XP Changed from NTFS to "Unknown Partition"

[ockerb]

My friend's computer fails to start windows xp sp2. During the start attempt I do see a flash of a blue screen but am unable to stop it so I can read it. I couldn't read the drive when I booted using Bart's PE Disk. I attempted to re-install windows but I get to a stage where the installation says the partition on the drive is damaged or an unknown partition and needs to be formatted. Can someone advise how I might be able to recover the NTFS partition that was there before. I can't get into safe mode and I can't read the contents of the drive if I slave it in another box. Any assistance would be much appreciated.
Ockerb

 

[RMGBELGIUM]

mbr has been corrupted, you will have to do virtual partition recovery
use sth like active@ UNERASE or so to do it


rgds,

R.

 

[ockerb]

Thanks for your speedy reply R, will that lose all the data on the drive or is that already lost?
Ockerb

 

[RMGBELGIUM]

if the mbr has been corrupted, you cannot recover the physical partition.What you can do is recover important documents with 3rd party recovery software ( such as UNERASE).This software will scan the disk for partitions, and will allow you to recover documents, and save them in another location. ( I suggest you hang the disk as slave in another machine,so you can copy the data to the master )

rgds,

R.

 

[ockerb]

Thanks

 

[TheLad]

I had this when my hard disk was failing so I would consider checking whether the hard disk is making any strange noises and may be imminently failimg

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"It's true, its damn true!"
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[schtek]

the easiest way and it will stop a lot of i wonder if this will work is. add a new hard drive set up the machine then introduce the old hard drive and copy all your files requred...remove power or diconnect the old hard drive first....
hope this helps

The most overlooked advantage to owning a computer is that if they foul up there's no law against wacking them around a little.

 

[ockerb]

I run HDD Regenerator and it found no problems with the drive, it sounds fine as well.
schtek, I not sure what you mean, can you say it another way?
thanks
ockerb