Disc boot failure, after files deleted, please help

[posum2]

Hello folks,
I'm a bit new to this, but after someone deleted some huge files off
the hardrive, maybe more, when I boot up, just get disk boot failure
and insert system disc message. Screen shows disk drive B none, prim
master none, prim slave none. XP should still be active. What do I do?
I have lots of holiday photos on this computer. thanks for any help.

 

[Big Al]

Hello folks,
I'm a bit new to this, but after someone deleted some huge files off
the hardrive, maybe more, when I boot up, just get disk boot failure
and insert system disc message. Screen shows disk drive B none, prim
master none, prim slave none. XP should still be active. What do I do?
I have lots of holiday photos on this computer. thanks for any help.

Might want to hit del or whatever your pc says at boot to get into the
BIOS and see what drives are shown. But if you have no drives showing
in the BIOS then you have to resolve that first. Cables/bad drive.
Deleting files should not remove drives unless you got virused and your
bios has been changed.

 

[Anna]

Hello folks,
I'm a bit new to this, but after someone deleted some huge files off
the hardrive, maybe more, when I boot up, just get disk boot failure
and insert system disc message. Screen shows disk drive B none, prim
master none, prim slave none. XP should still be active. What do I do?
I have lots of holiday photos on this computer. thanks for any help.

posum2:
I'm sure you'll be able to get some suggestions and courses of action from
this newsgroup that hopefully will resolve your problem, but first...

You *must* provide details about your system...

What kind of a PC are we dealing with? Laptop/notebook/desktop?

Is it an OEM machine (Dell, Gateway, HP, eMachines, etc. etc.)?

Tell us something about your hard drive(s). Are they PATA, SATA, what? Do
you understand the difference? Would you happen to know the make/model of
your HDD(s)?

Do you have an XP installation CD? What kind - OEM? Retail version? What?

Or just a "Recovery" CD that came with your machine?

Obviously you must have another PC at your disposal that allowed you to send
your post to this newsgroup. Tell us something about that machine.

I assume you haven't backed up the data (your photos, etc.) on that problem
system. But you will ensure that you establish & maintain a backup system in
the future, right?
Anna

 

[Jim]

Hello folks,
I'm a bit new to this, but after someone deleted some huge files off
the hardrive, maybe more, when I boot up, just get disk boot failure
and insert system disc message. Screen shows disk drive B none, prim
master none, prim slave none. XP should still be active. What do I do?
I have lots of holiday photos on this computer. thanks for any help.

Sorry, but the outlook is grim. It seems that your drives have vanished
into thin air.
The first thing to do is determine that all of the drives are connected to
the motherboard.
The second is to get into the BIOS to see what it sees, and especially what
the boot order shows.
The BIOS looking for Drive B is quite strange because that letter usually
points to a floppy disk.

Perhaps whoever worked on your machine did a few more things than just
deleting some huge files.
Which files might that be anyway?
Jim

 

[mike]

Hello folks,
I'm a bit new to this, but after someone deleted some huge files off
the hardrive, maybe more, when I boot up, just get disk boot failure
and insert system disc message. Screen shows disk drive B none, prim
master none, prim slave none. XP should still be active. What do I do?
I have lots of holiday photos on this computer. thanks for any help.

Sounds like "someone" is an idiot...or malicious.
Sounds like you don't have experience.
So, if you value your pictures, STOP!!!
And find someone who does have experience.

Rule #2, It's far easier to make it worse
than to make it better. MS has put so many anti-piracy
roadblocks in your way, it's difficult to recover from
anything: "reinstall windows, sorry for the inconvenience"

There are some very knowledgeable people here,
but there are also some (insert your favorite term here)!
Problem is that if you could tell which is which,
you wouldn't need to ask the question.

Taking random, uncoordinated inputs from the internet
is never a good idea. It's very difficult to understand
and describe your EXACT situation. And most wouldn't read
it before responding with their favorite fix anyway.

First thing I'd do is remove the drive and connect it to
a usb converter. Image the drive. AND copy all the files
you care about. Virus scan those files before you forget.

Now, you can mess with it all you want.
YOU'VE GOT EVERYTHING THAT CAN BE RECOVERED,
and as many chances as you like to try to fix it.
You can take whatever advice you get with low risk.
If one fix doesn't work, you can restore the image and try
another fix...until you get bored and "reinstall windows, sorry
for the inconvenience".
At least you'll still have the files you copied in step 1.

 

[posum2]

Sorry, but the outlook is grim.  It seems that your drives have vanished
into thin air.
The first thing to do is determine that all of the drives are connected to
the motherboard.
The second is to get into the BIOS to see what it sees, and especially what
the boot order shows.
The BIOS looking for Drive B is quite strange because that letter usually
points to a floppy disk.

Perhaps whoever worked on your machine did a few more things than just
deleting some huge files.
Which files might that be anyway?
Jim

Thx, the machine is a Sony Desktop, VAIO
I don't know which HDD's it has, DRAM type says DDR SDRAM?
We got this in 2002, don't have the xp install disc, or can't find
I do have XP install discs for the HP laptop I'm working on, should I
try to reload the desktop using these discs?
Had a bad virus, a friend "fixed" it.
The PCI device listing shows 10 controllers?
the keyboard and mouse are dead.
any ideas? thanks

 

[db.·.. >]

you should ensure
that your bios/cmos
recognizes that you
have those drives
installed and found.

review your computer
or motherboard manual
on how to access the
bios.

then get any windows
set cd and you can
repair your system.