no such partition

I have a HP dv9000 laptop. I had it set up as dual boot, with ubuntu & XP pro sp3.
Since I never use the Ubuntu (and it was the default system, so if I started the machine & got distracted, ubuntu loaded & I had to shut down & restart XP:banghead), I decided to get rid of it & deleted the partition in Computer Managment.
The machine restarted itself just fine, so I thought everything was good. But the next time I tried to turn it on I get-

error: no such partition.
grub rescue>

I tried to reinstall XP from the disk, but it doesn't see any HD. I have UBCD but I don't know how to use the utilities on it, I've tried several of the MBR utilities, but none of them seem to find the HD either.
Anyone have suggestions on where I should start to try & get this oversized paperweight working again? :confused

 

If Ubuntu linux was your default operating system, and the partition was deleted, you will need to use a Windows XP Repair to rewrite the master boot record.

The MBR is still looking for Linux, and it is no longer a valid parameter. Unfortunately you may have to wipe the entire drive.

Double check in the BIOS to make sure the drive is actually recognized, and let us know what you see.

 

The BIOS recognizes the drive & it passes the primary hard disk self test.
I can access the files on the partition using PartedMagic, from the UBCD, so I can open and edit "boot.ini", if necessary.

 

Before going to the trouble of manually editing a boot file, you could try booting DOS And editing the master boot record, via fix /mbr.

 

Thanks for taking the time to help me.
How can I do that if I can't boot now? And do I need a copy of DOS?

 

Booting DOS only requires that you choose the "Repair Windows" option instead of (I believe) pressing F8 to continue when booting the XP disc.

 

The only options available from my XP disk are R for recovery (which returns the message that it can't find any HD), "Enter" to install Windows (which returns the same message) and f3 to exit without installing.

There is an option while it is loading to select ASR (automatic system recovery), but it also can't find a HD.

 

I had your problems when I was trying to find a Linux distro I actually liked and wanted to stay with (I still haven't found one).

I'm running XP Pro as well on my Dell Precision M70. After about six times of going through the agony of re-installing Windows, updates, software, etc. I finally found instructions that work!!!

Insert your WXP installation CD and choose the recovery option by pressing R.

Select the current Windows installation by pressing 1 and then enter the administrative password.

At the "C:\>" prompt type fixboot, press enter, type Y, press enter.
At the next "C:\>" prompt type fixmbr, press enter, type Y, press enter.
Again, at the next "C:\>" prompt type fixboot, press enter, type Y, press enter.
Remove the CD.
Finally, at the next "C:\>" prompt type exit, press enter. The computer should restart and boot into Windows XP normally.

I don't know exactly why fixboot needs to be entered twice, but it does. Doing it as listed above has worked for me every time — it even worked when I got rid of the Windows 8.1 preview partition.

Hope this finally helps.

 

After I press R, I get "Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer...Setup cannot continue. To quit setup, press F3.":hammer

 

Apparently Ubuntu was installed on partition 1 instead of on partition 2. That's why Windows doesn't recognize the partition 1 — it was formatted to Ext3 or Ext4 (Linux native format) which Windows XP doesn't recognize. Windows needs to be installed on partition 1.

My Linux distros were always installed to unallocated space (so the Linux installation could format it) as a secondary OS with XP being installed on partition 1 as the primary OS.

Using the file manager from the UBCD CD or PartedMagic CD copy your important files to another location such as an external NTFS or Fat32 formatted hard drive or sufficiently large NTFS or Fat32 formatted USB pen drive. Note that Fat32, by design, will not support files/folders larger than 4GB.

Using GParted from the UBCD CD or PartedMagic CD delete ALL partitions so that the entire drive is unallocated (since you won't be using Ubuntu). Then you can either create a new NTFS formatted partition in GParted, leaving it untouched when you re-install Windows XP, or use the Windows XP installer to create a new partition on the Raw drive. The MBR needs to be rebuilt by the Windows XP installer itself for Windows XP to work and boot properly and it HAS to be on "multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)" (from the boot.ini file).

Sorry that you have to go through all of this. But it's necessary if you want to use Windows XP for your primary OS (it may be necessary for Vista, 7, 8 and 8.1 as well).

 

Thanks, I'm going to try this & see if it fixes things. I don't have any important data on the HD, so a fresh start is not a problem.

