Is there a way to recover from "fixmbr" and "fixboot"?

I had a similar problem a few weeks ago. I had a customer with a hard disk
where the boot sector and primary tables were damaged by a bad
controller/power supply.
In tiring in fix the problem "fixmbr" and "fixboot" were run. I ended up
installing the disk as a slave in another machine and then recovering most of
the customer’s data with a product called “r-studio�. I first downloaded a
demo version and then bought the full version after being impressed with what
it could do. The web site for the company is www.r-tt.com

Hope this helps in your data recovery efforts.

"George" wrote:

Thanks, Cubio ...

This is a viable alternative that will be one of my last resorts ...
physically, it will be a problem to move the disk to another computer!

GeorgeT

"Cubio" wrote:

What if you just place the disk to another working machine as a slave disk?
If disk is physically in order you should be able to access data.
Just a thought...though.

"George" wrote:

Thanks a lot PsyB ... I'll certainly try those options ASAP.
GeorgeT

"PsyB" wrote:

Those unplug and pray options I mentioned were mainly only for the
Deathstar models When you get your enegry back, try the recovery
software I pointed out, the demo version will usually fix you up.

-=[PsyB]=-

George wrote:
No GoBack, Partition Magic/Boot Magic installed ...
Chkdsk /r was OK ...
Hard drive is definitely not IBM ... although I'm not sure about it being a
Hitachi (don't think so though!)
I'll disconnect the hard drive in the AM and check the BIOS - I'm too beat
right now to attempt it. Thanks again!

GeorgeT

"PsyB" wrote:


This could probably help - http://www.partition-recovery.com/partition.htm

Did you have software such as GoBack or Partition Magic/Boot Magic
installed? Both of those play around with the sectors and you have to
create an offset to correct it. Using Fixmbr will wreck havoc on both.

Did you simply try a chkdsk c:\ /r?

Is your hard drive an IBM "Deathstar"? If it is, it has probably
corrupted and you simply need to do a chkdsk from the r.con. If you have
that and a chkdsk doesn't work, you can try turning your system off
completely. Remove the hard drive from the computer (the cables anyway).
Start the computer without a hard drive and go into BIOS and detect the
hard drives (or lack thereof). Save changes. Plug the HD back in and see
if that worked. I don't know if the Hitachi Deskstar work the same as
the IBM Deathstar, but since I have first hand seen at least 25 bad IBM
variety, in my opinion I would say that the Hitachi branded ones are not
any better.

-=[PsyB]=-

George wrote:

Thanks, PsyB...
... no encrypted file system involved!
GeorgeT

"PsyB" wrote:



You didn't happen to have an encrypted filesystem, did you? You would
need your backup signature if you did, otherwise.... YEESH!
-=[PsyB]=-

George wrote:


I forgot to include some additional information that might be significant:
The "Partition1" that it will not install to is "NTFS - 38154 MB (10629
free); the 2nd partition is about 8 MB.
George

"Jerry" wrote:




Boot up with the XP CD and try running the recovery console and doing
another fixmbr.





Had a problem on startup that induced me to use "fixmbr" and "fixboot". Now
I can't boot up at all and cannot reinstall XP Pro. I have some important
files on the drive that have not been backed up - consequently, I would hate
to have to format and re-install! Any suggestions?

Thanks, BradW ...

I had looked at "r-studio" for a different situation some time ago ... it's
time for a 2nd look!

GeorgeT

"bradw" wrote:

I had a similar problem a few weeks ago. I had a customer with a hard disk
where the boot sector and primary tables were damaged by a bad
controller/power supply.
In tiring in fix the problem "fixmbr" and "fixboot" were run. I ended up
installing the disk as a slave in another machine and then recovering most of
the customer’s data with a product called “r-studio�. I first downloaded a
demo version and then bought the full version after being impressed with what
it could do. The web site for the company is www.r-tt.com

Hope this helps in your data recovery efforts.

"George" wrote:

Thanks, Cubio ...

This is a viable alternative that will be one of my last resorts ...
physically, it will be a problem to move the disk to another computer!

GeorgeT

"Cubio" wrote:

What if you just place the disk to another working machine as a slave disk?
If disk is physically in order you should be able to access data.
Just a thought...though.

"George" wrote:

Thanks a lot PsyB ... I'll certainly try those options ASAP.
GeorgeT

"PsyB" wrote:

Those unplug and pray options I mentioned were mainly only for the
Deathstar models When you get your enegry back, try the recovery
software I pointed out, the demo version will usually fix you up.

-=[PsyB]=-

George wrote:
No GoBack, Partition Magic/Boot Magic installed ...
Chkdsk /r was OK ...
Hard drive is definitely not IBM ... although I'm not sure about it being a
Hitachi (don't think so though!)
I'll disconnect the hard drive in the AM and check the BIOS - I'm too beat
right now to attempt it. Thanks again!

GeorgeT

"PsyB" wrote:


This could probably help - http://www.partition-recovery.com/partition.htm

Did you have software such as GoBack or Partition Magic/Boot Magic
installed? Both of those play around with the sectors and you have to
create an offset to correct it. Using Fixmbr will wreck havoc on both.

Did you simply try a chkdsk c:\ /r?

Is your hard drive an IBM "Deathstar"? If it is, it has probably
corrupted and you simply need to do a chkdsk from the r.con. If you have
that and a chkdsk doesn't work, you can try turning your system off
completely. Remove the hard drive from the computer (the cables anyway).
Start the computer without a hard drive and go into BIOS and detect the
hard drives (or lack thereof). Save changes. Plug the HD back in and see
if that worked. I don't know if the Hitachi Deskstar work the same as
the IBM Deathstar, but since I have first hand seen at least 25 bad IBM
variety, in my opinion I would say that the Hitachi branded ones are not
any better.

-=[PsyB]=-

George wrote:

Thanks, PsyB...
... no encrypted file system involved!
GeorgeT

"PsyB" wrote:



You didn't happen to have an encrypted filesystem, did you? You would
need your backup signature if you did, otherwise.... YEESH!
-=[PsyB]=-

George wrote:


I forgot to include some additional information that might be significant:
The "Partition1" that it will not install to is "NTFS - 38154 MB (10629
free); the 2nd partition is about 8 MB.
George

"Jerry" wrote:




Boot up with the XP CD and try running the recovery console and doing
another fixmbr.





Had a problem on startup that induced me to use "fixmbr" and "fixboot". Now
I can't boot up at all and cannot reinstall XP Pro. I have some important
files on the drive that have not been backed up - consequently, I would hate
to have to format and re-install! Any suggestions?

I am having the same exact issue as George, I installed sp2 on my sysytem I
have windows xp home which was installed over millenium. I have run fixboot
and fixmbr, neither worked.

"George" wrote:

Had a problem on startup that induced me to use "fixmbr" and "fixboot". Now
I can't boot up at all and cannot reinstall XP Pro. I have some important
files on the drive that have not been backed up - consequently, I would hate
to have to format and re-install! Any suggestions?
--
GeorgeT