XP but starting and failing in Win98 - HELP

  • Thread starter Thread starter Lewis
  • Start date Start date
L

Lewis

I have win xp pro installed.

Everything has been working fine - until....

I decided to muck around inside the 'box'! Yes, I was an idiot.

I bumped the data cable that goes on the DVD drive, only to see the screen
then do allsorts of wondrous and terrifying things (colours symbols, then
freezed up).

Now, when I boot up it trys to start up in Win98 but fails in that (shows
corrupted win.com and himem).

I have tried everything I know in the command prompt, but everything I try
just returns 'bad command'.

I do not have the original XP disk (The guy I bought the pc from swore it
was not pirated but had been lost when he moved house - he had just moved-so
I gave his story some credence)

Any ideas? Rescue disks? etc.

I desperately need to access this HD as I am in the middle of a Masters
degree and need data from the drive. Also have many documents on there that
relate to volunteer work I do.

Any help would be most appreciated.

ps. I do have another HD with Win98 on, which is what I am using on the
same pc now.

Thanks in advance.

Trevor
 
Any help would be most appreciated.

ps. I do have another HD with Win98 on, which is what I am using on the
same pc now.
Click to expand...

Have you tried plugging BOTH HDDs into the computer at the same time?

You should have no problems unless you seriously corrupted the HDD.

If you seriously corrputed the HDD, then you'll be most likely out of luck.

the lesson in all this? DON'T muck about with the internals of your
computer while it is switched on!

Seriously, have you tried using Linux?

It's a very nice OS - much better than anything Micro$oft has produced so
far - and is a free download. Of course downloading Mandrake 10 over a 56k
modem will take you about a week as it's three CDs worth of stuff.


Divine
 
Divine said:
Have you tried plugging BOTH HDDs into the computer at the same time?

You should have no problems unless you seriously corrupted the HDD.
Click to expand...

<snip>

I did try that, but could not get the pc to find the other HD. It was like
it did not exist?

Trev
 
Lewis said:
I have win xp pro installed.

Everything has been working fine - until....

I decided to muck around inside the 'box'! Yes, I was an idiot.

I bumped the data cable that goes on the DVD drive, only to see the screen
then do allsorts of wondrous and terrifying things (colours symbols, then
freezed up).

Now, when I boot up it trys to start up in Win98 but fails in that (shows
corrupted win.com and himem).

I have tried everything I know in the command prompt, but everything I try
just returns 'bad command'.

I do not have the original XP disk (The guy I bought the pc from swore it
was not pirated but had been lost when he moved house - he had just moved-so
I gave his story some credence)

Any ideas? Rescue disks? etc.

I desperately need to access this HD as I am in the middle of a Masters
degree and need data from the drive. Also have many documents on there that
relate to volunteer work I do.

Any help would be most appreciated.

ps. I do have another HD with Win98 on, which is what I am using on the
same pc now.

Thanks in advance.

Trevor
Click to expand...

Sounds like you need to get the computer to a competent hardware
technician, one with a proven track record in hard drive data
recovery. Bring money and also be prepared to be disappointed, but
that would seem to be your only chance at the moment.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
 
Lewis said the following on 18/07/2004 18:46:
I have win xp pro installed.

Everything has been working fine - until....

I decided to muck around inside the 'box'! Yes, I was an idiot.

I bumped the data cable that goes on the DVD drive, only to see the screen
then do allsorts of wondrous and terrifying things (colours symbols, then
freezed up).

Now, when I boot up it trys to start up in Win98 but fails in that (shows
corrupted win.com and himem).

I have tried everything I know in the command prompt, but everything I try
just returns 'bad command'.

I do not have the original XP disk (The guy I bought the pc from swore it
was not pirated but had been lost when he moved house - he had just moved-so
I gave his story some credence)

Any ideas? Rescue disks? etc.

I desperately need to access this HD as I am in the middle of a Masters
degree and need data from the drive. Also have many documents on there that
relate to volunteer work I do.

Any help would be most appreciated.

ps. I do have another HD with Win98 on, which is what I am using on the
same pc now.

Thanks in advance.

Trevor
Click to expand...
Okay sounds like a win98 upgrade to XP, so it should be a fat/fat32 hdd,
you have stuffed the boot loader section but should (fingers crossed,
offer up first born etc) be able to access the HDD.
You need a boot disk or CD preferably a recovery CD of the small Linux
distro type which will let you get at the data first and foremost then
attempt to recover the boot loader. Do you have a CD writer in the
system, where abouts are you located, do you have access to another
machine with internet connection and CD burner???
 
Divine said:
Have you tried plugging BOTH HDDs into the computer at the same time?

You should have no problems unless you seriously corrupted the HDD.

If you seriously corrputed the HDD, then you'll be most likely out of luck.

the lesson in all this? DON'T muck about with the internals of your
computer while it is switched on!

Seriously, have you tried using Linux?

It's a very nice OS - much better than anything Micro$oft has produced so
far - and is a free download. Of course downloading Mandrake 10 over a 56k
modem will take you about a week as it's three CDs worth of stuff.
Click to expand...

But wherever you live there is likely to be a LUG - Linux Users' Group -
not too far away. Google dunlug (Dunedin) and you'll probably find
links, or go direct for the town you live in. LUGs have lists where you
can ask questions and usually find someone who has dealt with the same
problem or has good ideas on how to look for a solution. Also, ask
who's got the discs for the Linux distro you want, you'll surely find
someone who can make a set for you.

I'm using Mandrake 9.2 and very satisfied with it. Divine, what's 10
like, many improvements?

