It actually does sound like a hard drive failure. A hard drive failure is typically confined to a small, specific area of the disk. Frequently, this results in the loss of a few files and little else. In your case, the failure occurred in the locale of critical OS file clusters -- bad news. Most of your files/data should still be accessible.

Well, technically I suppose your right, but in the trade a hard drive faliure occurrs when the drive has mechanically failed in such away that it is no longer accessible by any means. The slang "bad sectors" usually is applied to the problem you described. It can usually be fixed running Norton Disk Doctor, locking out the bad sectors, and then attempting to run XP as an upgrade. If the registry was not located on the bad sectors, chances are you can get the computer back to normal.

If you're booting the laptop from an XP CD, then there should be an option to use the repair console. Once there, it is similar to a DOS prompt, so you can poke around the hard drive to see if some of the files are there. It also has facilities to repair the boot records.

As mentioned above, you can also get the adapter to connect the drive to a desktop PC. And you need not buy it on Ebay, I bought one at CompUSA a couple months ago for just a few bucks. It worked flawlessly and let me pull the data from a friend's drive that was in the exact same condition as yours.

If he hasn't made an Emergency rescue disk set, I doubt if the Emergency console will do him much good. In any case, the very first thing he needs to do is get it up and running to the point he can examine the disk with a disk utility for bad sectors. If you don't lock out those sectors first, other repair attempts will just make it worse.

is this different then the boot disk??

how do i do the bad sector fix? i have to do that to this hd too...

thanks. but it will not really boot with the hd plugged in. i might have gotten to the repair console but i don't really know how to proceed there...

thanks for the info on the enslavement cables. i'll probably pick 1 up anyway. good to have just in this kind of case.

Yes, this is how I solved the same problem on an older Compaq. Just hooked the drive up to my PC as a slave and copied all the data to a spare IDE HD in my tower. Then I could re-format the laptop HD (with my PC) so I could install into the laptop HD again and do a clean OS install. Then you can hook back up to the PC and copy all your files back over. Lots 'O work, but saved data at minimal cost.

C'mon -- that's just Symantecs (get it? hahaha). You may be right -- I forgot about Norton Disk Doctor -- is there a current version? If there is, it may yet be able to save the day.

yeh but, that's after the HD is up and running, right?

No -- Disk Doctor can run from a boot disk.

What you could try is going HERE and see if this boot cd can help you in any way. Of course you will need someone to download and burn it for you if you don't have another computer. The image contains a lot of useful tools.

Good luck.
Steinar

The first thing I need to know is if he succeeded in formating his hard drive, which he refered to earlier. If he didn't, he might be able to do it all from the install CD without a need for Norton. If he reformated it then the pooch is already screwed.

If he did not, use the install CD to get to a command prompt following these instructions:

http://kb.indiana.edu/data/alkz.html?cust=818387.08348.131

When you get to the command prompt type:

C:\windows\system32\chkdsk.exe /r

Unless that file is damaged, it should fix your bad sectors and move whatever data is salvagable to good sectors. Read the final screen and note if it locked out bad sectors. After that, see if the computer will boot normally. If it does not, insert the install CD and re-run the install as a repair or upgrade - do not choose any options asking you to format. That should fix it.

GermanStar,

is this thing downloadable from somewhere?

Norseman,

thanks. i'll probably down load it and rip another disk... man gonna have to make a run to the store for more disks. i've been burning stuff off of the limping HD.

KV,

no, no, not reformatted. avoiding that till the last resort. can't loose a few of the files on there... i am still limping and pulling of stuff from the other HD. I'll probably try to reformat this puppy first. just callecting info and other things i'll need to make this smooth as possible. all the freaking plugins and drivers and such.... man, i need a faster connection... damned murphy's law!.....

kinda funny you pointed me to the knowledge base at IU. i was going there soon enough. it's a great db. :sun_smile

Follow their instructions, run chkdsk, re-install as an upgrade from a Windows XP cd, not the Dell Re-installer (it will wipe out everything), you might fix it.

It doesn't look like they even support the product anymore -- I remember it as a Windows 95/98 thing. Try googling "error loading operating system" and you'll find lots of information and ideas.