OS and everything gone!

[willin]

Ok guys this one has me stumped, I wanted to install a linux OS so I bought myself another hard drive (keep things seperate etc with no problems) after installing the drive I went to boot into windows XP (the old drive), nothing, it got to reconising the dvd drives at boot etc then stopped.
after trying several things I removed the new drive and tried to boot, nothing, so I took it to a local pc store and they said the old drive was blank nothing on it at all! I have tried the windows recovery console and various commands to fix the boot.ini, also with a NTLDR boot disk, all I get is "windows root>\system32\hal.dll is missing please reinstall this file".
Has anyone any advice?
Thanks in advance

 

[techquest]

techquest, option 2 maybe, I ain't doing anything more unless you say.

option 4. 1st

then let me know what you see

then we can decide if option 2. is the right way to proceed

If that's ok with you

 

[willin]

partition type Mbyts system usage
C:1 pri dos 41866 fat 16 100%
is what option 4 says with
warning no partitions are set active-disk is not startable unless a partition is set active
before that.
I'll run chkdsk /p from recovery console tomorrow and post back, It's becoming a pain in the arse as I have to shut down the pc, switch off the power, unplug everything open the machine swap the connections for the hdd's (old to new or vice versa) and I have done it lots of times now, but its still quicker than booting from backtrack.

thanks M8

 

[beady]

Just wondering why booting Backtrack takes so long. What's the problem?

 

[willin]

Ran chkdsk /p from recovery console, it says "bad command or file name".
Ill buy partition magic 8 if necessary (dont suppose there is a trial version).

Beady, I am assuming that I should not use backtrack with just the old drive connected (the pc wont boot into xp on the new drive with both connected for some reason)but even if I could it would still be quicker to do as I am doing, say 10 mins all in to get on the net with backtrack.
So no real problems.
Thanks

 

[techquest]

partition type Mbyts system usage
C:1 pri dos 41866 fat 16 100%
is what option 4 says with
warning no partitions are set active-disk is not startable unless a partition is set active
before that.
I'll run chkdsk /p from recovery console tomorrow and post back, It's becoming a pain in the arse as I have to shut down the pc, switch off the power, unplug everything open the machine swap the connections for the hdd's (old to new or vice versa) and I have done it lots of times now, but its still quicker than booting from backtrack.

thanks M8

That is the problem, fdisk reports only one partition. As I said earlier where has the xp partition gone that held XP? It would have been FAT32 min or NTFS. Also that you said 250GB so where is the rest of it gone?

There might be other stuff on there that cannot be seen by fdisk that is why I suggest you need to use partition magic. It will tell you the actual disk size, number and type of partitions etc etc.

I would ask myself the question is this the same drive that was in my PC before other, so called professionals, looked at it! Not wishing to cast dispersions or anything but I've seen that done before.

With the info you are providing something doesn't stack up!

 

[wobbly]

seems to be there is some sort of mix-up between the master boot record and grub.

It is highly likely that all of your data is still as you left it, but neither XP or Linux can figure out the structure of the disk.

I reckon if you repair the MBR (master Boot Record) it will restore windows then you need to fix grub and you should be back in business.

On the XP install CD, there is a tool called fixmbr.exe and another called fixboot.exe,
I cant recall exactly where, but I think they are made available if you choose to repair an existing installation, using the recovery console.

These have worked for me in the past.

Then when you have XP recovered, you can follow your steps for the other OS install.

Good Luck

 

[willin]

techquest, I'd took this offline with another member helping me, unfortunately was unable to resolve, I have'nt gave up yet! the drive is an hitachi deskstar model HDS722525VLAT 80 250 GB IDE ATA Interface I've changed the jumpers to slave.
I have ran testdisk as recomended by beady, this has found thousands of files, word docs, family pics etc so i'ts the same drive!

wobbly, thanks for that but i've tried the recovery console but can't get to the command prompt.

I am thinking out loud, could this be anything to do with the bios? remember i pluged in the sata drive and everything went wrong!!

