I really screwed up need help!

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T41mbi · #1 Post by **T41mbi** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 2:37 am

Hey I did something incredibly stupid a few hours ago and I am banging my head against the wall right now!

I have a T41p with a Ultrabay Slim 2nd HDD Adapter that I use to keep an exact image of my current operating system on to run unstable programs and test things etc.. (you see where this is going..?)

Well I know I am not supposed to boot the TP when they are both inserted I dont really understand why I just know not to do it.

Well accidently I turned on the TP while they where both inserted. The moment I turned it on *and I mean the moment* I turned it off - but the TP takes 3-4 seconds to turn off when holding down the power key.

Well it happened. Both HDD's 'operating system not found' even though the computer never got pass the bios screen things got screwed up!

Now after much much frustration I realized that I am able to boot from the HDD when inserted in the HDD adapter and the main HDD slot left empty. BUT when I insert it into the main HDD slot I get a 'operating system not found' prompt!

Anyone know what has happened and how I can fix it?

Please any help would be much appreciated

The most I have done is just reset BIOS to default settings I have no idea what to do

FTC · #2 Post by **FTC** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 4:06 am

Hi,

Locate a win98 or MSDOS boot diskette, boot to a command line with the internal disk and run FDISK /MBR. This will repair the master biit record which may be corrupted somehow. If you don't have a diskette unit, find a bootable DOS or linux rescue CD (there are some of these in the net).

Thinkpad_T43_Fan · #3 Post by **Thinkpad_T43_Fan** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 4:11 am

UBCD.com

agarza · #4 Post by **agarza** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 4:32 am

I think the most common reason you're not able to boot is simply because the file boot.ini located in the root of each drive refers to a path:

Code: Select all

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /noexecute=alwaysoff

Take a look at the part where it says:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)

You should see the values on the main HDD you work regularly, then maybe for some reason the disk(0) changed to disk(1) that's why you get that message.

Try that, it might be the MBR but i see no other cause of your problem

T41mbi · #5 Post by **T41mbi** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 4:35 am

Hey Guys!

Are you sure the MBR is the problem? If the MBR was corrupt would I be able to boot from the Ultrabay slim like I am now?

Also I can't burn a CD

. Because I am using the ultrabay drive to boot its impossible

I do have external USB connectors thus I can boot to windows from the Ultrabay drive and then plug the the 2nd HDD drive via USB and haveit recognized in windows.

Thus myquestion is can i do the FDISK MBR thing to the USB connected HDD while in Windows?

T41mbi · #6 Post by **T41mbi** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 4:38 am

I can also take out the ultrabay HDD and put back in the CD-Rom and boot from eithermy XP cd or Windows ME cd

I tried this while I had a HDD plugged into the primary HDD slot but it could not be detected at all when I went to the Windows XP repair option from boot. Thus, no luck. I could try and do that with the HDD plugged into the USB instead of the primary HDD Slot but will it be detected?

And before I do I just wantto check that this FIX MBR thing is the right way to go and please be precise in what I am to do... Dont want to screw this up

THanks!!!

FTC · #7 Post by **FTC** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 4:57 am

Hi,

The MBR thing is not granted. It could be very well also the boot.ini as benottomex noted. You'll have to try both... start by the easiest one, which may be in fact the boot.ini thing, as long as you can boot from this disk while in secondary... then fix the boot.ini file and reboot with the HD in primary...

raabjerg · #8 Post by **raabjerg** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 5:13 am

In addition to the previous suggestions, you might try booting the XP install from your XP cd and go into recovery console mode (i.e. don't proceed with the installation, but tell the menu that you want to use the recovery console).

If this recovery console is able to find your windows installation, and you are able to log on and do a directory listing of your files, your chances of success are good. Otherwise, they are quite slim.

If you get that far, try the following commands:

fixmbr

fixboot c:

The first one will do something similar to fdisk /mbr, and the second one will try to automatically repair your boot settings (I think via. boot.ini).

T41mbi · #9 Post by **T41mbi** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 5:21 am

Hey raaberg

I followed your suggestions and performed both functions

I am still unable to boot for some reason from my Primary IDE slot.

