Windows xp recovry cd error missing hardrive?

hello .my pops computer gives him a error message when he puts the recovery cd in. it says that it cant install windows because there is no harddrive? before all this happen windows wouldn't load up cause it was missing a file could that be the problem?. i don't know the name of the file that was missing but it just seems odd



His computer has windows xp home and nothing was installed beside Kodak picture thing but it would turn off and turn back on with no prob other then that nothing was installed or added to the pc

 

If its a SATA hard drive you have to press F6 just after starting XP Setup and insert driver disk for RAID support. Also if its a laptop you can find a related setting in the BIOS program.

 

Hi Again Ancient Superman,
can you give me/us a bit of detail as to your Pops computer, as in HDD type, IDE or SATA, motherboard brand & model?
The missing file was it like NTLDR? if so search google there is a fix and it works, as I recently had to do it! follow the instructions they are not hard to follow!
Regards Jac

 

His got a new pc i helped him pick out a good pc, Next time im down at his house im gonna get the motherboards model hard drive info etc he wont's to still try get his old pc to work.also the computer is 8 years old could the hard drive just be going bad??

 

I use 13+ year old HDDs for odd jobs.

Try testing it
http://tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

 

Hello again im down at his house for a few weeks and ive been working on a fix for it here is what i have tryed

I downloded dia tool from western digital site lifeguard dos cd when it loaded up it said error code 0120 looked on the website it means unknown error

i also tryed installing windows i got pass the no harddrive detected screen it will sometimes detete a harddrive and some times it wont waited 3 hours for the format nothing happened

i also runned dell cd run a test it detected 4 errors 3 was the same and it involved floppy drive it said it wasent reading or responding in time the other one was the hardrive its named weird like nic ide somthing not sure if it is the harddrive will post more info later on the names and stuff

i got a ubuntu cd tryed installing that when i get to the partion screen nothing is listed ubuntu wont let me go forword without selecting a partion but it wont let me create nothing also the ubuntu cd will let me load desktop of ubuntu and access the web and so on

i also took the case off and made sure the wires where all hooked up and pushed in good everything checked out fine

what i think is the problem is the harddrive maybe it just needs a new one? i can get one up the street cheap about 20 bucks for the same harddrivwe thats in the pc right now or maybe a new battar coin cell battary dell support book says it lasts seven years and the pc is 7 and a half years old



PS

sorry for the bad spelling and grammer

 

Given the bargain price of a replacement drive, I'd say "Go for it." Get the new cmos battery also. If it all works out, you will be able to impress your dad for very little outlay. If it doesn't, you haven't lost much.

A seven year old computer is not worth a great deal but your fathers opinion of you is likely to be priceless.

All the best, Dude