Comments on: The Prodigal Hard Drive http://blog.garethjmsaunders.co.uk/archives/2005/09/13/the-prodigal-hard-drive/ The Revd Gareth J M Saunders' weblog Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:46:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.11 by: Mark http://blog.garethjmsaunders.co.uk/archives/2005/09/13/the-prodigal-hard-drive/#comment-7502 Wed, 14 Sep 2005 13:37:16 +0000 http://blog.garethjmsaunders.co.uk/archives/2005/09/13/the-prodigal-hard-drive/#comment-7502 Why do they always tell you what you already know? Why do they always tell you what you already know?

]]> by: Gareth J M Saunders http://blog.garethjmsaunders.co.uk/archives/2005/09/13/the-prodigal-hard-drive/#comment-7494 Tue, 13 Sep 2005 18:21:18 +0000 http://blog.garethjmsaunders.co.uk/archives/2005/09/13/the-prodigal-hard-drive/#comment-7494 Hi Nigel, thanks -- I tried to boot to the XP disc and it wouldn't have a bar of it, for some reason. The PC engineer also had trouble booting to a couple of his rescue discs. Once (I'm trying to restrain from saying 'if') I get my data back I'm going to convert to the religion of Backing-Up. Oh yes. I never, *ever* want to experience the hell that has been the last 24 hours. I bought Partition Magic 8 when I got this PC. I knew that it would arrive with a 120GB HDD with a single C: partition, and I wanted six partitions. I installed PM8, booted up, told it what to do, it rebooted, got to 4% and crashed. I then had to boot to the XP disc and FDISK, format and reinstall. From that moment on I vowed to never ever try 'live' partitioning. Until last night. I now vow to never ever try 'live' partitioning again. Ever. I'll stick to old school backing up and FDISK from now on. Hi Nigel, thanks — I tried to boot to the XP disc and it wouldn’t have a bar of it, for some reason. The PC engineer also had trouble booting to a couple of his rescue discs.

Once (I’m trying to restrain from saying ‘if’) I get my data back I’m going to convert to the religion of Backing-Up. Oh yes. I never, *ever* want to experience the hell that has been the last 24 hours.

I bought Partition Magic 8 when I got this PC. I knew that it would arrive with a 120GB HDD with a single C: partition, and I wanted six partitions. I installed PM8, booted up, told it what to do, it rebooted, got to 4% and crashed. I then had to boot to the XP disc and FDISK, format and reinstall. From that moment on I vowed to never ever try ‘live’ partitioning. Until last night. I now vow to never ever try ‘live’ partitioning again. Ever. I’ll stick to old school backing up and FDISK from now on.

]]> by: William http://blog.garethjmsaunders.co.uk/archives/2005/09/13/the-prodigal-hard-drive/#comment-7493 Tue, 13 Sep 2005 16:54:59 +0000 http://blog.garethjmsaunders.co.uk/archives/2005/09/13/the-prodigal-hard-drive/#comment-7493 "He’s taken my drive away (and I know not where they have laid it) and says that he expects he’ll have it resurrected by tomorrow afternoon." now that made me laugh! “He’s taken my drive away (and I know not where they have laid it) and says that he expects he’ll have it resurrected by tomorrow afternoon.”

now that made me laugh!

]]> by: Nigel http://blog.garethjmsaunders.co.uk/archives/2005/09/13/the-prodigal-hard-drive/#comment-7492 Tue, 13 Sep 2005 14:33:30 +0000 http://blog.garethjmsaunders.co.uk/archives/2005/09/13/the-prodigal-hard-drive/#comment-7492 Ouch!! For future reference there are a couple of ways *I* would approach this - maybe you tried them so forgive me... If just the partition table is damaged, rather than the actual data, boot using your master Windows XP CD, chose "Recovery Console" rather than to install. Enter your admin p/w when prompted. FIXMBR is the command you might need. If you've no WinXP boot CD another useful - but more dangerous tactic - is to use FDISK with it's secret command-line suffix "/MBR". Despite what people may say it works with XP (on my PC at least!). If you have Partition Magic then create the rescue disks it prompts you too etc. These are very useful too. Sadly I once had a hard drive which was failing due to the surface peeling and the above won't cure that type of problem!! (Ususal disclaimer - If you try the above it's at your own risk!!! I know nothing...) Ouch!! For future reference there are a couple of ways *I* would approach this - maybe you tried them so forgive me… If just the partition table is damaged, rather than the actual data, boot using your master Windows XP CD, chose “Recovery Console” rather than to install. Enter your admin p/w when prompted. FIXMBR is the command you might need. If you’ve no WinXP boot CD another useful - but more dangerous tactic - is to use FDISK with it’s secret command-line suffix “/MBR”. Despite what people may say it works with XP (on my PC at least!). If you have Partition Magic then create the rescue disks it prompts you too etc. These are very useful too.
Sadly I once had a hard drive which was failing due to the surface peeling and the above won’t cure that type of problem!! (Ususal disclaimer - If you try the above it’s at your own risk!!! I know nothing…)

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