Little Knowledge? Dangerous Thing...
Discussion
After I painstakingly putting together a computer from scratch for my parents a few months ago, my old man recently figured out how to remove old programs and decided to do a 'spring clean'.
During said spring clean, he deleted all the RAID and SATA files from Windows. Now the computer won't boot up Windows XP - it gets to the loading screen (XP logo and moving blue line) and then just reboots. On the reboot, it offers me the option of starting in Safe Mode, but I can't move the selection bar off the 'run Windows normally' option. Therefore it tries to run Windows and reboots again and again and again.
I've tried putting in the Windows CD to boot from that and allow me to install the RAID and SATA files from the OEM's floppy, but it won't let me do that. It tries to boot from CD (even offers the 'press a key to boot from CD option), but then just tries to run Windows and fails.
Any suggestions from the tecchies on here? I am well and truly beaten
TIA
During said spring clean, he deleted all the RAID and SATA files from Windows. Now the computer won't boot up Windows XP - it gets to the loading screen (XP logo and moving blue line) and then just reboots. On the reboot, it offers me the option of starting in Safe Mode, but I can't move the selection bar off the 'run Windows normally' option. Therefore it tries to run Windows and reboots again and again and again.
I've tried putting in the Windows CD to boot from that and allow me to install the RAID and SATA files from the OEM's floppy, but it won't let me do that. It tries to boot from CD (even offers the 'press a key to boot from CD option), but then just tries to run Windows and fails.
Any suggestions from the tecchies on here? I am well and truly beaten
TIA
Hose and reload 
Ultimately depending on the RAID controller you'll need to F6 the RAID controller drivers to get it to recognise the RAID controller as a drive.
Its quicker that fixing it.
On a slight aside, is it just me who quite enjoys banging out freshly built machines in under half an hour (hardware dependant?)
Ultimately depending on the RAID controller you'll need to F6 the RAID controller drivers to get it to recognise the RAID controller as a drive.
Its quicker that fixing it.
On a slight aside, is it just me who quite enjoys banging out freshly built machines in under half an hour (hardware dependant?)
neil_cardiff said:
Hose and reload
Ultimately depending on the RAID controller you'll need to F6 the RAID controller drivers to get it to recognise the RAID controller as a drive.
Its quicker that fixing it.
Sorry - could you explain in a bit more detail please? Hard drives aren't really my thing.
tycho said:
Do you not get the option when booting from cd to recover a windows installation?
Usually, yes you do, however on the old man's machine it won't even let me boot from the CD. It tries and then just reverts to the old boot and fail cycle.
tycho said:
give him a restricted account.
Too chuffing right - he's not doing this again
I'm just worried as we have a load of family photos on there and I don't want to lose them...
Nuggs said:
Hose and reload
Ultimately depending on the RAID controller you'll need to F6 the RAID controller drivers to get it to recognise the RAID controller as a drive.
Its quicker that fixing it.
Sorry - could you explain in a bit more detail please? Hard drives aren't really my thing.tycho said:
Do you not get the option when booting from cd to recover a windows installation?
Usually, yes you do, however on the old man's machine it won't even let me boot from the CD. It tries and then just reverts to the old boot and fail cycle.tycho said:
give him a restricted account.
Too chuffing right - he's not doing this again
I'm just worried as we have a load of family photos on there and I don't want to lose them...
Whatever you do then, do NOT destroy the RAID array, as you'll lose the photos for ever.
If you installed it, surely you must know your RAID 0 from RAID 5?
If not, I'd possibly draft in somebody who knows how to recover the machine. You will not be able to recover anything without 'repairing' the system, which usually starts with the Recovery Mode.
You could, as an alternative, and much easier way, install an additional drive, mount and install XP onto it, and then (fingers crossed) you'll see the hosed drive(s) and be able to rip the data off.
neil_cardiff said:
You could, as an alternative, and much easier way, install an additional drive, mount and install XP onto it, and then (fingers crossed) you'll see the hosed drive(s) and be able to rip the data off.
thats what I'd do. Or could you slipstream the SATA drivers into a bootable XP CD?
EDIT: www.maximumpc.com/2005/01/how_to_slipstre.html
>> Edited by GregE240 on Friday 12th May 15:45
neil_cardiff said:
Whatever you do then, do NOT destroy the RAID array, as you'll lose the photos for ever.
If you installed it, surely you must know your RAID 0 from RAID 5?
It's not actually set up with a RAID array (only one SATA drive installed) - however I assume that it still needs the correct drivers?
neil_cardiff said:
You could, as an alternative, and much easier way, install an additional drive, mount and install XP onto it, and then (fingers crossed) you'll see the hosed drive(s) and be able to rip the data off.
That's what I was thinking of doing as a last resort (due to the expense, faff-factor and delay). I just hoped there might be a quick fix...
A useful weapon against dead systems is to boot up with a Bart PE CD and see if you can access the hard drive. If so then you can copy off the important files onto a USB Flash or external HDD (always useful to have one of these) then hose it.
Edit:
>> Edited by JonRB on Friday 12th May 16:34
Edit:
neil_cardiff said:Neil - the Bart PE approach above is much easier.
You could, as an alternative, and much easier way, install an additional drive, mount and install XP onto it, and then (fingers crossed) you'll see the hosed drive(s) and be able to rip the data off.
>> Edited by JonRB on Friday 12th May 16:34
Nuggs said:If it's just a single SATA drive plugged in to the motherboard, then the PC should see the drive without you needing any 3rd party SATA drivers.
It's not actually set up with a RAID array (only one SATA drive installed) - however I assume that it still needs the correct drivers?
ehasler said:
It's not actually set up with a RAID array (only one SATA drive installed) - however I assume that it still needs the correct drivers?
It doesn't...
It must be able to see the drive, otherwise you'd get a plain text message referring to a missing ntloader file.
ETA - the fact you're getting as far as the Windows logo means it's starting to boot, but is failing due to another problem - probably some other driver that's missing.
>> Edited by ehasler on Friday 12th May 17:04
ETA - the fact you're getting as far as the Windows logo means it's starting to boot, but is failing due to another problem - probably some other driver that's missing.
>> Edited by ehasler on Friday 12th May 17:04
Did he remove something else perhaps?
You need to work out why it's not loading off the CD though. This is well before Windows gets its claws into the startup process. Is the CD definitely bootable? If you get the CD working, then you can do a repair install and probably not lose anything.
You need to work out why it's not loading off the CD though. This is well before Windows gets its claws into the startup process. Is the CD definitely bootable? If you get the CD working, then you can do a repair install and probably not lose anything.
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