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[quote]Originally posted by Sowulo:
<strong>
Logical Drive? Is this another partition on the same HD? If you're going to start over, I'd consider connecting a second physical drive and then doing the boot floppy thing to get to the DOS copy from c: to that second HD. Now you can safely wipe that flaked out install and redo the partitions at the same time (remove second HD before doing the full wipe just to be extra safe) just to be 100% certain there aren't any boot sector viruses, damaged partition tables, or any other nasty remnant of this little mess....</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yep, C: is the main partition on the disk. It was just a last ditch effort that didn't work. "Invalid media or Track 0 bad - disk unusable. Format terminated." I can still access everything on the disk. Just can't boot from it or format it.
Your idea requires cracking the case, right? I can't afford to nullify the warranty. :( With the luck I seem to be having, if I did that, every single component would commit hari-kari within a week, and I'd be stuck with a $2000 paperweight.
Thanks a million jillion quazillion for your help. Unless you have other ideas (and I'll worship you if you do!), I've resigned myself to mailing it in for service.
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[quote]Originally posted by Renée:
<strong>
Your idea requires cracking the case, right?
Thanks a million jillion quazillion for your help. Unless you have other ideas (and I'll worship you if you do!), I've resigned myself to mailing it in for service.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I don't remember you ever telling us that the system was under warranty. I wish you did. We started this whole thing with the possibility that there is a hardware problem. Have you got on the phone with their tech support? They will help you diagnose the system, and when (of course, if), they determine a hardware problem is to blame, they would want to look at it. Unless this is a Gateway, then they will want you to get your screw drivers handy. :D
Anyway, good luck. I hope they can get it back to you in less time then we did!
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[quote]Originally posted by Ya_know:
<strong>I don't remember you ever telling us that the system was under warranty. I wish you did. We started this whole thing with the possibility that there is a hardware problem.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yes, I did. <a href="http://forums.windrivers.com/cgi-bin/forum3/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=38&t=000539&p=2#000 021" target="_blank">Right here.</a> About the time we decided it had to be hardware.
[quote]Originally posted by Ya_know:
<strong> Have you got on the phone with their tech support? They will help you diagnose the system, and when (of course, if), they determine a hardware problem is to blame, they would want to look at it. Unless this is a Gateway, then they will want you to get your screw drivers handy. :D </strong><hr></blockquote>
Not yet. That's up right now. Fujitsu has a rep for slow service, so I wanted to see if it was something I could fix myself first. Nothing like sending off your baby for repair, getting it back in three weeks, and then finding out all they did was replace a driver or reinstall the OS. And, if it's something related to software the user installed (which was thought to be possible in the beginning), it's not under warranty, so I didn't want to get a $900 service bill, either.
[quote]Originally posted by Ya_know:
<strong> Anyway, good luck. I hope they can get it back to you in less time then we did!</strong><hr></blockquote>
Hey, there was nothing slow about the help here. The only slowness was me working on it. :) Thanks, and if it's anything interesting, I'll update when I find out what the problem was.
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[quote]Originally posted by Renée:
<strong>
Yep, C: is the main partition on the disk. It was just a last ditch effort that didn't work. "Invalid media or Track 0 bad - disk unusable. Format terminated." I can still access everything on the disk. Just can't boot from it or format it.
Your idea requires cracking the case, right? I can't afford to nullify the warranty. :( With the luck I seem to be having, if I did that, every single component would commit hari-kari within a week, and I'd be stuck with a $2000 paperweight.
Thanks a million jillion quazillion for your help. Unless you have other ideas (and I'll worship you if you do!), I've resigned myself to mailing it in for service.</strong><hr></blockquote>
One more idea.....
I use an old DOS copy of LL5 (laplink5) in this circumstance....boot this busted laptop with your boot floppy and a desktop computer with the same floppy. Connect the two with a cross-over parallel cable attached to their respective lpt ports. Now run LL5 on each and use that to copy off all your goodies to the desktop (or other notebook--whatever you have). You should be able to buy the laplink cable somewhere close to home (search pricewatch for laplink and you'll find them--$2) and if you need LL5 let me know....
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Sowulo, my worship has gone to an even deeper level.
I'm gonna find out from Fujitsu what they want me to do and how long my lappy will be in the shop. If it's gonna be too long, I'll try this to get the file I need so I can WORK. If I do, I'll need that copy of LL5 from you. Okay if I harass you later?
