Recovering XP after a Disk Failure

[Guest wtw]

Continuing from a related thread below. Before posing a question on a new

twist in the plot, let me review where I am. My XP PC's local drive failed.

I replaced it with a new one. There was a d-drive in the system. When I

installed XP, I mistakenly ended up with:

 

c: New drive

f:: Now the local drive with it's past folders. 85% full

This I did not want. I wanted the new drive to be local and certainly didn't

want the drive letter change. From the earlier thread below, it looks

difficult to do anything about that.

 

Meanwhile the computer shop where I took the "dead" disk finds it's alive,

and quickly copy the contents to an external drive that I provided.

 

It seemed apparent to the tech guy that I might be able to get the new HD

back in order by using unstoppable copier software. This required taking the

external drive to another PC with XP, and copying to the new drive over

there.

 

Quite possibly I misunderstood how to do this. I ended up with all

the files on the new HD, thinking I now had a bootable drive, which I

could take back to the original machine. I was able to boot up, but I'm

quite sure it was off the F-drive that I had accidentally installed on it a

few

days ago. However, some programs worked fine, but ultimately I could see

this was wrong. F remained the local drive, and, as far as I know, the new

drive has no ability to be booted. Of course, the drive names did not

change. I still have c and f. The new c drive is 320G. ide,western digital

 

My guess as how to proceed from here is to install XP on the new drive after

reformating it. . I will likely need to do this on the old machine by

disconnecting the f-drive disk. Then continue as above with unstoppable

 

In a few hoursI leave for a weekend trip. I'll deal with this again when I

get back. At least, I have all my old doc and other files back. I'll

continue to explore buying a new PC. I likely will take my laptop with me.

This machine.

[Guest Jim]

Re: Recovering XP after a Disk Failure

 

 

"wtw" <invalid@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message

news:i%pFk.2450$YU2.507@nlpi066.nbdc.sbc.com...

> Continuing from a related thread below. Before posing a question on a new

> twist in the plot, let me review where I am. My XP PC's local drive

> failed. I replaced it with a new one. There was a d-drive in the system.

> When I installed XP, I mistakenly ended up with:

>

> c: New drive

> f:: Now the local drive with it's past folders. 85% full

> This I did not want. I wanted the new drive to be local and certainly

> didn't want the drive letter change. From the earlier thread below, it

> looks difficult to do anything about that.

>

> Meanwhile the computer shop where I took the "dead" disk finds it's alive,

> and quickly copy the contents to an external drive that I provided.

>

> It seemed apparent to the tech guy that I might be able to get the new HD

> back in order by using unstoppable copier software. This required taking

> the external drive to another PC with XP, and copying to the new drive

> over there.

>

> Quite possibly I misunderstood how to do this. I ended up with all

> the files on the new HD, thinking I now had a bootable drive, which I

> could take back to the original machine. I was able to boot up, but I'm

> quite sure it was off the F-drive that I had accidentally installed on it

> a few

> days ago. However, some programs worked fine, but ultimately I could see

> this was wrong. F remained the local drive, and, as far as I know, the new

> drive has no ability to be booted. Of course, the drive names did not

> change. I still have c and f. The new c drive is 320G. ide,western digital

>

> My guess as how to proceed from here is to install XP on the new drive

> after reformating it. . I will likely need to do this on the old machine

> by disconnecting the f-drive disk. Then continue as above with unstoppable

>

> In a few hoursI leave for a weekend trip. I'll deal with this again when I

> get back. At least, I have all my old doc and other files back. I'll

> continue to explore buying a new PC. I likely will take my laptop with me.

> This machine.

>

>

>

Let me see if I understand what you did:

 

1. Your system drive began failing.

2. You decided to replace the failing drive (correct IMHO)

3, You replaced the suspect drive with a new one.

4. You then installed XP one the new drive, but you did not first

disconnect all devices not need for the installation. This is how you wound

up with the new system drive being F.

5. You took the failing drive to another system, and it sprang to life.

This event is by no means unusual as the drive electronics declare a drive

dead long before it is absolutely unreadable.

6. You took the failing drive to a shop whose technician was able to read

the drive with "unstoppable copier software". He copied the contents of the

dying drive to another one.

7. Alas, when you installed the results of the techninian's work into you

computer, you found that all was not well.

 

So, where to go now?

1. Remove all disks from the computer except the one that you wish to make

into a system drive.

2. Install XP on this drive. Install all of your software to the new

system drive.

3. Then, and only then, connect your other drives back up. You may be able

to read some data from your old system drive, and, if so, do it quickly.

