Windows Could Not Start

Hello! This is my first post here. I recently came across a problem with my computer. Its not the usual missing file message. This is what I get from xp when it tries to start...

First time I have seen this. And from what I have read I am apparently missing several files. I have the original cd that installed my XP sp2 but my cd drive has apparently failed since then.

From what I have read I have 2 options I think.

1. Windows Repair install?

2. Put drive as slave in another computer and copy over the missing files to the windows drive.

Will option 1 reformat my C: drive? I have data on it I CANNOT lose! I was getting ready to do a backup of my windows installs on all my pc's to dvd but it decided to die BEFORE my plan.

If I do option 2, how will I go about finding out what DLL's are missing or corrupted?

I have an extra cd drive laying around that I can use in this pc to do option 1 if I need to. And cd drives are a dime a dozen.

Any suggestions on my problem would be appreciated!

 

I would recommend disconnecting any non-operating hardware devices. Sometimes, windows will get stuck when trying to initialize drivers for hardware devices that are not in operating order. If the data on your hard disk drive is critical, you can drop the old drive into a working PC and then just copy your important files off of it.

 

Well disconnecting any non-operating hardware did not fix the problem. As it turns out my windows installations file system is corrupted. Its a whole 300gb hard drive that I partitioned into 4 smaller ones and the one containing the windows xp installation is corrupted as well as 1 more partition. Is there a chance that I will be able to repair this? Its been a while since I have had to do this. What would be a suggestion now? Right now I am in windows recovery console doing a chkdsk on the windows partition.

Oh since the file system is corrupted I dont get the choice of repairing an existing windows xp installation. Just to make sure we are on the same track here!

Oh I did not do a repair on it with chkdsk. I just did a chkdsk drive: on it with no params on it.

 

Ok well apparently the dos cd version is useless as all it wants to do is setup the disk. That and fix the mbr. So it looks like this HD is going into another computer for me to install the windows version of that software to work with!

 

Oh sorry. Duh! Western Digital! Data life guard!

 

Ok maybe I need to make my self a bit clearer. When I said DOS CD version I meant I downloaded and burned the cd and booted from it. And attempted to venture through the various tools it offers. But since its in dos I am assuming it wont allow me to do any restoring as the file systems are ntfs! As it will only let me setup the disk which will ERASE EVERYTHING, and do some various things with the MBR. It will also give me some info on the drive but nothing useful!

 

Ah well then! I still stand by my last post. All I can do is create,delete or backup the MBR, copy a partition, and setup the disk. There is nothing for testing the drive.

 

Ok I downloaded, burned and ran it. It fails the quick test. Says to backup all data and then run the extended test or to run the media scan to resolve the problem.

Before I did the DOS CD I downloaded the windows version of it and it passes the SMART status. The DOS cd isnt showing anything about the HEALTH of the drive through SMART....

 

SWEET! I did a full media scan and it scanned the HD and repaired it! Thanks!

 

Ok I hate to do this to ya but something has gone a miss again. While I was working on that pc I noticed a 120gb maxtor drive that was in that machine but not hooked up as there was a shortage on molex power supply. So I decided to unplug the cd rom and hook it up. Well it works just windows said I had to format it first. I wasnt so sure of that so I downloaded maxtors diag tools and did a check on it. The quick test came up fine and the extended test did too. Weird cuz I know I would not leave an empty drive like that in the pc for no reason. I remember leaving it in there as I needed a molex Y splitter to get power to it. Any ways, after rebooting and attempting to get into windows to try and go ahead and format it, windows will not start.

This time it said "ERROR LOADING OS ". I looked it up and from what I have read my best bet was to fixmbr or fixboot it. I did both and now its telling me operating system not found. Which is even more weird as I KNOW how to use them. The partition that has my windows installation is drive D:. Dont ask me why I dont know. That was how windows did it.

Would doing a windows repair install solve my problem at this point? Or am I doing something wrong and stupid?

 

Tried that allready. Thought the same thing! Because when I first connected it, boot time like tripled on me at POST. So disconnected it and boot time at POST is still taking too long and I keep getting the same thing.

I allready ran the diagnostic tools again and all test come up fine this time.