Xp cd won't let me access any recovery options

[Allan]

Doesn't matter. The recovery console is the recovery console. Go ahead and try if you like, can't hurt. Switch discs and reboot to the recovery console and run chkdsk /r again. If it still freezes reboot and try the repair install. And yes, after switching discs you can press CTRL-ALT-DEL to reboot and if that doesn't work press the power switch for the reboot. But I really don't like that checkdisk will not run / complete. Did it run any part of the check or did it only get to 50% in the first pass?

[Spatzi]

I just noticed I don't have a flashing hd light. I rebooted with the xp disc and got into recovery. Running chkdsk again and it is progressing, but there is never a flashing light.

[Spatzi]

Same thing again with the xp disc. Went to 25% in a few seconds, a couple minutes to hit 50% and now stalled again.

[Spatzi]

So which option do I use?

1) to set up windows xp press enter
2) to repair windows xp with  recovery console.

[Spatzi]

I went into windows setup and it shows only one drive but two drives are installed on the computer. Does this mean one is corrupted?

My options are to

1) set up windows xp on the selected item, hit enter
2) install windows on the unpartioned space of the selected item, press c
3) to delete the partition press d

there is only 4000 mb of free space.

[Spatzi]

The drive that is showing with option to install windows is actually an external drive hooked up by usb. It doesn't show the two drives that are in the computer.  Why would that be?

[Allan]

Do you actually have two hard drives in the system or one drive with two partitions?

[patio]

I would disconnect the external for now...just in case you accidentally format it...don't laugh...dozens of people here have done it.
Then i'd power down and re-seat all connections to the internal HDD and power up and enter Setup to detect the drive.
If the BIOS does not detect it after this i'm afraid it's dead.

[Allan]

Patio - I was also about to tell him his hd is dead until his post above, which says the system does not detect the two drives in the computer.

[patio]

Gotcha....
As you mentioned before though i suspect 1 drive w/2 partitions...

We'll see i guess.

[Spatzi]

There were 3 drives in the computer. I removed one, put it in an external case, then copied all files off to my other computer. There were no xp files on that drive.

 That leaves 2 seperate drives still in the computer, and the external. I will disconnect the external drive and see if I can get at the data, then I'll do the same with the two drives that don't show up.

Reseat the drives? What is that exactly?

[Spatzi]

When I was changing the boot priority in bios to go to cd drive first, I removed the other drives that were showing up because I could not change their priority numbers. I disabled them. Could this be why they don't show during windows setup? I had about five boot choices originally.

[patio]

Yes...most definitely.

Remove all but the drive that you boot to...the one that contains the OS.
That 1 should be jumpered master.
Once that's up and running set the boot priority to floppy (if applicable ) CD; then the 1st HDD.
Re-boot a few times.
Then add the 2nd external and jumper it slave...
Again check to see it's recognised and do a few re-boots.
Finally add thew external and make sure it is picked up as well.

What you've managed to do with all the consecutive changes is thoroughly confuse the BIOS,,,easily done and easily fixed.

[Allan]

If you disable something in the bios, as far as the system is concerned it no longer exists.

[Spatzi]

Okay. That's something at least. Still wonder why it stopped scanning my external drive at 50%. There is nothing wrong with that drive. I just checked all the files on my other system.

Questions: As far as the hd that I booted from, can that be done ONLY from a HD that contains the OS?

2) What's jumper master? I've never done that.