happy birthday to me

[Rico]

I'm currently typing this on my mother's computer.

It's definitely not the most convenient option: the computer has simply replaced my usual one, and it's upstairs, and my family are going to have to share it in my bedroom. My current PC is lying in a corner with a wastebasket on top of it.

It started on Saturday, that is, my birthday, where I woke up to enjoy my newfound freedom (I had gotten a day off work), and after the usual presents ritual I powered up my PC to discover that it rebooted little more than 2 seconds after the Windows logo appeared.

Perplexing. I repeated the process, getting tiny glimses of the screenful of text that appeared on the screen for a millisecond before the computer shut off. I made out UNMOUNTABLE_DRIVE_VOLUME.

I have two hard drives. The first is a system disk, split halfway between Debian and Windows. The second is full of FAT partitions with the good stuff: 120gb of your usual ill-gotten media and files. Oh, and backup.

Debian started and I could mount the windows part of my system disk read-only, everything seemed in order. Yet Windows refuses to start. I have no idea why, since there are no Windows system files on the second hard drive. Surely Windows XP won't refuse to boot just because one hard drive goes out of action?

I could also use linux to mount one partition of my second hard drive, but the others seem invisible. Which would lead me to assume the problem is with that, but as I said, there are no system files there. Frustration passed to desperation as I tried out a laptop, but the cable modem didn't work - it's USB. My laptop has a USB port in the eyes of everyone, except the install program for my modem drivers.

Now I'm confused over what to do next. Should I be so quick to format and reinstall my primary HD? Will it not work even then? Is it a hardware problem or a software problem? Lots of choices, lots of pitfalls.

My current plan? Getting a bootable XP disk from a friend, going to use that to chkdsk /r the drives. They might be fixed; if not, I'll be moving the HD into another computer, backing things up, and then replacing that HD with a much smaller one from my brother's unused computer. Then I'd have to *sigh* reinstall XP and all my other programs and settings.

As I said, that's the plan, but any tips or feedback would be welcomed. Sorry to go on so long, but I'm pretty annoyed right now. If God -does- play dice with the universe, it look like he rolled a Snake Eyes.

 

[*Dc*hardcoregamez]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICO GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!!!! :

 

[generalnmx]

Once again, happy b-day Rico

As it happens, I've had the same problem in the past, with a clean installation of Windows XP only. I think it has to do with updating the partition's table incorrectly.

Try reinstalling Windows XP over your existing installation.

Although, I am always wary of multiple partitions with Windows + anything, which is why I keep mine on seperate HDDs.

 

[VirtuaLeech]

Happy birthday Rico
A year older, a year wiser :unsure:

 

[EvilDragon]

Yeah, happy birthday from me, too.

Here a few tips to fix all the stuff:

- Try to boot from the WinXP CD and start the rescue system. From there you can copy needed system files, run chkdsk, etc.

- As already said, try installing WinXP over the old version... though this will most likely not work (WinXP refuses to do this).

- Try booting into the Safe Mode (press F8 during the booting sequence) and IF you're able to boot, try reinstalling the Service Pack. This will fix the system files.

- Try booting with creation of a bootlog.txt enabled. This bootlog.txt (can be found at c:\bootlog.txt) lists all files and drivers loaded. The last one in the list is the one why the computer rebooted. Either try replacing that file in the WinXP rescue system or go into the safe mode and disable the driver.

- IF you have to reinstall WinXP, just make a backup of your Documents and Settings-Folder before reinstalling. Also, don't delete the Program Files folder. That way you keep your settings and just have to reinstall WinXP and all the programs. Just copy the appropriate files from the old profiles-directory from the Documents and Settings folder into the new profiles-folder.

I hope that helps and ... Good luck

 

[woogal]

apt-get install dosfstools will give you fsck.vfat, which may help you check your second drive. Or maybe this could be a sign that you should stop using XP

Happy Birthday

 

[Rico]

Thanks all

EvilDragon, not only was your post very helpful, but it agrees with what I'm planning.

