Unmountable Boot Volume, can't repair

[jeffy777]

Hi everyone. I'm getting the "UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME" message when I try to start up. So it appears that the file system is damaged. I've attempted to repair it with XP disc, as decribed here:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;297185

However, it has not been successful. After it loads the initial stuff (like when it asks about Raid drivers, etc. which seems to go much slower than usual) then it says "starting windows" in the blue at the bottom, and it hangs there for ages, then I get a BSOD that says "Page_Fault_in_nonpaged area"....

Also, when i first boot up, it now takes forever for it to "detect IDE drives" so I'm wondering if my hard drive is completely dying? Its only 2 years old: an 80 GB Western digital 7200 RPM, 8 MB cache....I have noticed a couple new clicking noises since this ordeal began. Very faint though and nothing steady at all.

I have some data that I would like to recover if possible, so I hesitate to attempt to re-install windows.

If I get a new hard drive, do you think I'll be able to transfer some files over?

[burnsy]

do you have access to another winXP or 98SE system? if so, make yourself a dos bootable floppy disc and start the winXP installation again.

i've got all WD drives, and have worked for a long time. however, if it fails, you could go to a place where they recover data for you. however, i think you'll be fine until you get the installation working.

[burnsy]

If the second parameter (0xbbbbbbbb) of the Stop error is 0xC0000032, then the file system is damaged.

you get that error code?

[ESPNSTI]

Not sure if it was this error or not, but I had something similar once with Win2k where it would go completely through the initial bootup progress bar and then give an error like this (IIRC).
Turned out my registry was corrupt.
I would even get this error when booting with the setup from the Windows CD.

In order to fix it, I connected my HD as a slave to another pc and restored my registry backup files (which it doesn't create by default, so chances are you won't have them).
If you don't have them, then I think there is a registry repair utility out there somewhere.

In any case, if you get things up and running again (regardless if it was the registry or not), you may want to look at this:
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-on...runt/index.htm

[AxlxA]

Okay this could be a minor problem or a huge problem.

1) To check if it's windows' fault, reinstall windows(not reformat, just install over the current windows) with your winxp cd

2) to check if it's the harddrive's fault, unplug ur harddrive and try another drive that has an OS. If this boots, then you need a new harddrive.

3) To check if it's the MOTHERBOARD or BIOS, clear CMOS by going on to your mother board, there's this set of pins near the BIOS or CMOS battery. Position 1+2 is for regular operation. Position 2+3 is for clearing cmos(leave it in these pins for 20 sec. you dont need to power anything on when u'r clearing).


The #3 is really really bad. Actually, i'm researching about motherboards and came across a similar on some forum. It was implied that the mothorboard was messed up and needed a replacement. "UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME"

[ESPNSTI]

Originally Posted by AxlxA

1) To check if it's windows' fault, reinstall windows(not reformat, just install over the current windows) with your winxp cd

2) to check if it's the harddrive's fault, unplug ur harddrive and try another drive that has an OS. If this boots, then you need a new harddrive.

Not sure you can draw that conclusion from step 2.
I think you'd get a better picture if you hook up the hard disk in question to another PC and run check disk against it.

[bartboy9891]

ah the curse of the boot volume. We kept getting this problem, and it turned out that the harddrive was dead.
if you get a new HD, there is a chance to retrieve some of the files. you need to put the current HD as a slave drive and transfer over to another HD. But with us, it was futile.
However, i hear that this problem could be fixed with a simple "check disk" scan. if you can go into safe mode, run check disk, it'll be called ChkDsk or something like that. If that doesnt do anything, there is another check that the computer does to check the condition of the main HD. dont know where to find that though, its in a sub-menu of a sub-sub-menu somewhere.

[jeffy777]

alright guys, i brought the hard drive into work (local ISP) and we hooked it up to a different PC. It seems to be completely dead now

Any suggestion on what's the cheapest method to get the data off of there? It's not a life or death issue, but it would be nice.

[burnsy]

Originally Posted by bartboy9891

if you get a new HD, there is a chance to retrieve some of the files. you need to put the current HD as a slave drive and transfer over to another HD. But with us, it was futile.

[jeffy777]

Originally Posted by burnsy

Yes I know. Thats what we tried at work. I think the motor is dead so it won't even spin up. But the data is probably still there. I know you can pay companies to repair the drive so they can get the files for you, but if someone knows of a cheap option, please speak up

[bartboy9891]

^ hey you live in michigan! take it to BestBuy, and the GeekSquad will look into it. We were gonna do that, but the HD was actually fucked up beyond a certain point.

[jeffy777]

Originally Posted by bartboy9891

^ hey you live in michigan! take it to BestBuy, and the GeekSquad will look into it. We were gonna do that, but the HD was actually fucked up beyond a certain point.

