Computer won't boot

[iop280]

I recently overclocked my computer, and then i overclocked it a bit too much.

What happened was that then there was no post, then i resetted the CMOS by taking out the juice for the mobo.

Then after that, my computer won't boot up, it would only stay at a part where it says;

Boot from CD:
_ (flashing underscore)

This is right before Windows XP loading screen.

I have a:
350 watt PSU
Amd Athlon 64 3200+
1 gb OCZ RAM at DDR400

and I overclocked the HT from 200 - 250

I really need help, and can you guys help me to boot it up?

I already did the Windows XP Setup disk with the chkdsk thing, and the fixboot thing. and which it didn't work.

I really need help, because i don't want to lose the data on my computer

Thanks.

 

[swtethan]

2700 mhz????????

 

[iop280]

250x10, but it's not booting up, i try using the recovery console nothing seems to work.

I resetted it to 200x10 so everything should be good, but it still doesn't BOOT UP!!

 

[OBCT]

When you 'took the juice' out of the mobo, did you remove the battery? If not, do that, wait 30 seconds (for safety), and bridge the connection where the battery was with a screwdriver for a second. Then wait 30 seconds and put the battery back in.

 

[iop280]

I did take out the battery for 30 seconds, (but i didn't bridge it, what do you mean by bridging it? sry, i'm new at this), but it did reset the CMOS

 

[OBCT]

The socket for the battery has two metal strips that the battery touch. This completes a circuit, and allows electricity to flow (since the battery has stored energy). By bridging the metal strips with a metal screwdriver, it completes the circuit, but kills the power, since a screwdriver has no energy stored.

 

[iop280]

oh i get it, thx

 

[iop280]

ok well i tried doing that, and it still "requires" a windows setup disk, it's as if windows isn't on the computer.....

 

[996GT2]

Hmmm, try booting a Linux Live CD and see how it goes; if that works and Windows doesn't you may have corrupted windows

 

[iop280]

i don't have a linux live cd

 

[akugami]

If your computer is still posting but asking for an OS disc then likely when you overclocked it you corrupted your Windows installation. Some motherboards do not like the SATA bus and this can cause a hard drive to become corrupted. It's very likely the only option would be to reformat and re-install Windows.

You should be able to download free diagnostic tools including a Linux boot CD.

 

[Zap]

Don't want to lose data? You do not have to re-format. Boot off the Windows CD and tell it to install on the drive without formatting. It will say that Windows is on there, just have it do a delete-install.

 

[LRguy]

If you have more than one hard drive, check your boot up menu. Make sure the hard drive with Windows is the one that's supposed to boot from.

 

[DarkManX4lf]

Originally posted by: LRguy
If you have more than one hard drive, check your boot up menu. Make sure the hard drive with Windows is the one that's supposed to boot from.

yeah thats what i was thinkign when i read this thread, when you reset your CMOS it usually changes the order of your boot config in your bios to its default....go into your bios and setup your boot order to what it was before when you could boot to windows.

 

[iop280]

I only have one hard drive, so how is the boot order supposed to go?

 

[LRguy]

Originally posted by: iop280
I only have one hard drive, so how is the boot order supposed to go?

If you have more than one hard drive and you reset the CMOS, instead of booting up with the hd with Windows, it'll boot up with the hd that doesn't have Windows installed on it. Since you have only one hard drive that doesn't applied to you.

When you go to setup int the boot menu, make sure that your exact hd is first or second to boot. If you like to use a floppy drive, then have it come 2nd after that.

 

[iop280]

i did that, but it still doesn't boot...sorry guys for being so much trouble....but i have important data on my computer and so i don't want it to be lost!

 

[stevty2889]

Have you tried doing a repair install? Boot from the windows disk, don't choose the first repair option(the one that takes you to the console) continue on as if you were going to install windows. It will then look for previous installations, and as long as it's not too horribly corrupted it will find your installation and give you the option to do a repair. You won't lose any data this way, and all of your installed programs will still be there and function.

 

[iop280]

yeah i tried doing that, but it still doesn't work...

 

[OBCT]

Do you have an older computer? If so, drop your HD in that one as a slave (change the jumper!) and make sure that the HD is still being recognized. If not, then you have a bad hard drive.

EDIT: An older computer as in a completely different computer than the one you are using. Not asking if your current computer is old.

 

[iop280]

i don't have any older desktop computers. My only other ones are laptops....soo......

 

[iop280]

I don't think i have a bad hard drive, because of the windows being recognized in the setup disk.

 

[stevty2889]

Originally posted by: iop280
I don't think i have a bad hard drive, because of the windows being recognized in the setup disk.

It's not really that the hard drive is bad, it's much more likely that the data got corrupted from the overclock..Have you tried booting in to safe mode?

 

[mhahnheuser]

iop280 when you get a problem like this, although i don't quite understand your willingness to experiment with OCing and no backup plan, dismantle your system by pulling all cables from it and clear the CMOS. Buy or borrow a old HDD about 10 gig should be ok. Plenty on EBAY for ah heck-all if you get stuck. Reassemble pc with spare HDD and load Windows back up to check that system is ok. If it is ok and no damage done then add your DATA HDD as a slave drive by jumpering it if it's IDE. If it's a SATA put it on a controller and make sure your BIOS is set to boot from IDE as first boot option. If all is well you should be able to access your DATA drive and begin to save what you can, maybe even repair the boot sector. If you can't read the drive at all chances are you've scrambled the Master Boot Record in which case you will either need help from a professional recovery agency $$$$$$ or delete the partition and re-partition the drive and set up a fresh windows installation. Of course this option means that no data will survive. Good luck, but I guess that's an important lesson in not to experiment with valuble data on the drive, always back up what you can't afford to lose.

 

[iop280]

ehhh.....