts

 

[Techy]

psd,

prob not the answer that you want, but it will be there, however much you've messed it up it will always give you the option to repair.

 

[psd99]

i can go into the recovery console Techy what could i type in here?

but techy i cant go to the screen and press R where sir mucks says. do u get me?

 

[Techy]

i know what you mean, whats mucks is saying, if you go past where it says the recovery console it will then give you the option to repait the xp installation.

the only reason it wouldn't come up was if there was a copy of xp installed, in that case just reinstall xp.

one question psd, what machine you on now???

can you just put the hard drive that you want to keep into that machine set as slave then copy and essential data across.

the format, reinstall windows and copy the data back across.

J

 

[psd99]

im relating to computer one now. okay so its not the real deal thats obvious!

well u see the dillema is that i have got two harrdrives now one is 80gb the other 120gb
on both drives i have information i need.

im sure at this stage i will have to reinstall over the 80gb. i dont want to format any harrdrive. but i know if i want windows 2000 then i am going to have to!

any ideas?

 

[Techy]

im relating to computer one now. okay so its not the real deal thats obvious!

whats that mean?

 

[psd99]

ithe only reason it wouldn't come up was if there was a copy of xp installed, in that case just reinstall xp.J

well im lost a bit too
but i was just relating to this part, with the xp cd not being original.

any ideas? let me know what u r thinking

 

[psd99]

If I was to driectly install Windows XP over the current Windows XP on the 120gb harddrive what will happen in relation to my progams, settings, personal data?

The plan is to install over the 120gb. then put the 80gb as slave copy over all my files and data. then i will format the 80gb.

What do you lot reckon?

 

[ChristopherP]

If you install windows over an old copy of windows, in my experience, things go wrong. You overwrite the windows registry and programs get arsy about that. You may also have user profile conflicts but thats just my experience.

 

[muckshifter]

psd99 ... do you have a "real" CD of Windows XP ? ... is it OEM or Shop bought?

 

[psd99]

lol i did have a real one but it broke. my cuzin cracked it! was well gutted cuz i paid good money for it.

no way im gona buy another one, im sticking to the underworld.!
u know the feeling......

 

[muckshifter]

We will not, nor can we, encourage Piracy.



... this thread is now closed.