Service Pack 3

n-Track Studio Discussion Forum
21
Quote: (Paco572 @ Mar. 24 2009, 10:55 AM)

Quote: (jeremysdemo @ Mar. 24 2009, 9:03 AM)

I got the drive to light up on the other system as drive D:

I did try the command you gave above but it says there is no such file inside the drive.
It also says "chkdsk.exe" does not exist.

I'm gonna try and run a registry fixer on it, and possibly reload service pack 2 if need be.

keep shinin

jerm :cool:

If it's windows xp it should be there. It's in the windows/system32 directory

So from the command prompt you would type in, that is if C is the boot drive and D is the bad drive

C:\WINDOWS\system32\chkdsk.exe d: /f (hit enter)


PACO

Well, the system I am running it on is Windows98 SE.

so many of the things I am trying to open of the "D:" drive are coming up invalid for the OS.


C:\WINDOWS\system32\chkdsk.exe d: /f

Ok, I did not try this, I was using:

D:\WINDOWS\system32\chkdsk.exe

Since "D" was the drive I was trying to fix, I did not know I could run it off of C, in my thinking that would just run it in C: and not help D:

Anywho scandisk did try to run on one of my start ups and it informed me that D: disk had errors on it, however, it said that I needed to be sure my configuration was correct before I repair them since I will loose memory if bad sectors are found....something about LNA? I don't remember...
I am not sure my "configuration" is correct, (since the whole SP3 seemed to mess up the dll files) so I said NO, for now.

In the process of copying all the important files off of it now.....a few hours later I most likely will let it run scandisk at start up and identify the bad sectors and repair whatever it can. (unless someone else advises against it)

THis is actually good it had been a while since I backed up my files and without this warning a could have lost a few months worth of tracks....

I guess a thank you SP3 is in order? tee hee

Anywho when I tried to run Scandisk from inside System Tools it said there was not enough memory to do so, which did make me wonder if the update (SP3) somehow changed the size of the hardrive being reported? I mean it has 120G and I only used 40G of that....without any partitions.
Either that or the bad sectors since they are not allocated are somehow preventing the remaining space from being read....

Bubba, I did not notice your post before mine, yep, this one is on it's way out..... :)
which really sucks for me because I do not have a copy of XP, and was using this drive to run all sorts of equipment that only runs on XP or better.....
I got plenty of drives.....but no XP disk to format them! lol

I have a vista machine, and I don't even have a Vista disk for that! all these new computers don't even come with disk!

Microsoft! :angry:

Back in the day I would have just took the Vista disk from my new E machine and loaded it onto one of my spare Hardrives and be back in business on that machine in about an hour.....

keep shinin

jerm :cool:
22

If you have your trashed disk as D on your win98 - and you do ‘properties’ for D, what does it tell you? Does it report the correct partition size? I have a feeling you have lost not MBR but PBR (partition boot record) info. But you could try with a DOS startup disc - Fdisk /MBR
That is if D(trashed disk) is not a dual boot system.

Edit: I mean Fdisk the trashed disk - not your win98.
Put your trashed disk as master (with no other disks connected) and try Fdisk /MBR

23

HEy Sev

won’t Fdisk reformat the disk and erase everything on it?

If so then I will no longer have XP, and I do not have a disk of XP to reinstall it, I have only ever done that with a new drive so a we bit ignorant at the moment as to the implications of the MBR.

Once all the files are done transferring to my portable drive I am going to check out the properties and will get back to you.

I had no idea how many wav. files I had on that machine, last I checked it was on Newsong_302.wav and that was in “my documents” which also has another folder “my music” in it…and those were just the amount of files from projects before they got names…

When I first started my transferring it said estimated time would be 1,324,598 min.
???

keep shinin

jerm :cool:

24

No, the /MBR just writes the a new MASTER BOOT RECORD to the first 512 bytes of your hard disk. But after thinking about it - if you are able to copy your files off the XP disk - then the FAT (file allocation table) is intact. I still think maybe you have a damaged Partition Boot Record on that disk. That would keep it from finding the files on your disk needed to boot. Or ntldr or boot.ini got damaged. There are ways of restoring those files - but you need the XP install disk. I guess you are doing all you can do - that is copy off the files and then (I guess you are still gonna need an install disk down the line) unless there is a restore partition on that disk that you can access.
Good luck.

25

Have you considered giving up and going Amish?

26
Quote: (Bubbagump @ Mar. 25 2009, 10:42 AM)

Have you considered giving up and going Amish?

Yes I have, but I lean toward the Mennonite persuasion.

keep shinin

jerm :cool:
27
Quote: (sevenOfeleven @ Mar. 25 2009, 10:39 AM)

I still think maybe you have a damaged Partition Boot Record on that disk. That would keep it from finding the files on your disk needed to boot. Or ntldr or boot.ini got damaged. There are ways of restoring those files - but you need the XP install disk. I guess you are doing all you can do - that is copy off the files and then (I guess you are still gonna need an install disk down the line) unless there is a restore partition on that disk that you can access.
Good luck.

