Can't access hard drive!

[Guest]

After loading all the updates to Norton Systemworks I had a security
auto-update to Windows 2K come through. It installed, and went to reboot.
The system now locks up on boot. I have tried to use my restore disk to no
avail. The system locks up before I can get to anything! Safe mode? -
can't get to it. Repair console? - can't get to it. My son seems to think
that I am in a freeze mode due to mups.sys, but I can't confirm that. Any
suggestions? The system was working GREAT prior to this update hitting me,
and I would HATE to lose all the data on this drive.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

After loading all the updates to Norton Systemworks I had a security
auto-update to Windows 2K come through. It installed, and went to reboot.
The system now locks up on boot. I have tried to use my restore disk to no
avail. The system locks up before I can get to anything! Safe mode? -
can't get to it. Repair console? - can't get to it. My son seems to think
that I am in a freeze mode due to mups.sys, but I can't confirm that. Any
suggestions? The system was working GREAT prior to this update hitting me,
and I would HATE to lose all the data on this drive.

How far does the boot process go? Please be precise!

 

[Guest]

If allowed to boot as normal, the white Windows 2000 Prof screen shows up.
The process bar at the bottom of the screen locks up at about three-quarters
of the way through to completion. Then it enters a lock-up, and goes no
further.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

This means that your file system is probably intact but that you
have a problem with Windows. Here are a few options, some
of which you may have tried already:
- Reboot with "Last known good configuration"
- Reboot in "Safe Mode".
- Reboot into to the Recovery Console (using the Win2000 CD),
then run chkdsk.
- Reboot with the Win2000 CD, then select Repair and allow
the system to repair itself.
- Reboot with the Win2000 CD, select Repair, then install
Win2000 over the top of the existing installation.
- Reboot with the Win2000 CD, then perform a new installation
into a folder other than C:\WINNT.
- Temporarily install the disk as a slave disk in some other Win2000/XP
PC, then save your data files.
- Boot the machine with a Bart PE CD (www.bootdisk.com), then
save your data files to a networked PC. You will need a WinXP
Professional CD (but no licence number!) and a CD burner to make
a Bart PE CD.

About the data you would hate to lose: For $100.00 or less you
can buy a 40 GByte backup hard disk and a USB disk case, which
might make you wonder why you decided not to back up your
important files to an independent medium on a weekly basis.

 

[Guest]

Replies notes in-line:

This means that your file system is probably intact but that you
have a problem with Windows. Here are a few options, some
of which you may have tried already:
- Reboot with "Last known good configuration"

Tried, no luck.

- Reboot in "Safe Mode".

Freezes before it loads.

- Reboot into to the Recovery Console (using the Win2000 CD),
then run chkdsk.

Even booting from the CD the system locks before I can get this far.

- Reboot with the Win2000 CD, then select Repair and allow
the system to repair itself.

Even booting from the CD the system locks before I can get this far.

- Reboot with the Win2000 CD, select Repair, then install
Win2000 over the top of the existing installation.

Can't get to repair.

- Reboot with the Win2000 CD, then perform a new installation
into a folder other than C:\WINNT.

This has some opportunities associated with it. IF I could get to the
files I could rename the C:\WINNT directory, install a fresh OS copy, and
then manually change settings in the original directory until I found a fix.
How to get there I am unsure of.

- Temporarily install the disk as a slave disk in some other Win2000/XP
PC, then save your data files.

Tried this, still can't access the drive.

- Boot the machine with a Bart PE CD (www.bootdisk.com), then
save your data files to a networked PC. You will need a WinXP
Professional CD (but no licence number!) and a CD burner to make
a Bart PE CD.

I will look into this.

About the data you would hate to lose: For $100.00 or less you
can buy a 40 GByte backup hard disk and a USB disk case, which
might make you wonder why you decided not to back up your
important files to an independent medium on a weekly basis.

Lesson learned.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

You report that you are unable to read your disk while it is
installed as a slave disk in some other PC. Unfortunately you
do not report if this is a permissions issue or if the problem
disk cannot be read.

If it is a permissions issue then you may have to seize ownership
of the problem folders.

If it is a disk issue then it may be time to download and run
the free diagnostic program that your disk manufacturer
makes available on his home site.

You could also boot the machine with a Win98 boot disk
(www.bootdisk.com), then run ntfsdos.exe (www.sysinternals.com)
to see if you can read your NTFS partition.

 

[Guest]

Responses in-line:

You report that you are unable to read your disk while it is
installed as a slave disk in some other PC. Unfortunately you
do not report if this is a permissions issue or if the problem
disk cannot be read.

If it is a permissions issue then you may have to seize ownership
of the problem folders.

If it is a disk issue then it may be time to download and run
the free diagnostic program that your disk manufacturer
makes available on his home site.

Actually appears like the affected drive is in a loop-lock, and when
slaved to another drive that drive suffers 'collateral damage'.

You could also boot the machine with a Win98 boot disk
(www.bootdisk.com), then run ntfsdos.exe (www.sysinternals.com)
to see if you can read your NTFS partition.

This is an idea with some real possibilities. Is there a version of
ntfsdos that will allow me to write as well as read? If I am reading the
product lit correctly the program seems to be view only product. If I could
find a read/write version I could play with some file settings and maybe get
through this.

 

[DL]

I only ever found 'read only'

Responses in-line:



Actually appears like the affected drive is in a loop-lock, and when
slaved to another drive that drive suffers 'collateral damage'.


This is an idea with some real possibilities. Is there a version of
ntfsdos that will allow me to write as well as read? If I am reading the
product lit correctly the program seems to be view only product. If I could
find a read/write version I could play with some file settings and maybe get
through this.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

You had to pay for the read/write version of NTFSDOS. I am
not sure if it is still available. Regardless of this, it would probably
be best to save what you can to another disk by whatever means,
then rebuild Windows. The read-only version would be
perfectly adequate for this.

 

[George Hester]

This part:

- Temporarily install the disk as a slave disk in some other Win2000/XP
PC, then save your data files.

Tried this, still can't access the drive.

makes no sense. You use another drive to install and boot from. Make that the Master on the Primary IDE channel. Reinstall Windows. Then as slave on that channel put your old op sys. You can then access all its data.

 

[Guest]

You are right - it makes no sense. Yet it still does not work. I am
beginning to believe that the controller card resident on the motherboard is
toast. I'm taking the board in for analysis today.

 

[Guest]

Got this fixed this weekend. Controller was OK. Windows did not like the
FAT file for the drive, and would not let me access the drive. Period. My
son slaved the drive to a Linux machine and was able to recover my files.
I'm having to migrate everything to a different drive, but at least I will
keep my data.

Thanks to all who offered assistance.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Thanks for the feedback. Time to buy that backup drive . . .

 

[The Real Bev]

Got this fixed this weekend. Controller was OK. Windows did not like the
FAT file for the drive, and would not let me access the drive. Period. My
son slaved the drive to a Linux machine and was able to recover my files.

Bless the children who follow the Way of the Penguin!

Always good to have a knoppix CD lying around in case your kid is out of town!