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View Full Version : Simple plan followed by cascading problems


AtomP
19-07-2007, 12:39 PM
I'll start from the beginning (obvious place). My PC had some registry issues, they were causing minor irritation among my family as certain programs wouldn't work. So I formulated a nice simple plan to solve the problems once and for all.

(for the record C:\ is a 130gb partition of a 200gb drive, the rest is another partition, thanks you Service Pack 1 for that)

The plan began with the installing of Windows onto a 40gb HDD (D:\ for reference) I had hooked up to the computer, this left me with two installations, a nice fresh one (D:\) with no problems and one with a broken registry (C:\). I booted up the D:\ installation and moved the files from the broken install (C:\) over to D:\. This worked fine, and I'd even started installing essential programs and drivers onto the D:\ installation.

I then decided to move onto the latter part of my plan, the elimination of files from C:\ to clear up space for the reinstalling of progams. I started to do this through the standard shift-del method, this failed to work as Windows was very reluctant to remove the files, so I continue onto the method of using the Windows format tool, this failed as well. So I decided to move onto the final method of formatting I knew. I stuck in my Windows XP Boot Disk and went into the Recovery Console. When in the Recovery Console I logged into the D:\ Windows installation and used the command: "format c:\". This the proceeded to format C:\, all happy style.

Then when attempting to reboot the computer it refused to do so. It kept coming up with "NTFS not detected, press ctrl-alt-del to restart". I figured maybe it's just trying to read the other HDD. So I followed this up by opening up the case and first changing the jumpers on the HDDs so that the 40gb was master, and then completely disconnecting the other drive. Neither worked. At this point I decided it might be wise to try reinstalling Windows onto C:\. So once i'd closed the case up and hooked it up, i booted up, put the Windows disk in, and poof, the computer shuts itself down after BIOS. I try it without the disk, shuts itself down. This now leads me to believe I have both a hardware problem and a software problem, as well as a hell load of files that i would quit like to keep sitting, unaccessable on D:\.

I've kind of come to the forum as a last resort as I don't like to waste your time with silly little questions that can be googles, I'm completely out of my depth now and have no idea where I can go from here. Anyone's help or suggestions would be appreciated, apart from "format the drive" as that is how this all started. :)

piemastermike
19-07-2007, 01:03 PM
when you formatted C:\ it must have been FAT32 or something, XP uses NTFS.

AtomP
19-07-2007, 02:08 PM
I undersand that, but windows is complaining that D:\ is not NTFS when it was working fine before i formatted C:\. Which is what confuses me, because techinically the format of C:\ should never have affected D:\ at all. All I know is that I used the format command, in the Repair Console, using the D:\ as a base.(as in it ask you which installation you'd like to log onto). I'm also fairly sure that a Windows Repair Console format (default format command, simply "format C:\" would use NTFS.

Also the files that I'd moved onto D:\ were not affected, I can tell this by using a Live XP Boot (Bart PE) which I got off the net, the files are still there, meaning that the format did not affect the files or file structure of D:\ in any visible way, appart from the fact that Windows complains that it's not NTFS.

Bail
19-07-2007, 02:13 PM
Get the ultimate boot cd, and reformat the C: as NTFS and then install windows. Or just put the windows cd and the c: in (take the d: out) and windows should be able to format it to NTFS anyway.

AtomP
20-07-2007, 11:28 AM
That's my plan, but first, does anybody have any idea what might be stopping it from booting properly? It just gets to BIOS and switches itself off.

[edit] It gets past BIOS, once it got to the point of failing to load the operating system, before switching itself off. Could this be related to jumper positioning on the HDDs? As I have put them back to how they were before, which appear not to be the best option.

Martinus
20-07-2007, 12:48 PM
See here for instructions on how to set up a better install: Link (http://forums.weebls-stuff.com/showpost.php?p=1585157&postcount=9)

AtomP
20-07-2007, 03:45 PM
Ok, thanks everyone for your help. But I've been a classic fool, in my haste to find out what was wrong, followed by the odd hardware problems I miss diagnosed the message.

The boot problem is FIXED. But the Windows boot isn't, it is in fact complaining that "NTLDR is Missing, Press Ctrl-Alt-Del to restart".

I feel immensely stupid for misinterpreting the problem, and I have wasted both my time, and your time by looking for the wrong thing, i apologize. So by any chance does anyone have any solutions to a missing NTLDR? ^^

PS. Even when trying to boot off the Windows Disk it comes up with the message.

Scuffles
20-07-2007, 03:53 PM
It shouldn't....
either boot from a windows boot floppy if you have one, or go into BIOS, select the CDROM drive as the primary boot device. The CD must be an actual bootable CD, not just a windows recovery disc.

AtomP
20-07-2007, 04:44 PM
Problem fixed. Thank you everyone for all your help.

It appears that somehow NTLDR became corrupt or destroyed whilst formatting a completely different drive, Windows.....

Link (http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000465.htm)

So i just used a Live Windows XP boot disk (Bart PE) to put the files into place. Simple, strangely.

Once again thanks.