computer issue

[sniper7]

Anyone have an idea what this means?

Dell desktop
Windows xp


Unmountable_boot_volume

Technical info: stop: 0x000000ed (0x833a7e30, 0xc000009c, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

When it first messed up it said: \windows\system32\config\system
that seems to have gone away.

It is a pretty old computer anyways but I want to get it running to get all my info onto an external hard drive before I finish it off.

Byte. This is the same desktop we replaced the video card in

[ghettodub]

Are you stuck at that screen when you boot up?

[Zundfolge]

Yank the hard drive out, adjust the jumpers to "Slave" and stick it in another computer and if it is still a functioning drive you can retrieve your files off it, then stuff it back in the old machine (after switching jumpers back to "Master"), boot to a XP Install CD and reformat/install from scratch if you want the computer to be used again.

If the HD is dead you're pretty much screwed (but it just sounds like the Windows install on it is just damaged).

[gnihcraes]

^^ yep. Should be able to get your data of this way.

[sniper7]

Are you stuck at that screen when you boot up?

it goes to the black screen saying it wasn't shut down properly, options to boot in safe mode, safe with networking, last known good or normally. I tried them all, they all go to the same blue screen with the above info

[sniper7]

Yank the hard drive out, adjust the jumpers to "Slave" and stick it in another computer and if it is still a functioning drive you can retrieve your files off it, then stuff it back in the old machine (after switching jumpers back to "Master"), boot to a XP Install CD and reformat/install from scratch if you want the computer to be used again.

If the HD is dead you're pretty much screwed (but it just sounds like the Windows install on it is just damaged).

does the other computer need to be a desktop? I don't have another one of those, just some laptops

[ChunkyMonkey]

does the other computer need to be a desktop? I don't have another one of those, just some laptops

Get an external case for the 3.5" HD and plug in the USB to your laptop. It should read the HD fine.

Edit: a quick googled sample... http://www.buy.com/prod/3-5-sata-ext...215625547.html

[ghettodub]

Do you have your original windows disk? Try putting that in when you boot up and try to repair

[cstone]

If the drive still spins up when it is powered, there is a free utility in linux, "dcfldd" that will make a bit for bit copy of whatever is still available on the drive. If you know exactly where the data you want is stored, that would be really simple to pull a direct copy.

The drive could just have a corrupted file and reloading the OS would fix it. If the drive is more than three years old, it is living on borrowed time. Drives can fail anytime, from brand new to ten + years old. Some drives are nice and give you little hints like clicking noices or they just get louder. Some drives just die with no warning at all, ten days after they are installed.

I'm in Thornton. If you would like me to take a crack at it, I'm game.

[Byte Stryke]

Sniper,
Well I Can't fix this for ya if you don't answer the phone.