How to use Win System Restore if your HD became unbootable?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Serge Skysi
  • Start date Start date
S

Serge Skysi

Hi,

I got an error message while booting my system saying there's no bootable
partition. I got my Acronis rescue disk with me but forgot my portable drive
with the backups. Booting up with Acronis I see all the drive letters (C &
D ) are there and there was some unallocated space, too. After some
manipulation in Acronis disk manager I "graduated" to a different error
message saying the hal.dll (or something like that) is missing and I need to
restore it.
Now is there a way to use the System Restore in this situation somehow (I
have the original bootable Win XP disk)? My System Restore has always been
turned on for drive C.
Thanks in advance.

XP Pro SP2
 
Serge Skysi said:
Hi,

I got an error message while booting my system saying there's no bootable
partition. I got my Acronis rescue disk with me but forgot my portable
drive with the backups. Booting up with Acronis I see all the drive
letters (C & D ) are there and there was some unallocated space, too.
After some manipulation in Acronis disk manager I "graduated" to a
different error message saying the hal.dll (or something like that) is
missing and I need to restore it.
Now is there a way to use the System Restore in this situation somehow (I
have the original bootable Win XP disk)? My System Restore has always been
turned on for drive C.
Thanks in advance.

XP Pro SP2
Click to expand...

I don't think there is a way to use the System Restore function
unless you can somehow start Windows, e.g. in Safe Mode.
Booting the machine with you WinXP CD and performing a
Repair installation might help.
 
Appreciate your help, guys. Is there any way to access and save some data
files on that drive (documents) other than having to buy a portable SATA
drive enclosure, stick the drive in there and hook it up to my desktop?
 
Serge Skysi said:
Appreciate your help, guys. Is there any way to access and save some data
files on that drive (documents) other than having to buy a portable SATA
drive enclosure, stick the drive in there and hook it up to my desktop?
Click to expand...

The question of saving important data comes up with regrettable
regularity - see the item "hard drive moved to new pc", posted
here about 24 hours ago. It seems people prefer to wait until
they suffer a major disaster before they address the backup
question.

A PCI SATA adapter is probably much cheaper than a SATA
case and it would be a lot faster too. Another alternative is a
Bart PE boot CD. Unfortunately it takes several hours to make
one and it may or may not recognise your network adapter.
 
Do they sell PCI to SATA adapters for a laptop? Can it be hooked up to a
desktop SATA cable?
 
Serge Skysi said:
Do they sell PCI to SATA adapters for a laptop? Can it be hooked up to a
desktop SATA cable?
Click to expand...

I've recently come across a "Universal Drive Adapter" that makes it
possible to read any 2.5", 3.5" EIDE or SATA disk via a USB 2.0
connection. If this would fill your need Google for it.
 

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