Computer boot-up troubleshoot Flowchart

Hard Drive troubleshoot Flowchart

The primary Master is a Hard Drive as shown by the arrow, and the secondary Master is a DVD Drive in the picture
above.

HDD install
Put your new hard drive in the slot provided for. It is usually toward the front end of the computer case. You must use
screws to tighten the hard drive to the case (when the hard drive works, it creates lots of vibrations which could
damage it in the long run)

Then, you must plug the data cable from the motherboard to the hard drive. Make sure you use that on the
motherboard you are connecting to the blue slot!

Connector the other end of the data cable to the hard drive and then connect the cable from the power supply to the
hard drive.

A little about Boot Sectors.

When troubleshooting boot failures it can be helpful to

understand a little bit what the boot sector is.
A boot sector is the first sector of your Hard Drive. It contains
the information to locate the active partition and to invoke its
Volume Boot Record.
Any computer with a mismatch in the boot sector will likely
report "'Boot Sector Not Found".
The good news is that Windows XP keeps a backup of your boot sector, and we are going to try to restore it.
To repair the boot partition, boot the computer from your Windows XP CD-ROM and start the Recovery Console.
Next, use the Bootcfg.exe tool to rebuild the Boot.ini file.
In more details:
> Boot from the Windows XP CD ROM.
Insert the Windows XP CD and turn the computer on.
When prompted "Press Any Key to boot from CD", press a letter or number key.
If you don't see that Prompt, visit the Boot Sequence modification page
> At the welcome screen, press R for recovery.

> At the command Prompt type "bootcfg /rebuild".

That's it! Eject the CD, reboot and you are good to go.

Don't forget to also visit the Secure & Backup page to learn how you can prevent that from happening in the future.

Insert the Windows XP CD into the CD-ROM, and boot from it.
- In the Windows XP setup menu press "R" to repair Windows.
- Log into your Windows installation by pressing "1" and then enter. If you use a password for Windows, you will be
prompted for your administrator password.
- Copy the below two files to the root directory of the primary hard disk. Note that your CD-ROM may be under a
different letter on your PC.
copy e:\i386\ntldr c:\
copy e:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\
After both of these files have been copied, remove the CD and reboot.

C o m p u t e r w o r k i n g w i th m i n i m u m h a r d w a r e ?
Take out / unplug any non-essential component (CD ROM, PCI cards[except video],...) and try to boot.
With the minimum components (CPU, 1 RAM, 1 video card[ if you have an on-board video card on your motherboard,
use that one], 1 Hard Drive) try swapping power cables and connector ribbons.
Sometimes it is a connector or a slot that causes the problem. Trying different IDE ribbon cables or power wire for the
hard drives or checking the RAMs one by one on all the slots, can help in identifying damaged parts or slots.
Verify that the heatsink is in full contact with the CPU. CPUs not connected to heatsinks heat up in a matter of
seconds crashing, or turning the computer off.
If this does not work, take the motherboard out of the casing. Sometimes there is a short between the motherboard
and the case. Put the motherboard on an insulated surface and try.
You should have verified your power supply before getting to this page. If you have not, then proceed to power supply
test. If you have already done that, then we need to check your motherboard Click Here!
If you are not sure how to manipulate different parts click on the following links to get more informationon how to
install:

RAM
CPU
AGP & PCI cards
Power Supplies
First place your power supply at the back of your computer case. Standard power supply should have their fan toward
the outside of the case. You will have to tighten your power supply to the case with 4 screws.

Then you must make the connections to your motherboard. Here are the typical connections.

Older motherboards use a 20 pin connector, slightly newer motherboards have an extra 4 pin connector. Nowadays,
motherboards have simply a 24 pin connector. Look on your motherboard or see your owner's manual.

Now connect the power to your floppy drive (if you have one)

Finally connect the power to your hard drive and CD/DVD ROM.

I n s e r t y o u r w i n d ow s C D a n d r e s t a r t y o u r c o m p u t e r.
You should be prompted whether you wish to boot from cd? Just press on any key while this message is on the
screen and you should get a blue screen showing windows CD starting up.
If you do not get such message, you will have to change your BIOS setting to allow computer to boot from CD. Click
here
Now that you were able to get the windows CD to boot, Windows XP will load the necessary file, and then ask you
what you want to do. Press Enter to install windows XP.

Press F8 to accept the Agreement.

Do you see any partitions, If not try to creat one (press C)

Are you able to select a size?

Checking your motherboard's connections

Make sure all your cards and cables are plugged in correctly. Specially you
video card.
Take out any non-essential component (CD ROM, PCI cards[except video],...)
and try to boot. Also try swapping power cables and connector ribbons.
At this point you need to replace your motherboard and RAM.
CPUs burn very rarely, and if your PCI cards do not overheat they should be OK. Be very carefull to change the RAM
and Motherboard as if you try to recycle one, you might burn the new one. It is a risk!
If your motherboard has failed, it is better to buy another motherboard with a new CPU because old motherboards
tend to become hard to find & expensive whereas deals on combo CPU/motherboard are cheap.
Check our Data Recovery if you need your files!
*Warning: You might burn your new parts if you mix them with the burnt ones!

F a i l i n g H a r d D r i ve s
> If your Hard Drive was working and then all the sudden it is not recognized (seen), by your system then it is bad
news. Try changing the Hard Drive connection with the CD ROM connection just to make sure it is not the connection
that is failing. If no success, go to the Data Recovery page to see if there is anything you can do to retrieve your data.
> If you are installing a new one then read the user manual (you can get it on the manufacturer's website).

HDD Test when Windows XP is not loading

If you have access to a PC with Windows XP Click Here.
Otherwise, download a diagnostic CD from your hard Drive manufacturer. One great advantage of
doing that is that if your hard drive is failing, the software will give you an error code that you can use
to issue an RMA for your Hard Drive in case it is still under warranty.

If you don't know your manufacturer, boot your PC and look for the Primary Master

Download directly from the manufacturer.

Maxtor Powermax (Also for Quantum HDD)

Western Digital HDD Diagnostic (WDC)
FUJITSU Hard Drive Diagnostic tool.
Seagate HDD Diagnostic tool
Hitachi Hard Drive Diagnostics (bought IBM's hard drive business)
If you have another manufacturer, then simply type their name in google followed by the keywords "hard drive
diagnostic tool".
Download the file and burn the image on a CD. Boot from the CD and run the test.
The test will give you an error code if there are any. Write that down if your HDD is still under warranty and contact the
manufaturer.
Assuming that your Hard Drive is good, let's continue troubleshooting.

Click Here to continue.

With Windows XP

Double-click My Computer

Right-click on your hard drive (C drive, for example)

Select Properties from the Pop Up Menu

Go to the Tools Tab

Click on the Check Now button

Check both "Automatically Fix File System Errors" & "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors"

If your Windows XP is installed on that drive, then you will be asked to reboot your computer.
Hopefully your Hard Drive is doing great and we can move to the next step.
Buy if you are getting BAD SECTORS, then it is time to save your data before full failure. You will need a new Hard
Drive. You can browse our vendors list for the most competitive prices.
Now that we know your Hard Drive is good, let's get a virus SCAN. On the next page, choose an antivirus (Free or
Commercial) and scan for viruses.

W ays t o r e c o ve r y o u r l o s t D a t a
Recovering your data from your hard drive might be easier than you
think! Off course I am referring to software and operating system
problems. If your hard drive is physically damaged then no software
can help you recover your data. I highly recommend you see a
professional to recover your data if your data is vital. If your data is
not vital and you want to save your money and learn something new
by trying to retrieve your data from a damaged hard drive click here
for a few tips.

There are numerous software's and a few freeware's to help you recover
your data . All the software's are commercial and cost money. On the
other hand most freeware's are limited in what they allow you to recover.
Yes, companies know that people are willing to pay money to recover
their Data.
Good news there are only a few free and unrestricted data recovery
softwares, and we should be able to recover your data with them. Note
that I am in no way affiliated with any of these software's and products.
Continue reading to understand how to recover your data.

Understanding Data Recovery.

1) The Master Boot Record (MBR) and partition table are found in the first sector of your hard drive. They determine
which partition(s) on the disk are bootable and use that information to boot the operating system.
If your MBR or partition table is corrupted, the drive will become un bootable, and may appear to be blank if the
partition information has been erased.
2) The first file on a NTFS partition is the Master File Table(MFT). MFT is basically a list of the names, properties and
locations of all the files in the partition. The Master File Table is used by the operating system to access files.
When you delete a file and then remove it from the recycle bin, the operating system simply marks the file as deleted
in the Master File Table .
In both cases, the good news is that the data is not actually erased, but rather the space it takes up on the disk is now
considered to be free.To prevent the operating system from overwriting on your data,

D o n o t s a ve o r w ri t e a n yt h i n g o n y o u r H a r d D r i ve !
Recovering your Data.
There are 3 things we need to do to recover the data. First is to boot the computer, second a recovery software and
third we need somewhere to transfer the data to. I'll give you several ways to do that so you can recover your data the
way it is easier for you. I will begin with the most recommended ones.

Option 1 - Transfer Hard Drive to another Computer.

If you have access to another computer, put your Hard Drive in as a Slave (Change jumper Settings). Boot computer
from the Master Hard Drive. Look for your files with the file explorer. If you cannot find your files click here to go to the
next step.

Option 2 - Windows XP Boot Floppy.

- Place a floppy disk in the floppy drive.
- Click on My Computer, right click the A: drive and click Format.

- In the Format window, check Create an MS-DOS startup disk.

Data Recovery Software.

Download this free Data Recovery Software. You can also find the source code here, but you won't need it (I have to
make available for legal reasons). I am very greatfull to www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk for making this software
available as an open source.
Remember not to save anything on the hard drive that needs data recovery. If you will be using the boot floppy,
then you need to unzip the file and burn the content on a CD-ROM.

Data Recovery Process.

Boot the computer (either floppy or Master hard drive) and run the testdisk_win.exe that is in the win directory (just
double click on the file in windows xp. If you have booted from the floppy type d:\testdisk-6.5\win\testdisk_win.exe).
Choose No Log.

Select your physical drive and Proceed.

For windows XP select Intel.

Select Analyse.

Proceed.

You can press p to see a list of files in the partition :-)

Press q to come back to the data recovery screen.

Select write. Your data is being recovered!

I hope that nothing was overwritten and you have recovered your data. If you couldn't find your data, and you are sure
that your hard drive is not failing (I have seen a hard drive crash because of cheap unstable 250W power supply) you
might have to consider a professional data recovery software with much more elaborate algorithms. Here is a list of
Data Recovery Softwares

If you came to this page because of boot partitions issues, and this couldn't help you, then you
need to re-install Windows XP.

Data Recovery from a failed Hard Drive.

Again if your data is vital, call a professional data recovery service. If you are willing to destroy your dat while
attempting to recover then this section is for you. Remember that you cannot open your hard drive. The dust in the air
will render it unrecoverable.

Check the environment.

Look for an environmental factor that may interfere with the functioning of your hard drive. Are there magnets on the
computer case close to the hard drive? Is there a fan or heater near the computer? Is there a transformer, electrical
box, or high power device near the computer (on a floor above or in a nearby wall)? All of these will produce magnetic
and/or electromagnetic fields that can interfere with your hard drive. Equipment that may vibrate the computer even at
a very low amplitude can resonate and cause hard drive heads to skip and jump or even scratch the platters.

Freeze it!
No kidding! Put your hard drive in a sealed bag in the freezer for a couple of hours. Meanwhile get another hard drive
(faster than CD or DVD in case you have gigabits of data to recover). Do that fast while it is cold and still working. You
have about 20 min!

Shake, hit and drop your hard drive.

I warned you! We are going to try to reset any mechanical dislocation. Shake the hard drive vigorousely and try it.
Drop the hard drive on a hard surface on its top. Sometimes it is the heads that are stuck to the platters. Try hitting
your hard drive a few times to reset any mechanical dislocation. Again this works very often but not for long. So be
fast, be prepared.

We hope that by now you have recovered your data. Do not hesitate to visit our Data Recovery Forum if you have any
further questions.