 

Well, I used PartedMagic from the UBCD to delete both partitions & tried to boot for my XP install disk, but I still got "Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer...Setup cannot continue. To quit setup, press F3." again.
So I tried creating a new ntfs primary partition, that used the whole HD, except for 1MB at the beginning of the drive.
I tried the XP disk again, same result.

 

After the Windows re-installation, you're going to need device drivers. If you don't have them available on a CD or other media, you can go to the HP Support page and download them.

 

When you created the new partition in GParted, did you assign a drive letter to it? If it still has an "*" as the drive letter, Windows won't recognize it. Assign a drive letter, preferably "C" but if you can't assign "C", assign "D". After you've installed Windows you may get a message about Windows installing new hardware and you need to reboot for it to work properly. The drive will then be assigned the letter "C" by Windows.

 

I used PartedMagic not Gparted, but I assigned the volume label as "C". Is that what you mean?

 

No, not the label, the actual drive letter. The label allows you to give a descriptive name to the drive. For instance, my "C" drive is labelled "WD Blue 80".

 

I cant find any option to assign an actual drive letter, only the option to assign a label (not specifically a "volume label", I had just assumed that was what this is), which I made C. I also selected "manage flags" & checked the box for boot.

I'm still getting the "Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer...Setup cannot continue. To quit setup, press F3." again. message, when I try to use my XP install CD.

Are there any other options?

 

While I was offline, I ran UBCD myself and ran PartedMagic. If you look at the title bar of the app, it says GParted. But, as you say, there's no option to assign a drive letter.

I'm recommending you use another partitioning software such as MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition. There's an option to make a bootable CD. Download the ISO file and burn it to a CD. Reboot the computer with the burned CD inserted. You should then be able to assign a drive letter and label if you wish and FINALLY be able to install Windows.

 

Thanks again. Yes, I did notice the GParted drop-down menu last time.
I'm going to try the MiniTool tomorrow, it's late & lord knows I need my beauty rest (although it doesn't seem to helped much). :-D

 

Instead of using the link from my previous post, use this link. It will take you to the MiniTool site where you can download the latest version. Click on the Download Now button. You'll be taken to Download.com. Click on the Download now button in the upper left. You'll download a 19.2MB installer.

If you want to install MiniTool on the computer you've been posting here with, you can do so. Or, if you wish, you can simply download the Bootable CD ISO from this link. Scroll down to "Free Download Bootable CD Now!" and click on the "Local Download" link. Then burn that ISO file to a CD. It's only 48.335MB and runs on "Damn Small Linux".

The Interface:

I've included screenshot attachments to help ease things along.

1.) From the Startup screen, select MiniTool Partition Wizard (see attached).

2.) On the next screen that comes up, select the drive by clicking on it in the right side pane (see attached).

In my example, I chose my USB connected second hard drive. You'll only have the one drive to choose.

Instead of messing around with trying to create a partition and assigning a drive letter or label (it's been giving us fits!), I'm going to have you wipe the partition so that the Windows XP installation CD sees a New Raw partition.

3.) Select Wipe Partition from the left pane (see attached).

4.) On the next screen that comes up you can leave the default settings or select another wiping method (see attached).

5.) Click OK and then click Apply in the upper left.

6.) On the Apply Changes? box click Yes and the process will start.

I don't know the size of your hard drive so, it could take a while to complete. When it's done, a message will come up that the operation completed successfully. Click OK and Exit out of MiniTool.

If Windows won't install this time, there may be a problem with the hard drive itself. But, I don't think that will happen this time because GParted recognized and worked on it and you stated that the hard drive passed initial testing.

Best of luck!

 

My Bad! :-o

The screenshots were taken from the installed Windows version and not the bootable CD version. The bootable CD version automatically launches the Partition Wizard with the disk selection screen. There's no Data recovery option which IS available in the installed Windows version.

I don't know how I would have been able to take screenshots in the bootable CD version.

I hope this doesn't confuse you.

 

Thanks again. It's wiping now, I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

Well, I followed the steps & wiped the drive, but I'm still get "Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer...Setup cannot continue. To quit setup, press F3." message.

I tried a different XP install disk too but got the same message.

