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I'm about ready to give up..

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I agree with the memory assessment. It's spitting corrupted info all over the drive. Good luck on salvaging your data 🙁
 
Originally posted by: Billzie7718
Originally posted by: Phoenix86
The error (missing NTLDR) is caused by corruption on the HDD/partition/boot record.

Not being able to boot to a windows CD indicates hardware failure of the mobo/cpu/memory, or a bad disk/drive/IDE cable.

Run memtest86+ from www.memtest.com for several hours, or until it generates errors. Any errors=fail. The test won't stop until you stop it (turn the PC off).

The video card is not causing the problem.
Click to expand...

it spins down because there is probably a problem with your hard drive. Check in BIOS to make sure it recognizes it properly ie. 20gig. Reseat the cables, remove all anything other than hard drive from one cable. CD Rom on the other.
Click to expand...



Thats how I have the cables set up, and just swapped fresh cables in out of their package.

I'll try one ram at a time though.. I have 2x256 PC4000 Kingston HyperX
 
Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Yeah, I'm betting it's a memory problem. Isolate the memory sticks one by one. You might try just reseating them first, though.
Click to expand...

I tried first one stick (reseated), then the other.. no luck. Doesnt seem to make a difference in it loading the recovery CD. and I doubt both went the exact same corruption at the exact same time.
 
Download the ultimate boot cd (it has all the diag tools you will need). www.ultimatebootcd.com

If memtest is OK, it may just be a failing HDD. However, I don't think that would cause the XP setup to fail like that. Run the HDD fitness test for your HDDs manufacturer.

You have bad hardware, and it's not the video card, well that'd be the last item on my checklist. Video cards generally do not cause any of the problems you have mentioned. It's also not likely the PSU.

Are you overclocking? If so, turn set it to default.

How long did you let memtest run?
 
Originally posted by: Phoenix86
Download the ultimate boot cd (it has all the diag tools you will need). www.ultimatebootcd.com

If memtest is OK, it may just be a failing HDD. However, I don't think that would cause the XP setup to fail like that. Run the HDD fitness test for your HDDs manufacturer.

You have bad hardware, and it's not the video card, well that'd be the last item on my checklist. Video cards generally do not cause any of the problems you have mentioned. It's also not likely the PSU.

Are you overclocking? If so, turn set it to default.

How long did you let memtest run?
Click to expand...


Cant burn CD's, burner is on the dead computer, and extracting it would be difficult.. I sort of wall'd it in with cabling, a fan controller, and the case design wasn't the smartest. 🙂

Overclocking is disabled (2500+ mobile to 3200+, back to 2500+ spec's)

Will get a friend to burn that CD though promptly. I am tempted the blame the hard drive, as when my computer died last night there were a few clicks and odd sounds.. 😛

Memtest ran for about 8-9 hours
 
Originally posted by: Pathogen03
there were a few clicks and odd sounds.. 😛
Click to expand...

Maybe click of death. 🙁

You can download the tools on a floppy from the HDD's manufacturer, I just point people to that download because it's an all-in-one diag pack.

Good luck. :beer:
 
the ultimatebootcd looks.. comprehensive.. 😛

What on it would I run? I have a Seagate drive, so im assuming just the seagate diagnostics.. anything besides HDD tests you might suggest?
 
i seen that problem on an overclocked system too.

OP, try setting everything back to default at bios. Underclocked the mem and cpu if you have too.

oops. sorry I see that it's not overclocked. but, try to underclock it. I seen it happen to other computer with generic hardware. Note: I'm not saying your computer is crap. Not that there's anything wrong with generic part.

edit: addition and spelling
 
I had the same problem earlier this week..and no one would help me. I ended up using my BartPE CD to get into windows and get all my info off via antoher hard drive..BUT there is supposedly a fix for this. Through my many searches of google i found that you were suppose to use the XP CD and recovery..but obvioulsy you cant do that..

I would suggest getting a bartpe cd with all the tools that you need and try fixing it..or atleast get your info off of it.
 
Originally posted by: PING
i seen that problem on an overclocked system too.

OP, try setting everything back to default at bios. Underclocked the mem and cpu if you have too.

oops. sorry I see that it's not overclocked. but, try to underclock it. I seen it happen to other computer with generic hardware. Note: I not saying your computer is crap. Not that there's anything wrong with generic part.
Click to expand...

default for bios is 100x6 (600mhz) for this chip.. not a clue why, but even at that it wont work.

Will try and salvage the disk as a last resort, might be able to get into it if its slave to another main hard drive, will try.
 
Oh I had this problem. It was a royal pain in the ass. I fixed it.


Text

I think I reset the bios and formatted the computer using a cd-bootable linux distro to take away the file system NTFS. That might work.
 
the problem isnt so much the ntldr stuff, thats fixable, its that I cant access the recovery disk and these problems keep recurring. 😛
 
Great.. Brand new problem


Machine wont post (long beep: beep code) with one of the RAM sticks in.. with the other in its fine..

This is getting ridiculous...

All I did was try to boot it and all of a sudden the RAM is dead too..


why did Video, Hard drive, and RAM all die at once.. could it be the motherboard instead?
 
i think your mobo is bad. try the sticks in someone elses computer. SAVE data on HD though...just to be safe.

hope everything goes fine for you. we're always here to help...most of us that is.😀
 
Originally posted by: secretanchitman
i think your mobo is bad. try the sticks in someone elses computer. SAVE data on HD though...just to be safe.

hope everything goes fine for you. we're always here to help...most of us that is.😀
Click to expand...


Could be the mobo, or the PS. Yes even Enermax's die on occasion.

Pull the drive.
Salvage whatever you can on another computer.
Use "process of elimination" to weed out the bad parts on the offending system.
Toss the junk.

 
Well I took one RAM stick out and the other works fine, working on fixing the NTLDR problem now, did a Seagate 16 hour drive test on the hard drive and it came up squeaky clean, currently been Memtest86+ 'ing for an hour or so on the one stick, just to assure myself its not screwed up like the other one.

Off to fixing the NTLDR problem!
 
Except it wont boot to the windows CD, even tried another copy of the windows XP CD...


just says checking hardware and then blackscreens and stays at a black screen...

This is even after taking the faulty ram out, so my hard drive may be fscked as well... 🙁


...

...


What do I do.. ? Just buy another hard drive and hope for the best? buy a new motherboard?
 
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