Windows start problem?

[Darren UK]

Hi All,

I have just built a PC myself and I am using my old HDD. When the system boots it goes to a screen that says windows did not start correctly last time. It gives me various options of starting, safe mode, normal mode etc etc. It then counts down from 25ish. When i let it count down or choose another option all that happens is it resets and then returns to the same screen again and never starts windows. Dows anyone know the problem and how I can fix?

Many thanks for your time and help.

Darren

 

[ZER0X]

Have you chosen Safemode or Normal mode, or even last used good configuration, If it still does that, you need format your hard-drive, so that it will configure all your new hardware.

Thats all I can think off

ZER0X

 

[Darren UK]

Hi

Yes, tried all of them. Oh dear, that's the only option? I'm going to loose a lot of info. I guess.

Thanks,
Darren

 

[ZER0X]

Hi

Yes, tried all of them. Oh dear, that's the only option? I'm going to loose a lot of info. I guess.

Thanks,
Darren

Praetor might be able to help you out alot more
If you have the installer for xp try reinstalling it all over but instead of formatting it just install it again while still having the info on your HD

This might be another option to save your info

ZER0X

 

[Joefox]

Greetings,

Judging by the looks of things if you cannot start up windows, your old HDD may be corrupt, and will need to be reformatted.

Stick in the windows XP cd --> reformat (the long way) --> install xp

If this does not work, as it did not work on the PC that I am currently troubleshooting for some friends, your disk or the writing pin may be damaged. If this is the case, and there is something you direly need on the disk you may try looking around the internet for retrieval experts there are some people who can take out the disk wafers and retrieve data.

At any rate, if you cannot access windows startup then I suggest (a) reformat from XP cd, if you cannot then (b) you need a new disk

 

[tristan]

If you are trying to put a old harddrive from another computer in a new system with new hardware the harddrive will not work. When windows is loaded only certain drivers are installed for the hardware that is in your rig. If you want to save the data you have now than I suggest either buying or borrowing a spare HD from someone, installing windows on it, plugging your old HD in as a slave and transfering the data from the old to the borrowed. Then formatting the old HD and making the borrowed a slave and transfering the data back to the freshly installed HD.

 

[Joefox]

I agree with Tristan, and I hope you know the pin configuration on your HDD. If you don't you will need to find that or do a little guess work like a detective. If the disk is corrupt slave or not it won't be retrievable by common means.

 

[tristan]

To see if it is corrupt post the make and model of your HD and I can foward you to a link that will give you a Diagnostic Utility for your HD that is loaded on a bootable floppy and will check your harddrive for errors. I can also walk you through it if the instructions are confusing.

 

[kb1ghc]

what version of WinD'oh!s do you have on the HDD? new hardware doesn't usually have drivers for old OS's so maybe that could be the problem.

but you don't have to loose all the data, just get another HDD, and hook the exisiting one up as slave, install a new OS onto the master HDD, and copy and paste.

 

[Darren UK]

Hi Guys

Many thanks for your comments!

I have an IBM deskstar 80gb, model i am not sure of. Winodows XP Prof. is the OS

I tried last night to boot from windows from my CD drive, but it does the same thing and doesn't even start windows?

Thanks
Darren

 

[cyras21]

I'm having this same problem with an existing computer no hardware changes, did you find a fix short of reformatting the hard drive?