Computer Question

[CoolBlue74]

I have a friend piece of shit e-machines that came with Win XP. Some idiot put win 2k on it. The machine won't boot. That includes safe mode. Although it acts as if it's trying. I put her hard drive in my computer (Win ME) and the BIOS detects the device but Windows won't see it. I'm not certain if that's because the partitions are in NTFS or if that indicates a problem with the drive itself.

I may try to run this program that allows non NTFS partitioned drives to read NTFS partitions and see if that helps. But I'm looking for suggestions.

The only real clue is that when booting up it does give an error and suggest running some Windows 2000 Troubleshooting tool or something.

 

[linuxgeek]

Does the distributer/manufacture of the e-machine have anything for configuring it on their website?

 

[revelator]

I put her hard drive in my computer (Win ME) and the BIOS detects the device but Windows won't see it. I'm not certain if that's because the partitions are in NTFS or if that indicates a problem with the drive itself.

Possibly. Another possibility is that the BIOS settings for the drive are off.

Have you tried making a boot disk on your machine, then booting hers off of it?

 

[linuxgeek]

. I put her hard drive in my computer (Win ME) and the BIOS detects the device but Windows won't see it. I'm not certain if that's because the partitions are in NTFS or if that indicates a problem with the drive itself.

As far as I recall, ME will only recognize FAT. Should be able to run fdisk on the othe drive and see the partitions exists even if ME doesn't know how to talk to them.

 

[CoolBlue74]

Re: Re: Computer Question

Possibly. Another possibility is that the BIOS settings for the drive are off.

Have you tried making a boot disk on your machine, then booting hers off of it?

Not yet. When I attached her drive to mine I must've loosen up the floppy disk drive cable because it's not working. But that ain't no thing. I will make the bootable floppy but there's a program that I found that should allow me to read the NTFS partition with a dos boot so I'm going to try to get that and use that to see if the hard drive data is even recoverable or savable. My fears are that the hard drive is fucked.

 

[CoolBlue74]

Re: Re: Computer Question

As far as I recall, ME will only recognize FAT. Should be able to run fdisk on the othe drive and see the partitions exists even if ME doesn't know how to talk to them.

Exactly. But shouldn't Windows ME still show the hard drive even if it can't read it?

 

[linuxgeek]

Re: Re: Re: Computer Question

Not yet. When I attached her drive to mine I must've loosen up the floppy disk drive cable because it's not working. But that ain't no thing. I will make the bootable floppy but there's a program that I found that should allow me to read the NTFS partition with a dos boot so I'm going to try to get that and use that to see if the hard drive data is even recoverable or savable. My fears are that the hard drive is fucked.

If you want a GUI environment to do this, burn a copy of Knoppix. It will read NTFS 4 & 5. It will just not let you write to it.

 

[linuxgeek]

Re: Re: Re: Computer Question

Exactly. But shouldn't Windows ME still show the hard drive even if it can't read it?

Under admin tools for setting up partitions, I'd expect it to.

Other possiblity... when you put her drive in your machine, did you change the jumpers on both harddrives to designate Master/Slave or at least Cable Select?

 

[CoolBlue74]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Computer Question

Under admin tools for setting up partitions, I'd expect it to.

Other possiblity... when you put her drive in your machine, did you change the jumpers on both harddrives to designate Master/Slave or at least Cable Select?

I put mine as Primary Master and her's as Primary Slave. I changed the jumpers as well.

 

[linuxgeek]

hmmmm ... her drive making any unusual sounds?

 

[CoolBlue74]

hmmmm ... her drive making any unusual sounds?

No. Seems to run fine soundwise.

 

[linuxgeek]

what was your drive set to before you changed the jumpers?

 

[BoobsNBrains]

Re: Re: Re: Computer Question

dos boot

Communist!

(Yeah, my brain is up too early.)

 

[CoolBlue74]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Computer Question

I put mine as Primary Master and her's as Primary Slave. I changed the jumpers as well.

I just reviewed this thread and when I hit this part my mind jumped into the gutter....

*focus*

 

[CoolBlue74]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Computer Question

Communist!

(Yeah, my brain is up too early.)

 

[linuxgeek]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Computer Question

I just reviewed this thread and when I hit this part my mind jumped into the gutter....

*focus*

what do you expect when the terminology is set by the same people who control the porn on the internet.

 

[CoolBlue74]

what was your drive set to before you changed the jumpers?

Uh...I'm not sure if I had to change that or not. I think it was on Secondary Master...

 

[linuxgeek]

Something to try is setting both drives to Cable Select. I've had odd things happen in the past when i would set the drives to master/slave but had a cable which could make the selection.

 

[CoolBlue74]

Something to try is setting both drives to Cable Select. I've had odd things happen in the past when i would set the drives to master/slave but had a cable which could make the selection.

I'll give that a shot as well. Couldn't hurt.

Check BIOS. Check hard drive jumpers.

Anything else you can think of ?

 

[Lancecastor]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Computer Question

I put mine as Primary Master and her's as Primary Slave. I changed the jumpers as well.

I'd take her out of the jumper and spank her fat bios, then finger her box before doing a ram install.

 

[CoolBlue74]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Computer Question

I'd take her out of the jumper and spank her fat bios, then finger her box before doing a ram install.

Would you use a virus scanner first?

 

[linuxgeek]

I'll give that a shot as well. Couldn't hurt.

Check BIOS. Check hard drive jumpers.

Anything else you can think of ?

nothing else comes to mind at the moment.

 

[Lancecastor]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Computer Question

Would you use a virus scanner first?

I'd ground my hard drive at the very least. Depends how well you know the box. If she's been downloading pirate attachments, I'd reboot or get something new.

 

[JustSkye]

I thought I'd never see the day!