 

It seems to me that what the "unstoppable copier software" does is copy

everything errors and all. Perhaps this is the best way to get your data

off the old drive while it is still working.

 

 

Jim

[Guest wtw]

Re: Recovering XP after a Disk Failure

 

Close. See below.

"Jim" <j.n@invalid.invalid> wrote in message

news:uRwMRJXJJHA.1160@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>

> "wtw" <invalid@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message

> news:i%pFk.2450$YU2.507@nlpi066.nbdc.sbc.com...

>> Continuing from a related thread below. Before posing a question on a new

>> twist in the plot, let me review where I am. My XP PC's local drive

>> failed. I replaced it with a new one. There was a d-drive in the system.

>> When I installed XP, I mistakenly ended up with:

>>

>> c: New drive

>> f:: Now the local drive with it's past folders. 85% full

>> This I did not want. I wanted the new drive to be local and certainly

>> didn't want the drive letter change. From the earlier thread below, it

>> looks difficult to do anything about that.

>>

>> Meanwhile the computer shop where I took the "dead" disk finds it's

>> alive, and quickly copy the contents to an external drive that I

>> provided.

>>

>> It seemed apparent to the tech guy that I might be able to get the new HD

>> back in order by using unstoppable copier software. This required taking

>> the external drive to another PC with XP, and copying to the new drive

>> over there.

>>

>> Quite possibly I misunderstood how to do this. I ended up with all

>> the files on the new HD, thinking I now had a bootable drive, which I

>> could take back to the original machine. I was able to boot up, but I'm

>> quite sure it was off the F-drive that I had accidentally installed on it

>> a few

>> days ago. However, some programs worked fine, but ultimately I could see

>> this was wrong. F remained the local drive, and, as far as I know, the

>> new

>> drive has no ability to be booted. Of course, the drive names did not

>> change. I still have c and f. The new c drive is 320G. ide,western

>> digital

>>

>> My guess as how to proceed from here is to install XP on the new drive

>> after reformating it. . I will likely need to do this on the old machine

>> by disconnecting the f-drive disk. Then continue as above with

>> unstoppable

>>

>> In a few hoursI leave for a weekend trip. I'll deal with this again when

>> I get back. At least, I have all my old doc and other files back. I'll

>> continue to explore buying a new PC. I likely will take my laptop with

>> me. This machine.

>>

>>

>>

> Let me see if I understand what you did:

>

> 1. Your system drive began failing.

> 2. You decided to replace the failing drive (correct IMHO)

> 3, You replaced the suspect drive with a new one.

> 4. You then installed XP one the new drive, but you did not first

> disconnect all devices not need for the installation. This is how you

> wound Yes.

> up with the new system drive being F.

I took the drive to a shop. They got it to fire up quickly.

> 5. You took the failing drive to another system, and it sprang to life.

> This event is by no means unusual as the drive electronics declare a drive

> dead long before it is absolutely unreadable.

> 6. You took the failing drive to a shop whose technician was able to read

> the drive with "unstoppable copier software". He copied the contents of

> the dying drive to another one.

This is part of 5. Yes, he put the contents of the failed drive on my 320G

external drive.

> 7. Alas, when you installed the results of the techninian's work into

> you computer, you found that all was not well.

Not quite. I had the job of working out the details from here. I brought

both drives home and took them to a second PC with XP on it. There I copied

from the external drive, unstoppable, to the new drive, also a 320G drive,

internal. I then took it all back to the back to the errant machine and put

it back in the primary position.

 

It fired up and quite a bit works, but some doesn't. The question is how to

proceed. I provided my answer in my first post here. I'm headed to the

airport shortly, so will be somewhat out of contact with the internet. I'll

be in Pasadena, but i'm not sure the motel has access to the internet for my

laptop. If not, late Sunday afternoon.

>

> So, where to go now?

> 1. Remove all disks from the computer except the one that you wish to

> make into a system drive.

> 2. Install XP on this drive. Install all of your software to the new

> system drive.

> 3. Then, and only then, connect your other drives back up. You may be

> able to read some data from your old system drive, and, if so, do it

> quickly.

>

> It seems to me that what the "unstoppable copier software" does is copy

> everything errors and all. Perhaps this is the best way to get your data

> off the old drive while it is still working.

>

>

> Jim

>

[Guest Jim]

Re: Recovering XP after a Disk Failure

 

 

"wtw" <invalid@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message

news:0UrFk.2451$Ws1.1590@nlpi064.nbdc.sbc.com...

