Something wrong with HD BADMBR

[soto487]

My windows doesn't recognize it.. and I try to format it with PartitionMagic and I get this error

Operation (1 of 1)
Formatting partition: *:
(BADMBR, Primary volume, 78161.8 MB on Disk:2)
New label and type: (FAT32)

Its very sad cuz I had all my data there.. can someone please help me.. tell me if my HD is just totalled.. or if there is any other way to like format it or get it to work.... plz help me

 

[Joeisalsocool]

Are you trying to format it after the initial windows installation? If so, make it a slave to another computer so you can take all your files off.

 

[soto487]

Ok thankyou, then what? will I be able to format it then to fat32 as the type and then use it back on my PC

and it was actually from a Linux install gone wrong.. then reinstalled window with this problem..

 

[AT2005]

What version of windows are you trying to install. And anyways from what youve typed "Its very sad cuz I had all my data there" Well if you had all your files on a version of linux that had gone wrong and you tried to format it than your data is gone, unless you did a HDD copy onto another drive. Also you might be installing severel Os's on the HDD. I have a feeling you might be installing Win Xp. Winxp has a problem with prev. os's that If I were running something like ME Melenium Edit. then it would format part of the ME and then start installing win xp. Its kind of a problem if you have the first verions of windows xp but since theirs like a version 1.3?? or something you shoud be fine with this script error. But if you are going to do a format clean in your windows installer you should be able to pick what type of format you want it to go through. Format it on FAT32 twice just to get everything wiped. Ive had programs such as adobe PS5.0 stay on the formatted disk. Or you can parttion the 40gig into a 20 and 20 gig

with one FAT32 and one regularyly old NTFS. Because once you go ntfs you cant go back and their might be problems.

 

[soto487]

Umm no.. its a 2nd harddrive... i installed linux.. linux worked.. windows didnt in the boot menu or at all) and the windows c: drive and whatnot did not show.. I formatted installed XP and my 2nd hd isnt working.. i try to format it and like i said get this error

Operation (1 of 1)
Formatting partition: *:
(BADMBR, Primary volume, 78161.8 MB on Disk:2)
New label and type: (FAT32)

 

[AT2005]

Well were they both on the same SCSI or IDE cables. Ant did you have your first drive to master and you know the rest. But I know that isnt it. Go to your BIOS and see which drive you have set to boot off of? if it was the new drive the it will see linux is the os and not check the other drive. But have it this way since your master is the first HDD with xp. Have our boot clom set up close to this.

Cd drive
hard drive 1 master
hard drive 2 slave
floppy

 

[soto487]

yes they were and yes I do.. and my boot off is correct I believe, its just as a secondary I cant see the 2nd 80gig.. but im on my first using XP and its fine.. cept the 2nd hd wont show

 

[AT2005]

Is it connecto to the mofo and are the power cable in, can you hear the drive starting up. Do this test, it might hurt but im used to it, if your HDD is a bare drive remoce it from its slot and then hold ur middle finger on the bared chip underside of the drive after a few seconds oh the pc turning on you finger will burn alot, if its giving a small bit of warmth than it might be ur psu but that what i can say for now.

 

[AT2005]

EDIT*** mofo spelling error = mobo

 

[soto487]

yes i can hear it start up.