wont start os

[wooosh]

from nowhere i have got a problem! windows will not start up at all. do not want to format and reinstall as there is data i wish to recover. i have tried a reboot with disk and also a repair but to no avail. i am running xp sp2 etc nowt special standard system etc but black screen with xp logo and blue progress line thing but then goes to page with 'safe mode' safe mode with network' 'start windows normally' etc etc doesnt matter what i choose it still goes round in circles trying to boot but obv wont.
any ideas?
i really needc to save some of the info from my hard drive
i have dban and a reboot disk but really want to save the info if it is poss
help is needed asap as its my main pc at home and i will lose pics and vids of family

[flanzig1]

It sounds like a possible HD starting to fail. Would try and hook up the HD to another computer to see if you can retrieve your data.

[wooosh]

my fears realised.
i thought so but didnt want to admit it to myself.
i can get into dos ...... is there a way to save files to disk without having to disconnect hd and connecting to another pc? i have one but hd on that is quite small

[EzyStvy]

If you hook it up to another pc, you'd make it a slave drive....It doesn't matter what size the other drive is.

[Negeva]

Originally Posted by wooosh my fears realised. i thought so but didnt want to admit it to myself. i can get into dos ...... is there a way to save files to disk without having to disconnect hd and connecting to another pc? i have one but hd on that is quite small

You can use UBCD4Win: http://www.ubcd4win.com/index.htm

With UBDC4Win, you can boot the machine and burn all data to CD/DVD or even save it to removable storage such as a flash drive or removable hard-drive.

The most important thing to remember is if the drive is failing use it as little as possible.

[wooosh]

i cant connect hdd to other pc as failing one is sata and other one is not i.e. different connections and no sata connection on other motherboard.

new part...... i know its been a week but just gone on pc and dir'd the c drive but no windows directory, in fact no directories at all just a list of files.
have i lost the info???

[shadowpr]

Try something like this to attach it to a different computer: http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=2020&cpc=SCH

[wooosh]

thx i will try to get this. how do i find out if its worth it tho i.e. if my data is lost then no point really

[wooosh]

been trying a program i already have EasyRecovery Data Recovery Software,
found my data but program keeps freezing, is this a really a hdd problem or is it sumit else?

[wooosh]

right...... cant find a way around this so will buy one of those leads, thx for the help chaps

[bozo]

Most (if not all) hard drive manufacturers have diagnostic utilities to test the HD. I would do that first to be sure it is the HD failing.

If you confirm the HD IS failing, then as others have said, I would hook it up to another computer as a slave, & try to get the data. Also, if you know of someone that has a network set up, you could add your computer to the network, and pull the data off via the network.

If it is not the HD, then try something like "Barts Boot CD" to boot into the system & run diagnostics from there.

As Negeva said...The most important thing to remember is if the drive is failing use it as little as possible

[glc]

In order to use data recovery software, the hard drive must be removed and installed in another working and bootable computer, either internally or externally. It must also have enough free storage space to recover your data to.

[wooosh]

Originally Posted by bozo Most (if not all) hard drive manufacturers have diagnostic utilities to test the HD. I would do that first to be sure it is the HD failing.

i never got any software with this hdd. just came in a plain box with packing in.

[/QUOTE]If you confirm the HD IS failing, then as others have said, I would hook it up to another computer as a slave, & try to get the data. Also, if you know of someone that has a network set up, you could add your computer to the network, and pull the data off via the network.[/QUOTE]

i wud connect failed one to working one through my router if i knew how

[/QUOTE]If it is not the HD, then try something like "Barts Boot CD" to boot into the system & run diagnostics from there.[/QUOTE]

my other pc has no writing abilities so cant burn anything to disk unless i dismantle failing pc which is my last resort tbh


[/QUOTE]In order to use data recovery software, the hard drive must be removed and installed in another working and bootable computer, either internally or externally. It must also have enough free storage space to recover your data to. [/QUOTE]

hdd is sata and gonna try the cable mentioned earlier i think, can it be powered by the other type of power cable? or do i have to power up both pc's at once?

[bozo]

Originally Posted by wooosh i never got any software with this hdd. just came in a plain box with packing in.

Go to the HD's web site to get the diagnostic software...if your second computer doesn't have a burner, then perhaps you could get someone else to download & burn the utility, and then change the boot order in your bios ( hit the "delete" key while system is booting) to boot from CD first. Run the utility to see if the drive is bad.

i wud connect failed one to working one through my router if i knew how

You would need to "network" the two computers to do that.

my other pc has no writing abilities so cant burn anything to disk unless i dismantle failing pc which is my last resort tbh

If you can't find someone else to DL & burn the utility, then you could take your burner out of the first computer & install it in the the second computer (you don't have to mount the burner, you could just hook it up outside the case...pretty easy to do.

hdd is sata and gonna try the cable mentioned earlier i think, can it be powered by the other type of power cable? or do i have to power up both pc's at once?

You can run them both from the second computer, just find a spare power supply & plug it into the HD

[glc]

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=2020&cpc=SCH

This adapter is totally self contained and comes with an AC power supply brick to power the drive. The only connection it has to make to a computer is USB. I see you are in the UK, so you need to look for a similar one locally.

I think you may be missing something here - you have to physically REMOVE the failing hard drive from the computer to do anything with it, and you have to have another computer to "host" it for data recovery.