Error Starting Windows/Hard Drive - PLEASE HELP!

[mathwiz314]

Hey everyone - first off, this will probably be a long post and read, but I'd GREATLY appreciate it out there if someone could help me. And I'm offering a $5 paypal sent reward for anyone who can help me retrieve my files (lol I know it's not a lot, but I'm only in high school) - Ok, here's a description of my problem.

For Xmas, I got a new WD 120 GB hard drive. I installed it and everything went well, so I thought I'd just do a complete system format (of the old hard drive too) so I'd have the best possible setup. So I transferred all of my files I wanted to save to my brother's computer (23.1 GB's worth). The reinstall went fine and the computer works great. However, whenever I went to turn on my brother's computer and transfer my files back over via the network, I got this error message.

"Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt.
<Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe.
Please re-install a copy of the above file."

That's the exact error message that I recieve on his computer when trying to start it up - his pc is running Windows XP on the NTFS file system. I've already tried to boot in safe mode but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

Also, for some reason, the error message has changed to this instead.

""Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt.
<Windows root>\system32\hal.dll.
Please re-install a copy of the above file."

Now, here's what I've tried to do to fix the PC or just to get my files (that's really the only thing I'm worried about now because I can always do a system format to fix Windows).

I tried to boot the pc from the Windows CD and enter the command prompt and do the command "chkdsk /r" however the hard drive locks up once it hits 25%.

I've also tried putting the hard drive in a different computer as the slave drive. However, the computer won't boot with that hard drive in the computer. It loads past the Window loading screen, but right before displaying the actual desktop, I hear the bad hard drive starting to make a repeated weird noise (kind of a grinding noise). Is this a sign of a failing hard drive?

I've also tried to do a repair of the windows installation however that doesn't work as it doesn't seem to detect an existing windows installation.

To get my files off, I've also tried sticking in a FAT32 drive and using this utility from bootdisk.com to transfer over my files. http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm However it seems to have an error anytime I try to transfer files which leads me to believe that the hard drive is failing :( however it can display a list of all the files on the hard drive - just can't transfer them for some reason to another drive...

I've also tried doing a system restore through the command prompt - however, it gives me some file cannot be found or w/e when I enter the command to do it.


ok so that's about it - I WOULD BE VERY VERY GRATEFUL IF ANYONE CAN FIND ME A WAY TO EITHER GET WINDOWS TO BOOT SO I CAN TRANSFER MY FILES TO MY OTHER PC, OR JUST A WAY THAT I COULD GET MY FILES OFF THE PC. I'm offering a $5 dollar reward for anyone that can help! Thank you very much in advance for your help!!

[Mark H]

When you put your brother's drive in a different system as a slave, did you adjust the jumpers properly on both drives? Some drives have to be configured as masters with slaves as opposed to masters without slaves.

Also, do you have Norton 2003 or 2004 that you can boot up from the CD to check the drive out?

Mark H

[mathwiz314]

I think I put the jumpers in right. I set a good drive with Windows as master and then my brothers drive as the slave. I have Norton 2002 - did I setup all the jumpers right? I find it weird that my system wouldn't boot when I set my good drive as master because why would having a bad slave drive stop the main drive from booting?

[Mark H]

You should have two IDE channels, a primary and a secondary. Your good drive is probably on the primary channel. Try putting the "bad" drive as a master on the secondary channel and see if you can boot up that way.

By Norton, I was referring to Norton Utilities.

If you get your brother's drive working in your machine, download some software from the drive manufacturer's site to do a check on your brother's drive.

Mark H

[mathwiz314]

You should have two IDE channels, a primary and a secondary. Your good drive is probably on the primary channel. Try putting the "bad" drive as a master on the secondary channel and see if you can boot up that way.

By Norton, I was referring to Norton Utilities.

If you get your brother's drive working in your machine, download some software from the drive manufacturer's site to do a check on your brother's drive.

Mark H

hmm sorry i'm not very good with this stuff - how do i put his drive on master on the secondary ide channel? right now i have him set as slave and he's on the same motherboard ribbon as my other drive but he's on the slave connector on that ribbon i think - if that's what ur asking

[Mark H]

Hard drives have a row of pins on the back that are used for a plastic jumper. On the drive, there should be a map as to what pins the plastic jumper has to be on to set the drive as a master or slave. If you don't have those set currectly, you will have problems.

Did you physically move the jumper on either of your drives when setting them up?

For your new WD drive, you will need to put the jumper in the position for a master with a slave. For your brothers drive, you will need to set a jumper for a slave setting.

Make sure you have the jumpers correct and then try booting up and report what you find before switching to the secondary channel as I suggested.

Mark H

[mathwiz314]

Ok, I tried that. I have all the jumpers set up right. My hard drive as master and his as slave. Whenever I turn it on, however, I get the message "Primary Hard Disk drive 0 not found. Strike the F1 Key to continue, F2 to run the setup utility". Do I need to change anything in the bios? Thanks so much for ur help!

[Mark H]

Check your BIOS and see how the drives are set up. You might need to tell BIOS that the drive is there.

Mark H

[mathwiz314]

Ok, I just redid the wiring and now I got it past that error message. It runs from the master hard drive and it shows the loading Windows screen - but it never makes it to the actual desktop. It just locks up after. hmmm i just tried starting it up again and windows chkdsk launched on drive D: (the brothers drive) i'll let you know how that works out.