If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
XP Pro won't start - have no installation cd
When I turn on my laptop, it comes up with a blue screen that says
'UNMOUNTABLE BOOT VOLUME' and won't start up, even in safe mode. My laptop came with Windows XP already installed on it and I don't have a CD to re-install it. Is there anything I can do? This laptop has lots of my university work and precious photos. Would it work with any windows XP cd? Or do I need to have one with a unique code? My edition is genuine and registered, but I don't have the details. If I were to give my name and contact details to microsoft, would they be able to issue me with a new cd? (I am using my old laptop) Many thanks, Mia |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
XP Pro won't start - have no installation cd
Mia Jackson wrote:
When I turn on my laptop, it comes up with a blue screen that says 'UNMOUNTABLE BOOT VOLUME' and won't start up, even in safe mode. My laptop came with Windows XP already installed on it and I don't have a CD to re-install it. Is there anything I can do? This laptop has lots of my university work and precious photos. Would it work with any windows XP cd? Or do I need to have one with a unique code? My edition is genuine and registered, but I don't have the details. If I were to give my name and contact details to microsoft, would they be able to issue me with a new cd? (I am using my old laptop) First, here's what you can try to fix the error: Boot with XP cd into Recovery Console. Do chkdsk /p If there are errors, do chkdsk /r After chkdsk is finished in either case, go back into the Recovery Console and do fixboot and then reboot (hopefully) into Windows. As you see, you do need a real XP cd. You can use any XP cd that matches your install, which is probably an OEM XP (Home, Pro, or Media Center since you didn't say). Actually, I'm not sure you even need an XP cd that matches your version to just do the Recovery Console. If you need to do a Repair Install you will. In your case, I would do these things: 1. Back up your precious data first. As long as the hard drive is physically OK, it is completely possible to get the data without booting into Windows. This can be done by: a. Booting with a rescue system like a Bart's PE or Knoppix and copying the data off onto an external hard drive. http://www.knoppix.net http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/ (Bart's PE) b. Slaving the laptop drive to a working Windows XP box either by using a laptop-to-IDE adapter or by putting the drive in an external laptop drive enclosure. Please note that this assumes that the hard drive itself is physically sound. If there is any question that the drive is at fault - it's making noises for instance - and the data is crucial DO NOTHING FURTHER ON THE DRIVE. Every time you spin that drive up you may be destroying data. If this is the case, send the drive to a professional data recovery company like Drive Savers (my preference) or Seagate Data Recovery. General prices run from $500USD on up. Drive Savers recovered all the data on a failed laptop drive for one of my clients and it cost $2,700. He thought it was worth the money; only you know what your data is worth. I understand that some insurance companies are now covering data recovery charges under "Loss of Intellectual Property" so check with yours. 2. Once you have the data safely copied elsewhere, you can borrow an XP cd to do the repair work. If any of these procedures seem a bit much to you - and there is no shame in admitting this isn't your cup of tea - take the laptop to a professional computer repair shop instead. This will not be your local version of BigStoreUSA. When this is all over, get into the good habit of backing up regularly because Stuff Happens. Malke -- Elephant Boy Computers www.elephantboycomputers.com "Don't Panic!" MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
XP Pro won't start - have no installation cd
If you can find someone that has a XP CD, you can try booting into Recovery
Console. Try running chkdsk /f and see if that finds and fixes any errors. If not, reboot into Recovery console again, and try using fixboot and/or fixmbr. "Mia Jackson" Mia wrote in message ... When I turn on my laptop, it comes up with a blue screen that says 'UNMOUNTABLE BOOT VOLUME' and won't start up, even in safe mode. My laptop came with Windows XP already installed on it and I don't have a CD to re-install it. Is there anything I can do? This laptop has lots of my university work and precious photos. Would it work with any windows XP cd? Or do I need to have one with a unique code? My edition is genuine and registered, but I don't have the details. If I were to give my name and contact details to microsoft, would they be able to issue me with a new cd? (I am using my old laptop) Many thanks, Mia |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|