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When you call them, ask them about their policy involving OS upgrades. They may not want to support you if the Laptop origionally came with ME and now has Xp on it. Either that, or you'll get your laptop back with ME on it.
Don't you have any restore disks that came with the laptop?
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[quote]Originally posted by Renée:
<strong>Sowulo, my worship has gone to an even deeper level.
I'm gonna find out from Fujitsu what they want me to do and how long my lappy will be in the shop. If it's gonna be too long, I'll try this to get the file I need so I can WORK. If I do, I'll need that copy of LL5 from you. Okay if I harass you later?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Anytime!!! :D ;) :D
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[quote]Originally posted by Renée:
[QB]
Yep, C: is the main partition on the disk. It was just a last ditch effort that didn't work. "Invalid media or Track 0 bad - disk unusable. Format terminated." I can still access everything on the disk. Just can't boot from it or format it.
QB]<hr></blockquote>
I've seen this error before, try fdisk /mbr or even fdisk option 4 and see if you can see the partition table. I fixed my problem using zap utility, but you want to save your files. A virus ate the mbr on the system I seen this on. If it's too late to try, sorry.
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Argh. Well, no surprise, but Fujitsu will NOT take it as a hardware issue until their own proprietary recovery program is run and won't work. But their recovery program will wipe out everything on my HDD, of course, just like an fdisk would.
This is precisely why I preach backup, backup, backup to my clients. And from now on, I guess I'll have to preach "and don't leave the backup lying face up on a countertop, even if the cats aren't supposed to be up there." I suppose this is my little bad luck streak for the year. Glad to get it out of the way.
I'm going to ask cc_penguin if he works on laptops, and if he does, I'm just going to go visit him since he lives right down the road. If not, then Curt...I'll probably be hitting you up for that old version of LapLink to try my hand.
Thanks, everyone, for your help. :)
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Oh Im definatly game for helping ya out, sorry I havent replied earlier. I dont have too much knowledge with XP (well not enough in which I feal to be offering advice) so I have stayed away from these XP threads. I cant promise I can retrieve the data for ya, but Ill give it my best shot :)
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[quote]Originally posted by cc_penguin:
<strong>Oh Im definatly game for helping ya out, sorry I havent replied earlier. I dont have too much knowledge with XP (well not enough in which I feal to be offering advice) so I have stayed away from these XP threads. I cant promise I can retrieve the data for ya, but Ill give it my best shot :) </strong><hr></blockquote>
Don't hesitate to get in touch..... :)
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[quote]Originally posted by Sowulo:
<strong>
Don't hesitate to get in touch..... :) </strong><hr></blockquote>
Thanks, we may need the Laplink after all, we'll keep ya informed :)
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[quote]Originally posted by Sowulo:
<strong>
Don't hesitate to get in touch..... :) </strong><hr></blockquote>
CC...don't hesitate to contact me either. I work with XP and if you get stumped, I'll do my best to help you guys out. PM me or email me @
[email protected]
If you need to chat I can do that too. Let me know.
Dave
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Thanks GG. Also, I just found a copy of Laplink here in the shop, now I just have to search for the cables (I know they are here somewhere). So it looks like Renee will get her precious files back anyway :)
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Just to let those who helped know the resolution of this situation...
It was definitely not a hardware problem. Took much longer to resolve because I had to go through the proper channels (i.e., Fujitsu tech support). The drive wasn't damaged, but the FAT and all the system files were corrupted. The only thing I can come up with that might have caused it is the disagreement between Nero and WinXP. I read the same type of problems from other XP users who installed Nero. It could have been who-knows-what of a million other things, too, but based on the system's behavior before and after the installation of Nero, that's the most logical thing to blame it on now, I suppose.
Needless to say, the husband is now forbidden to be within five feet of the laptop at any given time, and he's not even allowed to have thoughts about installing things on it! To his credit, Nero does claim to be compatible. He just didn't read the bunches of reviews from XP users who had massive system crashes with it. :rolleyes: Mac users and new Microsoft OS's... *sigh*
Anyway, I was able to recover my file with the old DOS LapLink, and after an fdisk, the system's perfectly revived. I'm in the midst of reinstalling all the software now (but with Win2K instead of XP Pro). Thanks to everyone who helped me out on this, especially Sowulo for giving me the software I needed for data recovery and cc_penguin for being willing to help me in person if necessary. I owe you guys bigtime... :cool:
