Boot problem...

hi -- thanks for answering -- yes, i removed the cdrom
from the controller - there's just two drives attached at
the end of each cable, both set to cable select mode...

thanks,
alec
-----Original Message-----
When you installed the bad drive did you remove the CD or
whatever you had as master on the controller. If you have
2 devices as master that would cause you to hang. I just
remove the cd-rom ( you won't need it) and add the hard
drive. Even if bad the system should boot.
-----Original Message-----
Hi there,

I'm having a serious problem trying to recover files
from
my hard drive. I'm running Windows XP on an Abit KR7A-
RAID motherboard, with a Maxtor hardrive. When I turned
on
my computer a couple days ago it would not start up. It
makes it to the startup splash screen, and then there is
a
blue screen for a split second and then it restarts. I
tried starting with "use previous settings that worked",
and in various safe modes, with the same result. In
safe
mode, I saw that it makes it to loading Mup.sys before
it
crashes. I checked online for various solutions. I've
tried removing all my PCI cards (except video), turning
off USB, turning off RAID, turning off everything -- no
dice. I tried using the Windows recovery console -- it
gave me a C:\ prompt, didn't ask for a password, and
returned an error when I tried to do a DIR. Wanting to
at
least retrieve my data -- at least 10 GB of valuable (to
me) documents -- I've removed the hard drive, made a new
Windows XP installation on a new hard drive, and then
reinstalled the problem drive on the second IDE
channel.
Howeber, with the problem drive installed the computer
will not start up (it doesn't hang, it just
displays "Windows starting" for hours). This seems like
the drive must be damaged, but when reattach it as the
primary boot device, it does the same thing as before
(booting and then failing at Mup.sys), so obviously the
computer is able to access the drive. I'd rather try to
solve this problem myself, with a minimal expenditure of
money, if possible... Does anyone have any ideas on
what
I could do next?

Thanks,
Alec

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