Cannot repair Windows XP installation

[Luthie]

Hi!

I had a big problem with my PC and now when I boot it, it says I/O error. So I decided to re-install Windows. I tried the repair option, but I get a message that states that my previous Windows installation has recovered from a serious problem and cannot be repaired. I absolutely have to format my HD before I can install Windows again.

Now, my problem is I don't want to loose some important data files I got on my PC. I tried to go in MS-DOS mode and make a "dir" of my files to copy them on a floppy disk, but the dir command won't even work. I don't know how to access my files. Is there another way to access the files there is on my HD so I can copy the important ones on a floppy not to loose them?

ty for your help

 

[amateur]

Hi!

I had a big problem with my PC and now when I boot it, it says I/O error. So I decided to re-install Windows. I tried the repair option, but I get a message that states that my previous Windows installation has recovered from a serious problem and cannot be repaired. I absolutely have to format my HD before I can install Windows again.

Now, my problem is I don't want to loose some important data files I got on my PC. I tried to go in MS-DOS mode and make a "dir" of my files to copy them on a floppy disk, but the dir command won't even work. I don't know how to access my files. Is there another way to access the files there is on my HD so I can copy the important ones on a floppy not to loose them?

ty for your help

These are some free data recovery programs. You can check and see if they can help you.


http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/welcome.htm
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/restoration.html http://www.officerecovery.com/freeundelete/

http://stellarinfo.com/

 

[kalisun]

ANother option you can try is getting a Knoppix Live BootCD image and then burning it to a CD and booting off of that and then copying the files over to your floppy or burn to a CD.. Here's the site

http://www.knoppix.net/

Hope this helps!

 

[Luthie]

I cannot access Windows XP so all of these programs are useless to me. I checked the links you gave me but they all require an installation and are used in Windows...

I finally could access the files on my computer via an old boot disk I found.

Now.. is it possible to copy files directly from MS-DOS to a CD burner? I can list all the files on driver a: and c: but as you guessed, there is no d: driver. Some files are so big I can't copy them on a regular floppy.

Or maybe...

I have another PC I could use to transfer the files to while I am formatting the one I'm having problems with. Is it possible to transfer data from one PC to the other if one of them is not running Windows XP but is turned on? or do they absolutely have to both run a version of Windows?

Plz note that I'm totally unable to plug my "screwed" hard disk into the other PC

 

[kalisun]

Nevermind..I just reread what you posted and your saying that you cannot hookup the bad drive to another computer so that won't help. Yes, the other system needs to be running some type of Windows for it to transfer files.

Sounds like three options...

1. Find someone that'll let you slave you harddrive to and copy your data to the other system...

2. Getting another system with a burner and downloading that Knoppix Live cd I was saying and burning it to a CD, then booting off of it on your corrupt system and using the CD burning software to try and burn your data to a CD...

3.Getting another Hard drive and installing Windows on it, any version and then slaving the bad drive to it, then either copying the data to the new system of burning it onto a CD...

Hope this helps!

 

[crjdriver]

Have you tried pulling the drive and slaving it to the system you are using now? You can copy any data you want. Once you copy it or burn it to a dvdr, then you can do a clean install of xp.

 

[Luthie]

Any of you knows a website where I could "learn" how to slave my corrupted HD to the one on the PC that is working fine? Some pictures would help.. and are there any dangers that I would mess up the good HD or scrap it if I plug it uncorrectly ? Again, I know this would be the easier way, but I've never touched hardware before except for adding RAM or plugNplay video cards.

Ty for the great help

 

[crjdriver]

Just remove ribbon cable, power plug, and the four screws holding the drive in place. On the back of the drive you will find the jumper block. You will need to set the jumper as either slave or CS [cable select] if the other system uses CS.

The good system should have a ribbon cable with three connectors. Plug the drive into the unused one. Power up the system and [hopefully] the drive will be recognized.

BTW if you go to the mfg of the hard disk [ie western digital, maxtor, etc] site, it should have detailed info on jumper settings and install info.

 

[Luthie]

Ok, good I was able to plug my "bugged" HD on my other PC. Windows XP has detected it, but when I try to access the data, Windows asks me if I wanna format the drive... wich, of course, I don't want to do.
If I try to access the data via MS-DOS I get a message saying that the driver doesn't have a known file system..
Is there a way to access the data on my HD?

 

[kalisun]

What you need now is to run a scandisk on your bad hard drive or you'll need to get a data recovery software like what amateur suggests. It looks like you might have a corrupt MBR or some bad sectors...

Hope this helps!

 

[crjdriver]

It would appear that the drive may be failing. You can try some data recovery software and see if it will recover any info. Many of them will allow you to download a trial version. The trial will show you what it CAN recover, however until you pay the program will not let you recover the files.

 

[crjdriver]

BTW you can try running chkdsk /r on the drive. The syntax would be "chkdsk X: /r" where X is the letter of the drive in question.

 

[Luthie]

When I do the chkdsk, it says my file system is RAW.. ?

 

[Luthie]

Ok, I fixed everything. I think there might have been a better solution, but this is the only one working I found.

Since I could access my files with an old Windows Boot Disk on my bugged PC, I booted the other PC (with the bugged HD plugged in slave) and accessed my bugged data. I transfered all the files I didn't wanna loose on the good HD. I did it the old way, so I had to type like 10 times "copy *.* e:.....". Everything works fine now, the only "problem" is that I lost the real file names, they're all look like "ELECTR~1.TXT" but at least, I got them.

AGain, ty for the great help.