 

The only thing I can think of now is that the hard drive is a SATA drive instead of an IDE/PATA drive. That would require the installation of a special driver for the SATA drive because Windows XP doesn't natively support SATA and I'm afraid I don't know how to obtain the SATA driver or how or when to install it. There are people here that DO though. Hopefully, one of them will jump in and assist you.

FYI, Windows Vista and later versions DO natively support SATA and Microsoft support for Windows XP will end on April 8, 2014.

Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance. :cry

 

What is your specific model number?

It should be on a label, on the bottom of the laptop.

 

plodr,

The above quote is from post #3. You also didn't post the link to the video.

 

If you have a specific RAID, or AHCI driver for your hard drive(s), you must press F6 while booting the XP disc when prompted while Setup is loading.

As for the drivers, that is why we need the exact model number.

 

Thanks for posting the video plodr. It confirms my suspicion that the hard drive that hradford5 was trying to install XP on is, in fact, SATA.

I'm pretty sure the driver she'd need, though, comes in an .IMG format for writing to floppy (the Dv9000 doesn't have a floppy drive). She'd need to convert the .IMG to .ISO by changing the file extension, then burn the .ISO file to CD, press F6 during Windows Setup, etc.

 

I'm sorry, I knew it was a SATA drive, but I didn't think about it until after your post last night. My laptop model is an HP Pavilion dv9700. I ran both EverestHome & AIDA64 on it before I started all of this & I have both reports in pdf form.

I tried to attach the reports, but they are too big.

I have tried, but can't seem to find the AHCI drivers ( HP's site doesn't have them, because they originally supplied the box with Vista. And I don't know where else to look:-o).

 

That's why the Mekanic has been asking for the exact model number. There are several variants of the dv9700 and we want to point you toward the right AHCI driver. So, please, look at the label on the laptop and post back here with the exact model.

BTW, I was impressed with what I saw in the video and I'm contemplating getting one of your laptop models for when my Dell finally dies.

 

The label calls the the Product: HP Pavilion dv9700
s/n:CNF8205KJP
p/n:KN904UA#ABA

Underneath that at the bottom of the label is the HP logo, service tag &
dv9843cl
Warranty 1 year

I wouldn't recommend this model of laptop, they are notorious for video chip overheating causing video failure that necessitates reflowing or reballing the chip on the motherboard.

 

I've heard of having to bake the system board in the oven.

But at any rate, while I was waiting for you to reply, I found an HP Support page which goes into some detail about what you'd need to do to get the laptop to work with XP now. Are you sure you want to go through all of that trouble? Or would it be better to simply make the investment in a Windows Vista installation DVD with COA/Product Key?

 

That dv9843cl model number is what was needed. I found a DriversCollection.com page with drivers — including a BIOS Flash if you're going to stick with XP.

 

This appears to be exactly what I need.

I'm building this laptop for my wife (I meant to mention earlier, when I saw the discussion between you & plodr, that I'm a he not a she ) & she hates Vista. I don't want to buy a COA for Win7 & then find she doesn't like that either. She's a pretty good girl, so I try to keep her happy.

I'll let you know how it turns out. And thanks again!

 

OOPS! In post #19 you said you needed your beauty rest so, I assumed... :-o

 

Question — What's your wife going to do when Microsoft support for Windows XP runs out next April?

 

I'm going to install Win7 on her Desktop after she's comfortable with the laptop.

She's not unreasonable, she just wants to have the familiarity of XP available, while she gets comfortable with Win7.

 

I was mistaken, these are all drivers for Vista

 

You can try this page from HP. There is a section dealing with XP for notebooks.

 

There is one possibility to get this to work. If you can't find the AHCI drivers, you could go into the BIOS and change the state of the drive from AHCI to EIDE. However there is the possibility that making such a change is not an available option.

All I can say is try and give it a go.

 

I already tried that, this BIOS doesn't have the option. I haven't been able to find the AHCI drivers for this MB yet. I may have to make it a Win7 machine after all, but I haven't quite given up yet. I'm a tad stubborn.

 

I have some good news for you. The Windows Vista drivers on this page will work under Windows 7!

But, I've also got some bad news — I think you can forget about trying to install XP on a model later than dv94XX now.

In the HP Forums there is a thread about changing Advanced BIOS settings on a dv9700 with only 3 posts in it. Have a look at post #3.

I wish I knew exactly how your computer was configured to dual boot XP and Ubuntu before.