Fix the MBR in Windows XP

**Big Booger** · January 2nd, 2006, 03:10 AM

Originally Posted by master_rigel2

Would it not be possible to simply
* Insert Windows XP CD
* enter recovery console
* copy command.com and fixmbr.(com, exe) to corrupted HDD
* Go to drive in question
* Type command.com (will effectively create a command session generating the appearance of system drive?)
* Type FixMBR

This would likely work, but how many people even know how to use the command line to copy files today? Or even to switch directories for that matter?

But this will not work if the hard drive is dead..

I was trying to make the process as simple as possible for someone who is uncomfortable with command line procedures.

FIXMBR is about as simple as it gets...

As I read in a Windows XP support page, FIXMBR only operates on the system drive! So if you boot from the CD, it'll try to re-write the MBR on the CD.

The system drive was the drive you are trying to fix the MBR on... not the CD... I don't know what you are talking about when you say "So if you boot from the CD, it'll try to re-write the MBR on the CD."

You use the CD to boot to the recovery console. That puts you at a command prompt. YOu type FIXMBR and it repairs the master boot record of the system drive. The system drive being the drive that holds your windows XP installation...

**GeesRiK** · January 11th, 2006, 12:41 PM

HELP!

After reading this thread (found it doing a Google!) I think you might be able to help... I have a very similar problem.. (this might be long winded.. but I really need to get this drive back as it has photos of my son on it and I never back it up...

)

The drive in Question is set up as my Primary Slave and was just a spare drive to store work, Gen' stuff on and the odd program

I noticed one day that some icons on my desktop had the default Windows logo, and not there actually ones. I went to check the programs that I had installed on to this drive (happens to be D:\) and when I double clicked to open it, it said that the drive wasn't formatted and did I want to format it now... HELL NO I said...

Well, I booted up the PC with a Partition Magic 8 Bootable CD and it said that Drive 1 and 3 were fine (they showed the right size and usage) but drive 2 (the problem drive) wasn't active. I set it to active. but still not joy in windows. I checked in Disk Management and it shows all 3 HDD, but D:\ doesn't have a File system like the other two. (both NTFS like D:\ used to be.)

So.. .if anyone can help... I'd owe them many a Beer... (not sure how I'd get the beer to them... but I'd try my damn'est!...

**Big Booger** · January 11th, 2006, 14:16 PM

Originally Posted by GeesRiK

HELP!

After reading this thread (found it doing a Google!) I think you might be able to help... I have a very similar problem.. (this might be long winded.. but I really need to get this drive back as it has photos of my son on it and I never back it up...

)

The drive in Question is set up as my Primary Slave and was just a spare drive to store work, Gen' stuff on and the odd program

I noticed one day that some icons on my desktop had the default Windows logo, and not there actually ones. I went to check the programs that I had installed on to this drive (happens to be D:\) and when I double clicked to open it, it said that the drive wasn't formatted and did I want to format it now... HELL NO I said...

Well, I booted up the PC with a Partition Magic 8 Bootable CD and it said that Drive 1 and 3 were fine (they showed the right size and usage) but drive 2 (the problem drive) wasn't active. I set it to active. but still not joy in windows. I checked in Disk Management and it shows all 3 HDD, but D:\ doesn't have a File system like the other two. (both NTFS like D:\ used to be.)

So.. .if anyone can help... I'd owe them many a Beer... (not sure how I'd get the beer to them... but I'd try my damn'est!...

First I'd check the cables, power etc.... unplug then plug it back it. Boot and see if you can read the drive.

If not, check here:

http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/comp/hdd...ruption-c.html

I'd be careful. If you value the data, then you might just want to use some other tooks to retrieve the data.

Another option would be to use a Linux Live CD and see if you can access it from there. The live CD should make no changes to the disk, and might be able to access it.. but I dunno for sure.

**worf6161** · November 25th, 2005, 22:22 PM

First of all, I have a Western Digital WD1000BB - 100 Gb 7200 RPM EIDE HDD. It is a secondary drive (no Executable files at all, just text, Pics, and music). It HAS been running fine for about 3 years until 11/18/2005. When booting the computer, I got a "S.M.A.R.T. imminent drive failure error" and said that the drive was bad and needed to be replaced. I thought it was referring to my PRIMARY drive so I disconnected the WD21000BB wrote Zero's to the Primary drive and then reloaded the OS. When booting up again after Re-connecting the WD1000BB, got the SAME error again. I powered OFF the computer and INPLUGGED the WD1000BB and rebooted the computer. The error did not re-appear. I powered off the computer and reconnected the WD1000 and booted up the computer again, and the error appeared. I allowed it to continue booting up. It booted up. The WD1000 was detected, BUT was showing "This drive is NOT FORMATED.I removed the drive and attached a DIFFERENT WD HDD. It booted up fine and showed ALL of the data on that HDD. Is there ANY THING I can do to RESTORE or Reconstruct the (MBR) for the partition and recover the data? This was NOT a bootable drive (no OS on it, just non-Executible files). I have not done ANYTHING to the drive since it failed. I have some irreplacable files on it. HELP!

Worf

**Big Booger** · November 26th, 2005, 07:30 AM

I'd take the hard disk and put it in a working system. THen I'd copy the contents.

You shouldn't need to fix the MBR to read the contents on the drive. The MBR just allows that drive to boot.

If it is not a bootable drive, there is no need to fix the MBR. YOu just need to hook the drive up and copy the contents as quickly as possible. It sounds like the drive is dying.

