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Old October 18th 08, 11:58 AM posted to uk.sci.weather
Weatherlawyer Weatherlawyer is offline
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First recorded activity by Weather-Banter: Feb 2005
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Default PC Crash help.

On Oct 18, 9:18 am, "Keith (Southend)G"
wrote:
On Oct 17, 10:54 pm, Weatherlawyer wrote:

The likely SATA refusal problem is that the BIOS will be set for the
modern drive and won't see the new (Older) type.


I'm confused, are you saying that there are two types of SATA drives?
Do the new SATA drives have the same connector (USB size) or do they
have one looking like the old ATA 50 way (I think) type?

You can use a live Linux CD to get the computer up and running to
check what is actually at fault.


Can you put the drive you want to rescue in another computer? It
amounts to the same thing as that dock. You'd have to install it as a
second drive of course as it is unlikely to accept the new hardware
without Windows bonging it.


Not got another box that I can fit it into :-( The box I'm using is
not expandable and doesn't ever have USB.

If I got a new SATA drive, can the old one be fitted into SATA2 and be
read as a slave ?

For 29 quid I'd be tempted to look for another SATA or to do something
with the BIOS.


BIOS, I'll probably dig myself a deeper hole!

I would take a look at Microsoft's help site:http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/e...s/reader.mspx?...


Have you had the box click jacked from a phishing site? Try a set of
zipped updated security stuff from another PC and boot to Safe mode.
Time to consider getting to know Linux stuff methinketh.


Beyond me I'm afraid.

My main concern is recoving the data off the disk. Once I have that I
can start to rebuild, which will take a full day I recon.


The modern drive is called the same thing as the old one as far as the
computer is concerned it's just thaty the motherboard is designed to
hook up with something with a different handle.

http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/...186092,00.html

You have to get a bios update if there is one for the motherboard.
Either that or get another drive, usb flash drive or as someone else
suggested the Linux rescue disk. That will take you more than a day to
get your head around.

All the more reason for you to have a spare hard drive if you have
enough shekels. I think that recue disk is a real bargain though.

Had you run out this am to get a new drive it would have cost you 50
or 60 quid and sorted it provided it wasn't an hardware fault
elsewhere. You can get live CDs anywhere Linux Mag, Linux sites,
friends, local, expert, paid opininon and dossers on newsgroups with
nothing better to do than offer vapid, distant assistance and
extracting biscuit coloured liquid from a certain amoeba.

It really is easy to use a live CD. Just tell the start up that the
preferred boot drive is the ROM.

Live distros can be used for many purposes, including providing an
environment for:

* optionally installing a Linux distribution to a hard drive
* testing new versions of software
* testing hardware
* system repair and restoration
* high security/non-invasive environment for a guest
* cracking/stealing passwords
* network security testing
* as a fall back when a main drive fails.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_CD

Most mobos have older IDE options but you'd be best getting a second
hand computer for 50 to 100 notes to use your old stuff and get a nic
card and 2nd hand BB modem to network them. £10 or more?

It will probably cost you more for the cable which are like hen's
teeth.Go figure. If you are really strapped I can send you a router
for the postage. You can pick them up in boot sales for very little.

You know how to get into the BIOS start up?

As the PC starts hit the Delete key. (The # F8 will get you into
Windows start-up mode to choose Safe.)
I'd go into details if I wasn't pretty sure you know the basics. And
that better help is as easy to get as anything I can say.

You don't have to update your PC BIOS and even if you do and it is
unsuccessful, you can undo it (usually) by taking the battery out and
unplugging it. I certainly wouldn't do it on a dodgy box.

Just get an extra ribbon (I really can't remember what the data ribbon
is on these things) and bring it outside the box to connect another
drive. Is your machine a Dell perchance?

I can't imagine any other maker supplying such a case that you can't
put another drive in. Screw with the BIOS too neither.

Well, good luck.