Accessing windoze through Linux.RESOLVED,A FUNNY YARN OR TERMINAL EMBARASSMENT

[JohanLingen]

Re: Accessing windoze through Linux.

As NTLDR is the first file to be read in the Windows Boot Sequence, it is a plausible explanation that either the partition table broke or the MBR. This operation DOES change something to your system. I'd recommend first to try to save your data, but since you're not seeing any partition, it's just another clue that the above is the problem.

First try to fix the boot sector:

Boot from XP CD, enter Recovery Console and type:

fixboot

MAKE SURE IT IS REFERENCING TO THE RIGHT VOLUME. Or else type

fixboot C:

(if C: was your installation volume.

Reboot and see if it works. If not, you cant try to rebuild the MBR:
Boot from the XP CD, Recovery Console and type

fixmbr

Here's a guy who says you can build the mbr on a floppy disk to test whether that's the problem (so your actual system will not change). I am not familiar with this website, so use instructions on your own responsibility: http://ntldrismissing.com

[kbunt]

Re: Accessing windoze through Linux.

Some other sources and tools to try?:

If you want to try and repair the NTLD problem, try these pages:
http://www.tinyempire.com/notes/ntldrismissing.htm

This page might be helpful as well:
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm

http://www.bestpricecomputers.ltd.uk...dr_missing.htm

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318728

http://www.troublefixers.com/ntldr-m...in-windows-xp/

http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archi...ey-to-restart/

[wavemaker]

Re: Accessing windoze through Linux.

You people are incredible!!!!! Thanks so much for all the input. Only hope I can implement your advice towards a win!! The combined effects of Oztraya day and Chinese new year now have me reclined and listening to some of my favourite music and doing what I do best, (almost) drinking beer! Many thanks and good-night. James.

[Telengard]

Re: Accessing windoze through Linux.

wavemaker, don't drink too many beers while working on the computer. I know from experience that it can lead to data loss :P

Again, Johan's reasoning is very sound. But, before messing with the partition table and boot sector you should definitely backup all important data. You can make a complete image of the partition, partition table, and boot sector in a matter of hours. The image can be saved to a USB hard disk or to a computer on your LAN.

I found this live CD which seems to have all the tools necessary to make this job possible:

Clonezilla-SysRescCD is a Linux multi boot backup/restore and rescue CD, combining Clonezilla Live and System Rescue CD in one CD.

From the System Rescue CD alone you have Partimage, Ntfs3g, sfdisk, Test-disk, and more. Command line experience will help a great deal with these tools.

If you want to stay with Kubuntu or Knoppix live CDs, you can apt-get the tools you want, like Partimage.

Recovering a hosed Windows system can be tricky, and may take some time. The time is a good investment though, because you there is no shortage of hosed Windows systems. The tools and procedures you learn here will serve you well in the future, so do not give up!

[The Liquidator]

Re: Accessing windoze through Linux.

You might find this of interest

http://www.linux.com/feature/52134

Puppy Linux seems to be very well thought of as does DSL (Damn Small Linux).

http://damnsmalllinux.org/

You will note that DSL claims to work on a 486 so if the problem is the hardware is too old that might be the issue?

[wavemaker]

Re: Accessing windoze through Linux.

Telengrad and Liquidator, thanks a heap for your input. Work has me absolutely flat out at the moment and I haven't been able to even look at the other machine since Monday. I will get on to it come the weekend. I look forward to learning about this tricky problem. And yeah mate, I will keep the beer for celebrating when I nail this down. Thanks to all again. Regards, James.

[wavemaker]

Re: Accessing windoze through Linux.

Gooday all. I haven't given up on this, I got the clone-zilla system rescue CD downloaded and have tried numerous ways to get it fired up, but to no avail so far. I am incredibly busy at the moment, I had a mate from Canada here for 2 weeks and now it looks like I will be posted to Ingham to do flood relief work. So things aren't getting any slower. Thanks for all your help so far and I will keep plugging away at it. I would like to have resolved by the time my darling daughter returns from Brazil at the end of the month. Regards, James.

[Snowhog]

Re: Accessing windoze through Linux.

Working on the assumption that the HD isn't just plain FUBAR - that it is OK - and all 'normal' attempts result in failure, and given that the PC is 'old' as you have stated, I'd be looking at cable connection issues. All it takes is for just one pin in the ribbon cable to no longer make contact to mess things up. Been there, done that.

[Troberg]

Re: Accessing windoze through Linux.

One of the most common causes for the missing NTLDR message is very easy to fix:

Check that you don't have any disk/CD/USB stick that the computer might try to boot from in the computer. If it tries to boot from, say, a disk, it will not find NTLDR and display that message. Scared the hell out of me the first time I did that, when I desperately needed the computer urgently and was halfway around the world from the rest of my computers.

Just wanted to make sure that you don't do anything drastic before you check the simple things.

[wavemaker]

Re: Accessing windoze through Linux.

Thanks for that Troberg. I checked all that out early on in this voyage. Snowhog, I will do a series of cable replacements and visual inspections of connections and see what gives from there. Thanks all. James.

[wavemaker]

Re: Accessing windoze through Linux.

I finally got some thing off the machine.

C h e c k i n g f i l e s y s t e m o n \ D o s D e v i c e s \ C :

T h e t y p e o f t h e f i l e s y s t e m i s F A T .

V o l u m e S e r i a l N u m b e r i s 8 C 4 9 - C 2 1 B

E r r o r s i n f i l e a l l o c a t i o n t a b l e ( F A T ) c o r r e c t e d .

T h e s p e c i f i e d d i s k a p p e a r s t o b e a n o n - W i n d o w s X P d i s k .
Do you want to continue y/n...
I typed that last line in as it would not copy and would not let me type in y or n.
Then
A file titled NTLDR.
Right clicked it to view and was offered the option of opening with the embedded binary viewer. I did this and was presented with a huge amount of STUFF, I have no idea what it is. 5 columns of 4 columns each with 2 numbers and over on the right some more hieroglyphics. The first number in column furthest to the left is 0000 0000 and the last one is 0003 9090.
I can see 2 partitions on the disk, the one that I got this stuff off and another which says it is a linux swap partition. I presume that is from the disk I am using to do this operation.
Thanks for reading this, Regards, James.

[wavemaker]

Re: Accessing windoze through Linux.RESOLVED,A FUNNY YARN OR TERMINAL EMBARASSMENT

Gooday all. Here is the final chapter. My daughter got back from Brazil and was not too peed off as I had already uploaded her photos to a web album and she could always chase the music down again. Fast forward to last weekend. We have a Finish exchange student arriving in 2 weeks and she is to occupy my middle daughters bed room and middle daughter is to reside in my office for the 12 months. So I'm shifting all my gear down to the spare room under the house( we live in a Queenslander, google it, they are truly beautiful houses. http://www.creativeholidays.com/stat...BN14124_23.jpg) Amongst all my stuff I notice a hard drive all wrapped up in bubble wrap. I stick it in my machine and lo and behold it is my daughters drive, with all her stuff intact..
Now I remember taking it out and putting away safely because I am just the kind of bloke who does stuff and forgets.
So, my apologies to all of you who put so much effort into helping me, and I did learn a few lessons on the way.

[Detonate]

Re: Accessing windoze through Linux.RESOLVED,A FUNNY YARN OR TERMINAL EMBARASSMENT

That's a good one wavemaker! For all of you that occasionally face the data recovery problem, I highly recommend one of these.

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=2020-OTB

Best $15 you will ever spend. Don't mess with recovery CD's. Just remove the hard drive and hook it up to the USB port on your machine. Works great.