**juanab** · August 18th, 2006, 20:10 PM

The disk ( a WD raptor sata 74 gb) fail to boot after a strange system lock.
Using thunderbird and opening a note, the screen went almost blank and system froze. After that no boot capability any more.

Inserted the failing disk as secondary drive on another system.
This system has its own primary sata drive, working all rigt with WIN XP.
Went to my computer  manage  disk management, and it said that Drive 1 is fine (they showed the right size and usage) but drive 2 (the problem drive) wasn't active. I set it to active. And the message is that the disk is unformatted and unallocated.

For all I read on this fantastic forum plus others p[laces, the MBR record could be damaged.

The disk was formatted as 4 partitions NTFS (20 + 20 + 20 + rest of disk), being the first partition the active boot unit.
Is there a simple way to read the information actually on the MBR record and see were the problem could be.?? Or any better suggestion>???

Thanks in advance

Juan

**blackhat** · November 27th, 2005, 07:10 AM

Worf,
BB's got the only solution I can see. Drag the 100gb into a working system as a slave and see if you can get any of the files out. Western Digital has pretty good Disk Utilities. You might be able to copy the disk onto the master, depending on how much free space the master has and how much data is actually on the 100gig. If you try this, it generates alot of heat. Keep the case open and an external fan on it. I think this your best shot. If the drive wont drive or the reader wont read, you're pretty much screwed. Last resort is to take it to a shop that specializes in data recovery. There are hundreds of them.

How is the Starship Enterprise like a roll of toilet paper??

They both circle "Uranus" and look for "Clingons"!! Good luck and let us know how you make out. DRB

**worf6161** · November 29th, 2005, 02:57 AM

Well, actually, I did try just copying the files, but there are no files found - no partition found - and all it said was The hard drive is not formatted, would you Like to format now? I will try the WD utilities. Thanks a LOT for your input!!

Worf

**Big Booger** · November 29th, 2005, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by worf6161

Well, actually, I did try just copying the files, but there are no files found - no partition found - and all it said was The hard drive is not formatted, would you Like to format now? I will try the WD utilities. Thanks a LOT for your input!!

Worf

Have you at any time during this ordeal formatted that drive? If so, your data is erased and you'll have to use a recovery software to get the data back.

**fmayjmd** · December 13th, 2005, 15:47 PM

Originally Posted by worf6161

Well, actually, I did try just copying the files, but there are no files found - no partition found - and all it said was The hard drive is not formatted, would you Like to format now? I will try the WD utilities. Thanks a LOT for your input!!

Worf

My problem same as Worf. I've tried the following:-
1) Boot using XP disk, run the console recovery and run the fixmbr ... failed.
2) Tried to copy out the files (excel, word and pic files)...failed

FYI, my second hd is detected by BIOS but not in My Computer. If I boot up the PC with the problem hd attached as 2nd hd, the error message "Third Slave Disk Error" will displayed. Then I need to press F4 to by pass it and the Windows XP will launch from my 1st hd.

PLEASE... Anyone can help me to recover all my pictures (contains all my wife and kids pictures since beginning) and files.

Thanks in advance.

**Big Booger** · December 14th, 2005, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by fmayjmd

My problem same as Worf. I've tried the following:-
1) Boot using XP disk, run the console recovery and run the fixmbr ... failed.
2) Tried to copy out the files (excel, word and pic files)...failed

FYI, my second hd is detected by BIOS but not in My Computer. If I boot up the PC with the problem hd attached as 2nd hd, the error message "Third Slave Disk Error" will displayed. Then I need to press F4 to by pass it and the Windows XP will launch from my 1st hd.

PLEASE... Anyone can help me to recover all my pictures (contains all my wife and kids pictures since beginning) and files.

Thanks in advance.

Do you have a disk enclosure? For example an external hard disk enclosure?

If so, put the problematic hard disk into the enclosure, then boot the pc with a good hard disk with XP loaded.

Plug in the enclosure and see if your computer can read it. If so, copy all the files you want onto another media (DVD, empty hard disk, CDRs...)

THen format the drive and start over.

If you don't have a hard disk enclosure, try booting with the XP cd, instead of running the console recovery, try doing a repair installation on the hard disk.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

You can view how to do that at the site linked above.

If none of that works, post back in this thread and i will try to think of something else.

One question about the third slave device error, do you have the 2nd hard disk as a slave or master when you booted it?

**toffer** · March 3rd, 2006, 12:58 PM

Hey... new to the forum... I'm having some problems installing winxp & was hoping you guys may be able to offer some advice. I used to have my machine set up as a dual boot (win2k & fedora core 4) with grub being the bootloader. It was giving me a ton of problems so I eliminated linux & reinstalled win2k. Now I'd like get winxp pro running on my machine... so go through setup & the machine reboots... when it restarts after the initial setup, it just quits. It tells me "press a key to boot from cd rom". If I just let it go, grub eventually comes up but does nothing. I've tried booting into recovery mode & using fixmbr with no success. Any suggestions? Thanks.

**Big Booger** · March 3rd, 2006, 13:50 PM

I don't know why you have grub as a bootloader if you only have XP and 2000 on the computer.

To Remove Grub From Your MBR. just use the command fdisk /mbr...
boot your computer with win 98 or ME and start computer with cd rom Support. at the command prompt enter the command fdisk /mbr and then reboot your computer... your Grub is removed...

Try that.