Pc Trouble Hdd Knacked

[stevie m]

My main work pc will not allow windows to load. I think my hdd is corrupt. Does anyone know where i can take it and if my work files and records can be taken off because i am up s**t creek without a paddle. One last thing how much do you think it will cost ? I wished i had backed all my stuff !!!! ;)

[mk2vr6]

try gf&s ;)

[seatkid]

My main work pc will not allow windows to load. I think my hdd is corrupt. Does anyone know where i can take it and if my work files and records can be taken off because i am up s**t creek without a paddle. One last thing how much do you think it will cost ? I wished i had backed all my stuff !!!! ;)

Windows Xp I presume.

 

1. Try loading Windows in Safe Mode (press f8 during boot)

 

2. If that dont work then use an XP installation CD , boot from that and run "recovery console" or "repair installation"

 

Provided the HDD hasn't died completely (not turning) its usually possible to get things back.

 

You can also usually put the HDD into another machine and read it. If its a PATA drive then make sure its configured correctly when doing so (set to slave)

[mumof4]

First thing is STOP immediately using the PC

Take it to a GOOD repair shop

 

 

Get them to dump the whole contents of the HDD onto DVD etc OR Install a new HDD on the machine.

Once up and running transfer the data from the old drive to the new drive (if it's retrievable.

Buy yourself a USB backup drive, do a FULL backup on Friday night and incremental on mon, Tue, Wed, Thu

[stevie m]

My main work pc will not allow windows to load. I think my hdd is corrupt. Does anyone know where i can take it and if my work files and records can be taken off because i am up s**t creek without a paddle. One last thing how much do you think it will cost ? I wished i had backed all my stuff !!!! ;)

Windows Xp I presume.

 

1. Try loading Windows in Safe Mode (press f8 during boot)

 

2. If that dont work then use an XP installation CD , boot from that and run "recovery console" or "repair installation"

 

Provided the HDD hasn't died completely (not turning) its usually possible to get things back.

 

You can also usually put the HDD into another machine and read it. If its a PATA drive then make sure its configured correctly when doing so (set to slave)

 

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

I have already had ago at that...It hasn't worked. When trying to use safe mode it tries to load windows then goes back to the safe mode screen then tries to load windows again after a short while it seems to be going round in circles (like me :o ) i have taken it round to a friend to have a look and put it in his pc but that doesn't notice the hard drive at all.

[mumof4]

read your pm.

[Smilge]

Stevie ...Sk's right

 

Follow his instructions but what you can do in addition is select the command prompt option and then type in the following:

 

chkdsk /p - this will check the disk for errors

 

chkdsk /r - this will repair the errors.

 

fixmbr - this will re-write the Master boot record.

 

 

I've used this numerous timess and has sorted the majority of PC's with symptoms similar to yours

 

Hope this helps.

[mk2vr6]

eurocarparts may have one?

[bj2004]

i love all theese techno phobes

if you all learnt dos you wouldn`t be so reliant on bill gates bloatware

but seriously

check you have no usb cables connected and follow sk

[mumof4]

considering what he has on the hard drive, and not backed up, and that everytime he turns the pc on, the hard drive may be affected, and corrupt/ kill it further which means more data loss, he is better to have it seen to professionally.

 

if its anything like my old pc, mine didnt come with any discs at all, as the recovery drive was on the pc itself.

[bj2004]

the problem with "professionals" is they take one look and say hard drive knackered

if its booting in safe mode the drive is working just corrupt start up files, in 20+ years in IT i have had very few drives i couldnt get going and if they booted then non just because your engine wont run dosent mean you need a new one its not rocket science

borrow a copy of xp and do a complete reinstall without formatting you may loose emails but everything else will be there

you might have to look for it and reinstall other stuff we seem to live in a throw away culture lets get back to being green and fix it instead

mr Gates has tryed very hard to stop us doing this by removing DOS from windows but with a little knowlege anyone should be able to solve most faults with a little time

PM me if you like i will try to help

john

[mumof4]

you are wrong about some professionals.

 

johnb80 has offered to help steve, and he is very much qualified to do so, runs his own IT business and is also a networking manager.

 

John recovered my hard drive when my last pc died and the hard drive was corrupted, granted i lost some work, but he recovered most of it. i hadnt backed up my pc in 5 years, and i thought i had lost all my pics of the kids, all my writings, everything.

 

john knows what he is doing as i am sure you do, and has offered to recover steves hard drive, johnb80 hasnt posted on this thread as at the moment he cant get on the forum and i have been relaying information and advice to steve from him.

[bj2004]

sounds great by professionals i tend to mean places like pc world they are like main agents and just change bits hope its all sorted

is this my firs b*******g off mum of 4 ? :(

[mumof4]

lol... you should of heard what john had to say about pc world... not very complimentary. something about macdonald dropouts and chimps :(

 

 

nah hun, i just wanted to put a point across, this did happen to my old pc, and the hard drive was corrupt and about had it... its better if steve lets someone else do it just in case... that way he knows if it all goes tits up, its not something that he did, following advice off here.. always nicer to blame siomeone else when it all goes wrong rather than thinking wish i hadnt done that.

 

besides, if i was gonna bollock someone, they sure as heck would know it.LOL.

 

i recommended johnb80, as he did one hell of a job for me, and is doing so on this pc as im having nowt but problems with it, this one has been backed up onto a laptop for me to use for when he nabs this one.. as i said that whilst it still connects to the net..he aint having it.LOL.

[mk2vr6]

johnb80 hasnt posted on this thread as at the moment he cant get on the forum http://www.freedomtrailriders.org/forums/style_emoticons/default/pcguru.gif

 

mmm some IT guy he is then http://www.freedomtrailriders.org/forums/style_emoticons/default/265.gif

 

 

oh and I still suggest steve takes it to GF&S or even the local dealers!

[mumof4]

give it a rest Mk, he cant get on as as its the forum at fault... in case you hadnt noticced, there are bugs all overthe shop, i cant sort em as the admin panal is down, hence why he cant get on.

[seatkid]

those without installation or boot disks can find something useful here

 

Take care to choose something appropriate, e.g. you have to know what version of OS you were using and preferably whether the disc was formatted in NTFS or FAT32/FAT16

 

Often a non booting o/s that shows symptoms of restarting constantly is caused by a power supply or motherboard problem. Changing/swapping the PSU is always a good start.

Edited October 15, 2008 by seatkid

[stevie m]

Thanks everyone for your posts. I have taken it to someone and they are trying to sort it for me. I'll keep you informed.