I ran both commands. FixMBR and fixBoot from within the windows XP recovery console.

raabjerg · #10 Post by **raabjerg** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 7:00 am

Too bad.

But you are able to log into the recovery console and see your files on your c-drive? (if you are not able to see your files via. a dir-command in the recovery-console, you've got more serious problems)

On a second read, it sounds like the error you're getting comes from the BIOS and not the bootloader. If this is so, it must either be the BIOS looking in the wrong place or the MBR being faulty.

I'm not that experienced with the BIOS setup on these computers, but you might want to play a bit with the settings to make sure the BIOS is looking at the right disk.

You might also want to try the previous suggestion with FDISK /MBR to see if that makes any difference, and just look around in FDISK to see if your partitions look allright, and that the correct partition is marked for boot ("set active partition").

Good luck

T41mbi · #11 Post by **T41mbi** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 7:09 am

I just want to make this clear

I can boot from the two HDD's in question from the secondary Ultrabay Slim slot using a IBM HDD Adapter.

I can NOT boot from the Primary IDE slot for the HDD (i.e. under the right palm rest) ... I receive an 'no operating system found' error . It is having trouble detecting the HDD itself

I will just do a complete format of one of the HDDs I think insert it and try and reinstall fresh if it dont work I know it must be a hardware problem with the actual thinkpad not the HDDs

raabjerg · #12 Post by **raabjerg** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 7:13 am

My bad - I seemed to skip that point. You might want to try the previous suggestions and look at the boot.ini file then.

If this does not help, the problem is probably with the BIOS-config.

#13 Post by **underclocker** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 9:13 am

I can boot from the two HDD's in question from the secondary Ultrabay Slim slot using a IBM HDD Adapter.

Because this is true, it should be a BIOS configuration issue.

Try letting the machine run through the boot process with no drives installed. Then shut it off and install either drive in the primary drive slot. If this doesn't work, check the BIOS config setting to see that the drive is actually seen.

If it is seen and doesn't boot (and is selected as a boot option in the BIOS), call IBM OR try to install and OS on a third disk, just to check the operation of the machine.

Good luck.

#14 Post by **underclocker** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 9:14 am

P.S. Not that stupid. We've all made mistakes before, not all of us admit it.

T41mbi · #15 Post by **T41mbi** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 10:28 am

benottomex wrote:I think the most common reason you're not able to boot is simply because the file boot.ini located in the root of each drive refers to a path:
Code: Select all
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /noexecute=alwaysoff
Take a look at the part where it says:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)

You should see the values on the main HDD you work regularly, then maybe for some reason the disk(0) changed to disk(1) that's why you get that message.

Try that, it might be the MBR but i see no other cause of your problem

How did I ever miss this post I dont know!

This is what my boot.ini file reads

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

T41mbi · #16 Post by **T41mbi** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 10:34 am

underclocker wrote:
I can boot from the two HDD's in question from the secondary Ultrabay Slim slot using a IBM HDD Adapter.
Because this is true, it should be a BIOS configuration issue.

Try letting the machine run through the boot process with no drives installed. Then shut it off and install either drive in the primary drive slot. If this doesn't work, check the BIOS config setting to see that the drive is actually seen.

If it is seen and doesn't boot (and is selected as a boot option in the BIOS), call IBM OR try to install and OS on a third disk, just to check the operation of the machine.

Good luck.

I was hoping it would be some type of BIOS configuration issue but I have set everything to default (F9) and the problem still continues.

I will try your other suggestions.

I am now totally reformatting a disk and will insert that in the IDE just to see if the BIOS sees it

A weird thing I dont know if it means anything at all (probably not) but I know the moment I turn it on if its going to work or not by looking at the HDD light near the LCD screen. If its not going to work the moment you turn it on the HDD light stays a constant green. It does not blimp just stays on permanently.

T41mbi · #17 Post by **T41mbi** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 10:43 am

OK guys this is very weird

I have totally erased a disk deleted the partition inserted it into the IDE bay and still is not being recognized. I have done this to now 2 different HDDs ...I dont understand what could be wrong now

I really screwed up need help!

I really screwed up need help!

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