cant recover XP installation

  • Thread starter Thread starter John DeStefano
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J

John DeStefano

I have a machine with several OSes installed on a single SATA disk
(XP, Vista, Linux), and in updating a Linux distribution, I somehow
screwed up my boot loaders. Previously, I had a grub loader, Vista's
loader, and XP's loader all playing nicely together in order to boot
into the different partitions. Now I can't boot to any.

I've tried the Vista recovery method (boot Vista DVD and let it repair
the MBR, claims to do so but nothing happens), and a few methods using
my XP CD (fixmbr, bootcfg list|rebuild), but none worked. Now, I'm
trying to do a "recovery" install over the previous XP installation,
but the installation program is saying that the XP partition "does not
contain a Windows-compatible partition." I'm guessing this means that
the partition table is bad? Is there any way to fix this?

Thank you.
 
Hi John,

I found that on my system, the SATA Disk disappears. I have my operating
systems on two IDE Disks and using the SATA Disk as storage.

Why did you start messing with the Boot Loaders at all? Which boot
loader were you using to boot into each operating system?

Which motherboard are you using?

Are you sure you screwed up your boot loaders, or did the SATA Disk
disappear during a Linux Distribution, therefore messing up everything?

Have you created Drive Partition images?


--
thecreator


"John DeStefano" <john.destefano@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1183501717.188738.149710@k29g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...
>I have a machine with several OSes installed on a single SATA disk
> (XP, Vista, Linux), and in updating a Linux distribution, I somehow
> screwed up my boot loaders. Previously, I had a grub loader, Vista's
> loader, and XP's loader all playing nicely together in order to boot
> into the different partitions. Now I can't boot to any.
>
> I've tried the Vista recovery method (boot Vista DVD and let it repair
> the MBR, claims to do so but nothing happens), and a few methods using
> my XP CD (fixmbr, bootcfg list|rebuild), but none worked. Now, I'm
> trying to do a "recovery" install over the previous XP installation,
> but the installation program is saying that the XP partition "does not
> contain a Windows-compatible partition." I'm guessing this means that
> the partition table is bad? Is there any way to fix this?
>
> Thank you.
>
 
Hello!

On Jul 3, 6:40 pm, "thecreator" <thecrea...@comcast.net> wrote:
> Hi John,
>
> I found that on my system, the SATA Disk disappears. I have my operating
> systems on two IDE Disks and using the SATA Disk as storage.
>
> Why did you start messing with the Boot Loaders at all? Which boot
> loader were you using to boot into each operating system?

I didn't intentionally, but I must have chosen to install the grub
loader by mistake during a Fedora Core upgrade. And I must have
screwed things up further by trying to restore Windows' loaders.

> Which motherboard are you using?

Interestingly, it's a Gateway machine, with what they claim is an ECS
motherboard, but there is no such board on ECS's site, and they claim
it's not theirs...
http://support.gateway.com/s/MOTHERBD/Shared/4006157R/4006157Rsp2.shtml
http://support.gateway.com/s/pc/R/1009452/1009452nv.shtml

> Are you sure you screwed up your boot loaders, or did the SATA Disk
> disappear during a Linux Distribution, therefore messing up everything?

The disk hasn't disappeared; even XP's install recognizes it as "Disk
0 at Id 0 on bus 0 on atapi". But when I select the XP partition to
reinstall XP over it, I get the message that the disk doesn't contain
a Windows-compatible partition (even though the setup screen displays
it with the other partitions and allows me to press Enter to select
it).

> Have you created Drive Partition images?

Sorry, not sure what you mean... should I use a utility to copy the
partition to another disk?


Thanks,
John
 
Hi John,

> Sorry, not sure what you mean... should I use a utility to copy the
> partition to another disk?


http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/download/trueimage/

This is the program I use for creating Partition Images. However, to be
perfectly safe, you don't really want to created an image of the Drive on
the very same Drive, and in a different partition, because if the Hard Drive
should fail, you would be out of luck. Install a second Hard drive or use
DVD-RW Disks to back up with. Even use a USB Hard Drive.

You can, but copy it to another place also.

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/download/diskdirector/

Now Acronis Disk Director Suite 10, also comes with a Boot Manager too.
However I had problems with it. But I used the program to prepare a brand
new SATA Hard Drive. I am using it for storage and experimenting, too with
new operating systems. However, still having problems with the Sata Hard
Drive.

You can use Disk Director to reformat the partition, then reinstall
Windows XP on it. Do you have a backup of your Documents, E-mails,
Favorites, Address Book?


--
thecreator





"John DeStefano" <john.destefano@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1183505440.116369.86470@n60g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> Hello!
>
> On Jul 3, 6:40 pm, "thecreator" <thecrea...@comcast.net> wrote:
>> Hi John,
>>
>> I found that on my system, the SATA Disk disappears. I have my
>> operating
>> systems on two IDE Disks and using the SATA Disk as storage.
>>
>> Why did you start messing with the Boot Loaders at all? Which boot
>> loader were you using to boot into each operating system?
>
> I didn't intentionally, but I must have chosen to install the grub
> loader by mistake during a Fedora Core upgrade. And I must have
> screwed things up further by trying to restore Windows' loaders.
>
>> Which motherboard are you using?
>
> Interestingly, it's a Gateway machine, with what they claim is an ECS
> motherboard, but there is no such board on ECS's site, and they claim
> it's not theirs...
> http://support.gateway.com/s/MOTHERBD/Shared/4006157R/4006157Rsp2.shtml
> http://support.gateway.com/s/pc/R/1009452/1009452nv.shtml
>
>> Are you sure you screwed up your boot loaders, or did the SATA Disk
>> disappear during a Linux Distribution, therefore messing up everything?
>
> The disk hasn't disappeared; even XP's install recognizes it as "Disk
> 0 at Id 0 on bus 0 on atapi". But when I select the XP partition to
> reinstall XP over it, I get the message that the disk doesn't contain
> a Windows-compatible partition (even though the setup screen displays
> it with the other partitions and allows me to press Enter to select
> it).
>
>> Have you created Drive Partition images?
>
> Sorry, not sure what you mean... should I use a utility to copy the
> partition to another disk?
>
>
> Thanks,
> John
>
 
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