BIOS Version Nvidia - 42302e31 Phoenix - Award WorkstationBIOS v6.00PG oNnForce4-A939 Ver 1.0e 07/08/2005

how easy is it to update the bios, any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[techquest]

Forget bios at this point because you will be going down another road that you don't need to go down. You will end up confusing the issue again. The PC should recognise the ATA drive as a master or as a slave and for the pirpose of what you want to do initially the bios is the 1st place to goto followed by ARS or fdisk or whatever. But you have to choose one course of action at a time and stick to it and I have to say you seem to find that difficult.

Don't know why you can't get to prompt in recovery its not a difficult task unless ARS is not instaaled correclty or you are doing something wrong.

 

[willin]

techquest,

When I tried to get into the recovery console from the XP CD I get to set-up, loads files, then after a while the, enter for install, r for repair, f3 to quit I type r the examining disk, examining startup environment
Then the recovery console type exit to quit, after a while the PC reboots no command prompt, I went through the procedure 3 times more no command prompt.
So I have disconnected the new drive and tried the same after a while I have finally got to the command prompt.
Ran chkdsk it says:-
chkdsk found one or more errors on the volume
244187986 kilobytes total disk space
230391492 kilobytes are available
4096 bytes in each allocation unit
61046922 total allocation units on disk
57597873 allocation units available on disk

Ran chkdsk /p it says
The volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems

Fixboot says, fixboot cannot find the system drive, or the drive specified is not valid

I have a testdisk log file which is warning of an incorrect number of heads, I can pm or post (not sure as it's a long file) if anyone can make sense of this file.
Thanks techquest/everyone.

 

[willin]

Info from partition magic about the hard disks, disk 2 is the problem disk, also when i reistalled xp for some reason it installed on the I drive letter not the C, not a problem for now as whatever happens I will be re installing.
btw disk 2 says 16 heads on the info sticker.

General System Information:
Total Physical Memory (bytes): 1,608,957,952
Used Physical Memory: (bytes): 458,821,632
Maximum Page File Size: (bytes): 3,597,598,720
Current Page File Size: (bytes): 292,540,416



===========================================================================================================
Disk Geometry Information for Disk 1: 484521 Cylinders, 16 Heads, 63 Sectors/Track
Info: No partition table present on this drive.
System PartSect # Boot BCyl Head Sect FS ECyl Head Sect StartSect NumSects
===========================================================================================================

===========================================================================================================
Disk Geometry Information for Disk 2: 30401 Cylinders, 255 Heads, 63 Sectors/Track
System PartSect # Boot BCyl Head Sect FS ECyl Head Sect StartSect NumSects
===========================================================================================================
0 0 80 0 1 1 07 1023 254 63 63 488,375,937
Info: End C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.
Actual values are:
0 0 80 0 1 1 07 30399 254 63 63 488375937



===========================================================================================================
Partition Information for Disk 1: 238,475.2 Megabytes
Volume PartType Status Size MB PartSect # StartSect TotalSects
===========================================================================================================
Unallocated Pri 238,475.2 None -- 0 488,397,168


===========================================================================================================
Partition Information for Disk 2: 238,472.7 Megabytes
Volume PartType Status Size MB PartSect # StartSect TotalSects
===========================================================================================================
I: NTFS Pri,Boot 238,464.8 0 0 63 488,375,937
Unallocated Pri 7.8 None -- 488,376,000 16,065


===========================================================================================================
Boot Record for drive I: (Drive: 2, Starting sector: 63, Type: NTFS)
===========================================================================================================
1. Jump: EB 52 90
2. OEM Name: NTFS
3. Bytes per Sector: 512
4. Sectors per Cluster: 8
5. Reserved Sectors: 0
6. Number of FATs: 0
7. Root Dir Entries: 0
8. Total Sectors: 0
9. Media Descriptor: 0xF8
10. Sectors per FAT: 0
11. Sectors per Track: 63 (0x3F)
12. Number of Heads: 255 (0xFF)
13. Hidden Sectors: 63 (0x3F)
14. Total Sectors (>32MB): 0 (0x0)
15. Unused: 0x80008000
16. Total NTFS Sectors: 488375936
17. MFT Start Cluster: 786432
18. MFT Mirror Start Clust: 30523496
19. Clusters per FRS: 246
20. Clusters per Index Blk: 1
21. Serial Number: 0x466C61D66C61C173
22. Checksum: 0 (0x0)
23. Boot Signature: 0xAA55

