Help: non-booting T30!

[john1in2]

Hi, my T30 (win XP) suddenly stopped booting. The error was something like "we are sorry windows could not start .... unable to mount boot disk...."

I got the menu of options- reboot using "safe" mode, reboot using last known good configuration etc.... None of these worked. I always got the same error message. I did not want to use IBM RapidRestore because the backup I have is a little old and I want to recover some newer files before reformatting.

I did some searching and found out about the XP repair CD, which did not come with my computer (I bought this new). I searched more and found a link that supposedly had the image of a bootable XP repair CD and booted off of that, but it made things worse.

Now the computer will not boot off CD at all. There is no longer an option to start in "safe mode" or any other mode. The errors are

Bootup text-
================================================
Intel(R) Boot Agent Version 4.1.07
Copyright (C) 1997-2002, Intel Corporation

Intel Base-Code, PXE-2.1 (Build 083)
Copyright (C) 1997-2002, Intel Corporation
PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-M0F: Exiting Intel Boot Agent
Operating System Not found
=================================================

Here are the IBM Bootup Screen options
=================================================
F1 enter IBM Bios setup
F11 to invoke product recovery
F12 to choose temporary boot device
=================================================
F1 works

F11 does not work/ no message "starting recovery" and instead you get the same error as #1
F11 used to work before I booted from the supposed 'repair' CD.

F12 options
=================================================
1. Removable Devices
3. CD-ROM Drive
4. IBA 4.1.07 Slot 0240
=================================================

I do not think F12 will work as it tends to give the same errors as on bootup and F11.

What I want to do is recover a few files from the HDD and then reinstall XP.

I do have a bootable IBM Rapid Restore recovery set of discs and a local backup archive on the problem disc (if IBM rapid restore could be executed); however before reformatting anything I need to exctract a few crictical work projects from the hard disc.

So the tasks are #1- recover some files and #2 reinstall XP. How do I accomplish this?

- thanks.

[RoxyRose]

From what you are telling me in your post, your hard drive is failing/has failed. I would get an enclosure for the drive to get your files off (if it can even be accessed) and then use your restore cd on a brand new drive. The reason I say this is because it a) the first error inferred hdd failure b) the fact that a repair "made it worse" pretty much confirms it.

[RealBlackStuff]

"Spot on" advice.

[john1in2]

Thanks.

I take it the enclosure should be a 2.5" PATA/ IDE to USB type?

Any recommended software to try to repair the relevant disk sectors/ tables once the drive is in the enclosure?

Also, how do I 'restore' onto a blank HDD? Seems simple but no idea how to do this?

[john1in2]

The guy at the computer store told me that a usb/IDE drive was the same as the one I needed.

I put in my HDD and it fits the connector, except that the T30 drive has 4 extra pins that don't connect to anything???? What???

But it kind of works, the Drive "F" is the computer HDD of interest which the computer tells me needs to be formatted. The drive "G" is the recovery partition which I can see a directory of but which is hard to extract anything out of.

I've got a repair product but it concedes to the OS that drive "F" needs to be formatted and won't try to fix it. What good is that?

help?

[RealBlackStuff]

You do indeed need another PATA/IDE/ATA drive (they're all the same).
2.5" wide, 9,5mm thick.
The extra 4 pins are for putting on jumpers for Master/Slave. Not required for Thinkpads, so don't worry.
If the new F-drive is your old T30 C-drive, and you can't read it, then that partition is messed up by using those "repair" disks.
They probably formatted it, and all your data is gone .
If you remove the HD from the drive bay, you should be able to boot from CD/DVD, using F12.
If that doesn't work, it looks bleak for your T30...
(Make sure you didn't put that old HD upside down in the USB enclosure.)

[john1in2]

Looks like it is time for a new drive.

What are the recommended replacements?

[RealBlackStuff]

Any PATA/IDE/ATA drive (they're all the same) 2.5" wide, 9,5mm thick.
The largest one available is 320GB.
What you buy in the end mostly depends on your budget.
This is more or less the current crop: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... name=ATA-6
Or check our Marketforum, they crop up regularly.
Just make sure you do NOT buy a SATA drive!

[john1in2]

Thanks. It seems that the price of those drives vary wildly, you don't necessary get a faster/ bigger drive for more $$. But that does give me a good start and I'll get one of them.