Acer TM8000 won't boot, various help? T^nx

[waynewal]

Have acer TM 8000
-Failed to boot - got boot.ini error and NTDETECT
-started to run the recovery CDs, and stopped before the recovery started with a ctrl C, got to a C: prompt. I can see the directories, files, etc. Erased a couple of extra txt files and type one out tomake sure I had access.

-Ran Norton Ghost to try an back up files, ghost doesn't recognize C: drive (also have a d:/ and tech drive that it *does* 'see'.
-ran norton repair boot sector and tried to boot
system now says 'operating system not present' or similar

I have a full oem version of Win XP prof.
-should I try and install windows xp to the d: drive?

Should I remove HD from TM and hook it to my pc (i have an adapter) and pull my data files. The run the full xp instal or run the cd recovery from acer?

- is there a way to install the operating system without overwriting the files?
BTW, acer tech 'suuport' was no help....

Other elavent suggestions would be great! Thank you for your time.

Wayne

 

[sieistganzfett]

hi. i would do this by connecting the harddrive to the working pc, to recover the data. once thats done, then do a full xp or use their recovery cd to reinstall on the harddrive. is this hard drive failing though, which could have caused the boot problem? no matter what way you get your data, i would 1st get the data to another pc, even by using knoppix to transfer the data to a flash drive or over a network to the other pc. once you pull the data off, your safe to do what ever. but yes, you can install xp without overwriting your data files, you can do the repair install or you can install just deleting the windows directory. these would require the xp oem cd and not the restore cd, restore cds normally dont give those nice options. no i would not install xp to the other drive, i would use the same drive once the data has been recovered to play it safe, and to ensure everything isnt a mess afterwards.

 

[waynewal]

Thanks for the reply, been pretty sparse...

Hooked up the lap top to the PC with an adapter. the system didn't recognize it.
Jumpered the pins so it would be a slave and the main HD the master. system wouldn't boot at all.
I guess it's trying to make a windows xp boot cd from my pc and try that in my laptop. If I can just get a few of the giles like the express mail and some of the documents over (too long of filenames to just copy from dos) i can always reinstall the rest of the programs and files.
OTW, I may have to get partition magic and see if it will let me move partitions around so the data is separate from C: so I can reinstall windowes.

ideas?

and thanks for your help!

Wayne

 

[sieistganzfett]

nothing can see this hard drive? can the bios of the desktop see the hard drive?? you can use "bart pe" to make a windows cd that will boot up and seem kinda like windows but run off a cd to see if you can recover anything. Did this laptop have norton goback installed on it? have you checked it with the manufacturer of the hard drive's hard drive diagnostic utility? its very possible this drive is failing which would have originated the problem in the first place. what laptop hard drive to IDE adapter did you use that has master and slave options? the ones i used never had that, i just had the master hard drive on the primary channel and just the laptop hard drive on the secondary IDE channel and it could see it in the bios and windows.

 

[waynewal]

thanks fort the reply again. It's been a bear of a day.
The tech at CDW say to hook upthe drive to the 2nd ide channel by itself. The computer booted, but every time i tried to access the drive it asked if I wanted to format.

Downloaded a pre-made bart pe type disk, XP Live Cd, paid $50. for it, but it saved a lot of time. BUT this 'boot' sees the D: drive, but NOT the C drive - just like my computer. I think it might be because acer doesn't use nfts on its volumes.
problem is the drive is a bit too far gone, or just screwy. If I boot using the acer recovery disk 1, it starts win96. I ctrl c out of the recovery to a z: prompt. I can then search the c: drive for files, copy them to the d: (good thing I know dos pretty well still...) then I reboot with the XP Live CD and use a usb frive to download the files I wanted and then xfer to s specail area of my PC HD to download later to a restored laptop. It's cumbersome, but working. Now if I can fins where outlook express 6 hid my emails i can download that and be done and try to recover the system.
whew!
Slow, but steady...

Thanks for the reply and info. I'll post when I get this done!

-Wayne

 

[sieistganzfett]

ya, something acer put on the C drive similar to norton goback is preventing you from seeing it unless you use their recovery disk, at least you can get the stuff off. once thats done its still a good idea to see if its a failing hard drive that caused it, has there been any errors copying from the d drive at all? or is it just the C drive that had its partition corrupted that has been the headache?

 

[waynewal]

Woof what a week.
Yes, the C drive was corrupted in spots.
using w98 I got stuff transferred to the D drive, then used XP Live CD to sortof boot to XP and transfer files to a usb drive and then to my pc.
Ran the acer recovery cds after about 8 hours of xferring files.
Recovery ran smoothly, but now I have to load and run SP! and SP2 thna all the windows update.
AND all my software to be reloaded.... Sheesh!
Should have bought that USB external DVD drive (probably the Plextor...) and will now...
Thanks for the info and help!

Wayne

 

[sieistganzfett]

thats good to hear, your welcome.