HDD not booting/linux live cd

[Leanin' Cedar]

I have a laptop with WinXP Pro that will not boot in safe mode, etc. Get
memory dumping errors or windows has shut down etc.

I have come across "use a linux live CD" and even after a lot of Google I am
still not getting this solution.

Is there a link to get some more information on this?

Thanks
Bob

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

How to Perform a Repair Install of Windows XP
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| I have a laptop with WinXP Pro that will not boot in safe mode, etc. Get
| memory dumping errors or windows has shut down etc.
|
| I have come across "use a linux live CD" and even after a lot of Google I am
| still not getting this solution.
|
| Is there a link to get some more information on this?
|
| Thanks
| Bob

 

[Leanin' Cedar]

Thanks for the link.
Unfortunately it is a friends laptop and he does not have his original OEM
CD. It is a HP with the restore partition on it, but we are trying to get
his pictures and music off the PC before doing the restore.

Right now I am working on two things. Trying to get the HDD out of the
Pavilion ze5400 (got the screws out but can not pull the HDD out, and am
downloading a live cd .iso and try to save the info that way. Just got a new
laptop myself, so I am sure all of this may come in handy for me later.
However I am a bit anal about backups so losing info is not a problem for
me.

I figure if I can get his HDD out I have a 44 - 40 pin drive adaptor and
should be able to put the drive in my desktop and get to his files that way,
and then do the restore.

Bob

 

[philo]

I have a laptop with WinXP Pro that will not boot in safe mode, etc. Get
memory dumping errors or windows has shut down etc.

I have come across "use a linux live CD" and even after a lot of Google I
am still not getting this solution.

Is there a link to get some more information on this?

first off,,,
it may not be a bad idea to run a memory test.



as far as live Linux cd's...just google for Knoppix.
if Knoppix runs OK on the machine...then the hardware
(other then the HD) is probably OK

 

[Leanin' Cedar]

first off,,,
it may not be a bad idea to run a memory test.



as far as live Linux cd's...just google for Knoppix.
if Knoppix runs OK on the machine...then the hardware
(other then the HD) is probably OK

Thanks for the reply. The memory test was OK, and since I am on dialup only
I downloaded Insert, That boots OK, now since this is my first Linux
experience, a bit of time to figure it out is in order.
A great learning experience.
Bob

 

[philo]

Thanks for the reply. The memory test was OK, and since I am on dialup
only I downloaded Insert, That boots OK, now since this is my first Linux
experience, a bit of time to figure it out is in order.
A great learning experience.
Bob

Well < Linux is a good OS and there is a lot to learn there...
but I know you want to get your XP going.

First thing to try is to boot from the XP CD and from the recovery console
issue this command: chkdsk /r

it *might* find and repair some problems...

if all else fails...
you can also try a "repair" installation...

you basically begin to install XP by booting with your CD...
but you should get an option to repair your existing installation
rather than install fresh

 

[Leanin' Cedar]

I just got back from the library and downloaded Knoppix.
The owner of the laptop does not have his OEM WinXP Pro disc. and he would
like to get his music and pictures off before doing the restore.

I just got Knoppix running on his laptop and it recognized the HDD and the
USB thumb drive so now time to start moving files before the restore of the
HDD.

Thanks
Bob

 

[philo]

I just got back from the library and downloaded Knoppix.
The owner of the laptop does not have his OEM WinXP Pro disc. and he would
like to get his music and pictures off before doing the restore.

I just got Knoppix running on his laptop and it recognized the HDD and the
USB thumb drive so now time to start moving files before the restore of
the HDD.

Good!

I find the Knoppix cd quite handly at times!

 

[Leanin' Cedar]

Well!!! all did not go well. Every time I booted his notebook with Knoppix
the cursor would freeze. I tried the live cd in my laptop and it worked OK.
I can not boot his laptop using any emergency disk, the set of 6 winxp pro
restore floppies, or any recovery disk. I even downloaded ubuntu and that
would not finish loading.

He does not have his oem disc with the restore console available, and I
understand that is the purpose of the set of 6 floppies?

I found a site with some knoppix boot commands, and will give some of those
a try at work on Wed.
Also I am wondering I there is any way to get to his files using a crossover
cable between the two laptops. Both have Ethernet ports, and one of the
options on his is boot from LAN, tried it briefly and got some kind of
waiting for dhcp message.

I also have an external 80GB USB HDD if I can ever get to any of his files.

I will certainly be well prepared if anything goes wrong with my laptop.