 

[techquest]

Disk size calculations: Heads x Cylinders x Sector x 512

HD 1 16 484521 63 512 = 250,059,350,016 = 250GB (Old technology)

HD 2 255 30401 63 512 = 250,056,737,280 = 250GB (New technology)

No issue on I, re new install at this time, as my guess is that somehow in the way you went about whatever it was you thought you were doing, and if the cylinder heads differ on the label to that reported, there is obviously something wrong with the geometry of disk 2. The new install would, should, have noted that there was an OS on the disk and would have asked if it should be overwritten or put into a new partition, hence I: set as active partition. The old C: would have been set as inactive

The report for HD2, Drive I:, is a perfect example of what you should see and the 0xAA55 shows that the boot signature is in the correct place and the disk is therefore perfectly functional.

But PM also reports the Primary Dos partition, I think, and it is unallocated, not being used in other words.

If chkdsk reported problems then there are. They might or might not be fixable depending on the way you go about it.

You can also run a check with PM to see if the HD has problems. Uunder Tools you will find a facility to do so, Check Drive for Errors, run it and see what it says.

What make is HD2?

All this is may be so but in the cold light of day I think that you have inadvertantly reformatted HD2. Everything in the report tends to suggest that. What you need to do is get the disk to someone who can give you absolute confirmation of what is, or is not, on that HD. I say this because you are going in circles and appear not to have enough experience to resolve an issue that is after all very complexed. This is not meant as a slight on you, if it were I would have dropped out of this post a while back.

 

[beady]

Hmm, this gets stranger and stranger. I tried to help willin a couple of days ago using backtrack. What we got out of that was similar to what partition magic is showing. What I (thought I) found was that
-The original drive (drive 2 above) had been detected at an incorrect parameters. Bios had it at 16 heads (as per the label), but Linux said it had 255 heads (like windows does above).
- It appeared to me that at some point a new FAT32 partition had been written over the old partition. It was possible to display the files on this new partition, and it looked like a very large boot floppy (with files like cmd.exe, autoexec.bat, config.sys etc). So I thought that something had been messed up while running chkdisk or some other dos repair tool.

But looking at the partition magic output, it seems to detect the partition as NTFS (as it should be), but still with the wrong CHS numbers. I'm very confused, never come across this before. I wonder if the bios is having trouble having drives with two different head values attached at once?

edit: Sorry, I think I've misread the pm output. Disk 1(One) looks like the problem disk, as it shows up unpartitioned. So PM isn't detecting ANYTHING on the drive. I got confused between 1 (one) and I (eye). Willin, are you sure disk 2 is the old one?

 

[techquest]

Yeah beady as you say stranger and stranger. See the same as you see re FAT32 but from what I understand the I: partition NTFS is a Newly written XP partition.

I think willin is confused over some of the issues because I ask myself the same thing re disk 1 and disk 2, which is old and which is new.

My aim would be to get willin just to stop, look at one disk at a time, so that there is no confussion or ambiguity on his part, report the facts and then take it from there. Otherwise at 53 post's to-date this thing will go on and on.

Don't know about you beady, but he could always send me one of the disks, his disk 2 (two) I guess and I would be able to tell without doubt. Would do that just to clear this up and make decisions from sound knowledge.

Like you I ain't seen the likes of this before and this is my industry.

 

[willin]

Thanks guys, I will unscrew the drives from the machine and post back, yes I think I have made a mistake with which drive (old and new) is 1 and 2, (confusing the problem still further) sorry, both drives are hitachi.

As stated I am very inexperienced, with both drives attatched at the same time I have problems, I'll try and run a check with PM to see if that gives any more info.

techquest, I would gladly take you up on sending you the drive, if that is an offer.
Thanks

 

[techquest]

So willin guess beady, others & I understood that there was some kind of mixup, easy if you don't have the experience. Guess we are now waiting your post.

