Member Avatar for westman2k

HELP! I have been trying to fix this issue for 3 days now. I have read about every post I can find on DaniWeb that deals with my problem but none of the fixes have worked. I am by no means an expert.

My problem is that I can not boot XP.

My computer turned itself off a few days ago and I have not been able to reboot since.

I have attempted to reistall XP with the disk but it continues to give me an error once I hit enter to install.

I ran chkdsk and it tells me that I have one or more issues.

any help would be great! My boyfriend is going to kill me for even trying to fix it. But he is not here. So.. :twisted:

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by BinaryMayhem

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Both and are on the right track: the situation looks like a mix of possible hardware failure and an installer/boot problem, and deciding between repair or a full wipe should start with diagnostics and data preservation rather than immediate reformatting.

Before any destructive step, back up important files. A bootable Linux live environment (Ubuntu, SystemRescue, etc.) or attaching the drive to another PC with a USB-to-SATA/IDE adapter will allow mounting the Windows volume and copying user folders to external media. If the file system or partition table is damaged, tools such as TestDisk (for partition/boot sector recovery) and PhotoRec (for file carving) can often salvage data without a full reinstall. For physically failing drives that intermittently read, a cloning tool built for recovery (e.g., GNU ddrescue) can maximize recoverable data.

Hardware diagnostics come next. Run the HDD maker’s bootable diagnostics (Seagate SeaTools, Western Digital Data Lifeguard, Hitachi Drive Fitness Test) and check SMART attributes—especially reallocated sector count and pending sectors. Mechanical noises (clicking/grinding) or failed long tests indicate replacement. Verify the optical media and drive by testing the XP CD on another machine or trying a different install disc; installer failures often stem from bad media or a failing CD/DVD drive rather than the hard disk itself. Also confirm the motherboard’s storage controller mode—legacy/IDE vs AHCI/RAID—since mismatches can block older installers.

If diagnostics show the disk healthy and data is secured, proceed with a clean install while ensuring the correct controller mode and drivers are available. If the drive is failing, replace it before reinstalling. In all cases, preserving data first and using manufacturer diagnostics will make the choice between repair and replacement clear.

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Member Avatar for gemini4

What brand of computer do you have?

Member Avatar for westman2k

jettbook pentium 4

Member Avatar for gemini4

Reseat your hard drive, reset the BIOS to the factory defaults, then try to boot from the cd again.

If it doesn't work you can also use a boot floppy to fdisk your hdd and install XP clean.Check www.bootdisk.com for more info.

Member Avatar for BinaryMayhem

either: A) insert your xp cd rom, select repair, select recovery console...

at the prompt, type in chkdsk /f /r

let it scan and complete, then restart and install windows... OR

B) insert xp cd rom, find the partion, enter setup, hit D to delete the prartion
then recreate the partiton... and let if format as NTFS, then install

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