urgent question regarding OS reinstallation

[AnitaPeterson]

hi there,

I have this big issue with my secondary machine, and i need some urgent - and expert - help.

The computer had Windows 2000 Pro on it, and i was just going to take everything I had on the boot HD and save on other disks... this week-end I was going to format and install XP Pro... but fate has struck before I had the chance to save "My Documents" and everything I had on the desktop.

Basically, I cannot boot into it anymore... I tried a Repair option, but the automatic repair is asking me for an Emergency repair diskette, which I don't have, and I don't know how to use the console recovery.

Besides which, it appears that there is no recognizable operating system??? at least that's what various messages indicate.

I tried using a Winternals Administrator's CD, but it indicates there's no operating system, either.

Now, what are my options, if i want to recover all my files (short of using a new HD to install the operating system, and then pulling out everything from the old HD?

I am thinking avbout installing a Windows XP on top of what now on the HD, and once I have something to work with, at least I can reach the files, copy them elsewhere and so on.

BUT... and here is where i need your help - will I be losing all the documents and everything I had on the desktop, if I try to install windows xp on top of what's on the HD right now? of course, I DON"T PLAN on asking the machine to reformat the HD, and will avoid doing that, but even so, are these documents in any danger?

I don't dare to do anything, so any type of creative input is greatly appreciated.

 

[Taz480]

Whats on ur other machine? W2K? XP? If its at least an NTFS OS, just put the HDD in ur other machine as slave(dont forget to move the jumpers) and then back up what ever you need and then ur free to put it back in secondary machine and reformat/install XP Pro.

**EDIT- Sounds like that HDD may have some corrupted filees on it or something anyway. Ur gonna want a fresh reformatted drive to install XP Pro on.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Yeah, that's the last resort... but my other machine has very little HD space, and while I'm backing the pictures folder up (18 GB, that's the downside of using the Digital Rebel!), I'm checking to see what other options I have...

 

[Taz480]

Got a few programs you could uninstall/reinstall that are heavy on HDD space might free up a gig or two? Just a thought.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

I'm backing up my pictures... that would give me ample space... ugh, what a hassle.

It's really strange that there's no way of figuring out what went wrong with that machine... all I care about now is getting my data back safely.

That's the horrible downside of having 120 GB hard disks set up as main OS drive, and no partitions...