If it can't boot off the drive but you can read the drive in another pc
indicates that likely the startup files required by the OS (presumably
Windows but any OS) have been damaged, "Chkdsk/f" while using a second pc
wouldn't care about the files and would simply correct anything it
interpreted as an error, e.g. it may have truncated a file basically erasing
part of it, file or part thereof may have already been suspect before
Chkdsk, etc. etc. No way of really knowing now.

First order of business is to take it back to friends and get off the drive
anything and everything of a personal nature you might care to keep. That
includes, photos, emails, docs, login settings for your internet connection,
a host of others I won't elaborate on here.

The big issue is are you prepared to start over clean or would you rather
save what's already installed and keep using a hard disk that may be failing
(depends on circumstance of what happened to it prior to trouble
personally). A clean install means repartitioning and reformatting the hard
disk, starting over, reinstall every app, update etc. etc. The second way is
try to repair what's more or less there now, presumably intact.

To that end, do a google search on using the Recovery Console when booting
to an XP cd (or presumably Vista, Win 7 also) and I'd also be doing a search
on "FixMbr" in google (a command when using Recovery Console) which I
suspect might get system to boot again.

"timOleary" wrote in message
...
Windows XP pro WD SATA hdd

One day when I attempted to start my PC, it shut itself off.
Retried to start in safe mode and screen went black and scrolled
several lines, then stopped.

Took the drive out and put it in a docking station on another PC..
The drive was recognized and and I am able to see contents.

ran Chkdsk /F and there were problems but chkdsk says they're fixed.

But when I put the drive back in the PC still can't boot off the
drive.
Being able to open the drive and copy all the stuff off it is pretty
good, but to be able to repair the issue would be best.

Any tips as to how to isolate problems and exorcise them?
thanks