Windows install trashed and can't boot from CD!

[ElNiNoSt0rM]

Well I was modding a friends x-box yesterday. I had decided (stupidly, evidently) to use my computer HDD to temporarily put the modchip bios onto the root and hopefully have the modchip OS detect and flash the .bin file onto the modchip. It didn't work, so I went to go put my HDD back into my computer. I booted up, and received the following message:

Reboot and Select Proper boot device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot Device.

So I'm thinking, maybe the HDD isn't set to boot first. I reboot to go into BIOS, and it freezes at the screen that prompts me to press F4. I press F4 and go in, and the only boot devices on the list are my CD drives and my floppy (but I think it's always been that way). I'm thinking maybe this problem may have been caused by the reckless locking/unlocking of the HDD using the software provided with the modchip (don't know if any of you are familiar with modding at all, but unlocked = computer usage and locked = xbox usage (for backups and such)). So anyway, I figured firstly I would try to unlock the HDD on my own xbox which has a toggle unlock rather than allowing you to repeat the same action over and over. The unlock then fails, so I quickly begin to panic.

I figured I'd just format and reinstall XP, but now the computer won't boot from the XP CD. With my HDD in, it sticks at the BIOS prompt screen like I mentioned before(recognizes the drive is present but won't show it in the boot list). Without an HDD in, it skips posting completely and goes to the "reboot and select.." error I got originally. I have tried the following in my pursuit to boot from the CD:

1. Clear the CMOS by changing jumpers, booting up, getting the confirmation, powering down, switching. Error repeats almost exactly (nothing changes whatsoever).

2. Removed battery several times. Nothing

3. Changed the IDE port to the one that the HDD uses thinking that the cable being used by the CD drives went bad overnight. Nope

4. Change the IDE cable itself, thinking something similar to suggestion #3. Same outcome.

What worries me is that even if I can format my drive elsewhere, I still will not be able to boot to the Windows XP CD in this system and do a fresh install. It is POSSIBLE it is something physical, but unlikely, as the only thing I altered last night was removal of the HDD, tinkering with it in the Xbox, and the like. To prove the theory, I booted up without the HDD at all, and rather than posting it immediately displayed aforementioned error. I am seriously running out of options short of purchasing a brand new mobo and hard drive. Any suggestions are welcome. If you need more information that I probably omitted, do not hesitate to ask for it. Thank you!

Specs:

Mobo: Intel D865PERL
Video Card: Radeon 9800 Pro
RAM: 1 GB DDR (not sure of model/speed)
HDD: 60.0 GB Western Digital

-Matt

 

[ElNiNoSt0rM]

Bump.

 

[ElNiNoSt0rM]

Any help would be appreciated, really stuck here.

 

[bobsmith1492]

Did you change the BIOS boot sequence to look only at the CD drive and not the HDD, or at least to look at the CD drive first?

 

[ElNiNoSt0rM]

Originally posted by: bobsmith1492
Did you change the BIOS boot sequence to look only at the CD drive and not the HDD, or at least to look at the CD drive first?

Yes, for some reason, my BIOS doesn't even list the HDD in the boot sequence, even though it recognizes the device as present. It only lists my DVD drive and floppy, and the DVD is definitely first.

The system was working fine before I messed up my HDD in the Xbox, so I can't determine what's causing this issue now.

 

[Kyanzes]

You likely, as you said, locked down your HDD. You will have to unlock it with that particular code your frined's XBOX uses else you won't be able to use your HDD anywhere else except in that XBOX. If the HDD won't even work there, then I have no idea what may have gone wrong. You won't be able to crack / remove the ATA protection using software without knowing the code. You would need specific hardware to analyze the communication between the HDD and the controller in your PC. I think it's safe to bet that it's way out of most people's league. You either have to unlock it in the XBOX or get the lockdown code and unlock it in your PC. The code should be individual to that XBOX. I also have a HDD like that here at home, can't use it, tried everything. I forgot to unlock it prior selling my XBOX.

Ofc, it could be a messed up boot order, but don't think so.

 

[ElNiNoSt0rM]

The fact that it won't even let me boot from a CD WITHOUT a HDD in is baffling, though. In BIOS, the CD drive is clearly first in the boot order with the settings saved, I exit, and I get the same message.

I will try unlocking it in his Xbox today and see if that makes a difference. Having it magically work after doing so doesn't seem to be too much of a reliable hope, though.

 

[Kyanzes]

Because the HDD is locked. It's not specifically an XBOX thing you know, you could actually protect data that way in common PCs, it's simply not widely used. I'm not sure if I recall correctly but I think I saw a PC (guess it's BIOS specific) that actually asked for the ATA guest code after HDD spin up. Yeah, there are two codes: a master code, that can remove the protection, and a guest code that merely lets you boot but won't let you remove / alter the protection.

Your best bet is to try to remove the protection / recover the code using the XBOX. Hope you haven't overridden the original code somehow without knowing the new code. Try to google it and find sites discussing this topic. I think there is a file on the HDD that contains the code, ofc I can be wrong, it's years now since I have fiddled with my XBOX. Try not to widen the problem (using yet another HDD).

 

[ElNiNoSt0rM]

Yeah, I'll unlock it using his ASAP. I don't think I've done anything to assign it a new code. I think this may also be caused by my mobo insisting that the HDD boot first no matter what. It's looking for one and can't find a usable boot? Heck if I know.