Problem:
Boot loop started with XP during XP boot screen. I hit F8 during XP loading screen to stop restart after crash, and a blue screen with "unable to mount" [hard drive] error popped up.
Here's what I've tried:
1.) I am unable to enter recovery console because it fails to recognize my HD. So I hit F6 and manually installed the SATA drivers, but then recovery console hangs at "examining/analysing hard drive" (I forget the exact message).
2.) I am able to load an old stable HD with XP. But when I make the new unstable HD a slave to the old HD, the old HD refuses to load.
So here's what I'm asking:
1.) Is there a way I can get recovery console to recognize my HD so I can attempt some repairs on it?
2.) Is there a way I can use my old stable XP HD to access my new problem HD so I can at least save the data on it?
3.) Any ideas on how to repair the HD?
As far as I can tell, the BIOS does recognize the HD since it does appear in the RAID selection menu (no, I am not using RAID).
Another footnote is that this new HD has always had problems with being recognized properly by my BIOS. Often from a cold boot it would give the message that "invalid boot sector HD not recognized" (paraphrasing from memory), but with a soft restart of Ctrl-Alt-Del it would load properly with new HD as master and no errors (it's the only HD installed).
Any suggestions?
Boot loop started with XP during XP boot screen. I hit F8 during XP loading screen to stop restart after crash, and a blue screen with "unable to mount" [hard drive] error popped up.
Here's what I've tried:
1.) I am unable to enter recovery console because it fails to recognize my HD. So I hit F6 and manually installed the SATA drivers, but then recovery console hangs at "examining/analysing hard drive" (I forget the exact message).
2.) I am able to load an old stable HD with XP. But when I make the new unstable HD a slave to the old HD, the old HD refuses to load.
So here's what I'm asking:
1.) Is there a way I can get recovery console to recognize my HD so I can attempt some repairs on it?
2.) Is there a way I can use my old stable XP HD to access my new problem HD so I can at least save the data on it?
3.) Any ideas on how to repair the HD?
As far as I can tell, the BIOS does recognize the HD since it does appear in the RAID selection menu (no, I am not using RAID).
Another footnote is that this new HD has always had problems with being recognized properly by my BIOS. Often from a cold boot it would give the message that "invalid boot sector HD not recognized" (paraphrasing from memory), but with a soft restart of Ctrl-Alt-Del it would load properly with new HD as master and no errors (it's the only HD installed).
Any suggestions?