Let me ask you to do one thing as I guess ththey are identical Hitachi drives. Put a label on them HD1 and HD 2 and when you report back report making reference to HD1 or HD2. this way you don't get confused again and we don't have to spend time wondering which drive you are talking about.

On the sending me the drive issue, I don't offer what I can't live with. You would have to pay all the postage costs though. If it came to that then you would also need to pack one or both in correct packageing material.

Lets see how we get on after the post though.

 

[willin]

techquest, guys

Sorry for the delay in posting Christmas etc
Unfortunately the machine now will not boot at all with the old drive HD1 connected I've tried for hours, so I cannot try PM to check the drive!

Labels put on drives, also it goes without saying regarding the postage costs etc, if necessary

HD1 (old drive)
Hitachi Deskstar, May2005
Model HDS 722525VLAT80, ATA/IDE
Capacity 250gb
P/N 14R9249
LBA 488.397.168 sectors
RPM 7200
MLC BA1254
CHS 16383/16/63

HD2 (NEW DRIVE)
Hitachi Deskstar, Sept2007
Model HDT 725025VLAT380, SATA 3.0Gb/s
Capacity 250gb
P/N OA33423
LBA 488.397.168 sectors
RPM 7200
MLC BA2367
CHS 16383/16/63

HD1 has the jumpers, they have 4 categories: 16 heads, 15 heads, 32gb clip, auto spin disable, with different configurations for each category master slave etc (hope this makes sense). The drive was set as master as per the 16 head configuration, there is a diagram on the label showing the configuration, that is why I said the label says 16 head, also I have checked in the bios it says the drive is 16 head, and i checked with a programme called "system information for windows" when it booted with the old drive connected and this said it was 16 head!

Thanks.

 

[techquest]

Got that info willin.

Looking at the label detail you will find Hitach will not recognise any of those numbers. Lol why am I not suprised?

I suspect your old drive is, or third party variant of: Check out the links

HD General
http://www.hitachigst.com/portal/site/en/menuitem.f9b3189a2f2e122d92b86b31bac4f0a0/

PDF Dat Sheet Link
http://www.hitachigst.com/tech/techlib.nsf/techdocs/AA48E77F6E24186E86256F4E006B3F91/$file/T7K250_DS.pdf

The new drive is: Check it out

http://www.hitachigst.com/portal/site/en/menuitem.f9b3189a2f2e122d92b86b31bac4f0a0/

PDF Data Sheet Link: http://www.hitachigst.com/tech/techlib.nsf/techdocs/AA48E77F6E24186E86256F4E006B3F91/$file/T7K250_DS.pdf

Other Hitachi Support and Tools Download Links:

http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm

Drive Fittness Test Guide
http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/downloads/Dft32_User_Guide.pdf

CD Image to Create Bootable CD for Linux, Windows etc
http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/downloads/dft32_v411_b00.iso

By all means check out some or all of the above and use the tools if possible. But with all due respect, and no slight on yourself intended, HD's are a tuff area for the unwary. Maybe it is time to make a decision on what you want done.

Keeps us posted.

 

[willin]

Thanks for that techquest, I'll try over the holidays and post back (good or bad), many thanks to everyone who gave advice especially beady and techquest. I would like one last bit of advice, can anyone say why the machine will not boot now with both drives connected, it simply will not boot up when I connect the old drive (HD1).

Thanks.

 

[techquest]

It's because of the problem on the old drive. The bios sits there trying to make sense of it and as it is damaged, corrupted or whatever the bios might evetualy load it but it could take a long while. I suspect if it did manage to load then you would not see it in explorer etc.

If you don't want anything off of that old drive then the hitachi stuff I sent you can be used to do a low level format, that is put the drive back into the condition it was when 1st manufactured. This is different than formating a drive. It wil tell you if the drive is damaged at all and if not when an LLF is completed you would have an empty drive that you would possibly then need to format to NTFS.

 

[techquest]

Also forgot to mention try turning off halt on all erors in BIOS, it might allow the PC to boot then but not 100% sure due to it being a HD problem.