CHKDSK can't fix hard drive.

Some of you are aware that I was/am working on a Compaq XP computer. Well, I did return it to the owner with a different hard drive with his XP software on it and his old hard drive slaved so he could make back ups of what he needed. Well, he told me that there was no other hard drive. I finally got to his place to get the xtra drive and when I opened it up I noticed the power plug came off the slaved drive. Well I hooked it back up so he could get the files off of it he needed. When I booted the computer it started up through the slave hard drive. So, I shut it down and disconnected the slaved drive. Now his new drive won't boot past the Welcome screen. In fact there is nothing on the Wecome screen but the windows logo on the center right. It just hangs there. So I got out his Compaq XP system recovery CD and put it in and when it gets to the screen where in you type in what you want to repair (in this case (1) C:\windows) it then asks for the administrative password. Well I put in his logon password and it fails and asks for the password again. I talked to the owner and the only password he has is the one he gave me for windows logon; which doesn't work. So, I just pressed enter and it bypassed the admin paswd part and gave me the C: prompt. So I typed in chdsk /r and it did a check and repair of the drive. It stated it did repair some files. So then I typed chkdsk /f and an error occured that stated something about that parameter is not valid. If this needs an admin password to repair the system the owner has nothing other than the password he gave me. NOW what?

Later. Pepse.

 

Hello Pepse,

Is the cd you're using an XP cd or the Compaq back to factory setting cd?

If the XP cd, bring up the Recovery Console (first repair option) > and scan for Windows installtions. Hitting enter will give you all syntax's. Sounds like there may something wrong with the Master Boot Record. If that's the case, there is a repair MBR option. In any case, does no harm to recreate it.

Regards - Charles

 

I few ?s about yoru situation.

While working with Compaqs in the past: The last drive plugged in sometimes became the default boot drive in BIOS. It could be that once you powered up the slave unit that the system started trying to unknowingly boot to the slave as the default boot device. That is your best senario, as otherwise it appears that errors on a NEW drive are not a good thing.

Is it indeed a new hard drive OR just new to this system?

Will it boot to Safe Mode?

If a system is not stable there is no reason yet to slave the old drive in an attempt to save older data.

If you yourself have another stable system perhaps you might extract the wanted data as quickly as possible for your friend then burn them a CD or dump it over to them online if possible.

TB7

 

The CD's that I have are all for this system. The "Compaq Operating System CD (Microsoft Windows XP Home) ", the Compaq Restore Plus, and 2 Restore Supplemental software CD's. The hard drive is used from an HP, but formatted before I installed it in the Compaq. When trying to go to safe mode it will at first have the safe mode logos in the corners but then goes back to the Welcome screen and hangs there. I even tried to go back to a previous time when everything was working and it got back to the Welcome screen and hung there. No doubt if I can get passed the Welcome screen I'll be fine. Providing the Welcome screen has the place to put in his password to logon. If need be I'll format his old hard drive and reinstall his system on that and try to save his data. If no one has an idea on how to get through this, or if it thought to be the better idea.

Later. Pepse.

 

Hi Pepse,

The CD's that I have are all for this system. The "Compaq Operating System CD (Microsoft Windows XP Home) ", the Compaq Restore Plus, and 2 Restore Supplemental software CD's.
A way to find out whether The "Compaq Operating System CD (Microsoft Windows XP Home) " is the standard OS: http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=49469
If it is, you need the optical drive to be the primary boot device in the BIOS in order to access the RC.

Regards - Charles

 

OK, Charles, according to what I should see by putting the red Compaq CD into the drive and it comes up with the same screen as your attachment through your link. So this should be the full XP install CD. Now what should I do next? If it to repair the MBR what do I need to do?

Later. Pepse.

 

Hi Pepse,

Shutdown and re-start with the XP cd in the ROM - this is assuming that the primary boot device is the cd rom. You should see a number of options, the one you want is "To repair windows using the Recovery Console" and enter the installation # - 1. If you do not see this and instead see "To Cancel the current upgrade and install a new version of Microsoft Windows, press F10 ", press F10 and then you'll see the RC option.

The command to enter at the blinking cursor: Bootcfg - Automatically scans all local disks for Windows installations and configures and repairs entries in the operating system menu (Boot.ini).

Regards - Charles

 

Okay, here is the results from typing in "bootcfg "

Use the bootcfg command for boot configuration and recovery.

BOOTCFG /SCAN (Scan all disks for windows installations and display the results

BOOTCFG /ADD (Add a windows installation to the boot list

BOOTCFG /REBUILD (Iterate through all windows installations and allow the user to choose which to add

BOOTCFG /DEFAULT (Set the default boot entry

BOOTCFG /LIST (List the entries already in the boot list

BOOTCFG /DISABLEREDIRECT (Disable redirection in the bootloader

BOOTCFG /REDIRECT (Enable redirection in the bootloader with the specified configuration

I condensed it a little but it shows what the answers are.

I am thinking I type "/rebuild" but because of what it says I am a bit apprehensive.

Later. Pepse.

 

Hi Pepse,

Scan and list, lets see what kind of info it gives you.

Regards - Charles

 

/scan = Total identified windows installations 1 .

/list = Total entries in boot list 1 .

1 "Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition "

OS Load options 1: /fastdetect

OS Location: C:\Windows

Later. Pepse.

 

Hi Pepse,

BOOTCFG /REBUILD (Iterate through all windows installations and allow the user to choose which to add

Only one installation and its on C so I don't see any problem of re creating the boot record for it.

If the problem is the MasterBootRecord, then you'll have to use the RC to repair that.

FYI: All the info is from XP INSIDE/Out By Ed Boot and Carl Siechert.

Regards - Charles

 

It won't repair. I tried "bootcfg /rebuild "; nothing. It gets to the WECOME SCREEN and there is no place to logon. I Googled a line and got a link to MS help and tried 2 other commands: Fixmbr & Fixboot. No luck it hangs on the Welcome screen.

Later. Pepse.

 

Hi Pepse,

Read thru this thread, similiar problem.

http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=49806

It's beginning to sound like a corrupted disk drive.

Regards - Charles

 

A "corrupted disk drive ". As in worms or malware? Makes me wonder as this is the second time I've had this problem with his computer. The other hard drive had a similar problem that I didn't correct but just grabbed this other drive and put his system on it. Now things were apparently going good with this drive until I slaved his old drive and that's when it went to heck, again. What's frustrating is that I took his original drive and installed his Compaq software on it so that I could get to the drive that has the present problem and as near as I can figure the info he needs from the other drive is not there, or if it is I can't access it through "start-my computer- "E ".

Now my next question is, I know that with older versions of windows (95 & 98) I could put windows on top of windows. Unless I am missing where to go it doesn't appear possible with XP. You know, when re-installing win98 you would get a prompt saying something about saving your old files and such and it would basically install windows and cure some problems that might have occured, which is why I would do it.

Pepse.

 

Hi Pepse,

As in worms or malware?
Could be - not going to find out until you can boot.

Repair install steps:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

FYI: I'm on vacation, so my reponses are going to be sporadic.

Regards - Charles