"Disk Read Error" AND "Error Reading Operating System"

[quiq]

Alright! After doing chkdsk /f it said it corrected 1 or more problems but then I restarted and it gave me the same error

So I went into bios and disabled the option "IDE BUS MASTER" and now I get the windows logo screen and it goes into windows BUT...

It goes straight to a Windows Installation Setup Wizzard screen instead of going to my desktop.... It keeps trying to install windows. If I put my xp cd back in and let it install, will it overwrite all my data?

If so, how could I copy all my files from c: to my slave drive m: before I do this (assuming i still have my files) ??????

How do I check to see if my drive still has my files?

 

[Vnet]

try changing your ide cable..!!!

 

[Catbert]

You can either insert your XP OS CD and do an OS repair or you can do the following:

Start your PC in DOS mode then from DOS type the following :

cd\
xcopy c:\[PATH TO FILES YOU WANT COPIED]

 

[geffin]

These are all fesable solutions to your problem. I suggest you follow Catbert's suggestion. Make sure that your 40g is set to master, and the 80g is set to slave (jumpers and BIOS config). If this doesn't work, hook your IDE cable up first to the 40g, then to the 80g, and set the jumpers to CS (cable select).

 

[quiq]

yep, I did all that, but surprise surpise the computer just decided to format itself and deleted everything off my master drive. At least it let me install a new windows xp :/ and I still have data on my slave

I love when things happen out of the blue and screw your computer

 

[Catbert]

I would like to know why it formatted itself. It shouldn't have done that without asking you before hand.

What exactly did you do ?

 

[quiq]

Well after trying everything like chkdsk /r and fixboot nothing worked for the error. I did a chkdsk and it said how much free space I had left on my computer which was accurate (so I figured all my files were still inside)

So as a last resort I tried disabling "Ide Bus Master" setting in Bios and this seemd to work somewhat since it stopped the error messages I was getting and gave me the Windows Xp logo and then it loaded up straight to a windows XP install wizard (instead of my desktop) whenever I booted up. So it automatically tried to reinstall windows which I didnt want it to do b/c i wanted to find a way to copy files over to my slave before I reinstalled it, but it already began and so I shut the computer off as it started installing l and by then it was too late

 

[Catbert]

Hmm, wierd.

There are lots of disk recovery programs that you could use to get some of your files back.

Evern after a format they are not completely wiped from the disk.

 

[quiq]

I'm just ganna cut my losses. Main thing I wanted were some digital photos and videos I took, luckily i backed up most of them on my other hardrive and laptop thanks for the help though

 

[quiq]

Well I got windows to work again and tried to install SP2 and then it had an error half way through installation, and then when I restarted, the computer started making noises like it was turning off and on and off and on... now it boots to the same error messages again...

So do you think my hard drive could be physically damaged, or maybe my motherboard too? Should I scrap them?