Solve : Cannot boot from disk.?

1.	Solve : Cannot boot from disk.?
Answer» I have a Dell Dimension 8400, and started my computer on normal day and found that windows would not load. It would simply restart or the screen would go BLACK and the motherboard would beep. I eventually switched from the 500gb drive to my 80gb harddrive, and booted from that disk, which worked fine. I can manage files on my 500gb while booting from this... so the HD isn't dead. How do I go about fixing the problem with my 500gb harddrive? thanks in advanceFirst thing is to get you most IMPORTANT data off the drive that does not boot. Have you recently made some changes to the XP operating system on the big drive? Such as using a Partition manager, boot manager, installing Linux or anything like that changing the disk structure. Lets just ASSUME that it is a fluke. NUT you can run the Ceckdsk command Quote Chkdsk is a utility that checks the computer's hard disk drives' status for any cross-linked or any additional errors with the hard disk drive. ... An easy way to start it is to open My Computer, right click the suspect drive, select properties, clink tools tab, clink check now. It will tell you to reset the PC. My guess is that part of the drive went sour. We hope it is just a minor thing that can be repaired. Don't overlook the [possibility of some kind of malware badness. The Chhckdsk will repairsome disk errors, but unlikely will fix the boot problem. Next you will have to put the affected drive back in as master and boot from the CD. You want to first try recovery console. We shall use FIXMBR and FIXBOOT, exit and reboot. Recovery console is one of the options when you boot up the original XP install CD. NOT the recovery CD from some manufacturers, It must be the install CD. You may have to do a repair install. Do you need instructions on that? Do you have the install CD for XP? alright, I'm trying this now. I won't need help with reinstalling XP, thanks. I've done it before... I just hoped I wouldn't have to spend an afternoon backing up all my files, and completely redoing my operating system.... Hope you get it fixed. Here is a rueful link for anyone else reading this that wonders about what is the difference between a full install and a repair install. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/help/install-reinstall-uninstallThe chkdsk yielded now results... it said everything was fine... This really annoys me because I had to reformat last summer too ... isn't there anyway to reinstall xp manually without erasing everything on the disk?If you have a enterprise or RETAIL version of XP you shouyld be able to do the 'repair install' which will fix up the system and redo the registry, but not remove entries for the programs. Some OEM version os XP don't allow this, but I have found taht both the HP and the DELL versions of XP work just the the standard XP when it comes to install options. (Before watching this video, set your hearing aid to eastern English.) http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-perform-a-windows-xp-repair-installation-155873/

Answer»

I have a Dell Dimension 8400, and started my computer on normal day and found that windows would not load. It would simply restart or the screen would go BLACK and the motherboard would beep.
I eventually switched from the 500gb drive to my 80gb harddrive, and booted from that disk, which worked fine. I can manage files on my 500gb while booting from this... so the HD isn't dead.

How do I go about fixing the problem with my 500gb harddrive?

thanks in advanceFirst thing is to get you most IMPORTANT data off the drive that does not boot.
Have you recently made some changes to the XP operating system on the big drive? Such as using a Partition manager, boot manager, installing Linux or anything like that changing the disk structure.
Lets just ASSUME that it is a fluke. NUT you can run the Ceckdsk command
Quote

Chkdsk is a utility that checks the computer's hard disk drives' status for any cross-linked or any additional errors with the hard disk drive. ...

An easy way to start it is to open My Computer, right click the suspect drive, select properties, clink tools tab, clink check now. It will tell you to reset the PC.

My guess is that part of the drive went sour. We hope it is just a minor thing that can be repaired. Don't overlook the [possibility of some kind of malware badness.

The Chhckdsk will repairsome disk errors, but unlikely will fix the boot problem. Next you will have to put the affected drive back in as master and boot from the CD. You want to first try recovery console.
We shall use FIXMBR and FIXBOOT, exit and reboot.
Recovery console is one of the options when you boot up the original XP install CD. NOT the recovery CD from some manufacturers, It must be the install CD.

You may have to do a repair install. Do you need instructions on that? Do you have the install CD for XP?

alright, I'm trying this now.
I won't need help with reinstalling XP, thanks. I've done it before... I just hoped I wouldn't have to spend an afternoon backing up all my files, and completely redoing my operating system....
Hope you get it fixed.
Here is a rueful link for anyone else reading this that wonders about what is the difference between a full install and a repair install.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/help/install-reinstall-uninstallThe chkdsk yielded now results... it said everything was fine...
This really annoys me because I had to reformat last summer too ... isn't there anyway to reinstall xp manually without erasing everything on the disk?If you have a enterprise or RETAIL version of XP you shouyld be able to do the 'repair install' which will fix up the system and redo the registry, but not remove entries for the programs.

Some OEM version os XP don't allow this, but I have found taht both the HP and the DELL versions of XP work just the the standard XP when it comes to install options.

(Before watching this video, set your hearing aid to eastern English.)
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-perform-a-windows-xp-repair-installation-155873/

Solve : Cannot boot from disk.?

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