Recovering XP after a Disk Failure

[wtw]

Continuing from a related thread below. Before posing a question on a new
twist in the plot, let me review where I am. My XP PC's local drive failed.
I replaced it with a new one. There was a d-drive in the system. When I
installed XP, I mistakenly ended up with:

c: New drive
f:: Now the local drive with it's past folders. 85% full
This I did not want. I wanted the new drive to be local and certainly didn't
want the drive letter change. From the earlier thread below, it looks
difficult to do anything about that.

Meanwhile the computer shop where I took the "dead" disk finds it's alive,
and quickly copy the contents to an external drive that I provided.

It seemed apparent to the tech guy that I might be able to get the new HD
back in order by using unstoppable copier software. This required taking the
external drive to another PC with XP, and copying to the new drive over
there.

Quite possibly I misunderstood how to do this. I ended up with all
the files on the new HD, thinking I now had a bootable drive, which I
could take back to the original machine. I was able to boot up, but I'm
quite sure it was off the F-drive that I had accidentally installed on it a
few
days ago. However, some programs worked fine, but ultimately I could see
this was wrong. F remained the local drive, and, as far as I know, the new
drive has no ability to be booted. Of course, the drive names did not
change. I still have c and f. The new c drive is 320G. ide,western digital

My guess as how to proceed from here is to install XP on the new drive after
reformating it. . I will likely need to do this on the old machine by
disconnecting the f-drive disk. Then continue as above with unstoppable

In a few hoursI leave for a weekend trip. I'll deal with this again when I
get back. At least, I have all my old doc and other files back. I'll
continue to explore buying a new PC. I likely will take my laptop with me.
This machine.

 

[Jim]

Continuing from a related thread below. Before posing a question on a new
twist in the plot, let me review where I am. My XP PC's local drive
failed. I replaced it with a new one. There was a d-drive in the system.
When I installed XP, I mistakenly ended up with:

c: New drive
f:: Now the local drive with it's past folders. 85% full
This I did not want. I wanted the new drive to be local and certainly
didn't want the drive letter change. From the earlier thread below, it
looks difficult to do anything about that.

Meanwhile the computer shop where I took the "dead" disk finds it's alive,
and quickly copy the contents to an external drive that I provided.

It seemed apparent to the tech guy that I might be able to get the new HD
back in order by using unstoppable copier software. This required taking
the external drive to another PC with XP, and copying to the new drive
over there.

Quite possibly I misunderstood how to do this. I ended up with all
the files on the new HD, thinking I now had a bootable drive, which I
could take back to the original machine. I was able to boot up, but I'm
quite sure it was off the F-drive that I had accidentally installed on it
a few
days ago. However, some programs worked fine, but ultimately I could see
this was wrong. F remained the local drive, and, as far as I know, the new
drive has no ability to be booted. Of course, the drive names did not
change. I still have c and f. The new c drive is 320G. ide,western digital

My guess as how to proceed from here is to install XP on the new drive
after reformating it. . I will likely need to do this on the old machine
by disconnecting the f-drive disk. Then continue as above with unstoppable

In a few hoursI leave for a weekend trip. I'll deal with this again when I
get back. At least, I have all my old doc and other files back. I'll
continue to explore buying a new PC. I likely will take my laptop with me.
This machine.

Let me see if I understand what you did:

1. Your system drive began failing.
2. You decided to replace the failing drive (correct IMHO)
3, You replaced the suspect drive with a new one.
4. You then installed XP one the new drive, but you did not first
disconnect all devices not need for the installation. This is how you wound
up with the new system drive being F.
5. You took the failing drive to another system, and it sprang to life.
This event is by no means unusual as the drive electronics declare a drive
dead long before it is absolutely unreadable.
6. You took the failing drive to a shop whose technician was able to read
the drive with "unstoppable copier software". He copied the contents of the
dying drive to another one.
7. Alas, when you installed the results of the techninian's work into you
computer, you found that all was not well.

So, where to go now?
1. Remove all disks from the computer except the one that you wish to make
into a system drive.
2. Install XP on this drive. Install all of your software to the new
system drive.
3. Then, and only then, connect your other drives back up. You may be able
to read some data from your old system drive, and, if so, do it quickly.

It seems to me that what the "unstoppable copier software" does is copy
everything errors and all. Perhaps this is the best way to get your data
off the old drive while it is still working.


Jim

 

[wtw]

Close. See below.

Let me see if I understand what you did:

1. Your system drive began failing.
2. You decided to replace the failing drive (correct IMHO)
3, You replaced the suspect drive with a new one.
4. You then installed XP one the new drive, but you did not first
disconnect all devices not need for the installation. This is how you
wound Yes.
up with the new system drive being F.

I took the drive to a shop. They got it to fire up quickly.

5. You took the failing drive to another system, and it sprang to life.
This event is by no means unusual as the drive electronics declare a drive
dead long before it is absolutely unreadable.
6. You took the failing drive to a shop whose technician was able to read
the drive with "unstoppable copier software". He copied the contents of
the dying drive to another one.

This is part of 5. Yes, he put the contents of the failed drive on my 320G
external drive.

7. Alas, when you installed the results of the techninian's work into
you computer, you found that all was not well.

Not quite. I had the job of working out the details from here. I brought
both drives home and took them to a second PC with XP on it. There I copied
from the external drive, unstoppable, to the new drive, also a 320G drive,
internal. I then took it all back to the back to the errant machine and put
it back in the primary position.

It fired up and quite a bit works, but some doesn't. The question is how to
proceed. I provided my answer in my first post here. I'm headed to the
airport shortly, so will be somewhat out of contact with the internet. I'll
be in Pasadena, but i'm not sure the motel has access to the internet for my
laptop. If not, late Sunday afternoon.

 

[Jim]

Close. See below.

I took the drive to a shop. They got it to fire up quickly.
This is part of 5. Yes, he put the contents of the failed drive on my 320G
external drive.
Not quite. I had the job of working out the details from here. I brought
both drives home and took them to a second PC with XP on it. There I
copied from the external drive, unstoppable, to the new drive, also a 320G
drive, internal. I then took it all back to the back to the errant machine
and put it back in the primary position.

It fired up and quite a bit works, but some doesn't. The question is how
to proceed. I provided my answer in my first post here. I'm headed to the
airport shortly, so will be somewhat out of contact with the internet.
I'll be in Pasadena, but i'm not sure the motel has access to the internet
for my laptop. If not, late Sunday afternoon.

Perhaps a repair installation would fix the new system disk if what is not
working are parts of the OS. If this does not succeed, then a new
installation is in order.
Repairing your data may not be possible.
Jim