I'm afraid mine might be beyond that certain point as well....

I've seen companies that claim to do whatever it takes to retrieve your data, but it doesn't look cheap

[ESPNSTI]

Originally Posted by jeffy777

Yes I know. Thats what we tried at work. I think the motor is dead so it won't even spin up. But the data is probably still there.

Wow, can't say I've ever encountered a HDD failure like that before.
In the ones I've encountered (> 5 years ago, all WD drives), I've usually been able to recover 80 to 99% of the data, but with a drive that doesn't spin, you won't be able to do that yourself.

I don't think you'll be able to get your data cheaply.
Maybe hope that the drive not spinning is an intermittent problem.
After you get a new HDD, maybe keep it hooked up as a 2nd drive, and hope that it will decide to spin up one day.

[jeffy777]

Originally Posted by ESPNSTI

Wow, can't say I've ever encountered a HDD failure like that before.
In the ones I've encountered (> 5 years ago, all WD drives), I've usually been able to recover 80 to 99% of the data, but with a drive that doesn't spin, you won't be able to do that yourself.

I don't think you'll be able to get your data cheaply.
Maybe hope that the drive not spinning is an intermittent problem.
After you get a new HDD, maybe keep it hooked up as a 2nd drive, and hope that it will decide to spin up one day.

heh, just found out it's still under warranty. They'll probably just send me a new one, and toss this one out, so the data will be gone forever

[burnsy]

if its under warranty, they won't get the data off the drive for you?

[jeffy777]

I would like to think so, but it doesn't seem that they promise that. Here's the fine print:

Limitation of Remedies

Your exclusive remedy for any defective Product is limited to the repair or replacement of the defective Product.

WD may elect which remedy or combination of remedies to provide in its sole discretion. WD shall have a reasonable time after determining that a defective Product exists to repair or replace a defective Product. WD's replacement Product under its limited warranty will be manufactured from new and serviceable used parts. WD's warranty applies to repaired or replaced Products for the balance of the applicable period of the original warranty or ninety days from the date of shipment of a repaired or replaced Product, whichever is longer.

[Z102]

Originally Posted by jeffy777

I'm afraid mine might be beyond that certain point as well....

I've seen companies that claim to do whatever it takes to retrieve your data, but it doesn't look cheap

Believe me, it isn't. They usually charge you just for looking into it, and then they tell you what can be saved, and then it's up to you to decide. If you want them to finish the job, they charge you whatever their fee is, and send your data back. Usually the companies that do this do it for companies that have lost critical data in a disaster, such as a fire or flood, so a dead motor is piece of cake for them. That doesn't mean they'll charge less, though

Of course, you could be lucky: the motor could be only half dead, and revive (briefly) for a couple of hours or so. That happened to a friend of mine, and he could save all his data before it died for good. Of course, I must say I wasn't so lucky when it happened to me...

And, as has been said, the warranty only covers the physical drive, not the data stored.

Whenever your OS refuses to boot, it's nice to have a boot CD handy. Knoppix is a Live Linux distribution which includes USB support and CD/DVD burning tools. This can allow you to save your data into a USB removable disk or burn it to DVDs. It saved my life once, when my brand new WD hard disk timed out during the BIOS IDE scan, so Windows didn't boot, but I could mount it from Knoppix.

If Linux isn't your thing, there's BartPE, which basically allows you to take a Windows XP (or even Windows 2003) installation CD and burn a bootable system into a CD or DVD. Not only that, you can add any programs you want to it, so you can add Nero or CloneCD and burn your data. It takes a lot of work, but in the end it's worth it. Of course, if you're lazy (like me), you can always find images in your favourite P2P which include handy tools like Nero, Ad-Aware and even MS Office and Norton Ghost.

With any of these, you don't need to unplug your hard disk, but you can save your data right away, without having to waste your time trying to install a new OS, probably fucking up what little life your hard disk had left.

[jeffy777]

Well, whateve WD decides to do, I'll get a drive from them whether or not my data makes it back

But for now, I need something so I don't have to rely on my laptop (bugs mine eyes outeth mine skull)

So just picked up a 300GB Seagate with a 16MB cache at office max for a grand total of.....drum roll please......$99

Good deal, eh? Plus they had the exact same WD that just crapped out on me for $99, so I feel good about this purchase. And every Seagate I've bought (this will be the 3rd) is still alive and well, so I think I'm good to go for awhile. I'll just use the WD warranty for a new slave drive.

[AxlxA]

Did you know that the professionals who can retrieve data off a busted harddisk charges you THOUSANDS, that's right, thousands, for rebuilding your files?

That's why i always have my important stuff like mp3s, software, pictures, word docs, all duplicated across a two computers.