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Windows won't boot!!

post #1 of 6
4/17/06 at 7:30pm
Thread Starter 
My dad's computer was starting to get really bad in terms of viruses and spyware, and so I was like OK let's re-install windows, because we haven't done that on his computer in a long time. Well I installed partition magic on there so he could back up his important stuff on a separate partition. When the changes were being applied, it just stopped and said something along the lines of "error - bad sector" or something like that. That was followed by "no changes were made". Well I tried to boot windows normally and right when windows starts to load, the BSOD comes up for like a millisecond and the computer restarts. I tried booting in safe mode, last known good configuration, etc..

My main problem is... Is there any way to get his data off of the computer without being able to boot to windows? Or is there any way I can make windows boot?

You'd think by now computers would start shipping with an option in the bios called "emergency data recovery"
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post #2 of 6
4/17/06 at 8:24pm
Easiest way to try and recover that data is to throw the hard drive into another computer and set it as a slave drive(or master on the secondary ide chain if nothing is connected like a cdrom). That way the other computer can boot up from its own drive and access the pooched drive within windows as if it was just a backup drive or similar. If you install it into another computer and it isn't recognized, chances are the file system is corrupt and you would have to try and use data recovery software or services.

You can also create a rescue boot disk for Partition Magic(you'd have to do that on another computer now) so you can boot straight into partition magic without booting windows. That way you may be able to recover the drive(file system and mbr) and its contents.

You could also throw in the windows install cd and try and recover the windows installation. I don't think that will work too well though cause it sounds like partition magic corrupted part of your hard drive. I'd venture to say when Windows trys to access the corrupted part of the drive it doesn't know what to do, pops a bsod and reboots.

Prince
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post #3 of 6
4/17/06 at 8:34pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the response. I used recovery console and ran checkdisk and it just kind of worked.. I guess I'll try again later.
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post #4 of 6
4/17/06 at 8:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LifeVirusZERO
partition magic on there so he could back up his important stuff on a separate partition.
So, you wanted to backup virus-infected data to already
compromised HD? And you decided the best way to do it
would be to mess with already vulnerable sytem by
partitioning virus ridden HD?
Quote:
Originally Posted by LifeVirusZERO
My main problem is... Is there any way to get his data off of the computer without being able to boot to windows? Or is there any way I can make windows boot?
Download Knoppix live CD, it's a Linux distro that you'd
be able to boot from, and read or transfer all the data on
your HD. Then move all the files you need to USB memory key or USB HD, put WinXP CD in, boot, format entire HD, divide into partitions then, and install. When you get this sytem running up again, run good antivir (I'd advise AntiVir PersonalEdition Classic - free, fast, not bloated) and scan all the data you backed-up earlier.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LifeVirusZERO
You'd think by now computers would start shipping with an option in the bios called "emergency data recovery"
Eer, get a clue :->
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post #5 of 6
4/17/06 at 8:41pm
It seems like I read somewhere that partition magic has a resque disk or you can boot up with the PMagic cd or floppy and restore or repair from there.
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post #6 of 6
4/17/06 at 9:37pm
Either an external encloser or the Knoppix suggestion seems best. Either way you need another drive so it seems like it'd be easier to go the external route. I don't know if that puts the box you hook it to at risk of viruses or not though...

Just grab the My documents and such (.pst files if he uses outlook), good luck.
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