pc help (hard drive issues) [SOLVED]

[ergo2]

Making a 2nd pc for the kids and everything is new except CPU, RAM . Problem is it won't boot into windows without the disc in the drive? socket 478.

any ideas?

[Young_Freebie]

What is the message it gives you when the Windows CD is out of the drive?

Did you use a pirated copy of Windows XP, ie, downloaded the CD but bought the key?

Is there any pre-installed software that came with it, in case you are using an OEM Recovery disk to install it.


Try loading on Ad-Aware and Spybot- Search and Destroy. Run their scans and see if they come up with anything.

[Scooter]

You may also want to start it up with the cd, and go into Repair Console.
This is especially useful for boot failures due to hard disk damage or filesystem errors.

At the prompt, type

C:

and when you have the C: prompt, type "chkdsk /p"

This will take a while to run but will check the C: drive for bad sectors and repair filesystem errors.

When it has finished (be patient, it takes a long time), simply eixt the repair console and reboot the machine (without the Windows disk in the drive). See if you get in. Your hard drive may be failing, but before we get excited about that possibility, let's troubleshoot to rule it out.

Try this and Young Freebie's suggestions first and let us know how it goes so far. Then if you have no success we can try another suggestion (namely, FIXMBR).

[ergo2]

sorry..

been away for a few days.

yep been there done that.

FIXBOOT
FIXMBR

i think the original problem was that i cloned this drive to my new one and now its somehow screwed up. i have like 6 detectable partions which are overlapping.


i did had enough energy tonight to d/l a program from my hdd mfg and tried to wipe the drive with "0".s. just my luck i couldn't even manage that well maybe in a couple of days i'll try again.

[Scooter]

i did had enough energy tonight to d/l a program from my hdd mfg and tried to wipe the drive with "0".s. just my luck i couldn't even manage that well maybe in a couple of days i'll try again.

A great program to do that is Eraser. It's a bit complicated but it will do it.

Another way to do it is by using a Linux live cd, there is this from linuxhelp.blogspot.com:

If you are using GNU/Linux or any other UNIX, then you have a tool called shred which can be used to wipe all the data from the hard disk. Here is how it works. Suppose I want to erase all the data on my hard disk, then I boot using a LiveCD like Knoppix and open a shell and type the following command:

# shred -vfz -n 100 /dev/hda

Here /dev/hda is my whole hard disk. And I am asking shred to make (-n) 100 passes by overwriting the entire hard disk with (-z) zeros. And shred program (-f) forces the write by changing the permissions wherever necessary.

[ergo2]

A great program to do that is Eraser. It's a bit complicated but it will do it.

Another way to do it is by using a Linux live cd, there is this from linuxhelp.blogspot.com:

i give up. when i get some cash($ 45) i'm just going to get a new HDD.

could try DBAN too , but i am so fed up with this i just want it over


thanks for offering your help

[ergo2]

so i bought i new hdd today, installed and now it boots up normally

[Scooter]

Cool! Now you have the option of playing with the old drive to resurrect it if you so desire. Or use it as a geeky paperweight.

[ergo2]

i was thinking of takeing it outside and pounding it with a hammer