need to run disk check on corrupted disk, but it wont let me

[jhutz42]

hi everyone, first post here. i hope you guys will be able to help me out, i getting near the end of the line with ideas here and hear you guys can answer practically anything.
it's a very long story, so i will try to make it really short:
tried to use xp install disc to format/partition a secondary drive, ended up accidentally creating a new install. now after formatting and trying to remove the 2nd install (amidst several other things i did trying to get back to my initial settings before i even started) i find that my main data disk (my 250) is corrupted and inacessable.

amidst all the other things I was doing trying to fix what i had screwed up, one of them was having xp repair the new installation i did (the accidental one). when it was doing this it ran a huge disk check during the windows setup and fixed the whole 250gb hard drive. it was fine then and there, but then i went back to the xp disk to replace my hal.dll file on my primary install which was corrupted somehow during all of this. now i'm back to where i started before all of this except my 250g is corrupted and i cant seem to do anything to fix it.

i've been to the microsoft site and some other help/tips sites and tried to run a disk check through command prompt. i managed to get "chkdsk.exe" to run, but it didnt fix anything.
when i tried more specific command lines like chkdsk volume:/h (h is my 250) it did nothing.
ive tried also right clicking on the disk and running a check from properties, this yields nothing as well.

so what i would like to know is there a way to reboot and then have the system do a FULL disk check & repair of all drives upon bootup? i need to get it to run and check my h drive somehow, so if anyone has any suggestions please i would love to hear them

thanks for taking your time to read this, it is much appreciated

 

[Sival]

Hard drive manufacturers have utility and diagnostic programs for free download on their websites. I'd go there and download them. They will allow you to check your drive for any errors, do a low level format, and reformat your drive, which is what I'd recommend. The download(s) will allow you to create a bootable floppy or CDROM from which the diagnostic/utility programs run. The websites have full instructions. Hopefully I've understood correctly that your main drive does boot to Windows?

 

[linney]

What type of drives are we talking about, are they basic IDE or are they SATA, the latter which may require the installation of drivers to read them?

Assuming this is an Basic setup with IDE then ChkDsk with the /r switch, from DOS or the Recovery Console, should have reported the condition of the drive and fixed any drive errors.

Logging.

Try these, see if they help.

Try the L switch from a command prompt.

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/chkdsk.mspx

Use the view / filter option and search for Winlogon in the Event Viewer (Application Folder).

http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/58895.html

Using NTFSCHK

http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/NtfsDosProfessional.html

The above program is capable from performing ChkDsk on all drives, in one go, from a bootable floppy.

It comes as part of the NtfsPro program, the free read only NtfsPro is all you need to use NTFSCHK and it accompanying Autocheck files.

What error message (if any) do you get when you boot your original install?

What error message (if any) do you get when you boot your second install?

Go to

http://www.bootitng.com.

look for MBRWORK in the free tolls and download it, put it on a DOS floppy (one made by formatting in XP and taking the MSDOS Startup disk option will do).

See what that can do for you?

 

[jhutz42]

ok i just woke up and am reading this now, going to try some of it in a minute after i post this.
just wanted to let you guys know this is a SATA drive, it's just clicking now that this has probably got a lot more to do with the problem then i thought.

will i need to install some special drivers or programs to be able to fix/check this disk from windows?

gonna try to do the CHKDSK command prompt from recovery console.

oh, and i tried going to western digital's site and downloaded their diagnostics program which checked the disk and said it was fine :/ i'm guessing it just read it as windows read it, unformatted space.

on a side note to, unrelated. i'm going to buy a new hard drive today so i can start recouping my data now without having to worry about this 250. just was wondering are SATAII drives compatible with older motherboards that just have support for SATA?

thanks guys, i really appreciate your help!

 

[linney]

will i need to install some special drivers or programs to be able to fix/check this disk from windows?"

Yes, unless they are already included (or installed) with XP.

Loading Windows XP on a SATA drive

http://cruftbox.com/blog/archives/000867.html

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