- Try to boot from the WinXP CD and start the rescue system. From there you can copy needed system files, run chkdsk, etc.

As I said, I just got a bootable CD today and I'll be doing chkdsk.

- As already said, try installing WinXP over the old version... though this will most likely not work (WinXP refuses to do this).

If it comes to this, I'll just format and reinstall, using another hard drive for backup.

- Try booting into the Safe Mode (press F8 during the booting sequence) and IF you're able to boot, try reinstalling the Service Pack. This will fix the system files.

After the comp starts it presents the 'Windows didn't start' menu, all safe mode options (in fact, all options) fail the same way.

- Try booting with creation of a bootlog.txt enabled. This bootlog.txt (can be found at c:\bootlog.txt) lists all files and drivers loaded. The last one in the list is the one why the computer rebooted. Either try replacing that file in the WinXP rescue system or go into the safe mode and disable the driver.

I've been kicking myself for not having bootlog enabled. Any idea how to do this using the rescue system?

- IF you have to reinstall WinXP, just make a backup of your Documents and Settings-Folder before reinstalling. Also, don't delete the Program Files folder. That way you keep your settings and just have to reinstall WinXP and all the programs. Just copy the appropriate files from the old profiles-directory from the Documents and Settings folder into the new profiles-folder.

I'll boot into linux and copy over the files to my ext2 partitions. I mean, as much as I can. Although I must ask, is there any way to install XP onto an unpartitioned area of a hard drive without disturbing the linux part? I'm sure there is, but I'm equally sure that my bootloader will be overwritten.

woogal: frustratingly no working internet on the Debian side, I could never manage to compile CDCEther into my kernel to support my badly-chosen USB cable modem. I'm pretty sure the reason I can only access one partition on my second HD is because Windows has split the HD into two logical drives (? or something) with the second containing the majority of the partitions, the first only one.

generalnmx: well it is true that linux/windows are on the same HD, but I'm prepared to lose linux. That is, unless I'm backing up stuff on it :/

Thanks again,

- Rico

 

[Rico]

Update: naturally, the chkdsk /r bluescreens with PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA ...

Going to attempt to get a network running under linux, copy some files over (ouch, that means I'll need to support microsoft shares I expect) and wipe the HD completely. Joy of joys.

 

[EvilDragon]

- Try booting with creation of a bootlog.txt enabled. This bootlog.txt (can be found at c:\bootlog.txt) lists all files and drivers loaded. The last one in the list is the one why the computer rebooted. Either try replacing that file in the WinXP rescue system or go into the safe mode and disable the driver.

I've been kicking myself for not having bootlog enabled. Any idea how to do this using the rescue system?

Hehe, you can't enable the creation of the Bootlog.txt - it's an option which can be chosen when you press F8
That's cause creating the bootlog.txt takes pretty long - and you only need it if something doesn't work.

 

[Rico]

Weeeeeeeeell I managed to mount my second HD under linux (it was hdb5-9, didn't start at 1) and copy over some vital files before wiping the main drive and installing XP anew.

Unfortunately I unpartitioned the space and tried to install over the unpartitioned space, the format failed [I had forgotten to partition it again!] ... in my frustration I simply pulled out the HD and replaced it with an older one. It works, but all my second drive partitions aren't showing up. I have a horrible feeling that the format may have been running over those In that case, it looks like I'll need to do some data recovery; I wasn't planning on it.

Still, I have my XP base system (sp1a) and a working Internet connection. Lots of stuff to do but I seem to have survived this (yet another) Windows disaster.

Thanks again for your help.

- Rico

 

[Rico]

Final update: second HD appeared as 'foreign'. Quite worried for a while until right-clicking the disk brought up 'import foreign disks...' - clicking unlocked all 5 partitions, yay!

Oh and XP seems to be booting in about 5 seconds now

 

[Azure]

Happy Day of Birth!


Edit: Whoops! Two days late

 

[Evil_Cartman]

Happy Birthday!!!