> Close. See below.

> "Jim" <j.n@invalid.invalid> wrote in message

> news:uRwMRJXJJHA.1160@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>>

>> "wtw" <invalid@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message

>> news:i%pFk.2450$YU2.507@nlpi066.nbdc.sbc.com...

>>> Continuing from a related thread below. Before posing a question on a

>>> new twist in the plot, let me review where I am. My XP PC's local drive

>>> failed. I replaced it with a new one. There was a d-drive in the system.

>>> When I installed XP, I mistakenly ended up with:

>>>

>>> c: New drive

>>> f:: Now the local drive with it's past folders. 85% full

>>> This I did not want. I wanted the new drive to be local and certainly

>>> didn't want the drive letter change. From the earlier thread below, it

>>> looks difficult to do anything about that.

>>>

>>> Meanwhile the computer shop where I took the "dead" disk finds it's

>>> alive, and quickly copy the contents to an external drive that I

>>> provided.

>>>

>>> It seemed apparent to the tech guy that I might be able to get the new

>>> HD back in order by using unstoppable copier software. This required

>>> taking the external drive to another PC with XP, and copying to the new

>>> drive over there.

>>>

>>> Quite possibly I misunderstood how to do this. I ended up with all

>>> the files on the new HD, thinking I now had a bootable drive, which I

>>> could take back to the original machine. I was able to boot up, but I'm

>>> quite sure it was off the F-drive that I had accidentally installed on

>>> it a few

>>> days ago. However, some programs worked fine, but ultimately I could see

>>> this was wrong. F remained the local drive, and, as far as I know, the

>>> new

>>> drive has no ability to be booted. Of course, the drive names did not

>>> change. I still have c and f. The new c drive is 320G. ide,western

>>> digital

>>>

>>> My guess as how to proceed from here is to install XP on the new drive

>>> after reformating it. . I will likely need to do this on the old machine

>>> by disconnecting the f-drive disk. Then continue as above with

>>> unstoppable

>>>

>>> In a few hoursI leave for a weekend trip. I'll deal with this again when

>>> I get back. At least, I have all my old doc and other files back. I'll

>>> continue to explore buying a new PC. I likely will take my laptop with

>>> me. This machine.

>>>

>>>

>>>

>> Let me see if I understand what you did:

>>

>> 1. Your system drive began failing.

>> 2. You decided to replace the failing drive (correct IMHO)

>> 3, You replaced the suspect drive with a new one.

>> 4. You then installed XP one the new drive, but you did not first

>> disconnect all devices not need for the installation. This is how you

>> wound Yes.

>> up with the new system drive being F.

> I took the drive to a shop. They got it to fire up quickly.

>> 5. You took the failing drive to another system, and it sprang to life.

>> This event is by no means unusual as the drive electronics declare a

>> drive dead long before it is absolutely unreadable.

>> 6. You took the failing drive to a shop whose technician was able to

>> read the drive with "unstoppable copier software". He copied the

>> contents of the dying drive to another one.

> This is part of 5. Yes, he put the contents of the failed drive on my 320G

> external drive.

>> 7. Alas, when you installed the results of the techninian's work into

>> you computer, you found that all was not well.

> Not quite. I had the job of working out the details from here. I brought

> both drives home and took them to a second PC with XP on it. There I

> copied from the external drive, unstoppable, to the new drive, also a 320G

> drive, internal. I then took it all back to the back to the errant machine

> and put it back in the primary position.

>

> It fired up and quite a bit works, but some doesn't. The question is how

> to proceed. I provided my answer in my first post here. I'm headed to the

> airport shortly, so will be somewhat out of contact with the internet.

> I'll be in Pasadena, but i'm not sure the motel has access to the internet

> for my laptop. If not, late Sunday afternoon.

>>

>> So, where to go now?

>> 1. Remove all disks from the computer except the one that you wish to

>> make into a system drive.

>> 2. Install XP on this drive. Install all of your software to the new

>> system drive.

>> 3. Then, and only then, connect your other drives back up. You may be

>> able to read some data from your old system drive, and, if so, do it

>> quickly.

>>

>> It seems to me that what the "unstoppable copier software" does is copy

>> everything errors and all. Perhaps this is the best way to get your data

>> off the old drive while it is still working.

>>

>>

>> Jim

>>

>

>

Perhaps a repair installation would fix the new system disk if what is not

working are parts of the OS. If this does not succeed, then a new

installation is in order.

Repairing your data may not be possible.

Jim