Bob

 

[GreenieLeBrun]

Well!!! all did not go well. Every time I booted his notebook with Knoppix
the cursor would freeze. I tried the live cd in my laptop and it worked OK.
I can not boot his laptop using any emergency disk, the set of 6 winxp pro
restore floppies, or any recovery disk. I even downloaded ubuntu and that
would not finish loading.

He does not have his oem disc with the restore console available, and I
understand that is the purpose of the set of 6 floppies?

I found a site with some knoppix boot commands, and will give some of those
a try at work on Wed.
Also I am wondering I there is any way to get to his files using a crossover
cable between the two laptops. Both have Ethernet ports, and one of the
options on his is boot from LAN, tried it briefly and got some kind of
waiting for dhcp message.

I also have an external 80GB USB HDD if I can ever get to any of his files.

I will certainly be well prepared if anything goes wrong with my laptop.

Bob

You could try the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows http://www.ubcd4win.com/
this is a bootable XP CD with many utilities including CD writing
applications, this may be easier for you than Knoppix

 

[Leanin' Cedar]

You could try the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows http://www.ubcd4win.com/
this is a bootable XP CD with many utilities including CD writing
applications, this may be easier for you than Knoppix

Thanks for the link. I am off to work at the moment and will download there.
Dialup only at home.

Hope you don't mind if I get back later tonight if I am still having
problems

Thanks again
Bob

 

[Leanin' Cedar]

Not quite sure how this is going to work. My laptop is XPHome, His (the one
that will not boot) is XP PRO, and he does not have his OEM XP CD.
Bob

 

[GreenieLeBrun]

Not quite sure how this is going to work. My laptop is XPHome, His (the one
that will not boot) is XP PRO, and he does not have his OEM XP CD.
Bob

Just use the Ultimate Boot CD's CD burning software (I'm assuming there
is a CD burner installed) to get the data off the machine and go
through the HP recovery steps. If the machine doesn't have a CD burner
then I'm pretty sure that it supports USB sticks

 

[Leanin' Cedar]

Just use the Ultimate Boot CD's CD burning software (I'm assuming there
is a CD burner installed) to get the data off the machine and go
through the HP recovery steps. If the machine doesn't have a CD burner
then I'm pretty sure that it supports USB sticks

Is there anything on the disc to boot the WinXP PRO machine? His notebook
will not boot from safe mode etc.
It wll not even boot from the set of 6 floppy discs for XP PRO

The only thing that has booted the PC so far is Knoppix 4.0 and then the
cursor freezes when I try to acces his HDD.
The Knoppix disx is OK, I tried it on my Dell.

Thanks
Bob

 

[GreenieLeBrun]

Is there anything on the disc to boot the WinXP PRO machine? His notebook
will not boot from safe mode etc.
It wll not even boot from the set of 6 floppy discs for XP PRO

The only thing that has booted the PC so far is Knoppix 4.0 and then the
cursor freezes when I try to acces his HDD.
The Knoppix disx is OK, I tried it on my Dell.

Thanks
Bob

The Ultimate Boot CD for Windows (http://www.ubcd4win.com/) is a
"live"CD with XP (similar to the Knoppix disk you used) and as such is
independant of the HDD in the machine. If you are experiencing freezing
when trying to access the HDD it may well be that the HDD itself is
faulty. Various manufacturere have diagnostic software for identifying
and sometimes repairing HDDs (Seagate for example has seatools) that
you could try. Find out make of the HDD and look at that manufacturers
site for the relevant software.

If the above software does not help and you cannot get the HDD to be
seen in another machine then probably the only thing left is to go to a
data recovery firm and get a quote on recovering the data - be warned
these people often charge like wounded bulls.

Good luck.

 

[Leanin' Cedar]

The Ultimate Boot CD for Windows (http://www.ubcd4win.com/) is a
"live"CD with XP (similar to the Knoppix disk you used) and as such is
independant of the HDD in the machine. If you are experiencing freezing
when trying to access the HDD it may well be that the HDD itself is
faulty. Various manufacturere have diagnostic software for identifying
and sometimes repairing HDDs (Seagate for example has seatools) that
you could try. Find out make of the HDD and look at that manufacturers
site for the relevant software.

If the above software does not help and you cannot get the HDD to be
seen in another machine then probably the only thing left is to go to a
data recovery firm and get a quote on recovering the data - be warned
these people often charge like wounded bulls.

Good luck.

Thanks for the handholding.
Even Hiren's will not access the HDD in his PC. I got it to go to the
miniWin 98 file manager, but once again no cursor movement. I will try to
find out the HDD mfg. and see if I can download some software. Next I guess
it is pulling the HDD and trying it in one of the external drives on my
desktop.

Something to do over the weekend.

Thanks again
Bob