No, the /MBR just writes the a new MASTER BOOT RECORD to the first 512 bytes of your hard disk. But after thinking about it - if you are able to copy your files off the XP disk - then the FAT (file allocation table) is intact.

Yep I got them all off....24 hrs later.

To answer an earlier question:

Put your trashed disk as master (with no other disks connected) and try Fdisk /MBR

I did that, and it says:

Cannot find NTLDR.

If you have your trashed disk as D on your win98 - and you do 'properties' for D, what does it tell you?
IT says what it always says, 152G drive, 68G used 80someG available, which is odd because it is supposed to be a 160G drive....
I tried scandisk and it just keep saying not enough memory to do that please close some programs and try again.

I have two programs running, Explorer, and systray.
???

Initially if I hard started the computer (by unplugging it while running) it would scan C: first then say it was going to scan D: then give me the reason it would not continue unless I authorize it to allocate bad sectors, asking me if it is configured correctly.
Now it does not do that, for some reason it only scans C: and starts up.

I still think there is some kind of misinformation as to how much memory is available at start up, there is more than half the disk empty and it will not run scandisk, and will not boot up on the original system as Master (keep saying not enough memory)

Thanks for all the ideas and help.

BTW I tried to run the fdisk/MBR on D: and it just says "fdisk/MBR.exe not found"

Which is what it says for all the command prompts I try to run on it.

One last question, when I do that properties thing I see "Fdisk" as an option, when I click it it gives me three choices, to Format D: , Full, and Just system files......

Is there a way to do that without wiping out the OS? I don't care about the files...just don't want to loose the OS.

keep shinin

jerm :cool:
28

You may be hitting a 32gig partition limit, or some other unexpected limit.

“On Windows 95/98, due to the version of Microsoft’s SCANDISK utility included with these operating systems being a 16-bit application, the FAT structure is not allowed to grow beyond around 4.2 million (< 222) clusters, placing the volume limit at 127.53 GiB. A limitation in original versions of Windows 98/98SE’s Fdisk utility causes it to incorrectly report disk sizes over 64 GiB. A corrected version is available from Microsoft, but it cannot partition drives larger than 512GiB. These limitations do not apply to Windows 2000/XP except during Setup, in which there is a 32 GiB limit. Windows Me supports the FAT32 file system without any limits. However, similarly to Windows 95/98/98SE there is no native support for 48-bit LBA in Windows ME, meaning that the maximum disk size for ATA disks is 127.6 GiB, the maximum size of an ATA disk using the previous long-standard 28-bit LBA.”

29

YEah that LBA sounds familiar, the Windows98SE Machine said something about that when it tried to run scan disk the first time on the D: drive.

I didn’t let it do so because at the time I did not have all the files off of it.
Now I can’t get it to try that again.

Does anyone think deleting files may free up enough memory to get this puppy to boot up again?

I have them all saved to an external, so I can always bring files back in as I need them to work on them…

But if it isn’t going to make a difference I just as soon leave them on the disk as additional back files.

keep shinin

jerm :cool:

30

OK - since you had Anti-virus running when it crashed. I’m going to suggest that maybe the MBR got messed. [Also the fact that it is not finding NTLDR.] If you get a hold of a DOS (floppy disk) for Win9x or ME which you can find on the net (it will be an image file that you can create a start up disc with), and start up with the floppy disk, have XP as your C. When you start up the floppy you get a ‘A’ prompt (DOS). And from there run FDISK/MBR which will copy a new MBR record to your C drive.

31

Here - I have them on my website

WinMe

Just D/L and run the .exe and it will create a DOS startup disc for you.

32

Thank you for taking the time and initiative to do that! :agree:
Although I am not real sure how to make XP my C?

Presently, I took it to MS-DOS mode, and typed D: to get it to D drive, then typed in chkdsk,
it told me to type in SCANDISK to do that, so I did.
Now I am at a screen that reads like this:

Quote:



If your Computers LBA setting is configured improperly and scandisk continues Scandisk may report and repair errors incorrectly This could result in severe damage to your data or could incorrectly mark sections of your drive as bad.

Are you sure your system is configured properly.

Yes or NO.


Prior to that it told me if I was unsure to make the changes in BIOS.
The last time I had this drive on it’s usual computer I reset the settings to default in BIOS so I am pretty sure it is correct settings.

I am holding on that page, should I or shouldn’t I? scan the disk (remember I already have everything off of the drive backed up, so I am not worried about loosing data, my only concern is loosing the OS.

keep shinin

jerm :cool:
33

PS I think I can try that Fdisk/MBR thing from DOS now…it would not run from WIndows98SE, which makes sense, it is an XP file as are all the rest of the “windows” files on the D drive.

keep shinin

jerm :cool:

34

OK - Just make the XP drive the master (with jumper) and connect to the end of the hard disk cable. No other disks, not the win9x. Now boot with the floppy. You can check to see if DOS sees the XP disk by typing C: at the the prompt. Hopefully it does see the C: drive. Then (make sure you go back to A: floppy) and type ‘fdisk/MBR’ without the quotes.
Then put your disk (XP) back in the XP computer and see if it will boot.
I assume you have 2 computers - one running win9x and one running XP.

