I have a mystifying computer problem I hoped I could get some help with. It started last friday when I got a phone call from my stepfather. His E: drive had started making thumping noises and he could no longer access it. I told him it was almost certainly a dead drive, and that he should disconect it until he had the chance to replace it. Strangely enough, without the E: drive connected, his computer would no longer boot into Windows. After running through several things with him over the phone, I decided I couldn't determine anything more without seeing the computer in person. So that he would have the replacement hard drive ready when I arrived, I suggested he shop around for an IBM or Maxtor Drive.
When I arrived today, I examined the computer (an older P266). I went into msconfig and unchecked all the programs that where supposed to be started from the (now non-existant) E: drive. It would still not boot into Windows most of the time, although occasionally it did. I took advantage of one of the occasions when it succesfully booted to use CDResQ to burn a drive image of the C: and D: partitions. I also tested his CDResQ boot disk to verify that it loaded the CDROM drivers and started the program correctly The new drive my stepfather had picked said Maxtor on the box, but had a Quantum HD inside , but I figured it wouldn't be a big problem. I went ahead and swapped the new HD for the old, and fdisked it. I then stuck in a boot disk with CDResQ on it in order to restore the C: and D: partitions... but CDResQ refused to run correctly. Instead it hung up with constant access to the HD. After consulting the amazing two page manual that came with the HD, I connected the old HD also and used a diskcopy program they had included on a floppy. It succesfully copied the contents of the C: and D: drives, but the computer still refused to boot into Windows.
At this point I don't have any idea what could be wrong. I could understand if it was corrupted system files that was preventing the computer from booting, but CDResQ should have run: at that point there was nothing on the HD to cause any problems. Does anyone have any suggestions?
When I arrived today, I examined the computer (an older P266). I went into msconfig and unchecked all the programs that where supposed to be started from the (now non-existant) E: drive. It would still not boot into Windows most of the time, although occasionally it did. I took advantage of one of the occasions when it succesfully booted to use CDResQ to burn a drive image of the C: and D: partitions. I also tested his CDResQ boot disk to verify that it loaded the CDROM drivers and started the program correctly The new drive my stepfather had picked said Maxtor on the box, but had a Quantum HD inside , but I figured it wouldn't be a big problem. I went ahead and swapped the new HD for the old, and fdisked it. I then stuck in a boot disk with CDResQ on it in order to restore the C: and D: partitions... but CDResQ refused to run correctly. Instead it hung up with constant access to the HD. After consulting the amazing two page manual that came with the HD, I connected the old HD also and used a diskcopy program they had included on a floppy. It succesfully copied the contents of the C: and D: drives, but the computer still refused to boot into Windows.
At this point I don't have any idea what could be wrong. I could understand if it was corrupted system files that was preventing the computer from booting, but CDResQ should have run: at that point there was nothing on the HD to cause any problems. Does anyone have any suggestions?