Problems booting

[Mokles]

My PC won't boot and I need to recover data from it before I ditch it for good! It's going round and round and comes up with the following error message:

 

DmN indicates a revision and number encountered or specified is not known by the service. It may be a more recent revision than the service is aware of.

 

Does anybody know what this means and how I get rid of it?

 

Am I right in thinking that if I use my windows XP disk to boot the PC this will just update the system files and enable me to accesss my data and back it up?

 

Hoping somebody can help.

[Match]

Are you talking about a repair installation of XP?

 

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx

[Mokles]

Yes. Thanks that link gives me almost identical information to what I found elsewhere. I think I'll give it a go.

[Mokles]

Well, that didn't work. During the set up I kept getting messages that set up couldn't copy files. Eventually PC crashed. I tried again and then got the message that Drive C is corrupted and cannot be repaired.

 

My next question is if I install windows again without trying to repair the existing one will my data still be there on the new one?

 

Also, what is Xpress Recovery and what will happen if I select Execute Backup Utility? Will this lose my data?

Edited March 29, 2010 by Mokles

[Jelly Bean]

DMN confused me,is it this software:http://www.havi.org/pdf/jun10.pdf

 

 

Use the disk and boot to recovery console with command prompt and type in chkdsk /r and hit enter on your keyboard.This will check your hard drive.

 

 

My next question is if I install windows again without trying to repair the existing one will my data still be there on the new one?

 

Also, what is Xpress Recovery and what will happen if I select Execute Backup Utility? Will this lose my data?

 

No do not do this as all data will be lost.

 

Another thing to try is remove the hard drive and fit as a slave to another computer and remove the data.

[Mokles]

Hi Jelly Bean and thanks for your reply. No, it isn't that software. It also says "lsass.exe - system error".

 

I can't fit to another computer as I don't have one. Will try your other suggestion now

[Mokles]

I've just run chkdsk /r. It got to 25% and then said "The volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems. I guess this means my only option now is to format the hard drive and then use some recovery data software.

[Jelly Bean]

Are you able to ask a friend,school or college to lend you an external hard drive case to convert the internal hard drive to an USB external.

 

I would not reformat the drive,it appears to be failing.Can you ask a friend to allow you to plug the hard drive as a slave to there computer?

 

Recovery software will only retrieve some of the files and there is no garantee that the files will be ok or corrupted.

[Mokles]

My son has an external hard drive for his laptop. Would i be able to use this and how would I do it?

 

Thanks

[KenB]

Hi,

 

There is another option:

hard drive to USB adapter.

see here

 

This particular one fits 2.5" and 3.5" drives SATA and IDE.

There are cheaper ones on the market.

 

You would need to take a look at you drive to determine if it is SATA or IDE.

SATA has just 4 cables where IDE has a big broad grey cable.

 

If you have a desktop you have a 3.5" hard drive - laptop 2.5".

 

You can use your son's external drive but it does mean that you have to take it apart ( not too difficult with most ) and your hard drive would need to be compatible with the enclosure - i.e. the same connections and size as the enclosed drive.

[Mokles]

Hi, so am I right in thinking that the USB adaptor is an easy way of connecting my corrupted hard drive to another hard drive? If so how then do I copy the data across?

 

Thanks

[Jelly Bean]

No,it converts the hard drive into an external hard drive so it can be plugged in via USB to another computer or laptop.

[Armageddon]

Scythe Kama Connect 2 USB2.0 IDE and SATA External Adapter (KAMACONNECT2) - dabs.com thats what i use if i need to acsess a drive basically plug in the drive plug in the usb to a second pc/laptop and repair or remove whats needed

[Mokles]

Thanks for all that I think I've got it now. Will wait 'til I've got a new PC and do it then. I'll probably be back again then.

 

Happy Easter All

[Mokles]

Hi Everybody,

 

Right I've got me a spanking new PC which has Windows 7. Now I've had a couple of weeks enjoying it I realise I need to do something about the data that's stuck on my old PC. I'm going to get an external hard drive to use for backing up with my new PC anyway, so I was wondering if before I use it for that purpose I can use it to solve my other problem. Please give me any suggestions in idiots language as this is new territory for me.

 

Thanks