Minor Geek, back for more punishment (Win2k boot issues)

I'm tearing my hair out. How's this for some screwy symptoms?

1. Windows will no longer boot in standard mode, or any safe mode.
2. The hard drive delivers the same errors on a second computer, when installed to it.
3. The optical drive (I have tried several) will not recognize win2k pro, or win xp (home?) boot disks, but WILL recognize and boot to Knoppix 5.0 without a problem (I am using knoppix as I type this.) Therefore I can NOT bring up the recovery console, to repair the operating system.
4. Knoppix can browse the drive, without any problems, but can not delete files, even ripped dvd files, which I know for certain are not protected files.

I need my HDD to work, at least long enough to harvest 100G of data, programs, settings, zip files, and email archives. After that, I would gladly wipe the drive, and start a fresh install.

I barely know enough about linux to make this post. transferring files, after installing another drive, (Which I can not afford) would require some serious homework, and study time.


OK, so here are some ponderings...

I was running a registry cleaning program, but the only Keys(?) I deleted (8 of them) were ones that contained the names of programs that have been deleted from my computer, at some time in the past...I made certain that I ONLY deleted that kind of file, even though the registry was supposed to have almost 1400 errors on it. I then restarted the computer, without a problem. Later, I restarted again, and have not seen it boot, since.

Since the HDD returns the same errors on both computers (I'll copy those, if they seem relevant, and after I tear out what remaining hair I have...) I am making the assumption that the HDD is the problem.

What blows my mind, is that the CD/DVD's will read and boot to the Knoppix 5.0 CD, but asks for NTLDR when I try to boot on the win2k CD.

The Win2k CD IS a bootable CD - I have reinstalled this operating system recently, after another HDD failed, on the other computer (That one was a lost cause, but nothing important lost.)

I do not have a back up of ANYTHING. Stupid, I know, but finances have been such that purchasing another HDD, even as cheap as they are these days, has not been possible. For this reason, I am desparate to recover the data, especially the 4000+ family photos and a recording of a conversation between my kids, and my mother-in-law, on her death bed.

Thanks for helping, in advance. You can't know how much I appreciate what you have done for me in the past, and what I know you are about to do for me, and my family.

:banghead
:banghead
:banghead
:banghead

 

You can't remove a hd from one computer and expect it to boot on another computer with different hardware; of course it will complain.

And you've tried the windows boot disks in another computer just to be sure they have been burned correctly?

Brand of both computers?
Some computers require a CD tied into a certain computer. A Dell CD won't work on a non-Dell computer.
Does the troublesome computer have restore/recovery CDs or a hidden partition that will start a restore if there is a problem?

Buy a3.5" external hd enclosure
examples: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2000090092&bop=And&Page=2
attach it by USB to a working computer and harvest the data you want making sure that the host computer has enough room for all the things you want to save.

 

I built both conputers from parts. Newegg Barebones, leftovers from upgrades along the line, etc. The "good"computer seems to be working flawlessly on it's usual SATA HDD and DVD ROM. There are no installation disk specific peculiarities, because they are not proprietary "branded" computers. This CD has been used to recover on the "good" computer, with a previous hard drive, when it crashed. I know it is not specific to a certain computer.

What I can NOT confirm, is that this CD is still good. I've had it 7 years now - it may have just enough light scuffs in it, to prevent it from being a boot disk, despite the fact that I can read all the files on it, from the "good" computer. For some reason, I seem to be unable to get the boot order of the good computer to boot from the CD...unless the CD is not readable as a boot disk, anymore, despite having the correct files in the root. I'm looking for another bootable CD, but I'll be scratching my head over this one, in the meantime. I have a friend that may have a working copy of Win2k, so I plan to ask him if I can borrow it, long enough to figure out why I can not boot from my own.

As such, I will not post anything new, until I have something new to report, BUT I will be happy to answer any questions that might get us closer to a resolution.

Thanks for your reply. It was helpful, and made me focus on the correct path to the resolution...namely, eliminating possible breakdowns on the way to success...like a bad disk.

:wave

 

OK, It was HDD failure...but not complete failure. Apparently SOMETHING corrupted a bunch of the data that the HDD uses to get booted up. It's now the secondary drive, and I am trying to move/copy/migrate things like email, and browser shortcuts to the new hard drive, so that I can eventually reformat the original, and use it for short-term data storage, rather than an OS HDD. I'm also eye-balling a TB drive for cheap money on NewEgg...so I can toss this one out.

Thanks for the help. Since my remaining issues seem to be software-related, I will now excuse myself to other forums, where those matters are more appropriately discussed.

:wave