Windows Reinstallation problems...

[Lolrence]

My Windows just corrupted on me..

It won't boot up under 'normal', 'last known good config', 'safe mode', it just goes blank after the loading bar. I've tried to go to the recovery console, but it hangs while trying to detect Windows. I've tried to setup Windows over again, but again, it hangs after detecting the hardwares and tries to detect the prevs copy of Windows...

Are there any other ways to recover Windows without having to use a 3rd party bootable disk partition/eraser, which I suppose would wipe out all my data??

:cry:

 

[maddyks]

Why don't you take out the HDD and use it as an external HDD or slave to some other working HDD and recover your data? Then you can format it without worrying and have a fresh install of Windows

 

[Lolrence]

It's a laptop...
I don't wanna open it up just to take out the hdd to format it using another com..

 

[ah.zeep]

Looks like one of those HDD sectors used by Windows itself has gone bad. The rest of the data should be recoverable if the HDD itself is taken out and accessed as an external HD, as maddyks has suggested. Another way is to look for some other HDD data recovery tool that can boot from CD or something and allow your HDD to still be accessed and data saved... but YMMV.

 

[maddyks]

did you try repairing the present installation of windows? Another alternative would be trying to use a live cd of linux and copy out your data but im not sure of how good it is with NTFS format.

 

[Lolrence]

did you try repairing the present installation of windows? Another alternative would be trying to use a live cd of linux and copy out your data but im not sure of how good it is with NTFS format.

Yea I did try, it just hung before I could even do anything to it. Can't do a repair of boot sector or anything. When I tried reinstalling, the Windows took quite a while to detect, but at least I know that it can be installed with a reformat.. wanna avoid that actually.

I'm looking for other ways to fix the boot.ini file (which i suppose is the culprit), but so far, not much help..

 

[tunster]

You need a magical tool call "Bart PE"

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

Download it and burn it into a CD (Create the disc with another PC). Boot your PC up and you should see a familiar interface (it base on Windows)

Run the Command prompt (cmd.exe) and use "chkdsk c:" to see any bad sector. If there are, apply "chkdsk c: /f". It should repair some bad sectors and try its best to recover those.
I've repaired a few and of course, not everytime works. But before you do it, I would suggest you to take out the HDD and make a backup somewhere.

 

[viewwing]

its a sign that the HDD is about to die... my desktop started with this symptoms... Better to just take it out. Change the HDD and use the current HDD as a external HDD first to get all your precious items out before its too late... :sweat:

 

[Lolrence]

I've decided to reinstall XP, cause I don't have important files in the laptop, halfway through, the com tells me that I've a missing biosinfo.inf..

Ok, just for a better understanding, my dell lappy came preinstalled with vista, and I reformatted the hdd b4, and installed winxp 64bit on it. So I guess the com can't detect the prev Vista biosinfo.. or smt like that...



P.S. I've done a diskchk, done a fixing of boot sector while at the recovery console.. All before the missing biosinfo.inf message came up. It's definitely not a faulty hdd, and I've gotten the laptop new, only 2 weeks b4 :sweat:

 

[Ola]

I've decided to reinstall XP, cause I don't have important files in the laptop, halfway through, the com tells me that I've a missing biosinfo.inf..

Ok, just for a better understanding, my dell lappy came preinstalled with vista, and I reformatted the hdd b4, and installed winxp 64bit on it. So I guess the com can't detect the prev Vista biosinfo.. or smt like that...



P.S. I've done a diskchk, done a fixing of boot sector while at the recovery console.. All before the missing biosinfo.inf message came up. It's definitely not a faulty hdd, and I've gotten the laptop new, only 2 weeks b4 :sweat:

Since your laptop is from Dell, you should have a set of CDs. Just use OS CD to reinstall and it should not prompt you for license key. If you still face problem with the installation using the CD, contact Dell support. It could be some hardware issues.

 

[Lolrence]

Since your laptop is from Dell, you should have a set of CDs. Just use OS CD to reinstall and it should not prompt you for license key. If you still face problem with the installation using the CD, contact Dell support. It could be some hardware issues.

I don't want to use the recovery cds cuz i don't wanna install vista..

Nevermind, I just did a 2nd reinstall over the reinstall, which apparently worked... So now, I just hope everything works as per normal, minus the need to install everything again..

Will update you guys if I've any more problems.. :angel: