UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME

[Guest]

Hello all,

I got the tragice message "UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME".

I have a Windows XP Disk so I an the recovery portion and ran:

chkdsk /r
chkdsk /p
fixboot

But none of the above have solved my problem. I can't get machine to run
safe mode nor can a restore to previous setting.

I tried running the COMPAQ recovery system and the hardware diagnostic says
the Hard Drive failed a short test. If I run System Recovery, it will blank
my personal files. I have several yeas of digital photos I don't want to
lose.

Is there anything else I can try to recover or am I at the point that I have
to pull the harddisk and copy any available files over to another machine
before recovering?

Any ideas are appreciated.

Pete Coppola

 

[Malke]

Hello all,

I got the tragice message "UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME".

I have a Windows XP Disk so I an the recovery portion and ran:

chkdsk /r
chkdsk /p
fixboot

But none of the above have solved my problem. I can't get machine to run
safe mode nor can a restore to previous setting.

I tried running the COMPAQ recovery system and the hardware diagnostic says
the Hard Drive failed a short test. If I run System Recovery, it will blank
my personal files. I have several yeas of digital photos I don't want to
lose.

Is there anything else I can try to recover or am I at the point that I have
to pull the harddisk and copy any available files over to another machine
before recovering?

You can't recover on this hard drive. It has physically failed. You need
to replace it and restore Windows using your Compaq installation media
onto the new hard drive.

As for the data you neglected to back up, if it is important then you
should not mess about with data recovery software (which will probably
fail anyway since the drive is not physically sound). You will need to
send the drive to a professional data recovery company like Drive Savers
(my preference) or Seagate Data Recovery. General prices run from
$500USD on up. Drive Savers recovered all the data on a failed laptop
drive for one of my clients and it cost $2,700. He thought it was worth
the money; only you know what your data is worth. I understand that some
insurance companies are now covering data recovery charges so check with
yours.

Drive Savers - http://www.drivesavers.com
Seagate Data Recovery Services - https://www.seagatedatarecovery.com/

After you get this all straightened out, invest in an external hard
drive and a backup program like Acronis True Image (does imaging and
incremental backups) and/or Second Copy (does backups, no imaging).


Malke

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Pete;
Being unfamiliar with the specifics of Compaq, "Hard Drive failed a
short test" is vague.
Have you asked Compaq exactly what that means?
My guess is the drive is dead or dying.

Immediately back up all essential data while you still can.
If that means reading the drive in another computer, then do it.

 

[SG]

Hi Pete,

I see you tried several options here, but type in Google with the quotes....
"UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME"

If all else fails buy a new HD, put the troubled one in as a Slave and see
if you can recover your files.

All the best,
SG

 

[mark.d.mars]

Have you tried Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery Software, if not
then give it a try. It is a good software which I have used recently,
given me a good job pulling out my data from inaccessible hard drive.
Stellar Phoenix also provides data recovery from the following cases,
data loss due to software malfunction, viruses, file/directory
deletion or even sabotage.
Download the demo: http://www.stellarinfo.com/partition-recovery.htm
Demo help you in determining the software prior to purchase.

 

[ExportedFire]

kk so i have UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME stuck on here on start up...

IT keeps doing this when i restart or i do safe mode. Please help me i cant
pay up to 2700$

 

[Malke]

kk so i have UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME stuck on here on start up...

IT keeps doing this when i restart or i do safe mode. Please help me i cant
pay up to 2700$

Boot with XP cd into Recovery Console.
Do chkdsk /p

If there are errors, do chkdsk /r

After Chkdsk is finished in either case, go back into Recovery Console
and do fixboot, and then reboot (hopefully) into Windows.

Malke