Ruh roh, Reorge...my home computer won't boot from C:\

[Richardo]

:scared:

I wonder if it got spiked during the lightning storm last night.

I tried booting from a: and that looks like that will work, but it won't read my Zip drive (yes, zip drive - it's an old machine) to get the 'rescue' information.

How screwed am I?

a) Very
b) Moderately
c) not at all. Just do this: ____________________helpful advice here_________________

[Kellanved]

1. any error message?

[Richardo]

3. I/O error - disk not found

:scared:

[Kellanved]

6. eek

Is the disk listed in the BIOS or - if applicable - in the list displayed prior to the boot attempt?

What Windows version? Edit, OK, 95 - plain, a,b, or c ?

[Richardo]

12. Yes.

As it boots, it says something like:

Disk 0 - found
Disk 1 - found

Disk 0 is the original HD and Disk 1 is an add-on HD I installed a while back.


Not sure about the Win 95 flavor - January 1997 vintage.

[Kelvin Mace]

2. Need more info such as

OS type. Error messages would also be helpful.

David Allen
www.thoughtcrimes.org

The taste of Republican butt does not improve with age.

"The NeoCons can't be bargained with. They can't be reasoned with. They do not feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And they absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.

[Richardo]

5. I'm embarrassed to say this:

Windows 95

[Kelvin Mace]

8. Are you getting a system error

or OS error?

Meaning does it say "Error Reading Drive C:" or something like "Cannot load win.com"

David Allen
www.thoughtcrimes.org

The taste of Republican butt does not improve with age.

"The NeoCons can't be bargained with. They can't be reasoned with. They do not feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And they absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.

[Richardo]

13. See above: I/O error

Then the a:\ prompt comes up and that's the end of that. I tried changing to c:\ (glad I remember a little DOS) and it says 'Disk not found'

[notadmblnd]

4. you should be able to boot up to bios settings

and change the settings for your cd drive to read your zip drive. Is your hard drive removable?

I had a machine that the hard drive slid in and out of the box, it would come unplugged occasionally and needed to be reseated.But if you have fried your hard drive, you will need to replace it and usually upon install it will prompt you for your Windows software. after that you should be able to run your restore disk.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

7. XP?

Get the XP install disk. Run it from the CD. Get into the recovery tools. See if the command "FixMBR" restores your ability to boot. If not, it's borked.

That said, important data may still be recoverable. Find a Linux User's Group and see if you can get them to read the disk with Knoppix. If so, you can get the important stuff off. Then, go to Sam's Club and get one of those cheap WD drives. Or wherever.

Sam's has WD 160GB drives for $79.00.

[Richardo]

10. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

'xp'. I wish.

Thanks for your help, though. I thnik it's reached the end of it's long productive life.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

11. Yes.

I do believe you are right. HDDs are finite things.

Backup early and often.

[ladjf]

9. You may have a damaged boot track on C:

There may be ways to salvage the contents of C:

In the future, after everything is back working, you may try adding an additional hard drive. Then, using software designed to copy all of one drive to another drive, back up the entire C drive to the new drive, including your operating system. Then if you have a boot track error on C:, you can boot from the second drive, and then copy everything from the second drive back to the C: drive. Make sure that you keep the version on the backup drive current.

[EstimatedProphet]

14. In addition to what Ladjf just said

you might be able to take the computer to a computer repair business and have them do it for you-so you wouldn't have to go out and get a new hard drive right now, they'd use their own.

[Richardo]

15. That's what I'm thinking.

:thumbsup:

[Kelvin Mace]

16. Since it is Win '95

It is probably using a DOS partition, which means it is salvagable as long as you find a tech who knows what the Hell he is doing. A number of utilities might fix it such as the older (DOS based) version of Norton Utilities. If the Master Boot Record (MBR) corrupted, that can be fixed with FDISK.

David Allen
www.thoughtcrimes.org

The taste of Republican butt does not improve with age.

"The NeoCons can't be bargained with. They can't be reasoned with. They do not feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And they absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.

[Richardo]

17. You're a pal, David

Thanks for the tips.

[Richardo]

18. Thanks all...

for the advice and tips :thumbsup:

...I've got some diagnostic and boot disks for the A:\ drive and will mess around with them tonight.

Failing that, at least the data is safe (and the important stuff backed up) and I can transfer it to the new machine I see in my future. :)