A L P
 
I bumped the data cable that goes on the DVD drive, only to see the screen
then do allsorts of wondrous and terrifying things (colours symbols, then
freezed up).
Click to expand...

Sounds like you've knocked the jumper off your XP HDD which made it
the "master". With two HDDs you need one to be the master and the
other the slave, as you know. Check that the jumpers are firmly in
place?

willy
 
WeeWillyWonka said the following on 18/07/2004 20:47:
Sounds like you've knocked the jumper off your XP HDD which made it
the "master". With two HDDs you need one to be the master and the
other the slave, as you know. Check that the jumpers are firmly in
place?

willy
Click to expand...
Excellent lateral think for a diagnosis well done you can work for me
any time.
 
Collector said:
Lewis said the following on 18/07/2004 18:46:
Okay sounds like a win98 upgrade to XP, so it should be a fat/fat32 hdd,
you have stuffed the boot loader section but should (fingers crossed,
offer up first born etc) be able to access the HDD.
You need a boot disk or CD preferably a recovery CD of the small Linux
distro type which will let you get at the data first and foremost then
attempt to recover the boot loader. Do you have a CD writer in the
system, where abouts are you located, do you have access to another
machine with internet connection and CD burner???
Click to expand...

Yes I have a CD burner, and internet connection on this pc.

My email is lewis at quicksilver.net.nz

Thanks

Trev
 
I'm using Mandrake 9.2 and very satisfied with it. Divine, what's 10
like, many improvements?
Click to expand...

I never used Mandrake 9.x - I migrated to Mandrake 10 from Fedora Core 1.

Mandrake 10 is very slick. I'm now using the 64bit version of Mandrake 10.

The print server seems to be much easier to use than what I expected.

Hardware support is always improving. Multimedia support is likewise
always improving.

Fonts are as easy as under Windows to install and to use.

For email, and for browsing the WWW, and for office work I find Mandrake
10 to be perfect.


Divine
 
If either of you guys can supply me with one manufacturer that does not have
recessed jumpers, please direct me to the web page?.. in my years with IBM
as a computer hardware engineer, I have not come across one make of any age
that has jumpers that are not recessed to some degree to prevent accidental
removal.. the pins are too close together to be able to 'catch' the jumpers
without the use of something pointed (tweezers or similar).. the only way
that this could be done is if the jumper was only partially installed by the
user..
 
the only way
that this could be done is if the jumper was only partially installed by the
user..
Click to expand...

Precisely. Another trick I have done was to remove the cable and then
clip it back on upside-down (less likely today as the housings have
been changed to prevent that). Reformat time...

willy
 
LOLOLOLOLOLOL.. these are tricks?..

The OP went into a live box, apparently only nudging an IDE cable connected
to a DVD unit, and people are suggesting that the jumper, purely by chance
only just making contact with the pins, was accidentally knocked off?.. and
diagnostic abilities like this rate employment?..

I had a friend who went for some job involving computers and maintenance..
the guy doing the interview removed the cover from a pc and asked what kind
of architecture the board was.. my friend was puzzled by the question
because there was no brick or any sign of carpentry in there.. the
interviewer tried to make it simple.. he asked if it was ISA, PCI, or MCA..
definitely one of those, replied my friend, but added that he would have to
work longer with it just to make sure.. he was then asked what advantages a
dot matrix printer had over other types.. none, he replied.. they are crap..
too noisy.. other questions were answered in much the same manner..

It would appear that some in this newsgroup would employ him.. the guy doing
the interview didn't.. my friend waited weeks for the acceptance letter, and
then blamed the postal service for losing it.. he is an expert in watching
others reload the operating system.. he can't actually do it himself, but
sits behind making inane remarks like 'good move, I would have done
that..'.. LOLOLOLOLOLOL.. I asked him why he wouldn't do it himself as he
seemed to have all of the knowledge.. his answer was simple.. 'would you
like a coffee?'..
 
Mike said the following on 18/07/2004 22:53:
It is impossible to 'accidentally' knock off a drive jumper..
Click to expand...
Oh no it is not, it is real easy on some drives and particularly in
cases which are very tightly packed.

BTW I was not the original poster of the comment so why reply to me and
top post as well, are you a newbie
 
LOLOLOLOLOLOL.. these are tricks?..
The OP went into a live box, apparently only nudging an IDE cable connected
to a DVD unit, and people are suggesting that the jumper, purely by chance
only just making contact with the pins, was accidentally knocked off?.. and
diagnostic abilities like this rate employment?..
Click to expand...

It is just that the resultant symptoms were much like the OP's, so
that line of enquiry is indicated. Anyway, relax. Remember that an
expert is just someone who's already made all the mistakes. Well I
made a few along the way -- not enough to be an expert, though. :-/

willy
 
If either of you guys can supply me with one manufacturer that does not have
recessed jumpers, please direct me to the web page?.. in my years with IBM
as a computer hardware engineer, I have not come across one make of any age
that has jumpers that are not recessed to some degree to prevent accidental
removal.. the pins are too close together to be able to 'catch' the jumpers
without the use of something pointed (tweezers or similar).. the only way
that this could be done is if the jumper was only partially installed by the
user..
Click to expand...

I've got an old IBM 540 drive here where the jumpers are not in a block
on the rear of the drive, they are on an open connector on a PCB,
although you'd have to be fairly clumsy to knock them off all the same
 
Yes, I remember those.. but if you look at how drives install into cases,
you would be hard pressed to accidentally remove a jumper.. jumpers are not
that loose fitting..
 
Back
Top