35
Quote: (sevenOfeleven @ Mar. 25 2009, 2:43 PM)

Here - I have them on my website

WinMe

Just D/L and run the .exe and it will create a DOS startup disc for you.

One problem, the computer I am communicating with you on is a VISTA Compaq and it does not have a floppy drive.

Is it possible to save this file to a disk, then take it to my Windows98SE machine and open it, creating the floppy off of that?

keep shinin

jerm :cool:
36

Ok I was able to get the file from the disk onto a floppy.

I switched the drive out to C: end of the chain like ya said, with jumper, and put it back on A: and put in
fdisk/MBR it did not say error, or file not found, it didn’t do much of anything just made some noise skipped a line and went back to A:>

Now I will try to put the drive back into the XP machine it used to be in and see what happens.

BTW when I ran scandisk it found about a hundred errors in the directory and fixed them all…but when it got to the free space it froze at 8%.

tHANKS again for all the help a million graditudes will let you know how this turns out.

keep shinin

jerm :cool:

37

Update:

I got the drive back up into it’s original system.
At first the system did not want to recognize it, invalid disk, and what was odd was each time I would start it would assign it a different drive letter, one time it was E: the next D: and when I ran scandisk it called it C: lol
Long story short, I took out the jumper cable and put on in that only had one outlet on it, then I switched the peg to “Master” instead of master with jumper, the drive now is assigned C: I ran that fdisk/MSG thingy and it seemed to take.
Scandisk ran and went all the way through, even the freespace, which is now 140G, (since I dumped 40G or so.
Then it asked if I wanted to run a surface scan, I said yes, this is going to take about 3 hours it said, I noticed about 9 bad sectors on the visual, so she is on the way out.

No worries I have another 40G drive with XP on it too…and now I have that handy dandy start up disk and the process down I should be able to run that as a Slave for now and a temp Master when the other Maxtor takes the final dirt nap.

I am not out of the woods yet, but the clearing is not that far off. :agree:

Thanx again everyone for all the tips.

Ntrack Forum, recording software/computer novice Heaven. :) great bunch of guys.

keep shinin

jerm :cool:

38
Quote:

BTW when I ran scandisk it found about a hundred errors in the directory and fixed them all.....but when it got to the free space it froze at 8%.


uh-oh You ran scandisk from win9x on XP with a disk size greater than the win9x limitation? Not good. Rule of thumb. Never let Windows fix anything. If Windows offers to fix something - anything, just say NO. Not saying you did damage, but it's possible.
Well - if you got the files off - that's good. I got to tell you, I haven't had to mess with these headaches since I put a backup strategy (using an imaging program like Ghost, and there are others just as good or better) that also includes making a backup disk image before putting on any ....ANY untested software. That includes updates to stuff that is working perfectly fine such as driver updates and such. Don't want to get preachy, but until you do the same, you can expect something like this to happen in the future. Usually at the worst possible time.
Hope it works out.
39

just glad I could help! :laugh:

40
Quote: (sevenOfeleven @ Mar. 25 2009, 9:01 PM)

Quote:

BTW when I ran scandisk it found about a hundred errors in the directory and fixed them all.....but when it got to the free space it froze at 8%.


uh-oh
You ran scandisk from win9x on XP with a disk size greater than the win9x limitation? Not good. Rule of thumb. Never let Windows fix anything. If Windows offers to fix something - anything, just say NO. Not saying you did damage, but it's possible.
Well - if you got the files off - that's good. I got to tell you, I haven't had to mess with these headaches since I put a backup strategy (using an imaging program like Ghost, and there are others just as good or better) that also includes making a backup disk image before putting on any ....ANY untested software. That includes updates to stuff that is working perfectly fine such as driver updates and such. Don't want to get preachy, but until you do the same, you can expect something like this to happen in the future. Usually at the worst possible time.
Hope it works out.

Yep I got the files off. :) all is well in fileville.

I did try putting the drive back into the old system,(that is where I ran Scandisk all the way through, and scanned the surface) and it tried to boot from the floppy drive and just says invalid system disk. (or missing system disk) I can't remember which...also that might be because I took the peg off of "jumper, Master" and put it on "Master"....it was not set up that way originally.

Anywho, I forgot how to get it to load off the C; drive instead of looking in the A: drive first, I know I have come across this once before, just don't remember what I did to get around it.....setup.exe? I think I need the XP disk to do that one..

I may have done something in BIOS, it is not showing two CD roms currently, only one. (and it used to show 2)
I set the Bios back to default, perhaps that did something unexpected, since it may not have been set up that way, I may try unpluggin one of the CD roms, although they are not on the same IDE cable as the Hardrive.

About that "back up" when I first got the system I had an issue with some software that stopped working, I restored the system to a previous date, I wish I could do that again, back to even the first day I got it, but I do not know how to do that from the Windows98 machine, and can't get Windows to load off the C: drive in the XP machine presently....

Thanks again for all the help, guys, yep that includes you Poppa, :)

keep shinin

jerm :cool: