Unable to boot to windows xp after deleting ubuntu partition

[prathameshm1612]

I have a old Windows xp desktop dual booted with ubuntu.
1 Gb RAM and 2.33 GHz Intel pentium 4 processor with no graphics card.
I recently deleted my ubuntu partition using windows disk management, on  rebooting after post the computer enters grub rescue mode.
I don't have windows xp repair disc or the software disc.
I tried the solution given at ubuntu forums
When I enter the insmod normal command it gives error unknown file system.
The ls command output is
(hd0)  (hd0,msdos5)  (hd0,msdos1)
On searching google for the unknown file system error I got links that suggested to use
ls (hd0)/  or  ls (hd0,msdos5)/  or  ls (hd0,msdos1)/ and see the partition which gives boot directory.
However all 3 commands give same error "unknown file system".
Another link asked me to use ubuntu live cd and use boot repair tool but unfortunately because the hardware is 10 years older to ubuntu's current version I get a black screen during booting from live cd and none of the options like nomodeset nolapic etc work.

Please help me to solve this problem as it contains a lot of old personal files and photos.
Can a tool like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free Edition work ?

[patio]

In order to repair it you would definitely need an XP CD...

That being said the data can easily be retrieved by connecting the HDD to a working desktop PC as a slave drive.

The drive does NOT have to be bootable to get your data.

[Geek-9pm]

Hindsight. The OP should have made a backup of the XP system.
If another PC is available, you can get the recovery console on a bootable CD to try and repair\r the XP boot loader.
This might be of some help.
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_xp-system/create-a-bootable-cd-emergency-repair-disc-for-xp/fc7b8e94-49ed-4f1e-962e-1abe5a30be50

If the OP has a real Windows XP product key, he can use a friends copy of XP to do repairs. But it must be the same version of XP.

[PCdoc]

Hi,

Like patio said, you will require XP bootable CD. Boot from the cd.

Press 'R' when it prompts to enter recovery console. Type the respective number for your windows partition as prompted. Login with the admin password (if any).

Type 2 commands one after another:
1) fixmbr
2) fixboot

restart your computer.

[prathameshm1612]

I got a windows xp cd from a friend but I don't know how to enter recovery console i.e. when to press 'r'.
When I boot from the cd it loads all the drivers (different files are shown as loading at the bottom of the screen) and then the computer freezes at "setup is starting windows" message at the bottom.
The cd-rom also stops and ctrl+alt+del also doesn't work.
I tried pressing f5 when it boots from cd to force windows to allow the user to provide hardware information rather than detecting itself but yet it hangs at "setup is starting windows".
How do I solve this problem now ?
Please help.

[Geek-9pm]

You may need to start over with the BIOS settings.
Some computer makers began to use SATA hard drives in their PCs while XP did not have drivers for them.
One must go into the BIOS area a make sure the BIOS will let XP use the SATA drives in legacy mode. Without knowing more about your computer, it is hard to say if that is the issue or not.

[prathameshm1612]

Please tell what extra information you want to know exactly.

[Geek-9pm]

Please tell what extra information you want to know exactly.

You said

old Windows xp desktop

.
Hundreds, if not thousands of different models were made all over the globe. Each one would have different chips and options. The Make and Model helps to know if the thing had SATA with legacy. That information is found in the BIOS documents. If it did have it, it would have to be on to run XP. This was not a problem with many  dsitros of Linux.

Can you see if the BIOS had  legacy option for SATA?
Or do you know if the hard drive is SATA or the older 4/80 pin cable?

[PCdoc]

I'd try with another / different XP CD or another CD ROM such as usb DVD/RW rom.